Wait... First go to your sink and pour a glass of fresh clean water to drink... then come back and watch this short video.
Wait... First go to your sink and pour a glass of fresh clean water to drink... then come back and watch this short video.

African Empowerment Project is committed to implementing and nurturing community run development projects focused on creating opportunities for income generation, achieving access to quality education, and improving health and wellbeing, in order to empower the people of Africa to build a sustainable life for themselves and future generations.

How YOU can help!


Please visit our website at www.africanempowermentproject.org to learn more about who we are and how we are empowering the people in the village of Mnang'ole, Tanzania to pull themselves out of poverty.

You can make clean, accessible water and safe, healthy lighting a reality for the people of Mnang'ole by clicking below:
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IRS EIN # 27-1519070

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

In the 'Noah' on my way!


Finally on my way to my destination ...April 3rd... In a Toyota Noah ... My friend, escort, translator, Salim by my side ... Ready for the 8+  hour trip to Mnang'ole... Knowing what was ahead on this journey but confident that I could do it!  I am now referring to the rough road... 65 kilometers (4-5 hours) of really rough road I had experienced as a passenger on a bus last year... I was ready for the challenge! Setting out from DAR we waited to eat breakfast until we were an hour or so out of the city.  We chose to stop in a village, like many in Tanzania …With a few shops and restaurants among the side of the road... Wooden shacks with scrap metal and branches from local trees for rooftops... Rough cut tables and benches made from local trees... And torn up plastic table clothes... nailed to the tables in an attempt to provide some sort of sanitation to this rough dining.   As we pulled up to the village a kind man waved us down to tell us that we had a flat tire. This was the first time of many that I realized that I would have been a damn fool to have attempted this journey on my own. There was a 'fundi' (repair man) ready and waiting to provide the service of repairing the tire and making a few dollars to feed his family that day. This project again did not go down without some minor setbacks.  A. We could find no jack in the car and no one close by had one either.  One was located but it didn't work... This is Africa my friends!  Finally a working jack was located… So we set out to eat breakfast. Before deciding on the restaurant of choice, we were greeted by a young boy appearing to be around 9 years old with some mental disabilities. He was quite charming and brave, shoeless, with tattered clothing and clearly hungry.   His name... Kandora! His charm captured my heart and within minutes we were hand in hand… Eating sorghum porridge together... While he bounced his frail body on the bench to a local song playing on a nearby radio just as an American 9 year old might bounce to a pop song on 96.7 in Burlington! He ate only a little of his porridge as I'm sure his stomach is the size of a golf ball.  People surrounding us were all talking about how happy Kandora was today!  Just as I was about to suggest to Salim that we buy Kandora some sandals…Salim was already walking toward a local shop to purchase sandals for our new friend. As we were trying them on him for size a man nearby stated … It's a shame this child has been walking around for years shoeless and it took a complete stranger to notice and give the boy some shoes. I could not have been more pleased then to watch this young boy walk around town with pride… Sporting his $1 flip-flops... Like a man who had just purchased a $300 pair of Italian leather shoes! Problems repairing the gash in the tire afforded us more time with Kandora.  The next treat was to bring him to get his hair cut by the local barber for 75 cents!  As he strutted down the street along side us holding my hand with pride, people in his village were commenting to him… He was saying something to them as he held his hand out to them… apparently what he was stating back to them was…'Leave me alone.. I'm busy… we have things to do!'    Salim says that Kandora will be the talk of the town for years and is sure that he will never forget this day, all of his life! I was sad to say goodbye to Kandora that day. As anyone who knows me well, can imagine, I had tears in my eyes as we drove away! I WILL stop by this village when we return to the city and seek Kandora out to let him know I have not forgotten him! Next chapter ...the remainder of the journey to Mnang'ole was not without more adventures….

4 comments:

  1. I love this- with all the problems and challenges I still miss my home in TZ. As you were discribing the restaurant it made me hungry for some chapati and beans with SWEET chai. I can picture the chairs and tables and the "carpet" they put on the table. Oh I miss it.. thank you for bringing back the simple things in my mind that I miss so much. Love you girl and I wish I was on this journey with you.

    Nicolle

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  2. And you are right that little boy will never forget you and you may have just given him hope for the future like you would not believe. I did that once in Ommy's village and they still talk today about it. Kazi Njema Dada keep it up.

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  3. I can just imagine seeing this meeting of yours play out in my head. Your flat tire, was for a reason.

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  4. Absolutely Nicolle.. No doubt in my mind.. Salim and I were saying the same thing ad we drove away with a fixed tire and a feeling of peace and satisfaction like no other!! The greatest feeling in the world !! Thanks for your comments dada.. I KNOW how much you can relate to all this !! Tupopamoja!!!

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