The Africa Series - Humanity
Paying Homage To The Incredible Humans We Met In Africa
Hello, Explorers!
During our time in Africa, we met some pretty incredible people along the way. I felt an immediate need to write about them since I felt that everyone deserves to know about their stories and experiences. Men and women who give their time, efforts, and spirit to the people who need it the most. These individuals range from volunteers who specialize in medical assistance to the children of Africa, to the doctors that get certified in order to be able to treat patients with HIV, to the people that came to build schools and housing, to the volunteer that had been there over six months to bring a smile to children’s faces, to the safari driver who works 6 hours away from where his family lives, to the Kilimanjaro climbing guides who devote themselves to show people the rooftop of Africa, while expressing their passion, respect, and love for the mountain, and to the many survivors, peacemakers, of the Rwandan genocide who find it in their hearts to forgive everyday. This goes to you...
(Kyle (my husband), Dylan, and Jao)
The Loving Volunteer
A volunteer that we had the chance to talk to thoroughly was a guy who had been in the volunteer house in Kenya, for at least 6 months. The conditions in Kenya are very humble ones, and not luxurious by any means, especially for volunteers. You are usually serving and volunteering in areas of extreme poverty and destitution. However, Dylan always had a positive attitude and would show up to volunteering with a smile for the kids.
Some of the schools that we visited served as boarding schools and the majority of the students were orphans. These kids had one uniform, and one change of regular clothing. They were only given a shower once a week, twice if they were lucky. The meals that were served to them during lunch consisted of a small handful of rice and beans. They would get a small portion of a protein on Fridays only. They had limited school supplies and ill-fitting shoes. Sadly, to top it all off, these children suffered from scabies, a skin disease.
The amazing thing about Dylan, and why I chose to write about him, is that many people wouldn't be able to be in a place that is out of their comfort zone for half a year. Yet, he did so willingly. During lunchtime, I would watch as he spent most of this time interacting with the children. I peeked through the window to see him eating at the cafeteria, sitting right next to all the adoring eyes looking up at him. He was always surrounded by children who looked up to him, literally, as he was over six feet tall. The young girls at the school would bat their eyelashes at him, and flash their beautiful smiles, in hopes of getting his attention. He showed so much love and compassion towards these children who are suffering from this skin disease. Dylan would not be afraid to give high-fives, hugs, and fist-bumps; he made these kids feel special and incredibly loved. The time commitment and physical effort that Dylan would give to these children is heartwarming. When I asked him about why he wasn’t having lunch with us (the volunteers) that day, he simply said, “I just want to be with the kids, I want to spend time with them.” The act of love by simply being there and spending time with infected children, who many would not want to be near, was outstanding. He didn’t judge and discriminate.
(Montse, Alba, Rosalia, and Idoia)
The Doctors
During our time in the volunteer house, in Kenya. we met about 30 people whose ages range from 18 to 55. Their backgrounds range from teachers to doctors. They came from all over the world, Australia, Great Britain, Asia, the US, and many European countries. some people spoke different languages, although most of them did speak English. While they had so many qualities that made them different from one another, they had one thing in common, they were there to help. The selflessness that they radiated was full of bright, and positive energy.
Out of the many people we met, we were incredibly impressed with the 4 young doctors from Spain. These four young women are successful in their fields of medicine. Most of them are in general medicine while specializing in various subjects. Not only were they incredibly warm, uncommonly kind, and humorous; they were also some of the most selfless people we have ever met in our entire lives.
I asked these for ladies a couple of questions as a fun way to get to know them. I knew I had to write about them since they were so special. I asked about their favorite places that they've traveled to in the world, some advice that they can give two people while solo traveling, and their favorite experience in Africa. These were their answers (answers were translated from Spanish to English within the original context):
Montse:
Favorite place in the world: Argentina, for the Iguazu Waterfalls. Bali, for the people and culture.
Advice for travelers: Inform yourself about the destination. Trust in yourself, and use your resources and abilities.
Favorite African experience: Senegal, the people were so kind. The emotion that children radiate when they see foreigners for the first time. My favorite experience was dancing with tribal women. They dance with a lot of emotion and passion.
Idoia:
Favorite place in the world: Vietnam, for the people and culture. Canada, for the beautiful sights.
Advice for travelers: Being prudent. Try to adapt to the culture while you are there. You will discover how similar we all are.
Favorite African experience: The best thing about Africa, from the month I have been here, has been going to all the orphanages and having all the children hug you and smile at you. They give so much with the few resources that they have. They radiate a lot of happiness.
Alba:
Favorite place in the world: Fisterre, the afternoon is calm and peaceful. You reflect on what you did that day. It creates a balance in your life. Nicaragua, the isle of Ometepe, it provides a connection with nature. It is exactly where you want to be.
Advice for travelers: Don't do anything you wouldn't do in your own country. People also need to get used to the fact that women are independent.
Favorite African experience: Juma, the doctor in Masai Mara. The medicine that was practiced there was what made me fall in love with medicine all over again.
Rosalia:
Favorite place in the world: Campsite La Paz (Asturias), during the summers you can experience the mountains, sunrises, and the view of the ocean. Peru, the city of Cuzco is magical. People are very kind and respectful.
Advice for travelers: Tell a person back at home where you will be traveling to. Work out the logistics and be aware of all places.
Favorite African experience: The children in Africa are always excited to see you. You feel like your effort is worth it. People in the Masai Mara are happier and enjoy life more. People there have very little resources but they appreciate what they have. The best things can't be bought with money.
The Safari Driver
Our Safari driver, Joshua, has a calm demeanor. He is soft-spoken, observant, and measured. He has this vibe of gentility that resonated throughout the day. While being incredibly knowledgeable of a vast number of animals that we encountered, he was equally patient with the vast number of questions we would ask him constantly.
While driving on rough terrain through the savanna, he would easily spot a pride of napping lions on high rocks. Joshua would tell me about the exact species of a bird flying by, while I kept yelling out “ what's the name of that bird?.... How about that one?.... Ooh ooh, and that one?... not the blue and yellow one, the blue and gold one!” I would excitedly exhaust someone with the volume of questions I would have, due to the incredible amount of animals passing by, but not Joshua. He would happily answer all my questions and tell me trivial facts about them as well. He loves what he does for a living, being a safari guide, as much as he loves his family. Even if that means being 6 hours away from them, from his wife and two children.
His love for animals and the conservation of their existence were felt every single day. He expressed his inner anger towards safari guides who would work for poachers. He understands that people are sometimes so desperate for the means to survive and provide for their families that they are willing to do whatever it takes. However, he told me that he would never hurt the animals, or put them in danger, to earn money. The instant gratification of earning money through poaching has serious consequences that are permanent to the ecosystem and our world. The intensity of his seriousness when talking about these topics gave me hope about people who truly care about the animal world. Because in the end, the animal world is our world.
(Joshua, behind the wheel)
The Kilimanjaro Guides
During our climb up Kilimanjaro, I got to spend a lot of time conversing with our hiking guides. Our hiking guides ages ranged from 30 to 60 years old. The older guides, (Amani, Dismas, and Sosta) are fathers, husbands, and one even had grandchildren. The youngest guide was named Rodrick.
I spent a lot of time talking to Rodrick, since he was usually our lead guide, meaning he would take the lead and be the first person in our line of hikers. He would show us the way for hours and hours until we got to the base camp every evening. Rodrick was always so happy, he never showed tirelessness. When asked a question about why he decided to become a Kilimanjaro guide he answered, “I just love being here, I love this mountain, and it is my favorite place in the world. Being here makes me so happy.” It was hard to imagine how climbing Kilimanjaro could make anyone happy, especially coming from a sea-level dweller that came from the US, camped without showering for a week, paid to do physical exercise, and struggled with the thin air. Not only was it Rodrick’s job, but he enjoyed doing it and meeting new people. He knew this mountain, and its many routes, like the back of his very calloused hands.
Spending hours upon hours, with someone who loves their job, the way Rodrick loves his, is so beautiful. Where he lives and how he lives in comparison to others, becomes completely irrelevant. What you tend to focus on is his quality of life. Rodrick’s quality of life and his happiness are the results of finding true joy and being content.
(Kyle enjoying a celebratory beer with Amani, Dismas, and Rodrick. Missing Sosta in the picture)
The Rwandan Survivor
(not pictured)
During our time visiting different African countries, we experienced one of the most heartbreaking moments of our lives while visiting Rwanda. For those of you who don’t know, Rwanda experienced a horrendous genocide in 1994. To summarize the events leading up to this tragic event, the genocide was an act of hatred, with the means of the extermination of one ethnic group to another. However, the heinous acts that neighbors would commit against their neighbors are incredibly traumatic and disturbing. I can honestly say that I have not been this shocked, and rocked to my core since finding out about what happened in Nanking. Their humanity was lost.
After visiting the Genocide Memorial Museum, we were on our way to the airport with our taxi driver, Mozimpaka. He asked what we did during our short stay in Rwanda, and we told him that we visited the museum earlier that day. We also told him how saddened we were by the events that had taken place 25 years ago. We asked him how it affected him and his family, and he decided to tell us his story.
Mozimpaka was only a child when the event of 1994 happened, he remembers it extremely clearly even though he was very young at the time. The radio stations that would usually broadcast propaganda, where suddenly instructing people on the upcoming genocide. Even though some people had a few days notice to try to escape, many did not have the resources to do so. He remembers the day his father rushed home from work to be with his family before it occurred. Since the children were small enough, they were able to hide under the bed, while his parents laid on top of the bed holding each other, and knowing that their moment was coming. Suddenly, their house was broken into and military men came rushing in. They started yelling at the parents to come outside into the yard and yanked the kids from under the bed. They were tipped off from their longtime neighbor and a trusted friend. It was incredibly common for Hutu to turn on their Tutsi friends out of fear. He heard the screams of his siblings and his parents as they brought them into the yard. He was left undiscovered while continuing to hide underneath the bed. All he could hear were their screams, the beatings, machete wounds being inflicted on his family, and at the end, there were gunshots.
Mozimpaka stayed hidden for two hours, crying quietly, until he thought it was safe to come out. Upon seeing his family slaughtered on his front yard, he started hugging them and sobbing uncontrollably, trying to understand what had happened. That is when a Hutu woman, from the opposing ethnic group, decided to take compassion towards a little boy. She decided to take care of him and take him home. To add to that, her husband was also a Hutu. She eventually dropped him off at a nearby church that was considered a sanctuary for the victimized. She feared to have her children be killed if the military ever found out that she aided in the protection of a Tutsi.
On that same day, the church would be attacked by military forces that were instructed to kill everyone that was there. During those few hours that he was there, a pregnant woman who was also holding her other child decided to keep him close to her and protect him. She held onto his hand and consoled him, even though he barely knew what was going on. Tanks rolled in and massacred the Tutsis in the church. Our driver, still holding hands with this pregnant woman, was approached by a soldier and remembers the disturbing image of her being killed in front of his eyes, he then was hit on the head by a machete and was knocked unconscious. At this point, he pointed to the long indented gash on his head, scarred, but incredibly visible to this day. He had survived this gruesome attack, and after the military left, he was found by a nun who then cleansed him of the blood running down his face. She took care of him at the local monastery, until the genocide had stopped several months later. He was placed in an orphanage where he was eventually adopted and raised.
The one thing that is even more incredible than this is how he was able to face the man that turned in his family to the authorities and assisted in their murders. At court, during his trial, Mozimpaka was able to come face to face and tell him that he forgives him. Along with all of the remaining Tutsis which now consists of only 14% in all of Rwanda, he was able to forgive his oppressors to move on to a brighter future. As the UN stepped in to elect presidents and government officials, once the convictions were processed, the healing of the nation began with forgiveness. As my husband often says, “forgiveness is something you do for others and ultimately, yourself. It is a way to have closure and move on.” The Tutsi people of Rwanda forgave the Hutu, but they will never forget what happened in 1994. Many survivors bare the physical and mental scars of the genocide, while still grieving over the loss of their entire families.
Mozimpaka told me that he has immense respect when it comes to women, and hopes they will be in leadership roles in Rwanda’s future. This was due to the three female heroes that took care of him and saved his life. It just so happens that on the way to the airport we also stopped at The Woman’s Bakery, an all-woman run and managed bakery. Where we treated him to a delicious dessert while he spoke of his admiration towards women. He also felt the strong presence of God during these moments, and so did I. It is in my opinion, that by divine intervention, we were meant to meet, hours after being at the Genocide Memorial Museum. He was meant to share with me his story of forgiveness, and my sense of humanity would be restored with hope towards a better future for the people of Rwanda, and all those who have faced tragedies at the hands of others.
Inspiration & Motivation
These people have inspired & motivated me in such a big way. Their messages of forgiveness, love, compassion, happiness, and selflessness encouraged me to write this post in tribute to the amazing people they are.
Everyone can still have a part in nourishing our world to be a better place. Whether it’s tutoring a young student, babysitting your friend’s child, working in a soup kitchen during the holidays, showing compassion towards animals, mentoring an adolescent, or helping a family member move into their new home, you can show love in many different ways. Everyone is able to help anytime in the way that they feel suits their abilities, to give as best as they can, and to give the best part of themselves.
Let the stories of these individuals, and the stories of many other individuals, remind you of how good and pure the world can be. If along the way you are inspired and motivated to do something for someone else, then you too are an amazing person. You too are an amazing human being.
Goodbye, Explorers!