Final thoughts from Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

It is now 8:30 pm Uganda time as I write this from the largest airport in East Africa in Kenya (for a detailed description on the scene here send me an email). I don’t translate the hour into NY time -- another of my tricks to get over jet lag -- but instead am now thinking about my itinerary for the next weeks: meeting with a National organization of water and sanitation NGOs (non-governmental organizations), the United States foreign aid mission, US Peace Corps Director, Catholic Relief Services and numerous individual contractors both domestic and international with decades of experience, in addition to our own current contractors

To put this trip together, it truly took an army of people from well, the United States Army, namely Ambassador Tony Holmes, Lt Col Tom Talley and Lt Col Luis del Valle of Africom; to the women named April (Rinne and Davies) at Water.org; Beezie Dallas, Dan Fahey, Ian Moise, Leah Bellshaw, Drop in the Bucket; Lacey Haussamen, Dan and Laurie Saft Ginsburg for their bequeath of a phone and advice and then more advice and many others. I am also grateful for the support of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Jim Segaloff, Jennifer Lamb and countless others I am forgetting at this moment. And to people I have not yet met but whose unsolicited support is truly noble: Cathy Wise, Jenny Small, Glenn Ettman and Jack Schnirman.

The volunteers within our organization led by Elaina Loizou who handles many tasks including working with Cassel Kroll and Chris Guthrie who set up our online presence. And special thanks to Miki Brown, whose tireless work allowed me to spend more time focused on trip planning than administrative duties; to Elizabeth Peterson and her focus on advertising which allowed me more breathing space; and to Brett Freedman and S. Waqar Hasib, whose presence in DC is crucial for ClearWater.

Special thanks to David Bell, whose technical knowledge has been crucial in so many ways. I wanted to say here at the outset, that it really did take a team to put together a nearly month and a half long trip during the complicated planning season of Christmas and New Years. And I would be remiss if I didn’t note to the success of Alyssa Sperber’s holiday card program, which funded my flight and that of Jake Herrle, my fellow board member who will join me here in a week.

And finally to Ben, who set the vision of the trip, but who could not make it. Although the trip is eight months earlier than planned, you gave me the vision, the knowledge and the tools to continue, and now expand, the work. I’m honored to have the opportunity – as I paraphrase Jake here -- to forward your simple, but beautiful idea.