CHILDREN OF AFRICA: SPONSORING CHILDREN OF TSUNZA 2008

In summer 2008, I had the opportunity to visit a typical African village called Tsunza located in the outskirts of Mombasa, in Kinango District, (one of the 5 poorest Districts in kenya). I was happy and so much impressed by the hospitality of the villagers, they seemed very smiley but despite first impressions, I was surprised to see many kids around during school hours. Most of them were barefoot wearing ragged clothes and even walking on the hot sun with herds of cows. I became curious and could not avoid to ask about the situation. I was informed that their families were not able to afford bringing them to school due to many reasons ranging from lack of school materials to examination fees.

On the same day, I felt that something should be done to change the situation of these kids. I was filled with new energy and came up with a plan. I stretched my hand into my bag for my camera, I took photos of 22 kids and promised to bring them back to school next tim I would step my foot in Kenya, although I still did not know how.

Back in Spain, I started sending mails to my friends even with very little hope that this plan would work. Amazingly, my mailbox never stopped receiving news from people who wanted to help and, in less than four months, the 22 kids were sponsored.

In the same year 2008, during christmas, I went back to Kenya and, with the help of William and some others, made the bigest shopping ever: 22 pairs of shoes, 22 uniforms, school material etc. We finally brought the kids to school. After one month, I was back in Spain with 8 more kids to be sponsored through the same process. And again it was a big success.

At the moment we have 30 kids who are already sponsored and 20 more are waiting to find sponsors. Thank you all for your great help!

THE ESSENCE OF VOLUNTEERING

"Volunteering abroad is not an opportunity given to the rich and developed citizens of occidental countries in order to experience an extraoridinary adventure. In fact, I think it's unacceptable that we allow ourselves the luxury of dreaming about sensational experiences, while the people of the needy countries we want to visit can only allow themselves to dream of some piece of bread in their mouths.

A volunteer workcamp is not a selfish opportunity to satisfy our egos or our cravings for travelling; a volunteer workcamp is an opportunity that the volunteer himself provides in order to offer inconditional assistance and support, time, economic resources and efforts to the most needy ones; an opportunity to change a small, tiny piece of the world.

Therefore, a volunteer should never allow himself to become an extra burden for those he's trying to help. It would be simply nonsense. A volunteer must be a relief, water on top of fire, sugar on top of the bitterness that rules their lives, a streched hand, a balm for the open wounds, a whisper of peace...

Then, we cannot expect that a home, where we are planning to spend some time and where they already have problems enough to bring 50 children to school and provide them with food, water, clothes, etc., opens its doors for us only for love's sake, just becoming another mouth to feed. It is not the same being a volunteer in our own country or being a volunteer in a different continent in somebody else's home. Here, we can offer our time and efforts and later go back home where we are catered with everything. In Africa, to become an assistant requires something else.

When we arrive at an orphanage, we become part of it, another member, which means more food, more water, more electricity, more dirty clothes, more washing-up liquid, more bed covers, etc. It is clear that the romantic idea that Occidentals have of bringing our big love and tenderness to those people, of spending time by their side and exchanging our knowledge with them is highly praisable. But there is something that we should never forget: LOVE ON ITS OWN DOES NOT FEED CHILDREN.

I've been moving in and out of Kenya for almost four years now, living with those incredible peoples, and I swear that they really appreciate the time we spend with them, the moments we listen to their problems, the time we play with their children... But, no matter how strong you might me hugging them, if in that moment their stomachs are empty, and there is nothing to bring to their mouths, our big love will be vanished to ashes. And it is normal and understandable: human beings can only allow themselves the pleasure of loving and dreaming when the basic human needs are covered (drinking, eating and sleeping).

As a consequence, with my full belly, I allow myself a dream: to fill their bellies so that they can also dream. And among many others, the best ways to achieve such a dream are those where governments will never invest enough, building up strong and long-lasting infrastructures, with auto-sustainable projects which can bring them autonomy and better life standards and, ABOVE OF ALL, improving the whole institution of education by building up better schools, with better materials, improving teachers formation, and working on the basis of universal values and human rights.

Susanna

CHILDREN OF AFRICA

SPONSORING CHILDREN OF TSUNZA 2008

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