By Brenda Odhiambo
Photos by John Sande, Joy Macharia and Justin Kavole

Last week, the University community marked Freida Brown Day, which is observed as a day for the wider university community to come together and contribute to the surrounding neighborhood by engaging in community service activities such as environmental cleanups, renovations, donations among others.

The event, which kicked off at 9:30 am saw participants begin with a cleanup exercise that targeted the areas around campus.
In addition to community service, this year’s Freida Brown Day was special because it marked the celebration of Prof. Freida Brown's leadership and service at USIU-Africa since her return in August 2021.

The speakers during the day all shared their remarks about Prof. Brown’s tenure, noting that she had been instrumental in the University’s success over the years. In his remarks, the Chair of the Alumni Association thanked Prof. Brown and wished her well as she headed back into retirement, a sentiment that was echoed by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Ensign and the Associate DVC-Student Affairs, Mrs. Ritah Asunda.

“Prof. Brown has been a mainstay at USIU-Africa, guiding our institution to greater heights, and mentoring our students over the years. As she heads back to the US into her retirement, we wish her the best, and we will continue to keep in touch with her. Thank you Mama Africa for your diligent service!” he said.

Prof. Brown’s service was also appreciated by representatives from Cheleta Primary School Friends Anduru Education Center, who noted that through the community service engagements, USIU-Africa had served as an inspiration to their students who now aspired to be part of USIU-Africa.
The event, which was also marked as a celebration of the Vice Chancellor, also saw the University community pledge its support to Prof. Ensign as she takes over the leadership of the university. Mr. Bernard Kaut, the Chair of the Student Council noted that the student body was ready to work closely with Prof. Ensign to realize USIU-Africa’s mission in relation to teaching and learning.

The event ended with a presentation by the Itanya Initiative, spearheaded by Daphne Karani (Class of 2018) who gave a short presentation on her work with girls from the Githogoro slum, and a cake cutting, which marked the climax of the event.