What did the trip to Africa change in me?
- Published: Tuesday, 10 October 2017 07:01
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by Sophie Weinelt
For me, this was my first journey outside my home continent of Europe, and the first time I encountered a completely different culture. It is a significant difference between seeing other cultures on television and experiencing them in reality. Travelling to this entirely different world changed a lot for me. Above all, it deepened my awareness that not everyone enjoys the same privileges as we do here in Europe.
When we spoke about our way of life, the locals were astonished. Tales of tap water, drinkable 24/7, made their eyes widen, as buckets for makeshift showers stood nearby. The women shared how far they had to walk to fetch that water. Since then, I often turn off the water while showering, wondering how many buckets of water I might have just wasted.
Often, I walk through supermarkets and think about the kids who would always ask us if we had a sweet for them. Alphonce's words—he is the local coordinator for the foundation of Father Martin—still echo in my mind. He said he wanted to come to Europe to experience the "real life." His words prompted me to reflect on my own life and the way I live or want to live.
The most important thing, it seems to me, is that we work towards eliminating terms like "first world" and "third world." We all live in the same world and should strive for the same standard of living. This includes ensuring that human rights, women’s rights, and children’s rights are upheld in every country across the globe.
I now understand that my life and the opportunities I have are not a given. I want to work towards a future where every child can go to school and grow up in a safe and healthy environment.
But it’s not only about us helping Africa; Africa can help us too. We Europeans could benefit greatly from adopting some of the mindset, joy for life, and hopefulness of Africans to transform our lives on a deeper, spiritual level. If people learned to care for one another and share, the world would become a better place. Because, whether black or white, we are all interdependent. Without Africa, Europe as we know it today would not exist. And now, it is time to give something back to Africa.