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January 19, 2012
Leveling the Playing Field
Why I brought ten incoming college freshmen out of the city and into rural Tanzania
In 2007, the first group of Next Generation Leaders spent their summer interning at OAT. Before Alan and I began this program, we’d been giving away scholarships for quite a while—but the kids we’d support had concerns: Because they came from low-income households, how would they fit in when they got to college? “You have your own experiences,” I’d tell them. “They might be different, but they’re valuable, too.” But I began thinking about how I could level the playing field.
So I decided to take the Next Generation Leaders to Africa.
Not many entering freshmen can say they’ve been to Africa. I remember one of our 2007 students, Jason, telling me about his orientation, where he was sitting next to a student who visited London for his summer break. He asked Jason, “What did you do?”
“I went to Tanzania,” Jason replied.
To which his fellow student responded, “Where the heck is that??”
More than this, though, it gave the young leaders the opportunity to see a part of the world that has so much less than we have, but in a way, they have so much more—like a strong sense of community, especially in Kenya and Tanzania.
I was curious as to exactly what these students would take from Tanzania. What would they say was the most memorable part? To my surprise, it wasn’t the animals. It was the schools we visited, where we did community service. One of the girls in our group had been homeless. Compared to most Americans, she has nothing—yet she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “Harriet, I take so much for granted.” The experience of traveling can change how you look at life. It gives you a sense of appreciation, of gratitude. This is the inner beauty of Africa.
I also think there’s something cellular in our genetic wiring: When you’re in Africa, you know you’re home. It’s an amazing thing to feel—the continent is so different, but you feel so very at home.
Where have you felt most at home in your travels? Is it Africa, like Ann Barkley shares in this month’s Traveler Story? Or somewhere else in the world? Tell me about it in an email—or share your thoughts in the comments.
Harriet Lewis