Choosing Poverty

If you were to look at the timeline of my service from the eyes of my grandfather, Richard, who is an avid golf player, I have come to the back-nine. Since this is the case, in my blog I will begin to add a few life lessons or major aspects that I have experienced.

One main component of coming to live in Africa is choosing poverty. Voluntary poverty is what a volunteer from any first-world country must be okay with when signing up for Africa. However, two things before I continue on with my point. 

One: this isn’t to say that all of Africa is in shambles and everyone lives in poverty. No, but I would argue that the majority or even 85% do. 

Two: Even though I, along with others, have chosen poverty it doesn’t mean we truly understand exactly what these people actually go through. How could we? We have lived our entire lives in first-world countries and from what I have seen they are almost incomparable to the third-world. Yet, with that being said, us volunteers have a much better understanding of what life is like here. I think a major problem is that people who have never seen or experienced this kind of life still feel as if they know what it’s all about. No way, José.It’s just not possible. I’m no saint for choosing poverty, but I am a better man because I have. The lessons you learn and the experiences you gain are ones that really teach you about the world and help you understand how the choices you make affect more than just you. 

Alright then...

Sleeping in a small hut or never being able to bathe is a reality for many people here. Now, I do get to bathe and I have a bed, but when coming from the suburbia in Minnesota to the villages of Zambia and Tanzania the standard of living drops tremendously. I use “choosing poverty” to describe this drop. 

I don’t know how many on earth live in poverty and I don’t have an internet connection right now to Google such a question, but I would guess the majority do. Otherwise they at least don’t have the comforts we enjoy at places like home, college, shopping centers, etc. The third-world is, well, a different world. 

Something I have come to really enjoy is having my own space. Humans naturally gather together in order to survive and progress. There is a lot of space throughout these African countries and yet the cities are packed. People live in close quarters with one another. Yes, we live close to other people in the U.S., but not like this. There isn’t much privacy or personal space once you enter the city; crowds of people. 

I won’t ramble on about every topic that is involved when talking about poverty, but I would like to say it makes you realize what you take for granted back home. It brings things that you never even thought of into perspective - such as having space. Having personal space, the ease of travel, the abundance of fresh water (both hot and cold), being unburdened by the effects of weather, electricity, cleanliness and the ability to perform bodily functions (bathroom) in comfort all come to mind. After experiencing poverty it makes you realize what you have and what you can do to live a life that is simpler and less taxing on the earth and the one’s you share it with.

As for recent events in the life of me…

I’m a guy who loves to get everything possible out of his experiences so when the BVC emailed me back in August about a theology graduate course being offered through the Saint John’s School of Theology (SJU) I quickly applied to become a student in the class. If accepted, the BVC grants a scholarship to cover the cost of the course which was great because they aren’t cheap. The ‘educational opportunity’, which is what they called it, was an online course for volunteers who were living on the margins. There were people positioned in the U.S., South America, Africa (me) and Europe. We would read a piece of text and then every week post a response to the online forum where other students in the class had to reply. Additionally, each week we had an individual project that focused more on the personal aspects of your area (mine being Zambia/Tanzania). 

Well, two problems came into play real quick. The course started on October 12^th and they sent me books for the course on October 12^th. Ummmm….dude, I live in Africa! Additionally, I had limited internet access and when taking an online course you kind of want internet access. Yet, being determined not to blow three free graduate course credits I made my way into town to access the internet every week and used other online sources of the books while I awaited mine in the mail.

Finally, in December, I received the five books. At this point I was used to going into town for internet and now that I had the physical book in hand things were good. My move from Zambia to Tanzania also interfered with a week of school, but luckily I was able to turn in my assignments a week in advance so I didn’t have to worry. 

I actually thoroughly enjoyed the course. It focused on a spiritual and theological background to volunteering on the margins (with marginalized people); a great topic, especially for someone living in Africa. After the many hours spent travelling to get internet and the copious amount of pages of discussion posts I have typed, I am glad to say I have submitted my final exam today. Woop, throw that ‘A’ and those three graduate school credits my way! It feels good to have that taken care of and I’m glad to have done the course.

Like the graduate course, other things also continue to go well. My Mom sent with Fr. Nick a large bag of Jolly Ranchers which I have shared with the guys in the carpentry shop and my class at the secondary school. They freaked. They loved them. In school I ask them a question and if they get it right I give them a Jolly Rancher. By the way they were acting you would have thought I was passing out $20 bills. If you give a kid a Jolly Rancher…haha

My students at Saint Benedict's Secondary School!

John and I have come to the conclusion that Chips Mai-Aye is a drug. It has to be. It’s so good! We have determined that a small little restaurant named Saint Monica’s in Hanga village serves the best one. We head over there to eat and play cards every few days. It’s fun! There is one lady who works there and she is super nice. Her name is Ester, but we didn’t know that until yesterday so we would always just call her Saint Monica and even though we know her name now we still call her Saint Monica. 

One thing that takes time is getting a bit of Swahili under your belt. It really is needed when working at most places, but especially the clinic. When someone is asking you something or telling you the symptoms they have it helps to understand the language they speak. For this reason it can take some time to get involved in a job. Though, little by little, it happens.

It has rained quite a bit the past few weeks and so on Sundays when I do laundry I just have to get out there and do it anyway. The clothes I’m washing are going to get wet either way so I just do it. I wear my rain coat which helps. 

The internet café in Songea town offers a bit of WiFi which is a lucky find. John is really into podcasts and I have begun to enjoy them as well. We are able to download a few podcasts each time we go to town which is fun because it is nice to listen to something while back in the village. I now know a little of what is happening with the rest of the world, especially the presidential race in the U.S. 

The Abbot election has ended. Fr. Octavian has been elected the new Abbot of Hanga Abbey. He is currently studying elsewhere which makes me wonder why they elected a person who isn’t even around, but he returns in August so that is when he will start his new role.

To conclude, I have heard that there is some unrest in Burundi which is one of the countries that borders Tanzania. I believe it has something to do with its president, President Nkurunziza. The United Nations Security Council has issued warnings and urges inclusive dialogue and expanded international presence. Hopefully things don’t get too out of hand. 

Thanks for reading!