Our main project is threefold. Firstly, through a generous donation from GlaxoSmithKline, we will be targeting outlying communities in various South and East African countries to receive important medical supplies. This could take the form of resource donations at village clinics or direct medical care to the community in the form of vaccinations or basic medical treatment. Our specific focus is children under 18-years of age as they are the most vulnerable population. Secondly, we are working to secure a clean water solution for vulnerable communities and child projects such as orphanages or crèches. According to UNICEF’s Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation Program (WASH), “eight out of ten people without access to safe drinking water live in rural areas and nearly half of them live in sub-Saharan Africa” (https://www.unicef.org/wash/3942_4456.html). “For children under five, water- and sanitation-related diseases are one of the leading causes of death,” with over 800 dying per day (https://www.unicef.org/wash/). Additionally, “the majority of preventable eye health problems” result from lack of access to a clean water supply and education (https://b.3cdn.net/orbis/75e8e70e98ab5b18b7_kwm6b0ieu.pdf). Thirdly, due to the prevalence of sight-related issues within poor, rural communities, we are looking to partner with organizations that can help to address vision issues. According to a 2014 study on poverty and eye health, “poor eye health…affects people’s income and livelihoods, access to basic services such as education and healthcare and also nutrition and development” (https://b.3cdn.net/orbis/75e8e70e98ab5b18b7_kwm6b0ieu.pdf). Children are especially vulnerable in these communities as they may struggle to do well in school, learn to read, and may have to bear the burden of vision-impaired adults in their lives (https://b.3cdn.net/orbis/75e8e70e98ab5b18b7_kwm6b0ieu.pdf). Although our agenda mainly focuses on health, water, and vision, we plan to remain flexible and open to other volunteer opportunities that may arise. Our goal is to do what we can, where we can, wherever we are, even if it means making it up as we go along. This is Africa, after all. In addition to the humanitarian aspect of our trip, we intend to review various components of our travel from the gear we’re using to border crossings to family friendly accommodation. In doing so, we hope to encourage other families to visit the communities that we intend to serve as well as see that travel in Africa is attainable. Although many families would like to travel to Africa for pleasure or volunteer purposes, the continent can seem daunting to those with young children. We hope that by traveling with our two kids and by working in needy communities, we can demonstrate that the continent is not only accessible and safe, but also fun and rewarding.
