Next month, Vivian Walczesky will take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Kenya.
Walzeski will travel to Lake Nakuru National Reserve in Nairobi for an expedition. She will also visit the Masai Mara National Reserve and Nairobi Market. Walczesky, a member of Working Women’s Club of Monroe County, will represent Working Women’s Club International, a global volunteer organization that provides education and training for women and girls.
In Africa, Valcheski will work with teenage girls and will also help expand the newly formed International African Federation, a working women’s welfare society. Walczesky currently serves on the Board of Directors and as Legal and Resolution Chairman of the Working Women’s Welfare Societies International of the Americas.
“This will be my first time there,” Wolcheski said. “We had eight Working Women members. I flew from Detroit to Paris and from Paris to Nairobi. No one else in the area was going.”
Others came from Washington, Canada, California and Florida.
To be prepared, Wolceski needs some vaccines. Yellow fever vaccine is required.
“We all must be vaccinated against yellow fever. It is recommended that you carry your vaccine card with you because Kenya will check the vaccine and card,” Walzeski said. “It is recommended that you get other vaccines such as hepatitis A and B and malaria vaccines, but it is your decision to vaccinate those shots.”
Yellow fever is spread by infected mosquitoes. The World Health Organization website states: “As of 2023, yellow fever is endemic in 34 countries in Africa and 13 countries or regions in Central and South America.”
“We sleep with mosquito nets. I also have bug spray and other repellents,” Wolzewski said.
She also needs to change money.
“The Kenyan state uses shillings,” she said. “One dollar is worth Sh149,928.”
In Kenya, Valcheski and others will wear Working Women’s Club blue and yellow and attend Girls’ Day workshops with high school girls.
“For these girls, we’re going to teach them confidence, leadership, self-worth and how to be a leader,” Wolzewski said.
She and others will also help set up a new Working Women’s Welfare Society club in Nairobi.
“There were at least 13 to 15 women in the club,” Walzewski said. “It is my understanding that the women are aged between 22 and 30 years old. After reviewing the charter information, they will receive a formal charter document stating that they are a Working Women’s Welfare Club and meet all criteria .”
Walczesky had previously traveled for the Soroptimists.
“I have traveled to other states on behalf of Working Women’s Welfare Society. Since I am a board director, I am required to visit other areas of the country. Last year I visited the Sierra Pacific Region in California and the East Coast Region in North Carolina.” I just Came back from Dublin, Ireland, to attend the Working Women’s Welfare Society International Conference in July,” she said.
She also attended United Nations meetings as a working women’s welfare society representative.
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Walczesky is looking forward to experiencing Kenya. Walzewski said the area is known for white and black rhinos, gazelles, hippos, lions, cheetahs, elephants and buffalo. Serving Nairobi and African cuisine. Speaks Swahili.
“I wanted to see as many animals as possible, but mainly elephants and lions,” she said. “I wanted to try as many of these foods as possible, but we were warned that any type of meat might not be prepared the way it is in the United States.”