Never Again

At first glance in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, one would never suspect that just 15 years prior the city and country were blanketed in bloodshed. The city was the cleanest and most beautiful city I've visited in Africa to date. The haunting genocide of 1994 that gripped the nation and seized the lives of 800,000 Rwandans was accompanied by an infamously disappointing lack of international intervention. Tribe against tribe, the Hutu tribe set out to wipe out the Tutsi tribe and finally the Tutsis fought back and ended the battle. For three months the rest of the world stood by and watched. The international aid that flooded in, postwar, to help rebuild the war torn country was perhaps an effort to redeem the initial failure to interceed? Outward renovation aside, the people still bear the scars. I spoke with a waiter at a restaurant who paused mid sentence as he began to describe the scene around him in the months from April to June of '94. He let his comments fade as if the recollection hit too painfully close to home, and we led the conversation elsewhere. I met a teenage boy sitting at the bus station who was orphaned as a result of his parents' brutal murder. If time heals all wounds, every day Rwanda is on it's way. The people seem to be heartily embracing the breakdown of a tribal divide and working towards a unity of the people. I asked several people which tribe they belonged to, the Hutu, the Tutsi, or the Twa and always received the same response. "I am Rwandan". A sign of progress. The words, "Never Again" repeated themselves at several points during my visit to the genocide memorial in the center of town. They were displayed in the historical exhibit along with a question of why these words were not lived up to after the holocaust? Why did the international community claim, "Never Again....will genocide live in our world" and then stand by as the killing fields ensued once again. Analysts agree that the troops that were used to evacuate diplomats and foreign workers in the country were enough, had they returned to defend and fight, to stop the violence. The memorial and museum told the stories of all acts of genocide in the 20th century from Cambodia to Germany, Namibia to Rwanda. When I finished the exhibit, I walked outside to the mass graves in which 250,000 Rwandan genocide victims are buried. There were a group of Europeans (I could not quite pin their accent) chanting prayers over the graves. There were fresh floral arrangements laid out across the top of the graves draped with sashes that read, "Never Again". Pledges once again.

Whitewater rafting at the Source of the Nile!!

I've never been whitewater rafting and have always wanted to go. So I figured, go big or go home...why not experience it for the first time in level 5 rapids (the highest commercially possible) at the very source of the Nile in AFRICA? I read about the experience in my handy dandy 'Lonely Planet' Travel guide and then booked with a company that was recommended at the guesthouse I was staying at in Jinja, a small, charming town there at the source. I was not sure exactly what to expect when I hopped on the charter bus that escorted me to The "Adrift" site. I arrived and went straight to the information kiosk where I was greeted by a guy that resembled "the Dude" from "The Big Lebowski" with his sunburned arms under his old ratty cutoff T-shirt, wild long head of hair, unkempt facial hair, and not-so-stunning shades. In his low, raspy, and surfer-like voice he explained to me the details of the trip and I then signed my life away on a voucher that insured I would be rafting at my own risk...da, da, da, da.......We had an hour or so before we embarked out on the open river so I sat myself down at a picnic table of American aid workers from all over the country working together in Uganda. They had been spending their weekends together on exciting excurcions, and rafting was next on the list. Adam, Jim, Ben, Krista, Ali, and later Rob would be my team on the rapids for the day. After exchanging the standard pleasantries and get-to-know-you conversations, we set out on the journey. In preparation for the day in the sun, we all lathered on a generous amount of sunscreen and then armored up in helmets and life jackets. Our guide, Tutu, we realized later, was the most fun and enthusiastic of all the guides and walked us through the standard procedures first on while still on land and then continued as we climbed into the rafting boat. I chose the 2nd out of 4 rows to stake my position. I did not want to be out in front responsible for the most strength in rowing and the highest possible danger zone, but I also did not want to miss out on the best action. We all went through the rowing motions as instructed to us by Tutu and learned the various skills to be applied at certain times during the trip, including, "Get Down!!!" At which point you would bend down into the boat and hold on for dear life. The beginning of the trip was mild as we meandered over a couple of level 2 and 3 rapids that offered a tiny bit of excitement but nothing to blog about. :) The entertainment included a few rounds of "Never Have I Ever", some psycho-analytic games, and Jim's famous would you rather------ OR take $$$(amount of money)questions which made for lots of laughs and instant bonding. Throughout the day, we encountered some 1 or 2 level rapids that offered up a mere, bump-in-the river experience. The level 3 and 4 rapids required our concentrated group effort to paddle through and stay on TOP of the water. The real action was during the level 5s. On these rapids, we paddled for a bit, and then all got down in unison into the raft in hopes that force of our weight at the bottom of the boat would keep the boat from capsizing. Twice, our efforts fell short and we flipped. The first time it was more a fun thrill than anything. We all toppled out near to the raft, had a few laughs, and successfully and smoothly swam back to the boat and hoisted ourselves back on. The second and last rapid we hit on the trip was by far the most dangerous. Tutu gave us the option to decide as a group how we wanted to approach this "king of the rapids". We could go for the level 4 zone that gave us a 50% chance of capsizing, or we could go for the level 5 in which we had about a 75% chance. Three of the group,were completely against taking such a risk and insisted we stay on level 4. The other four of us welcomed the challenge of such a low risk possibility of succeeding and went for the high risk, high reward option. So, we went with the majority, geared up, fiercely gripped our paddles, and put our game faces on. Upon arrival to the white water, Tutu instructed us to paddle intensely for about 5 seconds and then as the roaring water ensued, he shouted for us to get down and hold on! Two seconds later, the boat had flipped and left all 7 us to fend for ourselves against the violent rapids. I found myself in a swirl of panic as a felt the power of the water undercurrent pulling my body down as I struggled to gasp for air. When my head reached for the surface, I took the biggest breath I possibly could and unwilling took in some river water along with it. While I was able to capture some oxygen, I coughed out some water at the same time and went back under. As I was fighting my way back to the top, arms and legs working overtime, my next survival plan was to stick my hand as far out above the water as possible as a red flag for someone to save me. So I stuck my hand halfway out of the water, my face and body still submerged, and immediately I felt another hand grab onto mine. Before I even realized what had happened, I was holding on to the back of a rescue kayak and we were on our way out of the rapids. At this point, our boat had made it into the clear, and three other of our crew members were safe and in the boat. Tutu helped me back into the boat and we waited for the others to arrive. Thankfully, every member of our team made it back alive but not without an exciting story. Even though we all had considerable scares, we agreed that it was a good decision to chance the rapids, and the excitement of falling over and surviving might have been just as good as staying afloat.

Zion Project and Invisible Children

The War in Northern Uganda between the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) and the Ugandan Government can be traced back 23 years and has been regarded as the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today and it has spilled over into conflicts in the DR Congo and Sudan. It is estimated that over 90% of the LRA were abducted as children leaving an entire generation left with scars and shattered lives. While I was in Gulu, the far North of the country, I was able to see and observe two organizations that are committed to being the glue to help piece back together the lives of these child soldiers. The first, Zion Project, was founded by an old friend of mine from Washington, DC, Sarita Hartz. When I met Sarita 6 years ago, she was working with underpriveleged single mothers and had a heart for the continent of AFRICA. Today, she is still working with impoverished mothers, some who have been raped by members of the LRA, and still other former female child soldiers. This time it's in Uganda. Her organization has a holistic approach to healing process seeking to provide programs that deal with spiritual, emotional, and physical restoration. On site at the Zion Project HQ I watched enthusiastic Ugandan ladies dilligantly piecing together gorgeous and colorful handmade necklaces. I also sat through Sarita's counseling classes that deal with getting to the root of the hurt, encouraging forgiveness, and empowering a move forward based in the shelter of the love of God. On a trip to the other side of the town, I visited the "Daughters of Zion" house where young girls below the age of 12 who are loved, counseled, and given a safe haven from the evils of their worlds. The girls were enthusiastic and jubiliant in their interactions with me and it was a true blessing to spend a bit of time with them. I am so amazed by the work that Sarita has done in the past couple of years in her work with these women and children and am looking forward to watching the progress of her vision unfold. During my time in Gulu, I was also able to pop over to 'The Invisible Children' Uganda headquarters to get a feel for the work they are doing. Invisible Children was started after a group of young filmakers from California produced a documentary on the Ugandan Child Soldiers and it spread like wildfire through the US and inspired a movement to make a difference in the lives of these kids. Through mentoring, advocacy, and now microlending projects, the organization has brought massive awareness and is effecting real change in helping to end the violence and bring hope to the nation. There were a couple of projects that they are undergoing that really piqued my interest. The first is a form of microlending that was adapted from a recent Nobel Prize winner's theory and has been proving to be quite successful for the parties involved. The way it works is that 20 people team up and add money to a "pot". From that pot, the individuals apply for a loan from their peers for a specific project that is then approved by the group at an agreed upon payback schedule and interest rate. The model has proven to be extremely productive and successful while the groups are within a 5 mile living radius from one another so they are able to meet on a weekly basis for support and accountability purposes. The other project that fascinated me is one that Invisible Children is teaming up with the UN on implementing in the DR Congo. The UN is providing a form of GPS technology that tracks the whereabouts of the rebel armies based on the ability to track the material of their uniforms. Towers are now being built all over Congo and the technology will allow for about a 5 hour warning window in which individuals will be able to evacuate, hide, and/or generally prepare for a possible attack. It may not be the best and most effective solution, but it is definitely a good start and a way for these otherwise defenseless victims to have some sort of a cushion of security to defend themselves and stay safe. With the work that both Zion Project and Invisible Children and others are doing to alleviate suffering in wartorn East Africa, there is hope for a brighter future.

Fountain of Life

I met Moses on a mission trip to UGANDA two years ago and I was excited to see the progress of his vision 'Fountain of Life Ministries' since then. He oversees 15 churches in UGANDA and works with 10-15 (plus) schools. He invited me to stay in Hoima and to speak at a couple of churches and a number of schools. Hoima is just slightly off the muddy beaten path and is a remote village outside of Kampala, Uganda, the capital city containing a few shops, small marketplace for the buying and selling of groceries, and plenty of mud huts and shacks where the inhabitants live. Needless to say this place is poverty stricken. I stayed with Moses for the week in his apartment with electricity but no running water. Each day I was served a wonderful traditional spread for both breakfast and dinner, a testament to the famous Ugandan hospitality. I enjoyed getting to know Moses' roommate, Immanuel, his sister Grace, and several of the church people. We spent our days visiting schools in the surrounding areas and loved to meet and play with the schoolchildren and was honored to have the opportunity to speak to them, sing with them, and play with them. So many of them are in so much need. Living hand to mouth day to day oftentimes they are forced to stay home and work to help support the family. Other times there is simply not enough money to pay for school fees, books, and uniforms. During my time in Hoima one of the local high schools was forced to shut down from lack of sustainable finances and the kids were left with inadequate direction and standardized test preparation, and were uncertain about their educational futures. We constantly hear the proverbial slogan, "Education is the Key", but there can be so many obstacles for these kids in the pursuit in obtaining the key. The few who are able to get their education are then faced with the lack of open doors in a nearly non-existant job market. These are problems that have existed for the ages, and while there has been some progress made, there are still many mountains to be moved. There needs to be strong corruption-free leadership in place and more creative thinking applied to help solve these problems along with a paradigm shift in the mentality of the people - a true belief that their dreams can be realized and that where there is a will there is truly a way.

Published!!

At the end of a tough assignment in Egypt ;), Dreamscapes Travel and Lifestyle Magazine has published my commentaries on golf, spas, and a pilgrimage up Mt. Sinai in their 2010 Fall-Winter Edition.

The 7th New Wonder of the World - Maasai Mara

The New wonders are separate from the conventional Seven Wonders of the world known for centuries and which are classified by UNESCO. The Maasai Mara and Serengeti and the wildebeest migration have recently been classified in this chosen few for its uniqueness of the area and the preservation it provides to so many species living in harmony and boy did I stay in wonder over all the the things I saw on my two day safari. We took off from Downtown Nairobi in a small tour bus. Our crew included a couple from the UK, an aid worker from the UK working in Malawi, a Kenyan from the Maasai tribe who had never been to see the Maasis Mara, an American educator living in Cote D'Ivoire, and yours truly. The long ride out, like most in my journey through AFRICA was both challenging thanks to poor road conditions, and extremely scenic. Very near to our arrival, we stopped at an amazing lookout point of the Great Rift Valley which stretches 3700 miles from Syria to Mozambique - a great photo op and pitstop. There is something about staring out upon a natural expanse that seems to go on forever, that calms the soul while reminding me of the greatness of God. On from there, we marveled at the Serengeti desert until finally arriving at our Safari camp. My two nights at Masaai Mara would be spent in a 'pimped out' tent that included a hot shower and Western style toilet (as opposed to African style squatty potties) with plumbing and electric outlets - my kind of camping! We quickly settled in and jumped into our Safari style van with a roof raising top ideal for viewing the game while standing and driving. The weather that day was most cloudy with drizzling rain throughout. We started our safari at the Maasi village near the reserve to learn about the people who inhabited the land. We were greeted by a Maasai warrior dressed in a traditional red patterned cloak who began to give us a tour of the small village which was lined with mud houses. We met the children and then about 10 men lined up for a show of dance. The dance included chanting and jumping and was a competition and show of strength. The man who was able to jump the highest was considered the most "able" mate. Next up were the ladies, and the four of us in our group were invited to join them. We participated in a series of hand movements while standing one next to another and circling about. We ended our one hour tour by visting the home of some of the villagers. We walked inside to complete darkness apart from some very slight light showing through a small window/opening and learned of the famous Maasai warrior right of passage. When a boy reaches the ages of 18-24 and he is ready to enter into manhood, he joins a group of 20-30 other boys to go on a lion hunt to kill a lion to bring back to the village. The boys cannot return until they are successful in their intention. So, they take their spears and head out into the wild. The boy whose spear is the first to pierce the lion is considered the winner. He will keep the lion skins for himself and have his choice of the ladies for his wife. The other boys will follow in assisting to kill the lion and when they return to their homes, they have now been endowed with manhood and will be able to marry. On our way out of the village, I purchased a Maasai blanket from one of the men as a keepsake of my time, and we all hopped back into the van to begin our gamewatching. Luckily, the animals were still out in full display despite the rain. First, a herd of wilderbeast caught our eyes, followed by water buffalo, ostriches, gazelle, and zebras. It was truly amazing to find all of these species cohabitating in peace so close to one another in a relatively small expanse. I was mostly hoping to spot a lion and I got my wish tenfold. The first "king-of-the-jungle" we saw was doing his afternoon stretching. He was yawning and contorting his legs in what almost looked to be a yoga session. Upward facing lion pose...now there's a new idea to implement for all the yoga lovers out there! Not far from "yoga lion" was another male and they eventually met up and walked away from our sight together in stride. It was a majestic picture. The next lion we saw was female and she was perched atop a small hill. We watched as she opened her mouth wide as a greeting to her onlookers. Finally, at the end of our time, we came upon a pride of lions. Here we saw about 4 mama lions and six cubs just lion around (pun anyone?). There they were relaxing in the middle of an enclosement of small bushes. Along with ours, there were about 5 other safari buses that had come upon the scene and were parked as people took photos. There we were staring at the lions and off in the distance thanks to the slight rains, was a double rainbow over Masaai Mara - truly breathtaking. As the sun started setting, the buses started leaving one by one. One of the vehicles that was parked very close to the lions containing a family with two small boys had become stuck in the mud and was the tires were spinning while while the driver was trying to create enough momentum to get out while at the same time digging himself in further. Our driver stayed behind to wait and see if there was any assistance that would need to be offered. Nobody would be able to get out of the vehicle lest they be eaten for dinner by a protective mama lion, and if another vehicle tried to push the stuck bus out, they were most likely to also get stuck. But there was no other choice, an attempt had to be made. So our driver reved his engine and drove towards the back of the vehicle. We were all left in suspense as our vehicle made contact and started spinning wheels and applying pressure. One minute later, the stuck bus started slowly moving and just seconds after we both found ourselves in the clear alive and in one piece! An incredible sightseeing topped off with an extreme adrenaline rush - truly a wonder of my world!