Day 8 / Under the Same Sun

There are so many issues here that I didn't even realize were issues. As we were driving through our neighbourhood with my new favorite driver, Iddi, (and apparently I am his new favorite too...haha) Jennifer pointed out a sign for "Under the Same Sun". It is an organization that assists people with albinism to live a normal life, safe from the superstitions and discriminations of others. In parts of Africa, and Tanzania especially, people with albinism are hunted and attacked with machetes because their blood is believed to provide wealth and good fortune to those who drink the blood. It is hard to believe that this type of things still happens in the 21st century, but after learning about it this afternoon it has been on my mind non-stop.

I am hoping to learn more about the culture of Tanzania that supports these kinds of activities and how Under the Same Sun is going about in eliminating the discrimination here toward people with albinism. It would be great to have a chance to meet the founder (who apparently lives in Langley?) as well as visit the office here in Tanzania to find out more about what I can do to help, or even just to learn more so I can share their stories and hopefully stop what is happening in so many parts of the world!

Check out their organization here: www.underthesamesun.com

Here is where I am staying! My room is the one with the porch on the second floor, left hand side! And the picture on the right is obviously a sunset, but I think that's what heaven's gonna look like ;)

With love,

Day 7 / Green Door Home

So week 1 is down. And to be honest, it's been a rough week. The first few days were okay, because I was in a fog. But after I realized how far away from my family and boyfriend I was, and after my expectations for Dar were completely thrown out the window, I wasn't sure if I could do it. But I am not a quitter, and I really do like it here. Just takes some getting used to, especially since I am a rare species that grew up thinking that my family were my best friends for life (which is true! but uncommon...) and without them here it's pretty sad, not gonna lie ;)

Today I went to the Boona Baana Centre for Children's Rights (aka Green Door Home - although right now the door is yellow) and met the kids that I will be working with all summer! So after my melt down this morning, I couldn't help but smile when I got there. There are 7 kids, between the ages of 10 and 16. They are pretty much orphans, and with a house mother that is not much older than them they basically take care of themselves. One of the boys, Samuel (he is 13), had the biggest grin on his face the entire time we were there. How can you frown in front of a person like that? He brought me more joy than he will ever know. I am excited to be leading a neighbourhood book club on Mondays and Thursdays, which will likely require me to learn a lot more Swahili! We are also thinking about doing an HIV prevention program with them with the neighbourhood kids to do our very small part in helping reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and contribute to maintaining the health of these children.

In addition, we have set aside Sundays for "fun days" with the kids, and are hoping to make a movie with them. It was cool how that idea came up, because I thought it would be a fun little thing to get to know the kids but it turns out that Linus, the "big brother" at the house, is hoping to be a film maker one day! Samuel also enjoys making cartoons. After learning this, it definitely seemed like a God-thing to make a movie with the kids to keep them occupied and hopefully teach them a skill for their future. I am so stoked to get to know these kids! I know it will probably be challenging, with the constant struggle of gaining their trust as well as teaching them knowledge and skills that they can use for a life time.

Prayer for the Green Door Home would be much appreciated! Especially for the hearts of these children, and that my fellow interns and I will find the right balance between teaching and just having fun with them.

Here is where I stopped for lunch before we headed to the Green Door Home ;)

With love,

Day 5 / Unputdownable

Yesterday we walked into a bookstore at a very Westernized mall and there was an advertisement for a book that was "unputdownable". I did not know that was even a word (and according to spell check, it isn't. But here, it is).

This is not Africa how I remembered it. This Africa is much bigger, much more urban, and much different than my "home" in Ghana, West Africa. Nonetheless, many of the problems still remain the same. Hunger, poverty, sickness, crime, civil unrest in some places, etc. What probably makes it different here, however, is that all of these social issues are thrown in among some of the nicest beaches, five-star hotels, and wealthy mansions Africa has ever seen. There is an ongoing conflict between rich and poor, yet they have found a way to live as neighbours. While I watched a crippled man begging for money on one side of the street, all I had to do was turn my head to see the mega-corporation headquarters in Tanzania and the $200+/night hotels that many of the musungu (aka white people) work or stay at.

At times it can be confusing, frustrating, and even convicting to see because I know that I am not totally innocent in the mess of developing countries that the world has helped create. Then I meet people who truly care, and who truly do make a difference, and I have hope that I too can do something here. Maybe not a very big one, maybe not a very wealthy one, but they change someone's life by helping them establish a life of their own. And after seeing this beautiful country full of so many amazing people, it really is "unputdownable".