Peeps for Peeps in Uganda

5:30 pm - just a normal Monday night...
Tonight was different though, I went to a Hunger Banquet. As I walked in, I was greeted and asked to pull a card out of a box. Mine was blue... for low income.
I was Deng from Vietnam. I lived on less than 2 dollars a day, like 50% of the world does.
As I sat on the ground of the cafe, I looked around at everyone else. There were people in chairs, and just a few people sitting at a nice table with a tablecloth and centerpieces, water already on the table. The people in the chairs represented the 35% of the world who lives on $2 - $33 a day and are on the verge of poverty. The lucky people that were sitting at their nice table represented the 15% of the world that lives on $12,000 or more a year.
If you look at the math, 85% of people live in poverty or are on the verge of poverty.
For dinner, I ate a tortilla and beans. The middle income group, they got rice with their tortilla and beans. As we ate our food, we all got to watch that lucky 15% get served. Steak, salad, baked potato, bread, butter, and cheesecake for dessert. Wow.
Now, keep in mind that these groups represent the entire world. That 15%, you are part of it and I am too.
This was possibly one of my most uncomfortable moments, knowing that I was one of the very few people who had all the resources they could ever want or need while 85% of the world just hoped for a few meals a week, maybe even less. While I'm here writing this, people are dying. Every 3.5 seconds someone dies of hunger or hunger related causes.
For 52 hours, next week, I get to fast and promote awareness for the amount of poverty there is in the world. The money that I would have been spending to eat in our Cafeteria will now be going to raising money to provide 50 women in Uganda with chickens so that they can feed their families and have a source of income.

I'm excited. Now, more than ever, I can't wait to go to Tanzania (and I didn't think I could get any more excited). This is going to be the most life changing thing I could ever imagine.

Just a little more perspective for. I found this while I was stumbling one day.

Vocabulary Lesson...

Wow, this Tanzania thing is getting so real!! Every day I become just a little more excited! :)
Today, I wanted to let you all know what the name of my trip/class is exactly.

Poverty, Hope and Altruism in Tanzania.

That is the full name of my class that I will be taking during my lovely month in Africa. Now, does anyone actually know what Poverty, Hope, and Altruism mean? And who can point out Tanzania on a map? I know I couldn't until I decided I wanted to go there. So today, is going to be a lesson from our long lost friend Webster and his trusty book the Dictionary.

Poverty: [pov-er-tee] the lack of basic human needs, such as clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter, because of the inability to afford them. This is also referred to absolute poverty or destitution. Relative poverty is the condition of having fewer resources or less income than others within a society or country, or compared to worldwide averages. About 1.7 billion people live in absolute poverty.

Hope: [hp] a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.

Altruism: [al-troo-iz-uh m] the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others.

Tanzania: [tan-zuh-nee-uh] a country in central East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean. Dar es Salaam is the capital (until 2005) and the largest city; Dodoma is the designated capital. Population: 39,400,000


So there is your vocabulary lesson of the day.
Now for a test!!!

1. How many people in the world live in absolute poverty?
a. 1.4 million
b. 5 million
c. 1.7 billion
d. 3 billion

2. What do I need in order to be able to prepare myself for this trip?
a. Hope that I will receive all the funds I need to go on this trip.
b. Altruism for the people of Tanzania and openness to devote my month trip to be their benefit
c. An understanding of poverty
d. all of the above

3. How can you help?
a. Check back on my blog for all my updates.
b. Contact me if you would like to sponsor me
c. Pray
d. Check on my etsy site soon for things to buy! (All the proceeds go to my trip) - I'll be sure to let you all know when it is up and running.
f. all of the above

Answer Key:
1. C 2. D 3. F

Enjoy your day/night/week/month/year/life.

Tanzania

Life, my friends, is a blessing. Today is a day that started out so routine. A test in my first (and only) class, homework for tomorrow, checking my email... But checking my email today was possibly the best part of my day. Well, maybe not the best part, but by far the most exciting and the reason God is so awesome. Today, I found out that I was accepted into my study abroad trip to Tanzania, Africa next January. I am ecstatic. Next January I get to spend the entire month researching and serving the people of Tanzania! Now, this trip to Africa isn't free, it is actually quite expensive... somehow... I have to pay for this amazing opportunity. $500 by FRIDAY. Wow, this is all happening so quickly! I have so much to do to get ready for this learning adventure!
God may provide, but not if I don't work at it as well. It's time to start writing letters, applying for scholarship after scholarship, saving my spare change, getting an epic job this summer, praying harder than ever before, and trusting that God gave me this opportunity for a reason and he will provide.
I am ready to tackle this mission head on. I can't wait to see what I learn from this experience. Just getting the money to go to Tanzania will be an adventure in and of itself. God. Is. Awesome.
"If a woman is sufficiently ambitious, determined, and gifted - there is practically nothing she can't do"
-Helen Lawrenson