It ‘feels very natural’ for her to help boys in need
“My parents have always been very generous with their time and their money, and they’ve always opened their home to people who needed it. I kind of watched them throughout my life take care of the people around them and take care of their community. So it feels very natural for me to serve with more marginalized populations. I really feel like it suits me, getting opportunities as a young person to see other parts of the world and help people who are less fortunate than me.
Janell Simmons with some of the boys at Naivasha Children’s Shelter in Kenya.
“There’s been some talk this past year about the value of certain people — who has value and why. So when I think about the Kenyan culture and especially these boys at Naivasha Children’s Shelter, they are seen by some as the worst of society, nothing more than thieves and drug addicts. But they are so much more than that.
“These boys who have been shunned by society come into a place where there’s just love, and they’re seen as having value. They’re told that they can be better than society has said they can be. It’s really powerful.
“To get to be a part of that, to get to be the one who’s giving them encouragement and telling them that they’re worth more, that’s what really draws me to this place. That’s what really has me excited.”
— Janell Simmons
Janell, who grew up in Highlands, Texas, took a sabbatical from her job in New York City last year to spend about four weeks working at Naivasha Children’s Shelter in Kenya, Africa. The program is designed to rescue and rehabilitate street boys, and reintegrate them with their families and communities. Janell has been back twice for short visits, and she is now planning to leave her job to move there and continue working with the program for one-two years. Because it is not a paid position, she is raising funds to support the move. Learn more about her adventure.
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