Loving and Learning

How does one start a brand new blog?  The empty space is intimidating...


Atlanta Airport:  pictures and videos of massive tornadoes sweeping across Texas on the airport screens in front of me, passengers racing up and down the terminal to catch their flights, advertisements glowing from the wall on saving endangered animals of the world.  Disaster and the rush to save endangered lives:  themes surrounding my life these last hours in the U.S. and continuing into Niger, West Africa.


A bit about Niger:

• Niger borders Burkina Faso on its southwestern border, bringing back to the very area of Africa I previously lived and worked for 2 years!
• People from Niger are called Nigeriens and people from Nigeria are called Nigerians (one of the most common questions people ask me!)
• Niger is a landlocked, developing country, and consistently ranks as one of the lowest ranks of the United Nations' Human Development Index (HDI), 186th of 187 countries in 2011.  80% of the land is the Sahara Desert, up to 98% of the population is Muslim, 28.7% of the population are literate BUT it breaks down to 42.9% male and 15.1% female...I could go on and on but check out all the information in the CIA Factbook
• For every 1000 births, 109 infants die:  the second to highest rate in the entire world (infant mortality ranking list)
• Niger is facing two major crises right now, one of the worst droughts in 10 years resulting in a major hunger crisis spreading throughout West Africa, as well as thousands of Malian refugees fleeing into Niger from the north.  It’s estimated that close to half a million lives are at risk.  For more information on what has caused this hunger crisis, read this extremely informative article from the BBC.  You can also read this short article and/or video to give you a bit more overview on the situation.  Needless to say, all major relief organizations have entered the country to begin responding to the huge need and if the government cooperates, the crisis could be averted.

Just as a blank blog page intimidates me, the knowledge of this context I'm about to enter also fills me with apprehension at what the future holds and my role in it all, and perhaps the biggest question of all is the extent to which I'll actually be able to help.  I'm not sure if I've seen need on this scale before, though I've lived much, if not most, of my life in 'developing' countries.  You ask if I feel ready or excited for this new adventure and I respond that I'm not sure one can ever be ready or prepared to begin living among people for whom a huge deprivation of the most essential needs of life are the norm.  What I am ready for and excited about is to do all that I possibly can to help.  To actively love all those around me the best I know how and to the best of my ability.  One thing is for sure:  there will be a TON of learning and growing taking place along the way.


It's strange that though I've moved continents my whole life, beginning when I was two years old, transitions like these are never easy.  And though I constantly try to learn and grow no matter where I am or what I'm doing, a big change like this one tends to accentuate and propel that growth so much more!  So as the tornado of change pics me up and whirls me into Africa to work toward saving endangered lives, I hold on with all within me, and accepting all the crosswinds and windfalls along this unexpected journey of life.