Putting it in Perspective

One can't travel to Africa without returning changed in some way. I've learned over the years from friends who have made the trek that it's never quite the same experience for each person. But the common thread is that it's life changing and a time in your life you'll never forget.

This was my second time to go, the last time on a different mission but I believe it was God preparing me to go again in the future. That future happened to come just over two years later, on behalf of the Gazelle Foundation. Many of the relationships I forged on the first visit proved fruitful for this trip, including the lodging (thanks to Simon at Great Lakes Outreach) and the crucial knowledge given to us from Freddy Tuyizere of Youth for Christ about certain parts of the country and other work strategy ideas. Without those guys and the time spent alongside some of Gilbert's friends and family members (he's got friends in high places!) there's no way we could have accomplished what we did in 6 days.

In an effort to keep this short because it's proven more people will read the article laid before them if doesn't seem too daunting, I'll cut right to the main purpose of the visit which was to assess the two completed water projects, see the new one getting started, and survey areas for potential future projects. I wrote in a different post about the Nyamwango people and how the water project the Gazelle Foundation funded for their village has led to them no longer being called "the dirty people". But after seeing so many different rural areas and conversing with locals it kept popping in to my mind that we could do more. And I'm talking big picture that's not just the Gazelle Foundation. We are a part of it, yes, but they have other needs such as schools and housing and food.

Many of these Burudians live in a vicious cycle of poverty.
It's why they're stuck in what we would consider the 19th century with no electricity, dirt floors, and grass thatched roofs. There's no escape. A government ripe with constant corruption and little chance to even attend elementary school, much less advance to higher grades. So 5 year olds are left to herd cattle and goats in the field for 75 cents per day while their parents work the crops.



You have to understand how beautiful this country is. It's truly a tropical paradise and could - one day - be a great tourist spot. White sandy beaches, breathtaking views of the Congo mountains, banana trees as far as the eye can see, fresh fruit straight from the fields that aren't tainted with pesticides. This list goes on and on.When people ask me about the trip that is what I will say. How beautiful the country is and how awesome it was to see the work of the Gazelle Foundation first hand. But I also like to challenge those who want to know more. What can you do in your life to do more? We were blessed to either be born in America or now be a citizen. Some have worked harder than others to get what they have, but can you do more? Can you support a child at an orphanage who has been abandoned by their parents? Could you buy a family a goat or cow knowing it might be the thing that helps them rise out of the vicious poverty cycle? Could you support a child to attend school knowing that when he or she gets out and receives a higher paying job they use that money to help their family try to rise out of extreme poverty? Could you continue to help the Gazelle Foundation grow to build more water projects so that we can change more lives in Burundi?

We are doing great things. But there's more work to be done and ways to do it where the money goes directly to the people instead of passing through multiple organizations - or even worse, the government. Thank you for the dedication to the mission of the Gazelle Foundation over the past years. I hope you'll continue to join us in changing the lives of Burundians and setting a new path for the citizens.

Murakoze!