Safari yangu ina ameanza
(My journey has just begun)
Did you know that South Africa has the most rapes in all the world and nine out of ten rapes are NOT reported to police officials? Being raped also comes along with the fear of getting infected with HIV. About 25 million Africans have HIV. My dream is to go to Africa and help the people who've been raped so they can live a life without fear, I want to raise awareness of rape within Africa. Little by little I am reaching my dream. This dream of mine has developed over the years and the journey has just begun.
It started in my sophomore year of high school I had a class called African literature. The class consisted of learning all the 54 countries and learning about a culture I only knew about by the things I saw on t.v. We read this book called, "Things Fall Apart" by a man named Chinua Achebe and that is when my desire to go to Africa started. The way he brought the story to life made me want to explore the ins and outs of the culture. He talked about the how family how beautiful yet destructive it can be. Our teacher even had a cook come in and cook for us a traditional meal and talk to us about the way flavors were incorporated into a dish. Everything that I learned had me in awe.
The main reason that I also have this urge to go was because so many women get raped and no one helps them. My junior year I just had this thought placed heavily on my mind that I needed to go out and help these people. In that moment I was like, "I am going to be a sex therapist to help people who've been raped and molested. If you ask me "Why a sex therapist?" I wouldn't be able to tell you how it came to mind. Have you ever just had something placed in your heart and just not know why it was their?
When I told my mom that this what I wanted to do she accepted it and supports me a 120%. Then I told her I wanted to go to Africa she was happy that I was acting on what I wanted to do. Ever since I can remember she always called me her "little missionary". I would deny it and tell her that she is crazy and that she had no idea what she was prophesizing into my life.
So lets fast-forward to 2 months before now. I came across a missionary group who go out and help the people in third world countries and bring to them Jesus Christ. One of the missions is to go on a "South African Expedition". I applied for the trip half heartedly doubting that I would be accepted to go, basically saying, "Lord if this is you will then let it happen". I had two interviews, very long interviews about who I was as a person and why I want to go. I was scared if I got denied because I had two interviews and if I got this far there couldn't be any turning back.
Now fast-forward to last week on Thursday, a call from a Georgia area code had me thinking that the people are calling me to interview again. A women named Lauren talked to me about how she really liked who I was as a person. I was so nervous cause it sounded like a call of rejection but she congratulated me on being accepted to go on the trip to Africa. The feelings that rushed over me were mixed with happiness and being shocked. Happy I am getting to go and shocked that I actually made it into something I really want to do. This trip is confirming the plans for my future.
I am going to be engulfed in so much culture that words cannot express how happy I am.
My journey is just beginning.
