Citizen Diplomat - participate in greater Newburyport's Sister City relationship with Bura, Kenya.

We are inviting volunteers to participate in northeast Massachusetts's sister city organization with Bura, Kenya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0aCLUFbaho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjZYw47YLdo&t=110s

The Greater Newburyport Bura, Kenya Alliance (GNBA) is Newburyport’s Sister City organization. GNBA is a non-profit organization in existence since 1993 and composed of volunteers and supporters from greater Newburyport, Massachusetts. At present, there are about 20 active members. Members meet once per month for about two hours, although participation does not require presence at these meetings and virtual participation is common. Committees are active between monthly meetings. Fundraising and social events are scheduled irregularly.

GNBA members are committed to fostering friendship, cross-cultural understanding and mutual respect between the people of the greater Newburyport area and those of our Sister City, Bura, Kenya.

Bura is a rural community in the hills of southeastern Kenya. Many residents are subsistence farmers, and access to affordable education, health care, and technology can be a challenge. There are a variety of community development initiatives going on in the area, which sits alongside some of Kenya's most beautiful national parks.

A Sister City organization is not a charity, but in order to enliven the friendship and cultural value exchange foundation of the organization, GNBA has partnered to fund a number of small scale civic and social development works including:

• medical clinics
• reforestation & tree planting
• education
• youth soccer
• beekeeping
• literacy
• computer technology
• leadership for women
• library - reading for children and adults

Over the thirty year history, seventeen members of the Bura community have visited Newburyport, MA and similar numbers from Newburyport have visited Bura, some members having traveled there multiple times.

In 2024, the Sister City bond strengthened again due to the support of the greater Newburyport community and involvement of members. GNBA members visited the village again in February 2024 holding rewarding exchanges with some of the notable new and old partners of the Bura community. We observed that the severe drought that has affected most of East Africa was a major issue for farmers and has led to inflation pressure.

During 2025 GNBA supplied:

• School uniforms for 93 orphans - primary and secondary school students
• School fees for 63 secondary and junior secondary school students
• Backpacks with Solar lanterns for thirteen orphans living in homes with no electricity - allowing study at night.
• Menstrual pads to 40 girls so they do not miss school during menstruation.
• Funds for 5000 tree seedlings plantered by environmental champions for reforestation and agriculture
• The only lending library in the community with over 100 books added for youth and adult readers in English and swahili.
• Privacy curtains for the newly opened county Rescue Center serving abused children.
• Support for the youth soccer program serving 12 girl and 12 boy school-affiliated teams.

If you are more than just curious about the lives of people in Africa and would like to "act globally" as a citizen diplomat, participation in GNBA can be a very rewarding experience. More information at www.masskenya.org .