Development.

We have been home for a few weeks now, and as you can tell it has been easy to adjust back into the life I left behind. Blog entries are few and far between or simply nonexistent. My life isn’t nearly as exciting, thus I can’t seem to figure out what to write about or what people would even want to read about. We wake up, eat, go to work, eat, maybe watch a movie or some TV and then go to bed, and then we wake up the next day only to do it all over again. Exciting huh? Don’t worry this blog entry won’t be all about the life of Peter and Malia since their return home to Boredom, oops I mean Seattle! Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE it here and it was so wonderful to fly into the city and to see the rain, the clouds and to feel as though we were really HOME.

I feel as though I have so much to process and no time to do it, and to be quite honest I am slightly tiring of having to put my experience into words. I often wonder if people really care to hear about my time or if they are just asking questions out of obligation. Terrible way to think, I know, but a girl can’t help it! From my previous post you can tell that I learned a lot about a lot of things while there. I not only learned a lot about myself, but I also learned A LOT about Peter and the organization he works for, COTN.

All this new information is great, but the challenge for me is what to do with what I have learned. I figured the best place for me to start is right here, on our blog. So bare with me as I process my thoughts by writing about them in hopes of informing you about my experience, the work of COTN and Peter’s role within the organization.

Since back I have found myself inquiring about everyone’s May months in hopes of getting the focus off me. For some reason I don’t want to talk about Africa. Now I don’t know if that’s because my heart feels so heavy from the experience that if I don’t talk about it it’s almost as if I wasn’t there. If I don’t talk about it, then I won’t feel guilty for not doing anything. If I don’t talk about it….then….you fill in the blank.

Now that I have been home for a week or so I have had time to reflect on my time in Uganda and Malawi, and I must say I was sad before I left, but I am even sadder now that I am home. I went there full of information, statistics, stories that simply grieved me, and I left with a heavy, grieving heart. Let me explain. So many people have been asking me so many questions about my trip and I could respond with so many answers, but I am careful and considerate with my words. I want to share my experience without tainting their view of things. I want to share my experience without sounding like Debbie downer. I want to share my experience while allowing people to see that there is hope within these situations. A culture of dependency blankets the whole continent of Africa. This I had read about, this I had researched, this I knew, but to SEE it with my own two eyes made it all the more real.

I grieve for all that we have and have not done in Africa. I grieve for all that has been lost. I grieve because of the poverty, the unnecessary deaths, the short lives, and the lack of resources. I grieve for the vulnerable – for the women, the widows, and the children.

Things cannot continue as they are. Things must change because the people are in need of a new way forward. Organizations must rethink the way they do things in Africa. They must begin to focus their programs around sustainability and empowerment. They must begin to develop programs whereby nationals are empowered through education and ownership.

Sponsorship programs are important, but the scope of the programs can’t stop there. these kids don’t just need donors to pay for their school fees, medical bills, and food - these kids need to learn how to be self sustainable. They need to learn about the importance of a healthy diet and the importance of clean water, they need to learn about sustainable business practices and the possibility of microfinance...They need to be empowered to provide for themselves, considering the children and their parents can’t rely on donors forever, and there truly is an immediate need for a skills center and for income generating projects. The simple act of provision is such a time consuming challenge for countless African families, and it is the women that feel the brunt of the weight. However, even amidst all the challenges, the possibility of hope for these women sure makes me smile.

Ultimately, while in Africa, I simply realized the necessity and importance of Peter’s job! COTN was not founded upon sustainability and as you know they rely heavily upon donors to fund their various projects. However, Peter has brought a new way of thinking to the organization that has truly turned things upside down. He has challenged the way things are currently done and he is paving a new way forward for COTN – one that is sustainable, one that I am really excited about. Don’t get me wrong, COTN will always need donors, but at least these new practices will lessen the need, while providing people with skills and resources to transform their own lives. If you are interested in hearing more about what Peter does at COTN…please do NOT hesitate to contact me, I would LOVE to share!