Hope for a brighter future for Africa can be about as dim as nights like these in Dar (we have slowly been adding more power outages every day and now we are at 16 hours of now power each day). We had a glimpse of light during dinner with three lovely guests, but its as if they took the power with them when they left because suddenly the generator blew. Not only did it shut off, but the wires actually melted together. Everything becomes so much harder when you're left in the dark - like trying to pack for Zanzibar, find your passport, or taking a shower.
In my Geog. of Africa class last year we talked about the pros and cons of Africa. Unfortunately, most of the list was full of cons from both the present, past, and future of Africa. Just today I spoke with L again about the negative lenses that many people see Africa through. I don't remember exactly how many cons there were compared to pros, but for someone like me, who has always had my heart here, I was saddened to know that so many people did not see what I see in Africa.
So far, I've seen that development can be similar here in Africa to the power cuts in Dar right now. In the dark, it is hard to see the good things and shadows scare people away. But even in the dark, in the dreary weather, in the fragile faces, in the broken nations, there is beauty in nature's drawing, in the children's faces, and in the genuine hearts of Africa's people. I want to share the story of Africa so that even when it is under the shadow of corruption, civil wars, and poor governance, people will see that there is much more too it than that.
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