My first post out of hopefully many to share with everyone all that I will be learning and experiencing! I've never blogged before and I have no idea what I am doing, but if you read it I hope you enjoy and it inspires you to do whatever it is that you've always wanted to do (so cliche, but its the truth) This trip was very sudden and most of my friends have no idea what I will be doing in Tanzania for two months, so here's a little summary of how it all began and what I will be doing:
Its Christmas break and I've just woken up from another night of little sleep, I had just come back from a pretty exhausting, but wonderful trip to Turkey to visit my family. I'd thought about not going back to VT for a couple weeks, but had just pushed the thought away...I couldn't just not go back to college this semester, but the question kept repeating "Aubrey what do you want to do with your life?" and on this interesting morning I woke and said I want to go to Africa, it was an answer and I was definitely listening. I walked down stairs and told (not asked) my family what I was planing on doing. They were a little shocked at first, but as I showed them the cross cultural solutions website they slowly warmed up to the idea and became quite supportive (thanks fam)!
Why didn't you want to go back, you ask puzzled...since college is supposed to be the best years of your life? While applying to college I had no idea what I wanted to major in thinking I would figure it out on my way, but the longer I stayed the less certain I became. I was tired of the same routine, I had lost my spark and that feeling of inspiration. I wanted to be passionate about something meaningful, and then I found CCS and it is everything I was looking for! The fire is back, and I only have my plane ticket and a rough idea of what I will be doing...I'm working with a "just figure it out as you go" plan at the moment.
What the heck are you doing in Africa aubs? ...I just found out actually! I will be interning with the White Orange Youth HIV/AIDS Organization for two months and I could not have been happier about my placement! check it out, donate if you feel so inspired: ">http://www.woy.kabissa.org
"White Orange Youth is a non–Governmental organization located in Kilimanjaro, Moshi Municipality, Makongoro Avenue. It is about 1km from center of town. It was founded in 1997 and registered in 1998 by a group of young professionals who felt that through collective action, they would be better able to make progress on social, economic and political issues which Tanzania youth faces. The mission of the organization is to operate comprehensive and dynamic youth enhancement programs, to advocate and lobby, and to network with other stakeholders to help to improve the quality of life for the youth of Tanzania."
My volunteering duties will include; helping spread awareness by organizing and supporting community outreach and prevention efforts, organizing and promoting HIV/AIDS education in the community, assisting the staff with training seminars and conferences, helping develop fund raising strategies and grant writing skills and try to help update and further develop the website (and yes I have already gotten the designing a website for dummies book). and if I get lucky I might be able to shadow some doctors at the Mawenzi Regional Hospital. and that is all I know so far.
Surprisingly I'm not to worried, I'll be surrounded by people who all have come together for a similar cause, I look forward to living and working with them, and I am ready to being my journey!
Internet access can be difficult to obtain, so I will hopefully be posting from time to time, if your interested feel free to sneak a peek! I'm heading off on the 27th! So I'll post another a couple of days after I arrive in Tanzania!
