Contribution of Love

Time spent with the children and staff at Kilikids has given me the opportunity to learn some of the realities of  how things are for many people who live in Africa.  They live such simple lives, have so little and truly seem to be grateful for all that they have.

I see them wear the same clothes day after day, whether the clothes are dirty or have holes in them.  They are lucky to have one good pair of shoes to work in or walk to school in.  Multiple people sleep in a house or shack on a thin mattress and pillow.  They cook their food over a fire a scrub their clothes by hand and hang them on the line to dry.  They typically walk to work and then work hard in the hot, blazing sun.  Lunch time is a welcome break in the shade and all the food prepared is eaten; not one bite is wasted.

There are moments when I am so deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn about their lives and contribute what I can, however there are moments when my heart breaks for them, feeling some guilt for what I have and taken for granted.  I also find myself wishing I could do more to contribute to their lives.

I saw the below posting on Facebook today which was perfect timing for how I was feeling:

 

In reading this quote, I am reminded of my mission of my journey to Africa:  to contribute to others, shining my light and love.  As I am true to this mission I am clear that it will have a ripple effect and further my purpose will become clear.  I will continue to shine my light and love fully.

 

 

 



Learning from Children

After only spending a few hours per day over the past 3 days with the children at Kilikids I am reminded about appreciating what I have, living in the now and finding the magic in each day.  Below are a few of the children I have the honor and privilege to get to know...
 

 

Jackie is a sweetheart, with big beautiful eyes and perfectly curled eyelashes.  A bit mischievous too!

 

 

Samueli, the older brother of 4 of the boys at the orphanage.  He loves to help out with his brothers and taking photos.  He says to me:  "picture Teacher, picture?  He helps me with my Swahili as I help him with his English.

 

 

And little Benno, seriously how adorable is he?  He reminds me of a future rugby player. 

 

My magical moment yesterday was jumping rope with the girls and picking papayas with the boys at Kilikids.   Their faces were lit up with bright smiles of joy and laughter.   They find joy in every moment whether they are playing with a stick, helping out in the garden or heading off on their walk to school.  I am humbled by their ability to love and appreciate each other and live in the now.

KiliKids Project

As expected there were several projects for me to choose from to volunteer with.  After considering my options I chose to work at an orphanage as I knew I wanted to work with kids.   The orphanage is called KiliKids; the goal of this orphanage is to be a self sustaining farm/orphanage.  It is about a 45 minute commute each way to the orphanage between walking and taking local transportation via the DalaDala; a mini bus/van. 

Wow, I had no idea the treat I was in for by working there!!!  The location of the orphanage is breathtaking! It's a farm with that beautiful view of Kilimanjaro, with lavish gardens of vegetables, tropical fruits and plants.  Their drinking water is collected from a fresh spring which is nestled in a magical oasis, like a mini rainforest. I drink the water from that spring as well, how great to drink water straight from the source!  I love to go down to this oasis as it is beautiful, relaxing and peaceful. 

The gardens, plants and trees are used for eating, making soap, natural pesticide, etc. They have compost toilets which along with the animal waste is used to fertilize the gardens, the weeds/plant roughage is used to feed the cows or as mulch for the garden.   It's very inspiring to see and be a part of what they are creating and how they are self sustaining.

I spend the mornings working in the gardens, lunch time connecting with the other volunteers and local staff and the afternoon being with the children; my favorite part!!!  The children are so loving and playful with joy in their faces which melt my heart each time I see them. For people who have so little material items, they seem to be so happy and grateful for what they have...what really matters (in my opinion), family and friendships.  It is difficult to learn about why these children are in the orphanage - they have been through many hardships such as abuse, alcohol or drug addicted parents, etc. However it is comforting to know that there are many organizations around the world such as KiliKids who are committed to providing safe and loving homes for these children.

Settling in...

I arrived in Tanzania Monday evening and things are well.  At first things were a bit tough for me;  dealing with the jetlag, the heat, the culture shock and hostel living again.  However after a few days in things were going well.  The hostel is nice, clean and safe; http://hostelhoff.com/.  We have running water for dishes, showers, laundry, toilets, etc.  We are provided with breakfast and dinner at the hostel;  the cooks are excellent;  veggie options and lots of food!  The project I am working on provides lunch each day - so that is great as well.  After only being here 5 days, I am present to the luxuries I have at home and reminded about fortunate I am to have all that I do. 
The people staying at the hostel are very friendly and fun.  We spend time together in the afternoon/evenings after we finish work at our projects.  At first I was concerned about connecting with the others as most of them are 10-15 years younger.  This had me feeling lonely for my friends and family at home but then I remembered another thing I was committed to on this trip...creating connections.  That evening  I went out and visited with the group and the friendships began...it's really about getting out of my head and into my heart.  That reminds me of a great song by Sheryl Crow, Out of Our Heads:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJNjpSOiXG8

Life is about the Journey, not the Destination...

As I reflect from my hotel in Amsterdam, I notice how surprisingly peaceful and joyful I am.  There was a time where a 2 day delay getting to Tanzania would have left me stressed, upset and eager to hold someone responsible, but this has not been the experience for me over the past few days.
My flight from Calgary was cancelled on the 15th due to maintenance thus I left 26 hours later than scheduled.  I arrived safely in Amsterdam this morning to find out I missed my connecting flight by 30 min :).  They advised me I will be leaving tomorrow morning and put me up in a hotel with meals, etc.  Ultimately there is not much I can do about it so I chose to be in the now and enjoy the journey.  I was able to have a cozy nap, hot bath and enjoy a wonderful dinner and nice chat with a lovely lady, Joe from London (who gave me some wonderful tips about my travels in the UK).
Further I saw this below post on Facebook which reminded me of something I am taking on this year...Being PEACEFUL and being COMFORTABLE with the UNCOMFORTABLE.

Well, the universe keeps providing me with opportunities to do this!!

Fundraising

It's happening!!  I am going to Moshi, Tanzania Africa to volunteer with children from February 16 - April 15, 2013.  I am raising money with a goal of $10,000.  If you want to support my mission of bringing love, hope and joy to to children and their families in Moshi please contribute via http://gogetfunding.com/project/volunteer-tanzania-1.  Any amount is appreciated as every dollar counts!!

I will be volunteering with Hostel Hoff (www.hostelhoff.com) - a small organisation who focus on independent volunteering within and on the outskirts of Moshi town, Tanzania.  Currently the majority of their funds go towards supporting a small orphanage called Hope Village.  A portion of all proceeds goes into supporting their registered charity, Path to Africa (www.pathtoafrica.org)

Why Tanzania?

As I share about my travel plans with others I am repeatedly asked, why Tanzania?  For many years it has been a dream of mine to volunteer in Africa.  Over the past year this dream has become a very clear calling; a calling to Tanzania to be with, to serve, connect with and love the people.  


I am living in Moshi (North East Tanzania)