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'out of africa': young woman returns home from kenya

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

A homecoming: If she has any sense, Debbie Schachner should be fast asleep in her own bed in O’Fallon after being scheduled to return from Africa sometime yesterday.

Debbie left Timau, Kenya, without seeing a library finished that she set out to fund and build.

With about six years of her life tied up in the project, she left Timau to come home, a much wiser young adult than she was when she set out in 2003 as a volunteer for Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA).
CFCA is a non-profit sponsorship program for children and the elderly in 24 countries around the world, including Timau where Debbie was sent to volunteer.

The Messenger began following Debbie after her return as a CFCA volunteer when she decided to raise money to build a library in Timau.

A serious hiker, Debbie began a trek across the United States in March of 2005 in California, ending in October 2007 in Delaware, completing the American Discovery Trail.

She took time off during the trek and returned to O’Fallon to work and raise money to return to the trail.
“It wasn’t what I originally planned, but it’s so neat to see how God works,” she said.

The project, she said, was born of a desire to do something that would have a positive impact on present and future generations, making life better for everyone in the Timau community.
“Many of the people didn’t have books and had never seen a library,” she said.
As the library was taking shape after her return to Timau in October 2008, Debbie, and a Kenyan friend and artist, Pat Syano, took a backpack filled with books around the Timau community.

The books, donated by O’Fallon’s public library, were used to explain what a library is and how it works.

Here’s what happened: Debbie, much like a pied piper, walked through town with her backpack of books. Pat walked with her carrying grass mats. When the children saw her, they began to follow her to see where she would stop so they could take a look at the books.

“These children will educate their parents about a library,” she said.

Pat spread the mats; the children slipped out of their shoes and joined Debbie on the ground to page through the books while Pat explained the library system.

The children learned about the library as it continued to take shape in their community.

“People are happy about the library because it will benefit the young people,” she said.

However, not all the people were happy when Debbie returned with what she thought was more than enough money to build and finish the library and turn it over to the Kenya National Library System for operation.
“I raised 5.1 million Kenya shillings (at a rate of about 78 shillings for every U.S. dollar). The total cost is 7.3 million Kenya shillings.”

Why the discrepancy? When Debbie left the country in 2004, she had established a library committee, seen plans drawn up and calculated the amount she would need.

Without telling her, the committee had almost doubled the size of the library, so when she arrived last fall, ready to break ground, she found herself short of cash, and not nearly as popular with some community members as she had been when she left.

Why? When she was a volunteer, she had no money, and now she had millions of shillings. The committee wanted her to turn the money over to them, and they assured her they would “take care of the library.”

While Debbie is a consummate altruist, she was reluctant to believe the library would be built if she turned the money over to the committee.

Instead, she saw the ground breaking and became “general contractor” for the library, going out for bids on materials and signing checks for supplies, making sure the project received the best materials at the most competitive price.
This wasn’t originally part the most competitive price.

This wasn’t originally part of her “vision” for the library, but she quickly realized that if the community was going to have a real library, she would have to become actively involved.

At the compound where she lived in the volunteer quarters, the parish priest, Father Frederick Kaburu, was also on the library committee. He saw what was happening and backed her. “God sent her to us,” he said.

Since Debbie quickly realized she was short of funds, she left the bulk of the money she had raised in the U.S. foundation. While she waited to see what she could do, the exchange rate on the money changed, and she had more Kenya shillings than she had at first. That helped. Then, she went to the government for a grant. That helped.

Her last effort would be a request for donations from farmers who have greenhouses in the area where they raise flowers for exports.

Since they have helped with other projects in the past, she was hopeful they would help with the library project.
This has been a tremendous and sometimes difficult learning process for Debbie.

“I questioned myself,” she said. “I’m generally an optimistic person, but it’s hard to maintain enthusiasm and optimism in the face of so many issues. I don‘t really have to be appreciated to know I’m doing what God wants me to do.”
A multi-faceted person, driven by her commitment to serve others, Debbie responded to yet another need while she was working on the library project.

When she returned to Timau in October, she met a child, Christine, who, along with four other siblings, were orphaned by postelection violence that had ravaged Kenya after the 2007 national elections.
The oldest brother, Peter, gathered up his sisters and brother after they saw their parents locked in their home and burned alive.

With their aunt and her two children, they ended up in Timau. The seven children and one adult lived in what we would consider a walk-in closet.

The children were hungry, the aunt exhausted with the care of all of the children.
Debbie connected the children with CFCA sponsors: her brother and another family in O’Fallon. “It’s a wonderful gift to connect two families I love,” she said. She also asked and received donations from family and friends to build a bigger house for the Timau family through the CFCA.

Staying for the opening of the library, scheduled for mid-May, was not an option. Her visa was expiring, and she said she needed to go home. She wants to finish her education so that she can continue a life of service to others.
“I miss being wrapped in the love of my family,” she said.

“Wrap up,” Debbie. You should be home now. Get ready for the next step, wherever God leads you.