TRAVEL / Faces of Africa

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The faces that I saw while volunteering in Africa. Words are not enough. Images either. I wish I could show you every second. I have seen things, unbelievable.

The townships. A water jet where eighty (!) families have to get drips of water, dirty, sick, nasty. Playing football with these little children. Cuddle. Hold hands. Skin and bone, begging for money or food, and yet always leaving a cheerful impression, enjoying, pointing at me, smiling. Little children go begging for the one with whom they live, because parents are rare. The repression, eyes full of fear. Children who have never known their parents, children who do not know their birth date, their name, which have experienced terrible things and have no future. A boy who is in the process of demonstrating that he even exists for years, without a birth certificate. The girl that did not want to let go of my hand. The big cultural difference but still being one and the same human being. How hard this country is trying to build up, and how difficult this is going to be, how impossible this seems.

See how much power these people get from faith. What a beautiful sight. How happy they are with a crumb of bread. How grateful. The kids who live in a shack on bare feet. The phenomenon of hunger. And see them laugh, see they radiate. Amazing. Respect. Even if you just hold one of these children with all the love and hope that you have, you have meant something in this world. Isn’t that what we all want?

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Afrika, DESTINATIONS, Local Life, TRAVEL, Travel Category, Travel Stories, Zuid-Afrika

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34 comments

  1. Debby 27 September, 2013 at 08:32 Reply

    Oh wauw, wat heb je daar mooie foto’s gemaakt zeg. Je omschrijft het echt prachtig <3. Je hebt al zoveel moois meegemaakt en echt de wereld en haar facetten gezien. Net als die kameel die je me net stuurde :'D awesome. Mooi, meis!

  2. Alix 27 September, 2013 at 10:12 Reply

    Ik vind het echt een mooi iets wat je doet. Echt actief meehelpen en niet zomaar geld doneren. Lijkt me een fantastische en leerzame ervaring. Mensen helpen is echt een belangrijk iets, en dat vergeten veel mensen. Vrijwilligerswerk is een nobel ding, echt goed dat je dat doet!

    • Laura - what about her 30 September, 2013 at 07:20 Reply

      Inderdaad, verbazingwekkend en zo mooi. Direct na mijn Afrika avontuur ging ik werken in Disneyland Parijs en toen was ik zo boos op dat park dat ze al dat water verspilden aan attracties en al die mensen dure kaarten kochten terwijl in Afrika…je snapt ‘m.

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