I have realized that hugging,touching and holding hands is a wonderful way to show love and affection and respect.Tanzanians are extremely affectionate. Do we hug our children enough? Do we hold hands with our mothers?Our fathers? Our grandparents?
The Tanzanian children have NOTHING, but they create games, they make toys out of nothing, they run, and laugh, and run and shout and run some more! Do our children have imaginations to create fun from a few sticks and rocks? How often do our children get bored when there's no TV, video games or other such stimulation?
I have witnessed 3 and 4 year old children hauling huge rocks at our worksite. I have seen young girls carry 5 gallon pails of water on their heads for miles. They are learning how to help and contribute to their family and village. How often do our children want something in return for their work? How often do they complain when we ask them to do a few chores?
I have seen what some villagers eat. Our daily rations of beans and rice I realized, is actually a treat for them. These people eat to live, where we tend to live to eat! How often do our families complain if they run out of milk for the day, or they don't get desert, or they have no more ketchup for their French fries!
I have listened to some young women talk about how they have worked hard and saved money to help their parents, or to help put their younger siblings through school. I have listened to them talk of what they have given up to care for others in their family. How often do we put ourselves first? How often do we push our kids out after graduation because we have this crazy idea that they don't need us anymore? Or we put our elders in homes because we don't have time to care for them?
One more: The women here respect themselves by covering up, and not showing off their bodies in inappropriate ways. Since women breast feed their children for about two years, you will often see them feeding their babies any time, any where. It is so comforting to know that women here can be free to do what God has created them to do; feed their young. Isn't is ironic how we at home, do not always dress respectfully, and we sometimes show off our bodies more than we should, but when it comes to feeding our babies, we are embarrassed, we are ridiculed, and we are taught to hide ourselves in public?
OK, so I could go on, but I 'll close by saying that we need to be careful that we do not make assumptions about what we could do to help and teach others. We may very well become the students, with many things to learn. And today, I am grateful to be the student. Take care everyone and God bless, Roxanne (sorry it's so long but lots of emotions and thoughts go through my head here!!!!)
