Looking back
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Anna
16 Februari 2015 | Zwitserland, Zürich
About one and a half years have passed since we came back from Africa… A good moment to look back. It was an intense, instructive time, challenging, frustrating, cheerful at times, filled with interesting encounters of all sorts… and much more.
We learnt a lot about us, about the world, about development, about people, about believing….
And we brought home many dear memories, new friendships, beautiful souvenirs and literally last but not least our little girl.
All the theft (of our stuff and that of other people), violence, poverty, corruption, waste … contrasting with the beautiful nature (to name some of the common stereotypes which are true), strong believes (of all kinds), hope, energy, music, hospitality … (After all there must be a reason why Africa in general has such a magic kind of attraction to so many people)
When we came back we swore never to participate in development projects again… or maybe in a very specific type of projects only and we would definitely never ever get back to Mozambique. These things remain kind of true, but the sharp edges have worn off and like does happen often, memory becomes coloured by the positive aspects.
And however, even the darker moments have after all had a valuable, transformative power. Things are different when seen from the inside.
But before I start with too much of philosophy… we now know that we know nothing… in the very last weeks before returning to Europe, we started realising that the mentalities in African countries maybe similar to one another when compared with our cultures, but as different as they are from one another and in all their variety, the perception of the world, life, culture, relationships etc is so different from our views that we just started to realize that we had grasped the very tip of the iceberg. We noted that there is a whole new world of perceptions to be discovered. This insight calls for more time spent in Africa.
Last but not least I would want to mention some of the people who enriched or adventure. All the nameless and countless people in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenai, South Africa and Malawi who made us see the hidden beauty of the continent. We met Walter, Llionel, Isabel, Margaret and Lee (who’s memory lives on in Sophia Lee), Patricia and Felipe, Jossy, Shewaye, Tigist, Dr. David, Isabel and Marcel, Jacob, engaged fighters against HIV all over the continent, Marleen and Thomas, Claudia and Uwe, Amanze, the well diggers in Nicane, Laura, Daniel and Suzette, Herb, Moges, Catherine Hamilton, Daphne, Randy and Sarah, Petros, Ermias, Diksha, Ernesto ... and many more.
Thanks to all of you around the world for your support and for reading!
Best wishes,
Anna (with Sprokkeltje and Erik)
We learnt a lot about us, about the world, about development, about people, about believing….
And we brought home many dear memories, new friendships, beautiful souvenirs and literally last but not least our little girl.
All the theft (of our stuff and that of other people), violence, poverty, corruption, waste … contrasting with the beautiful nature (to name some of the common stereotypes which are true), strong believes (of all kinds), hope, energy, music, hospitality … (After all there must be a reason why Africa in general has such a magic kind of attraction to so many people)
When we came back we swore never to participate in development projects again… or maybe in a very specific type of projects only and we would definitely never ever get back to Mozambique. These things remain kind of true, but the sharp edges have worn off and like does happen often, memory becomes coloured by the positive aspects.
And however, even the darker moments have after all had a valuable, transformative power. Things are different when seen from the inside.
But before I start with too much of philosophy… we now know that we know nothing… in the very last weeks before returning to Europe, we started realising that the mentalities in African countries maybe similar to one another when compared with our cultures, but as different as they are from one another and in all their variety, the perception of the world, life, culture, relationships etc is so different from our views that we just started to realize that we had grasped the very tip of the iceberg. We noted that there is a whole new world of perceptions to be discovered. This insight calls for more time spent in Africa.
Last but not least I would want to mention some of the people who enriched or adventure. All the nameless and countless people in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenai, South Africa and Malawi who made us see the hidden beauty of the continent. We met Walter, Llionel, Isabel, Margaret and Lee (who’s memory lives on in Sophia Lee), Patricia and Felipe, Jossy, Shewaye, Tigist, Dr. David, Isabel and Marcel, Jacob, engaged fighters against HIV all over the continent, Marleen and Thomas, Claudia and Uwe, Amanze, the well diggers in Nicane, Laura, Daniel and Suzette, Herb, Moges, Catherine Hamilton, Daphne, Randy and Sarah, Petros, Ermias, Diksha, Ernesto ... and many more.
Thanks to all of you around the world for your support and for reading!
Best wishes,
Anna (with Sprokkeltje and Erik)
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18 Februari 2015 - 14:42
Ria:
Dear Anna,
I can only agree with you...Thanks for charing your thoughts!
Lots of luck with your life, in Zurich or somewhere else!
And congratulations?
Ria
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
