Final Days in Tanzania

Jambo, everyone! This is Jeff’s report on the final days of our trip to Tanzania, the return home and how the experience has helped me to see the world in a new way.

On July 18th, we started off the day with a visit to a family aged 12-21 whose parents had died of AIDS four years ago within months of each other. We saw their house, and the dirt hole in the ground that they collect water from for cooking and drinking.

The next family had a more fortunate story to share. Both parents were alive with about six children who were in school nearby, and had a very big crop stored up, enough to give away to nearby neighbors. They had been given a goat from World Vision several years back, and now that goat had led to two more goats, which supply milk and good manure for soil. I was glad to see a family who has everything that they need to live here in Tanzania.

After this, we saw a nearby well that World Vision had put in place last year, which will continue to give clean water to thousands for their crops, for cooking, for drinking, for cleaning, for animals and more.

On July 19th, we spent the day at the house of Baraka’s parents. Baraka is a 19-year-old Tanzanian who was at the Youth Forum. He is also a Tanzanian Youth Ambassador which means that World Vision brought him to Canada a few months ago to share stories and inspire youth in Canadian cities. I met Baraka in February this year. He told us how he thought he was “in heaven” when he was in Canada. And when World Vision gave him a small allowance for spending in Canada, he saved that allowance and bought a bike when he returned home to Tanzania, so that he wouldn't have to walk three hours to school.

Baraka's family took us in as though we were royal guests and made us their finest meals because it was a special occasion. Surprisingly, Baraka's house was just as poor as most of the other houses we'd been to; he showed us his bedroom where there was a bed, and a spare bed which was on the ground. The first bed was made of wood, ropes for a mattress, cows hide for sheets and a few pieces of clothing for blankets. The spare bed was just wooden slabs on the ground with cow hide on top, big enough for a four year old. I sat in this room alone for about half an hour in darkness and silence, picturing it as my own bedroom which I'd been raised in and slept in every night as a child with several other siblings sharing the tiny space. I closed my eyes and memorized as many details of the room as I could so that in the future when my life seems tough, I may come back into that room in my mind and remember that experience, as a symbol of both how blessed I really am, and also not to be attached to anything material in life…

Before we left, Baraka's family gave three chickens away – one for us Youth Ambassadors, two for the World Vision staff of Tanzania and Canada. Baraka gave me a stick that I found in his room which I will take with me as a very prized possession. I gave him $5.00 American, which is enough for him to pay six months rent at his new school dorm. We gave the rest of our gifts to the family and all the neighbours who were present at this unique gathering.

On July 21st, we had an eight-hour drive to the town of Ngorongoro where we saw giraffes, zebras and amazing views. Then, on July 22nd, we went on a safari and saw everything from hippos, hyenas and elephants to wildebeest, flamingoes and baboons. Oh, and also a lioness that came five feet away from our vehicle before attacking and killing a warthog that served lunch to two other lions. Poor Pumba.

July 22nd was our last day in Africa. After visiting a couple markets, we headed to the airport, bid our farewells and were gone. It was sad in a way to be leaving, although the thought of home seemed very welcoming.

It was July 23rd when our plane left Africa, and on the way to Canada, we stopped at Amsterdam for a flight change, and took a brief but beautiful tour of the heart of the city. It was still July 23rd when we arrived in Toronto, where we spent our last day together on July 24th with some final debriefing and training at World Vision for the year ahead as Youth Ambassadors. I’m happy that I will see my YA friends again in September!

The greatest things I learned from my time in Africa are:

1. Our material blessings can put a wall up in front of our eyes, which can block us from living a healthy spiritual life. The Tanzanians we met didn't have that wall, so it's much easier for them to see – all they have is all they need to be happy in the present moment, no matter how little or how much that is.
2. Secondly, we have so much. It's incredible how much I didn't acknowledge I have until I sat in Baraka's room and thought about it. I realize now that a lot of the things we spend our time or money on are luxuries that we don't actually need. Currently I am challenging myself with questions like: "Just how much do I need?" and "Just how much should I sacrifice for the countries of people who need help?" It's a tough question for me to answer, but after finding out how people live through the struggle everyday, I see that I only need a little for myself, and even a simple contribution from me can go very far.

In reflection of what I've witnessed, the struggle of severe poverty is beyond any difficulty I've ever had to face in my life. For me to stand back and watch, or just forget about it when I have the power to change the circumstances that people are dying from, would be unfair. I've been blessed with the opportunity to see it up close, and from what I saw, there is a devastating and real need for help. So now I am going to commit to another sponsorship with Development and Peace, in addition to my first sponsored child with World Vision. It’s a $70 per month cost coming from a part-time working full-time student, but that money will actually save lives.

In the moments I spent observing the lives of the people we visited in Tanzania, my appreciation for all that I have became far greater, and my desire to change the world grew stronger. Now when I think about where I fit into this world of rich and poor, I think about what it really costs me to give up the things that I don't need – to make sacrifices in my personal pleasures for a far greater cause – to live simply, so that others may simply live. In the end, the feeling of helping other people always far outweighs the feeling of helping myself.

My plan for the next year is to do speaking engagements that will allow other youth to become more aware of the state of poverty that will hopefully motivate them to stand up and take action against poverty, and help set them off in a good direction. Also I will be taking a two-year diploma in Human Kinetics at Capilano University, lifeguarding at a rec. centre, getting my long awaited black belt in martial arts, and hopefully becoming an elite triathlete.

I envision my passion for creating a better world remaining with me for the rest of my life. Thank God.

Peace,
Jeff