If there were a distance award for senior exit projects at West Salem High School, Kyle Rogers would have been the undisputed winner this year. Rogers spent more than 30 hours on a plane, touching down in Amsterdam and Nairobi, Kenya, to complete his project.

It all began after he heard Linda Masey, a registered nurse from Oelwein, Iowa, give a talk at his church, the Presbyterian Church of West Salem. Masey travels to Kenya each year to distribute badly needed medical and school supplies to the Masai tribe.

After the talk, Rogers began collecting supplies for Masey as part of the church’s Mustard Seed Program, which helps children in poor countries with health and educational issues.

Rogers collected a bunch of supplies and, after he dropped them off in Iowa, Masey asked him if he’d like to come along to distribute them. The flight to Nairobi costs $2,400, so Rogers wasn’t sure he could raise the money. A donation from the church and money raised from a spaghetti supper cleared that hurdle, however, and Masey and Rogers left the United States on July 21 on a two-and-a-half-week trip.

The flight out of Minnesota went first to Amsterdam and than on to Nairobi. “We didn’t spend much time in Nairobi at all — they took us directly to the Masai lands,” Rogers said.

His home for two weeks was a house in a small village of 25 people. “It was basically a small shack with four rooms,” Rogers said.

His routine involved getting up in the morning and taking school and medical supplies to surrounding villages.

“I had a tubful of crayons and pencils, and Linda had 10 totes of medical supplies. After we got back later in the day, I’d play soccer with the kids — they taught me some Masai,” Rogers said.

Asked what he enjoyed most about the trip, Rogers had this to say: “Just seeing the kids’ faces when I handed them stuff — their faces just lit up. It’s amazing how much stuff we take for granted.”

He brought along a soccer ball, jump ropes and coloring books. Unfortunately, the ball didn’t last long because the area is so thorny.

Another trip Rogers and Masey took was to a local dispensary. “We brought baby clothes, blankets and socks. One of the big surprises for me was how cold it was at night. It’s winter there now and even though it’s near the equator, it got down into the 50s sometimes,” Rogers said.

The area, about two hours north of Nairobi, is in the midst of a prolonged drought, so there was not as much wildlife around as in the past. Still, Rogers managed to see giraffes, baboons and gazelles.

The drought is a great hardship. “Lots of farmers’ crops are dead, and the people can’t afford food or clothing. They have to have water trucked in to them,” Rogers said.

On one trip to a hospital, Rogers and Masey brought a delivery bed for birthing because the women were delivering babies on the floor.

“It (the trip) has given me more appreciation for what we have here,” Rogers said.

On the flight home, Rogers snagged a window seat and he enjoyed the views of Iceland and the mountains of Greenland.

Would he do it again? “They (the villagers) want me to come back. I might go back in two years — I’m not really sure because there are other places I’d like to go, too,” Rogers said.

In the meantime, he is readying himself for college life. Rogers will begin courses at Western Technical College later this month leading to a degree in nursing.