Each person has his own vague fear of what he or she has never experienced. The African continent is one example of that sort of fear. However, from the moment I came to support a child from Uganda several years ago, I became interested in the African continent, so I decided to go to Africa before my graduation. At that time, I just wanted to experience a place I’d never travelled to and to deliver my love to the African children. While I was planning to go to Kenya during my senior year’s winter vacation and was saving money for the trip, I got information about a scholarship program offered by Keimyung University. The scholarship is called Overseas Cultural Experience, and it provides some trip expenses for Keimyung students. I applied for the scholarship and got the scholarship. Finally, I went to Kenya and Tanzania.
On July 2, I arrived in Kenya after a twenty-four-hour flight. Green and spacious sights spread in front of my eyes. After I got there, I volunteered at an adoption center called Babies Hope House in Nairobi. There were about twenty babies including six new arrivals abandoned by their parents. On the first day, the manager asked me to change babies’ diapers. I had to practice how to change them and how to put them on the babies. After short training, I fed some babies with milk for lunch. Although I was not skilled at feeding, the babies didn’t complain. However, I felt so sad that I could not play the role of their moms and dads even though I tried my best. From the first day, I took care of them by changing diapers, and feeding, bathing, and playing with them. I continued looking after them for ten days in total.
In the middle of July, I started to travel around Tanzania and some cities in Kenya. I went to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania from Nairobi by bus. Tanzania is located south of Kenya and it took fifteen hours to get there by bus. I saw a lot of African people’s life while I was sitting on the bus. Everything was new, and I was probably new to African people. After travelling to Tanzania, I went to Mombasa, Kisumu, Kericho, and Nakuru in Kenya. I met many people from different countries like England, Sweden, Denmark, India, Australia, and Germany, and I talked to them about their countries a lot.
I also saw how African people live their lives unsophisticatedly; it seemed that they have not become tainted by modern civilization - they were so innocent. Even though they don’t have convenient appliances such as cars, cell-phones, and computers, they seemed to be satisfied with what they already have. They just live as they are. I gave a special balloon that I brought from Korea to children during the trip because I hoped to encourage African children to have hopes and dreams for their future. As time went by, I felt the fear that I had in the beginning gradually disappear.
Finally, the trip was over and I returned to my original place. I hoped to experience a lot of things compared to Korea there. However, more than that, I realized I had come to love them, gradually, and I felt ashamed of their modesty compared to me. The trip, originally planned to show my love for the African continent, conversely presented me with the feeling that I was loved by them, and I gained treasures that I could never buy with money. Africa is still poor and African people are still suffering from serious diseases. Nevertheless, African children are dreaming. If they don’t give up their dreams, there is hope for the African continent.
