Nerd Alert!

School/Work is winding down for my 5th graders, and I still am getting the last few details in order for my trip. I was able to get my malaria medicine issues worked out, I am still waiting on my passport with visa to be returned from the Embassy of Mozambique, and I am realizing that I need to start thinking about packing.

I am trying to keep my gear that I am hauling to a minimum, but I am realizing that two months is a long time to be gone. I'm not worried about clothes that I will need, because let's be honest, I would be okay with a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, and a couple of t-shirts, but it is the other things that need to be packed. Cameras, a laptop (so that I can continue to post while I am gone), a mosquito net, soap and other bathroom things to last for two months, and many other necessary supplies.
How in the world do you pack a sleeping bag with everything else that you need in one suitcase for a trip to Africa? Look no further!!! Through advancements in packing technology there is an answer! (Yes. I took pictures, so that you could partake in the pure and exquisite joy of my upgrade in packing skills) [yes, I know it's nerdy].


That is my sleeping bag in a vacuum bag. I also bought other vacuum bags that will help me compress clothes. They all still weigh the same amount, but take up much less space. brilliant!

I have also started a new book titled A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldierby Ishmael Beah. The book is a firsthand telling from a young man that, as a child growing up in Sierra Leone, Africa, was caught in the country's conflict and forced to fight as a child soldier. Ishmael tells his story in a very personal way, allowing the reader to follow him as he flees his village and goes into hiding from the government's army. He was eventually captured and forced to fight at the age of thirteen. He is now 26 years old, and lives in the United States.
As I read this man's story I can't help but continue to remember that he is about my age. Remembering my biggest concerns at the age of thirteen were zits, and try my hardest to convince myself and others that I was worth hanging out with.
At this same exact time in history, Ishmael was fighting for his life and against his will, in a battle that demolished the majority of the villages in his country. It makes my concerns of whether or not I get invited to the popular kid's weekend middle school party seem quite petty.
The book is thought provoking, has helped me to be more aware of the world around me, and also how fortunate we are to be in a country that we can feel safe for the most part. I would highly suggest that you take the time to pick this book up and follow this man's story. It will change your life.

As I continue to learn more about the continent of Africa, I am more intrigued and long to be in the culture and learning first hand about life outside of the United States. 26 days until I am on my way to a place that is guaranteed to change my life.

Why Africa???

Yesterday, I had the privledge of going to the airport to help pick up five of my nine friends (four of them are stuck in Washington D.C. until tonight) that have been in Ethiopia for the last 10 days. It was so neat to get a little bit of a glimpse, from the few stories that were shared, of what I have to look forward to on my upcoming trip.

Mark, one of the guys that just got back, let me borrow a book a few weeks ago, and I have been reading my way through it for the last couple of days. It has really given me some insight into why Africa struggles the way that it does, but it also paints a really neat picture of all the potential that Africa has to suceed as a continent.

Facts that I found interesting from Against All Hope: Hope for Africa:

Natural Resources
- Africa has the land space of the United States, Europe, New Zealand, India, Argentina, and China (22.3% of the world's total land value).
- It has been said that Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have the agricultural potential to feed the entire continent.
- If Africa could dam major rivers, there would be enough water to plant crops in the worst drought stricken areas.

Poverty Stats.
-14% of the world's population lives in Africa, but produces slightly less than 2% of the world's Gross National Product.
-17 of the 21 poorest countries in the world are in Africa.
-148 out of every 1,000 children will die before their 5th birthday.
-Average life expectancy is 51 years old.
-29 of the 42 countries with the lowest literacy rates in the world are found in Africa.
-Human Development Index (HDI) measures the "quality of life." based on life expectancy, literacy rates, educational attainment, and adjusted real income. 33 of the bottom 40 countries on the HDI scale are in Africa. (Mozambique is number 171 out of 177. The United States was listed in the top 8.)
-34 of the 50 "least developed countries" are in Africa. (Mozambique is also on that list)
-Mozambique is #7 on the list of "Least Livable Countries." (#1 is Sierra Leone)

HIV/AIDS
-71% of the world's AIDS cases are in Africa.
-6,000 people die in Africa with the disease each day.
-A conservative estimate of 28,500,000 Africans are infected with HIV/AIDS.
-About 12,000,000 children are orphaned throughout Africa as a result of both parents dying from HIV/AIDS.

Corruption Perception Index (CPI)
- CPI is a scale that ranks countries on a scale of Highly Clean(10) to Highly Corrupt (0). Sixteen of the African countries that were surveyed rated as highly corrupt. Mozambique ranks at 2.8 on the Corruption Perception Scale.
- Among the world's richest men are African heads of state.
- It is estimated that approximately $148,000,000,000 is in secret bank accounts of African rulers. This represents about half of the $300 billion that Africa as a whole owes its foreign creditors.

So the question of "Why Africa?" Africa is a place that needs people to care about it. I think that these statistics help to paint a picture of a continent that is without hope. They help to paint a picture of a continent that needs more people to be aware of what is going on. I have choosen to help make sure that the people that I come in contact with know about Africa. These statistics will hopefully help to explain the urgency of the message that Africa needs our help.

That is why I have choosen to take the opportunity to spend my summer in Maputo, Mozambique. If I happen to run into a hippo while I'm there, it will make the trip all that more memorable.


jb