2027 Straw to Bread Trip
May 18th-May 31st 2027
Applications Now Open!
Applications Now Open!
Interest Meetings:
Come learn more about Straw to Bread and our upcoming trip to Kenya. Hear directly from trip leaders and former students about their experiences and the work we do.
September 23rd
September 24th: BSB A.236 6:30 PM
September 25th
October 7th
October 8th: BSB A.236 6:30 PM
APPLY: DEADLINE to apply: Sunday, Jan 10, 2027
INTERVIEW: Virtual Interview with team leaders (One of them will contact you to set up a time after your application is received. ) ROLLING ADMISSIONS UNTIL TEAM IS FILLED.
MANDATORY ALL-DAY RETREAT: Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 (9:00 – 4:30)
MANDATORY TRIP MEETING: Saturday, April 3, 2026 (9:00 – 2:00)
TEAM LEADERS: Mark Dimski MD, Baylor alum, pediatrician, Straw to Bread Director of Operations and Kyndall Edwards MPH, Baylor alum, Straw to Bread Board of Directors member
COST: $3900—(optional trip insurance is highly recommended)
Some scholarships are available from the Honors College for Honors students who are accepted on the trip.
Payment Schedule: No refunds are able to be given, as they are processed as tax-deductible donations.
$2500 Due Jan 22, 2027
$1400 Due April 1, 2027
Included in trip fee:
Airfare from DFW
Ground transportation in Kenya
Lodging and meals
May 18 Four Points Sheraton Hotel--Airport, Nairobi
May 19-28 Del Fuego Hotel in Sondu, near our work site
May 28-30 Sarova Resort in the Maasai Mara (including safari)
NOT included in trip fee: Passport fee, visa, immunizations, malaria medication, optional trip insurance.
WORK LOCATION:
Rural area on the Nyakach Plateau in western Kenya
Closest town is Sondu
Closest city is Kisumu—third largest city in Kenya, located on the shores of Lake Victoria (1 hour by van from our destination)
ACTIVITIES:
Work alongside Kenyan and U.S. doctors in our hospital (no experience required)
Help in our school Bethlehem Home Academy
Work in gardens
Collect team research data
Weave baskets with the elders
Visit the elders in their homes
Go on safari and have final reflection time
BACKGROUND:
Pastor Habil Ogola is a Luo pastor and retired medical technologist living on the Nyakach Plateau in western Kenya. He began a ministry there called Bethlehem Home to care for 60 orphans and destitute adults (known as “elders”) in 2001. Along with a leadership team of other local people, the project has grown far beyond the accomplishment of providing food and water for this community and now includes a school and a hospital. From those early beginnings, a partnership developed with friends in the U.S. that grew into Straw to Bread, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to serve this community and assist them in achieving their goals of health and sustainability. Together we focus on food security, clean water and air, education, healthcare, and economic empowerment. Hundreds of American college students, physicians, and other professionals have traveled to this place in rural western Kenya with the Straw to Bread team since 2009. We have seen thousands of patients, planted gardens, carried out research, worked in the school, and helped with public health projects. Each year brings more growth and friendship, grounded in the goodness, power, and love of God.
Straw to Bread was founded by two Baylor faculty members— Dr Lisa Baker, a pediatrician, and Dr Troy Abell, an epidemiologist. In 2025, Audrey Tobey MD assumed the role of Executive Director after many years of Lisa’s leadership. Straw to Bread has a Board of Directors and is run entirely by volunteers. 100% of donations go to our work in Kenya.
TRIP SCHEDULE:
Day 1-2 Fly from DFW to Nairobi, stay at Four Points Sheraton Hotel-Airport
Day 3 Fly from Nairobi to Kisumu, Kenya; travel by van to the Plateau to meet the people of
Bethlehem Home and receive a tour.
Day 4-9 Work in clinic, school, and gardens, do home visits, collect research data .
Worship on Sunday, play with kids, learn to weave baskets from the elders
Day 10 Final feast with orphans and elders
Day 11 Leave for safari
Day 12 Safari with morning and afternoon game rides
Day 13 Return to Nairobi, fly out in the evening
Day 14 Arrive at DFW
REQUIRED FOR TEAM MEMBERS:
Completed application
Interview
Participation in S2B retreat Saturday, Feb 6, 2027 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Participation in team meeting Saturday, April 3, 2027 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Assigned readings and reaction papers
Completed Personal Information Form
Immunizations and malaria prevention medicine
Current passport and visa
