I Dreamt of Africa

Have you ever felt compelled to go somewhere special—a place that is pulling you? Maybe, you can’t explain it. You don’t why… but you’ve got to go there. For you, it might be a pilgrimage or a journey for the soul.

For me, it was Africa.

For as long as I can remember, I thought of Africa. The pyramids of Egypt, the sleeping lions on the Tanzanian savannah, or the spice markets of Morocco. It’s the birthplace of humankind and it had a deep pull over me. But I didn’t want to be a tourist, I wanted to be a giver, a patron. In other words, I wanted to add value, not just consume.

It wasn’t just the adventure of Africa, ever since I was a young girl, I have been drawn to the plight of African women. It’s always been part of my purpose to help this marginalized group of individuals who are, in many ways, forgotten. For as long as recorded history has been around, African women have struggled. For them, they have:

- Been disproportionately affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and female genital mutilation.

- The highest rates of poverty and inequality. Women in Africa are more likely to live in poverty than men, and they have less access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

-  Been subjugated to early and forced marriage. Millions of girls in Africa are married before the age of 18, often against their will. This can have grave consequences for their health, education, and economic opportunities.

- Lacked access to healthcare. Women in Africa are more likely to die from childbirth than women in any other region of the world. They also have less access to essential healthcare services, such as cancer screenings and HIV/AIDS treatment.

- Been discriminated against in the workplace. 

So, it was a dream. How would it materialize? I started by asking the Universe for a sign of how this might happen, and when you ask, it might pop up in the weirdest ways. For me, it was carpooling.

On the way to an alumni leadership event, I happened to end up in the same car as Dr. Linda Lea. We shared a passion for education and empowering young girls and women in Africa. It was one of those synchronistic moments in my life. Our conversation in the car on that day was one of those life-altering moments.

Linda had established a scholarship program in honor of her sister. This program provides secondary education for young African women with the goal of empowering them through education and vocational training. With the ability to make intelligent decisions in their daily lives, they can contribute and give back to their communities. Through education, this program liberates girls from oppression and provides an opening for future leaders to emerge in a world that is hungry for change.

Maanda, a Maasai woman who coordinates the scholarship program in Tanzania, tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who had heard her father speaking of her fate. She was about to be given (a.k.a. sold) to an older man as this man's fourth wife for the price of fourteen 14 cows. She begged her father to be spared and given the opportunity of an education. Her father was a strong "No". The cultural traditions and the need for food and survival are primal. This young girl couldn't bear the thought of experiencing this predetermined fate. She ran away later that night (with no shoes, food, or water) and walked for almost three days to the Pastoral Women's College and begged for an education. Fortunately for her, this scholarship program was in place. She was welcomed and eventually completed her secondary education. Her dream is to become an attorney to advocate for women’s rights in Africa! Talk about the power of our Human Spirit.

Girls’ education has an enormous impact on ending the cycle of poverty and prepares the next generation to achieve better health outcomes. Here are some findings from the Global Health Council compiled from assorted studies done.

Educated girls: 

- Delay marriage and their first pregnancy

- Have skills and self-esteem to negotiate family spacing and contraceptive use with partners

- Experience lower incidence of HIV/AIDS and lower transmission of virus to offspring 

- Access and use of prenatal and skilled birthing services 

- Have fewer low-birthweight babies, meaning healthier newborns 

- Increase the probability of their children's survival and decrease the number of replacement children to offset expected child deaths 

- Have smaller families

- Have better childcare knowledge and self-confidence to bring children to clinics when necessary

- Are better able to implement directions for the care of sick children at home

- Have better access to information and resources needed for good maternal and child nutrition.

The organization that manages and oversees this program as well as many others with partners in Africa is Global Partners For Development. GPFD is a US-based, non-governmental organization that supports indigenous African community development efforts and whose mission is: "To end poverty through the power of partnership." 

GPFD has recently been honored with the Albert Schweitzer Award of Excellence. This speaks not only to their efficiency but also to the integrity this organization carries. A previous recipient of this distinguished award was Habitat for Humanity. To learn more about GPFD, visit www.gpfd.org.

In talking with Dr. Lea, the plan was to travel across the world to East Africa and be one of 45 non-African women participating in a Grassroots Women's Conference on Leadership and Economic Development. So, I decided to do it! I jumped into the deep end. It was an amazing two and half weeks of discovery visiting both Kenya and Tanzania.

- Alongside Dr. Lea (and others) at Bondo College, I facilitated a women’s leadership conference for 420 women who came from all over East Africa—Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and the Republic of the Congo.

- I had the honor of having lunch with Achieng Oneko, the last Kenyan freedom fighter against colonial rule. We visited his village witnessing how our development partnership has helped everyone there.

- I saw beautiful dances and songs from Maasai warriors and young schoolchildren who had love in their hearts and hope in their souls.

- I went on safari and saw the most amazing wild animals—lions, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, wildebeests, dik-diks, rhinos, hyenas, zebras, baboons, and so much more.

At one point on my journey, we went on safari on a bus. During the trip, my arms got tingly. Then later my whole body started vibrating down to my very cells. I asked if anyone else felt their body doing the same and one other person felt something. That’s when I was told we had entered the Rift Valley, the cradle of humankind. I realized I had just entered a sacred zone and I had unconsciously tapped into its source.

Coming back from safari, I thought of all the rural African women whom I met, confronting the daily challenges of living under such oppression. The good news is they are developing solutions. Women are actively pursuing peace by reaching across ethnic and religious divides to diffuse tensions and rebuild communities torn apart by violence. Women are developing income-generating activities for survival, education, and financial security. They form affinity groups for mutual benefit and to care for those in greatest need. They organize and stand for their rights to ownership, land management, and community decision-making. To learn more about the conference please visit www.gpfd.org.

Reading this may have stirred something in you. That was the idea. As we live our lives, we need to contribute beyond our jobs. There is something out there for you. Whatever you choose, it will have an impact. I genuinely believe that people are called to serve at distinct levels. For some, it is the world, our country, our state, our community, or maybe, it’s our family. It doesn’t matter. We all need help. Just give yourself permission to get curious as to where you are called to serve and then take a step forward. Trust me, you will be glad you did. Having traveled to Africa to help empower these women, has been life-altering for me. 

As Albert Schweitzer once said, "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve."

Mapenzi (Thank You in Swahili) and Shine Bright!