Changing the World one Notebook at a Time

Some things are always present in the world, you hear about them on the radio and see them on the T.V., but you believe there is not much you can do about it, so you try to erase it from your mind as much as possible. Poverty is one of those things. It was not until I was driving through Arusha did I realize the extreme conditions that some Tanzanians live in. Even then, I did not learn the severity of them until talking to a boy named Innocent at L.O.A.M.O. school. Innocent is a very bright student in class four. He is one of the hardest workers and always pays attention. I never thought he could be a child who may only have one meal a day, but I soon found out that he was. I was walking around the classroom Friday morning helping kids with their work when Innocent called me over. It took a couple of minutes to figure out what he was trying to tell me, but when I finally understood, I was shocked. Innocent had won a notebook the previous day as a prize for good behavior. He told me that he showed the notebook to his mom and she somehow traded it for food. Because of that one notebook, Innocent and his family were able to eat dinner that night. I don't remember if I said anything after that I just know that I felt an immediate rush of sadness. I didn't understand how I could be so lucky and never have to worry about food a day in my life. Whereas Innocent who is just as capable as I am, lives in extreme poverty and may never get out of it. That thought hit me so hard. I broke down into tears after that and had to excuse myself from the room. My mind was completely blank in those few moments I could hardly comprehend anything. I didn't know what to feel or think or do. I had never had so many emotions running through my head at once. When I could finally put together what had just happened I realized that I should not be crying at all. I should be incredibly happy that I helped his family get food. Even if it was only a little, that is one less night of being hungry. I realized then that I am doing exactly what I came here to do. I am putting all my efforts into helping these children and am hopefully changing their lives in the process. There will always be poverty in the world and people who are less fortunate than I am. I will be saddened by it and that will never go away. However, now I know that I can do something about it, I can give a child a notebook or I can help them solve a math problem. My capabilities are limitless and I will never stop helping and caring about these children. I am changing the world one notebook at a time. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi

Love and Peace

Peace and Love. Love and peace. The two things that bond humans together and make the world a better place. It is possible that peace and love are all we need in life. That we can survive on so little with just these two things. Unfortunately, many people in this world need much more than that, or they think they do. Even I was convinced that to live a fulfilling life it couldn’t be based on two morals. Over the years though, I have realized that if you go back to the simple things and focus on the peace and love, everything else follows. The first day we were in Tanzania, our group took a small tour around Arusha with a man named Rasta John; he was amazing. He was so passionate about everything he was telling us. Rasta John, was proud of Tanzania, proud of what they had overcome as a country and that their history is in the past. He talked about how the Germans enslaved his people, murdered and tortured them, but because of the love they have for one another and life itself, they got passed it and moved on. Then he said this, “We are suffering but that’s okay because we have each other.” This has been replaying in my head ever since I heard it. Of course I know that some people live in rough conditions, I had seen it in Nicaragua and Cambodia. For some reason, though, it surprised me that he said what he did. It almost made it more real for me. The African people don’t forget they live in poverty, of course they can’t because that’s how they live, but they accept it because they know that there is so much more to life than money. They love one another and treat neighbors like family and really, that’s all that matters. I have been in Africa for less than 48 hours and have already seen and heard things that I will remember and live by for the rest of my life. I absolutely love this country. It is a beautiful place and the people make it even more incredible. The love that these children and all the people carry in their hearts will continue to amaze me and shape the person I am becoming and hope to become. Africa and the people of Africa will stay in my heart forever and I will never forget the challenges they face every single day. Because of this experience I will always remember to spread peace and love. “Sometimes the most beautiful places have the greatest hardships.” – Marika Feduschak.