One year ago, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Kenya, Africa. In the three and a half weeks I was there, I watched a chicken get slaughtered, held a baby crocodile, fed giraffes, rode a camel on the beach, went skinny dipping in the Indian Ocean, went on a safari and saw just about every animal there was to see (which is rare), made lots of great friends, met some amazing people, etc. And while all of the above things were extremely cool and I'm so glad I got to do them, none of those things had the same amount of impact on me as simply being around the people of Africa, especially the kids. They are literally the happiest human beings I have ever come across in my entire life. And compared to us, they have nothing. I've never felt so guilty for having so much. We all take so much for granted, without even realizing it.
For example, not only do we have plenty of food to eat, but we have a variety. Where I went, there were very few people who were necessarily starving, but the majority ate the same thing for every single meal, every single day. ugali & kale.
Second, while we're all sitting on our smart phones and social media, or laying in front of the tv, the women are outside doing manual labor often times with a baby on their back and no shoes on their feet.
Third, when it gets dark, they ACTUALLY go to sleep. What a crazy idea that is.. They don't have lights or microwaves or.. wifi. Heaven forbid.
They don't have hot water either. They rarely shower. But when they do, it's with a bucket of water. Don't worry guys, I showered almost every night. And luckily, we were able to boil water so our showers were still hot.
The biggest thing though, is they don't have any fresh water. I can't remember the statistic but I think it's like 80% (maybe more) of deaths in South Africa are due to water born illnesses. Some women walk 6 km (3.728 miles) a day, one way, to get water. And it isn't fresh water either. Usually it's murky, muddy water, with all kinds of bacteria. K but seriously.. Eight miles A DAY?? And they'll often have to make the trip more than once. That's crazy. Can you imagine carrying a gallon and a half of water ON YOUR HEAD for nearly eight plus miles a day? I can't. I tried it. I barely made it twenty feet.
BUT, I was able to give fresh water to three different areas. We drilled into the ground and put in a water pump that would allow villagers to have access to fresh water. The amount of gratitude the people showed to me and to my group was the greatest feeling. I mentioned in my earlier post that I believe in making a difference in the world. No matter how small. And I really felt like I was able to accomplish that in Africa.
I was also able to go to several orphanages and schools. The people there are great, don't get me wrong. But those kids.. stole my heart. Their spirits are so pure and so perfect. I wish I could've taken them all home with me. Mark my words, I will adopt a little African baby one day.
The people really are the most genuine, kind-hearted, happy people I have ever met and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go and experience life from a different perspective. I hope one day I can go back.
xoxo Africa, I miss you.
t u m a i n i
