Soulfari Kenya

About Us

Soulfari Kenya Inc. is a registered non-profit. ID#20-4699851

The organizing Board of Directors

Josie Mai, Executive Director
Julius Were, Director of International Relations
Sarah Were, Director of Domestic Relations
Barbara Axton
Anthony Gitau
Bri Irwin
Phil Lesniewski
Ally Moore
Ben Quinn
Elizabeth Young

About the founders and trip leaders

Josie Mai is an artist and teacher from Kansas City. She received her undergraduate degree and certificate in art education from the University of Kansas. She then taught art to urban and suburban high school students in Kansas City area public schools and not-for-profit organizations such as Studio 150 and Chameleon, Inc. Josie received her Masters of Fine Arts degree at Parsons School of Design in New York City in order to explore new territory, develop as an artist, and earn a degree to enable her to teach at the college level. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Art and Art Education at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri where she continues to teach, develop her art work, curate, and exhibit. Summer 2007 will mark her seventh trip to Kenya. www.josiemai.com

Sarah Were is an occupational therapist currently working full-time in the early childhood special education program at Park Hill School District in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Kansas Medical Center with a Masters of Occupational Therapy in 2003. She has led four previous volunteer trips to East Africa alongside her older sister, Josie Mai, and her husband, Julius Were. While in Kenya, she has designed and implemented training seminars for occupational therapists and special education teachers on the topics of Autism and sensory integration. Her knowledge of and passion for East Africa has grown over the years through her studies in African culture and language, her participation in six life-changing trips to the nations of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda, and especially through her relationship with her beloved husband, who is a Kenyan native. She looks forward to returning once again to her second home with a new group of friends.

Julius Were is a native of Kenya, but he currently resides in the United States with his wife, Sarah Were. He lived in Kenya for over thirty years before migrating to Kansas City in 2002. In Kenya, Julius was a social worker dedicated to improving the quality of life of at-risk children. He is currently working full-time as a paraprofessional in the Shawnee Mission School District and part-time as a Certified Nurses Aide in area nursing homes. He is pursuing a degree in Social Welfare at Johnson County Community College. Julius’s active involvement in Soulfari Kenya and in the implementation of these trips is invaluable because he facilitates events that, unlike the typical tourist experience, allow travelers to gain unique insight into the daily routines, traditions, and cuisine of local Kenyans. Julius’s leadership is essential in translating languages, helping us to access safe and reliable accommodations and transportation, teaching us to be culturally-sensitive, educating us about daily life in Kenya through his personal testimonies, and connecting us with local organizations. He is fluent in 7 languages including English, Kiswahili, Italian, and many local Kenyan languages. Julius’s family continues to reside in Kenya so he is excited to once again travel home to see them.



	About Us Soulfari Kenya Inc. is a registered non-profit. ID#20-4699851 The organizing Board of Directors Josie Mai, Executive Director Julius Were, Director of International Relations Sarah Were, Director of Domestic Relations Barbara Axton Anthony Gitau Bri Irwin Phil Lesniewski Ally Moore Ben Quinn Elizabeth Young About the founders and trip leaders Josie Mai is an artist and teacher from Kansas City. She received her undergraduate degree and certificate in art education from the University of Kansas. She then taught art to urban and suburban high school students in Kansas City area public schools and not-for-profit organizations such as Studio 150 and Chameleon, Inc. Josie received her Masters of Fine Arts degree at Parsons School of Design in New York City in order to explore new territory, develop as an artist, and earn a degree to enable her to teach at the college level. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Art and Art Education at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri where she continues to teach, develop her art work, curate, and exhibit. Summer 2007 will mark her seventh trip to Kenya. www.josiemai.com Sarah Were is an occupational therapist currently working full-time in the early childhood special education program at Park Hill School District in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Kansas Medical Center with a Masters of Occupational Therapy in 2003. She has led four previous volunteer trips to East Africa alongside her older sister, Josie Mai, and her husband, Julius Were. While in Kenya, she has designed and implemented training seminars for occupational therapists and special education teachers on the topics of Autism and sensory integration. Her knowledge of and passion for East Africa has grown over the years through her studies in African culture and language, her participation in six life-changing trips to the nations of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda, and especially through her relationship with her beloved husband, who is a Kenyan native. She looks forward to returning once again to her second home with a new group of friends. Julius Were is a native of Kenya, but he currently resides in the United States with his wife, Sarah Were. He lived in Kenya for over thirty years before migrating to Kansas City in 2002. In Kenya, Julius was a social worker dedicated to improving the quality of life of at-risk children. He is currently working full-time as a paraprofessional in the Shawnee Mission School District and part-time as a Certified Nurses Aide in area nursing homes. He is pursuing a degree in Social Welfare at Johnson County Community College. Julius’s active involvement in Soulfari Kenya and in the implementation of these trips is invaluable because he facilitates events that, unlike the typical tourist experience, allow travelers to gain unique insight into the daily routines, traditions, and cuisine of local Kenyans. Julius’s leadership is essential in translating languages, helping us to access safe and reliable accommodations and transportation, teaching us to be culturally-sensitive, educating us about daily life in Kenya through his personal testimonies, and connecting us with local organizations. He is fluent in 7 languages including English, Kiswahili, Italian, and many local Kenyan languages. Julius’s family continues to reside in Kenya so he is excited to once again travel home to see them.