About us

I met my husband, Wilson Lokwayen "Lokwo" Apoo, on a study abroad through UWSP's Study Abroad program for permaculture design in Kenya (Summer 2011). This is the story of how we met:

We had just gotten to Nyumbani Village in Kitui, Kenya. The village is an ecological sustainably designed village that takes in children left behind by the AIDS epidemic. The situation for many of them was that their parents had died from AIDS. They were given a place to live in a home in the village that had one or two ‘grandparents’ that took care of things. The ‘grandparents’ were usually elderly with little or no family of their own, that had applied to live in the village and got accepted. That day our professors were giving us a tour of the village. It was a long walk through the livestock area, the greenhouses, solar panels, bee keeping area, the school area, the church and homes. Afterwards, we all had some time to choose a room and unpack in the convent where we would be staying for the next three weeks. This is when I first met Wilson. He was one of four other Kenyan students from across the country taking the permaculture class with us. I remember him being really quiet and shy. The three weeks of class were tough, both physically and mentally. We were installing rain barrels, planting trees, building a greenhouse and making compost. The work felt really rewarding because you were living with all these people that you are helping. Whenever they see you walking down the road they would greet you with a “Wacha!” we’d reply “Aaah” and give a firm handshake. One evening, the village didn’t have water, it was a frequent problem, especially on Sundays when it seemed like everyone was doing laundry. That evening everything came together in my head and I realized how much we, as middle class citizens of America, take simple things for granted. I went outside and started to cry. I’ll never forget, Wilson came up and talked to me that night. I couldn’t tell if he realized I was crying, but we sat there for awhile talking about the stars. The last night in Kitui we had a party to celebrate the work we did and the friends we made. Saying goodbye was really hard to do. I was going to be staying in Kenya for a few more weeks, but everyone else was leaving. I made sure to get Wilson’s phone number and address and I told him I would come visit. I didn’t know this at the time, but he told me later that he didn’t think he would ever see me again. A few days later, I met Wilson at his village near Mount Kenya. We fell in love, and since my mom was coming to Kenya to meet me and do a little traveling, Wilson was able to come with us and meet my mother. It was hard to say goodbye to Wilson, but we promised to stay in touch. That October, a tragedy happened to the Apoo family. Their father Francis was going to another city with a coworker to pick up his retirement stipend from the Kenyan Army. They were attacked by a group of men, they ran, and got separated. Francis never returned. I went back to Kenya that December to be with Wilson and his family for Christmas and New Years. I could tell they were all struggling with their father's disappearance, but they were glad I was with them for the holidays. I helped cook meals over the fire, walked to the river to get water, helped with chores, it was a really eye opening experience. At the end of the visit, the family and other women in the village gave me a bunch of beaded jewelry they made. I told Isabel, Wilson's sister that we could make a business selling the jewelry the women made. She thought it was a good idea, and it gave me something to work on while I was back home. On April 12, 2012, Wilson proposed. We were chatting online and decided to get married in the summer. I was nervous, excited, worried, anxious, just a little of everything. I went to Kenya and we planned a small court ceremony. I was able to purchase a small amount of jewelry inventory from the ladies in the village. I made sure to calculate out a fair wage for their work, because I wanted the company to become Fairtrade Certified in the future and it's a philosophy of business I believe in. So now I'm back in Wisconsin, I just finishedup my Associates degree in business management from MSTC. I started selling the jewelry, the company is called Kenya Love Jewelry. I started the filing process for Wilson's spouse visa so he can come to the USA, but it's proving to be the hardest waiting game ever. Wilson and I keep in touch through Facebook, texts and phone calls. We miss each other terribly, but we know that the love we have is worth the wait.