As most of you know, I have been blessed with having not only a great support network including families and friends, not to mention a wonderful best friend, Sara. We met nearly 8 years ago in a shared dormitory bathroom at CSU. Despite a ocean in between us for 4 years, we have remained the best of friends and even taken a trip together in Europe for the past three. This year, we have decided to invest our time and efforts to a better cause and volunteer with an organization called Light in Africa in Tanzania. This blog is devoted to this experience - from our way there, our time there, and our experience after the fact.
Why? might you ask that I decided to embark on a volunteer journey? That is something I have been asking myself and can clearly remember one clear moment. At home in Colorado, visiting my family, I was talking a walk - to Starbucks of course - and couldn't shut the thoughts up in my head - Will I get a good job? Was doing my masters abroad going to pay off? Where will I end up? - then it dawned upon me for some reason - on this walk to Starbucks - that I am extremely lucky for everything and everyone I have. Although nearly nothing in my life has worked out according to my original plan, it has all worked out and quite well, for that matter. So why all these worries about material, frivolous STUFF? I'd been so worried about getting a late start in my career, so worried if I made the right decisions, that I had forgot how lucky I really was. I wanted - needed - a wake up call.
That's how I came to the idea of going to Africa - there on that walk. Why Africa? Well now I can say because of the dire need, because of the expected 43 million orphans on the continent, because of the 30,000 children that die each day in sub-Saharan Africa, however, this FACTS were unbeknownst to me at the time. Something drew me to Africa - something drew me to give back. Maybe it was my recognition of how lucky I was - lucky to have great parents and a great support systems, let alone running water, food or modern medicine. So it was set in my head, I was going to Africa.
The next day, I reunited with Sara and told her of my plans. She teared up, said how much she missed me, and was onboard from the start. We found Light in Africa, an orphanage in Kilimanjaro, through friends of mine, who had volunteered there before. We applied, and were accepted. Now, you're nearly up to speed on how this came about and please stay tuned for more information on the organization, our way there, fundraising efforts, and most of all, the experiences we encounter in Tanzania.
Thanks for the constant love and support,
Abby
Hey Abby and Sara, I like your blog!
ReplyDeleteI am kind of jealous about you going there so soon and having a great experience. It sure was a great experience for Lisa and me. But also, and I am being reminded of that in recent job interviews again, it is also something that pays off in career and monetary terms. I know this is clearly not your motivation to go there, but it is definately a nice extra. Looking back, it obviously pays off ethically (as the majority of people only TALK about being a better person) and deriving from that in social terms as making new friends by talking about the experience (next to the friends you make during the experience). These are the rewards I have experienced on longer terms. For the moment though, the laughter and smile of the children will be the only reward you need.
If we do not see each other before you leave and I really hope we do (we leave on the 8th to Florida), I wish you all the best for your trip. Lose the European/American perspective on everything and just try to go with the African way of life for a while (but do not turn into a hippie either;) It might be scary at times, but you will be fine. The bigger adjustment for me was coming back here...