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Elaine in South Africa On October 7th, 2008 I boarded a plane for a 16-hour flight to Jo-burgh, South Africa. I had been to Africa before and felt a connection with the people I met there. But, when I visited South Africa that connection became even stronger. It is hard to put into words the feeling of traveling to a country and seeing yourself in the people. I was in south Africa to shoot a portion of a documentary that I am doing on women in Africa. I will share more about my trip in my blog, but it was great to go home again. Elaine in Tanzania, Africa If we are paying attention and embrace them, we will experience moments in our lives when we understand just why we were born. I have experienced moments like that on lots of occasions and one of those moments occurred when I was in Tanzania, Africa, in April, 2007.
 Actually, I was just outside of Tanzania at a rural school. I had been to the school days earlier and was saddened and embarrassed, not so much for the kids, but more so for us, as adult human beings, for allowing the nearly 700 kids that I met at the school to live in such poverty. The school was really more of a shell than a building and the kids were sitting on the floors. Many were not wearing shoes, their uniforms were dirty and they smelled. After talking to them, we also found out they hadn’t eaten. Nothing- all day. In fact, they told us, most times they only have one meal a day, at home. I looked at their beautiful little faces, their searching eyes and I just wanted to yell out, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, we adults have let you down.”  We left the school, promising them we would not forget them and encouraging them to study hard. But, I still had a bad taste in my mouth about what we’d done to them, or had not done for them.
Over the course of my life, in every town I have moved to as a reporter trying to seek my own advancement, I have always, always, always worked on behalf of the people in those towns. I volunteered in schools, at the Boys and Girls Club, etc. In Albany, NY where I currently work, I started an after school remedial reading program. I volunteered for several years at a nursing home and on Thanksgiving, I could be found stuffing my car with turkeys and side dishes to deliver to those less fortunate.  I tell you all of this, not for you to think highly of me, but because I always thought that this was what I was supposed to do-what we as human beings are suppose to do. As a person who has been given so much, it was just my reasonable service to give back. How could I not? It was a no-brainer, no comment needed, no questions asked.
I know there are many people who don’t think this way-but I still do. So, after leaving the school and running to the next place scheduled on our 10-day fact finding trip-I continued thinking of those kids, until we re-grouped in my hotel room later that night. While we discussed our plans for the next day, I interrupted the group and said, “We have to feed those kids, and we need to do it before we leave here.” We did.  And, it was in the midst of giving out breakfast crackers, juice and mandazi’s to the children that I realized, I had been born for this day-this time-this moment. I had been destined to feed those kids. As we created four lines and motioned to the kids to come forward and get their food, they looked at us in disbelief. Their little faces said it all, “They didn’t forget us.” I don’t think when they first met us, a couple of days earlier, they ever expected to see us again. But, here we were with cars full of food and it was all for them! And, once we gave them the food, I noticed two things-one sweet and one sort of strange. They took the food, curtsied or bowed with their eyes, and then they just sat down on the grass in silence. I noticed they were not smiling or screaming or laughing. So, with my fingers up to my face, I pulled at the corners of my mouth and gestured a smiley face-as I walked the grounds where they were scattered. This universal language for be happy, worked. Moments later they were laughing, giggling and talking with their mouths full, like kids are supposed to do. My heart was happy.
Since then, I have been working with African Reflections, a non profit group that aids women and kids in Tanzania, to create a program to feed these kids every day. It’s called, Biscuits for Breakfast. Some may think Africa is a place too far away, too mired in poverty, and just plain none of our business. Not me, I was born to do this and I know it! Elaine Houston
Anchor, Author, human being |
