I found myself faced with the question as to “Why Africa?” This is difficult to explain. Simply put, I wanted to see something different from the sites of Europe. There will be a time in my life for that, but I wanted to see something that would change the way I saw my life.
I wanted to share my days with people who lived a simple and harder life but managed to have so much joy. I did just that. I met countless individuals and families that inspired and challenged me.
As for what we did while abroad, the majority of our days were spent at Novos Horizontes, or New Horizons. New Horizons is a poultry operation that provides employment and nutrition for the impoverished Mozambique, and each group of students had different projects to help improve the productivity of the operation. Mozambique is a very poor country that is severely lacking in any kind of infrastructure. Dirt roads are the primary form of transportation anywhere with most families using bicycles to pedal heavy loads of lumber or produce to where they tend to go. Immense respect goes to the African mother who can carry a five gallon bucket of water on her head for miles while having a newborn baby strapped to her side. These people are strong and hard working, giving me a new appreciation for my way of life.
The days at Novos Horizontes were long with a lot of walking or being bumped around in the back of a truck, but we had wonderful excursions on the weekends. Seeing the beaches of Mozambique gave me the opportunity to check off a new body of water and to watch Dr. Keith Bramwell chase palm sized pink crabs across the beach. We kayaked in the ocean, sailed in primitive sailboats to a lagoon, hunted seashells, and toured the oldest European building in the Southern Hemisphere. Our last excursion took our group to South Africa where we went on three safaris, saw countless breathtaking creatures in a natural habitat, and ate the first good meal we had since landing in Mozambique. New foods were tasted (with repercussions of being sick for several days), new friendships were made, and the new experience of traveling abroad has deepened my desire to travel. I have now been to two continents other than North America thanks to our layover in London. The seven-hour layover was nowhere near enough time to explore, but I am grateful for the few hours I had. I am so grateful for every hour of this trip because I learned so much. I am very glad I chose Mozambique as my study abroad destination, and am so appreciative for this experience.
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