Inspiration Through the Eyes of Two Travelers

Recently we were invited to write a post for Velvet Escape regarding people that have inspired us on our travels. We have another post coming out today at CheapOair about our time in Bali, and it brought back memories of our instructor Ronald who was also an inspiration.

It was a topic that really made me think about all of the people that I have met on the road and how I have taken so much for granted while I am at home. In an earlier post this week, I touched on the subject, and now, in honor of our post appearing at VelvetEscape and at cheapOair’s blog today, I have been thinking again about the people that have inspired me.

Hard Roads in Ethiopia

Africa was one of our toughest travels to date. We cycled through some of the most brutal conditions the world could throw at us for 120 days.  We would cycle through the desert for 6 days in a row without showering, without cold water and without a comfortable soft bed. We cycled through some of the poorest countries in the world and since we were riding for a charity, we had the opportunity to visit developmental projects to see the work that is being done to help.  We also witnessed first hand the hardships that many people face and the want and need to make a better life.

Upon my return home, I was amazed with the little things.  When I opened my fully stocked refrigerator to to make a meal I thought of the people that I met that don’t even have a refrigerator. As I rinsed my fresh vegetables under my cold running water, I thought about the people of Ethiopia and Malawi that have to walk for kilometres on end to fetch water from the local well; the only source of fresh clean water around.  I think of the people that work in the backbreaking heat tending their crops and the people that can’t just go to the corner store because they don’t feel like cooking dinner this evening.

I can’t deny that I have guilt.  I am not special, I was just born in a rich country given everything that I could need from the day I was born.  I am not a rich person, but living in Canada, you do not have to be rich, to live a rich life.

Dave and I often discuss this idea. Who “up there” decides who will be born in luxury and who will be born in poverty.  When we were in Cambodia, we had a hard time accepting ourselves and felt guilty for being who we are.  The world is not a fair place and travel opens our eyes to it on a very real and deep level.

I am not saying that all people that we meet on our travels suffer.  Many are happy and healthier than people here. We have ended up meeting truly inspiring people through our travels and here are some of the  moments that have touched us the most while we have been on the road.

An artist works at his craft funded through Microfinance

1. In Cairo’s poorest neighborhood Plan Canada took us to see what was being done to help. The people of the inner city were so proud to show us the progress they have made. We visited a micro-finance shop. Talented craftsmen showed us their businesses that they built from the ground up and were now making a living carving beautiful pieces of art and furniture. They had big plans and I am sure that they will fulfill all of their goals.

Gate to Cambodia

2. In Cambodia, we stopped in Kampot and taught English for an evening. The teacher was so proud of his accomplishment. A local villager, he earned 2 dollars for the evening and asked us if we could help him because some of his pronunciations were not good because English was his second language. All we did was help people pronounce words properly, he did all of the teaching, but it was a moving experience.  The pride that everyone felt that evening was unshakable. The students were proud to show off their grasp of the English Language, the Teacher was proud of his important job that was making a difference and their joy and determination rubbed off of us as we felt a certain pride in being able to help in our own small way.

Tea at Inle Lake

3. At Inle lake in Myanmar, we met an extraordinary girl. She invited us into her house and showed us photographs of her mother as as we sipped tea with her grandmother. We talked the afternoon away and she asked for nothing in return.  We were just two people walking along the canal that she happened to want to talk to and our hearts were lifted as we listened to the hardships of her life, but also the dreams that she has and what she has accomplished already.

A quiet moment in Wadi Halfa

4. Wadi Halfa Sudan- we weren’t supposed to be here.  We were simply supposed to get off the ferry from Egypt and move on the next day. But as luck would have it, our support truck was stuck at customs and we had to spend another day in this dried up town on the edge of lake Nassar. It was the next morning when we were walking through the streets that a man invited us to have breakfast with him.  He fed us a hearty meal and kept the sweet tea coming.  As we ate he talked to us of the town. How it was once lush and green and beautiful, but when the Egyptians built the Aswan Dam, they cut off all of the water coming in from the Nile and people ended up moving away.  He was a retired professor in Khartoum and had now moved home to rebuild his life here in Wadi Halfa, people are slowly coming back, but there is a long way to go.  When we tried to pay for our breakfast, he waved us off and that was the first of many experiences in Sudan where people have so little to give, and yet they give so much without a thought.

Dave with students in Malawi

5. Malawi- One of the poorest nations in Africa made famous by Madonna of late. We had the chance to visit a school.  We were greeted with music and singing and smiling faces. This school was a success story in a land that needs so much and the community was so proud to show us their accomplishments.  Their was a well, a soy bean field a playground and several buildings for classrooms.  Teachers and students came out on their day off to give us a tour and talk to us about what was going on.  Children from the village have gone on to university, recieved scholarships and jobs.  Children are monitored for malnourishment and they are not only taught lessons in school, they are taught how to tend the soy bean field and take care of crops. I saw pure joy in the faces of everyone and the success of the community could be felt in the energy all around us.

Check out this wonderful series that has had incredible contributors and we are honored to be included alongside such great writers as journeywoman, MyFolieaDeux and WildJunket, SoloTraveler, Travelogged and AfricaFreak

And find out about travel destinations from other great guest bloggers at CheapOair.

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Plan Project in Malawi

Dave with School Children

After a long wait between 4 countries, we have finally been able to visit another Plan Project. It has been our main objective to raise awareness about the great work that they are doing here in Africa, and to see a project up close shows us what a great cause we are riding for.
We visited Mkoma Preschool today and what an amazing experience we had. After finally hooking up with Patrick we made it out to the school that Plan built. We were greeted by a mob of children and caregivers singing traditional songs beautifully. Their warm smiles immediately made us feel welcome.
Before Plan arrived, the villages surrounding the school did not have a place to study. They crammed into a small church and had limited facilities.
Now, they are thriving with a preschool and a primary school complex, where they are taught creative arts, reading science and nature and even physical education.

Plan Team Malawi

The complex is equipped with clean lavatories, a kitchen to feed them a mid morning snack, 2 rooms in the preschool as well as an office, 7 buildings for the primary school with 1 under construction and even a field of soy beans that they grow and harvest themselves. The soy bean field not only teaches the children how to farm but it is put to good use by keep them nourished.
We were impressed with how happy and proud the caregivers and the children were of their school. They really wanted to show us what they have accomplished. Children showed off their swing set and jungle gyms, and even told us what they wanted to be when they grow up. It seemed that the popular choice was a driver. Makes you realize what you have as a westerner. They probably rarely, if ever get the opportunity to ride in a car, so a driver would be a dream job.

The children were very healthy thanks to Plan. A healthcare assistant visits the school each month to weigh each student to make sure that they are staying strong. If they lose too much weight, they are immediately sent to a clinic where they are fed peanut butter and other nutrients to get them back on track.

A Well Built with the Help of Plan

What we are really impressed with once again about Plan, is how they make each project sustainable. They teach the community the necessary skills to keep the project running after they have left. In doing so, the communities become self sufficient and can remain a success into the future.
It is interesting that we were brought to see a preschool, but once we arrived, we learned that Plan also brought safe drinking water to the community as well. They built a well here and now, instead of walking great distances to acquire fresh water, they can simply pump it from the well close to home.
We look forward to visiting more Plan projects as we travel down through 4 more countries. We really believe in their work and have seen first hand that charities like Plan who build sustainable projects are what this continent needs. Not only to give hope, but to establish a sense of pride in each community that receives their aid.

We would like to thank the people of Plan Lilongwe who took the time out of their busy schedule to take us around.
Thank you:
Tambuzgani Msiska- Community Development Facilitator.
Uranda Mataka- Community Development Facilitator for Early Childhood Care and Development
Patrick Zgambo- Communications Manager.
And to all of the caregivers, parents, children and our driver for the day.

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Cycling in Malawi During the Rainy Season

It is a blog full of great news!

First, we had another article and photo published in the Toronto Star click here to read about our Kilimanjaro adventure.

Next, I am back!  9 days and a lot of pain killers and antibiotics later and I am riding again.  I lost a lot of hours, but still hanging on to the lead.  Dave has been amazing pulling me along as I draft behind him in strong headwinds.  Things are going well, I am a little weaker, but should be back to full form in a few days.

We have left Tanzania and are now travelling through Malawi.  We are hoping to visit a Plan Project in Lilongwe, so we will keep you posted on all of the great work that they are doing here.  Just today we saw 3 different signs showing the community projects that they are doing here near Kasunga.  We are really looking forward to visiting another site.  We haven’t been to one since Egypt.  Problems arose in Sudan and it didn’t work out due to logistical problems, Kenya was of coarse a no go since we had to bypass the country and the dates just didn’t work out for Tanzania.  So, we are itching to see some more of the cause that we are riding for and share our experience with you all.

Dave is still EFI (cycling every fabulous inch) of the Tour d’Afrique.  There are only about 11 people left, so I am very proud of him.  A lot can happen in a month and a half, so I am doing my best to keep him healthy, some really strong people have recently lost it due to illness.  Ahhh, Africa, It really takes its toll on you!

I wish I could say that there is a lot of news, but here on the TDA every day is pretty much the same.  We wake up (in the rain a lot more here in Malawi and Tanzania) and ride hard all day.  Today was a great day 104 km in 3hrs and 40 min, so we had the awesome opportunity to visit an internet cafe finally and share our stories with you.

I want to thank you all for your support with my cellulitice.  Janet, you are my cycling hero, so to know you had it and it made you Bambi, made me relax and ride the truck with a little more sanity. I can’t believe how many of you had gone through this before!  Thanks for all of your messages,  I wish I could email all of you, but internet is slow, always slow.

We will try to keep updating more regularly, hopefully there will be more internet cafes as we travel south.  Next trip, we are going satellite all the way!

Happy April Fools Day, Deb and Dave

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Our Plan Project Visit, Cairo

Today is the first day of our tour through Plan projects in Africa. We are grateful and honoured to be able to show Canada the wonderful work that this organization is doing.

We were picked up promptly at our guest house at 9:30 this morning and greeted kindly by Ahmed, Mohamed, and Youmna. During our drive to our first destination, Youmna translated as Mohamed told us of the success that each project has had. We were impressed to hear about the progress that they have made in Egypt.

The population of Cairo alone is 20 million and with so many people, countries like Egypt must rely on outside foreign aid. What draws us to Plan even more is how they not only offer a solution, but make sure that it is sustainable. Before deciding to ride for Plan, (formerly Foster Parent’s Plan) we had always thought of them as strictly helping one child at a time. This is not the case. When a person sponsors a child, they are actually sponsoring projects most needed in the community. Whether it be clean water, a playground or a school. They look for where the aid is needed most and provide it. In the case of Egypt we visited 5 destinations.

Our fist stop was a youth community center. What used to be a polluted pool of water surrounded by garbage and full of disease is now a clean tiled playground where children can safely play football and ping pong while interacting with other children in the community. Inside, there are computers, a gymnasium and a hall for community celebrations. It truly is a success story.

Our next stop was located in the poorest neighbourhood of Cairo. The streets were made of dirt, littered with garbage and the buildings were falling down. But as we approached the school, we were greeted by smiling, playful children who definitely give hope for the future. Plan has built the only school in the neighbourhood. A refuge that tries to keep children from dropping out by creating a positive environment. Plan has provided computers, cassette recorders, school desks and a playground as well as training programs for teachers. They also act as a liason between families and the school board, and educate the community about children’s rights.

This city is gigantic and many of the children never get out of their neighbourhood. The school offers them a chance through field trips to see other parts of Cairo. It can be a real inspiration for them. The head minister of the school was so proud and we were so very grateful to them for letting us visit. Plus we were treated to a stanza of his beautiful poetry. The students were extremely excited to see us and I must say that I think that we disrupted their exams. Everyone wanted to shake our hands and say hello and our spirits were lifted by meeting them. When it was time to leave, all of the children ran down the street following our van, but we had to move on to our next destination.

The CBR – The Community Based Rehabilitation Project is a project that truly touches our heart.

Up until 5 years ago, children with disabilities were shunned by their community. Mothers were struggling with heartbreak and little hope. But the CBR changed all that. Plan started this program and now the people have learned to sustain it for themselves. Plan taught the board members how to write proposals to obtain funding, and with the help of the government, the community and Plan, they will be expanding throughout the country.

At this building, mothers can drop in with their baby’s and toddlers anytime to work on motor skills and speech therapy. As they grow older, they move to a group where 3 days a week, they play games, sports and work on crafts. Because of this project, they are now accepted into the community and are able to help out at home. They are even taught trades.

Last year one child went to the Special Olympics and won gold, something to be very proud of.

The older children play games and we were allowed to watch them play a game of bowling. You could tell by their smiles and laughter that they were having a wonderful time. By playing these games they are learning important skills without even knowing it.

Next we moved on to see some houses and communities that Plan has helped. They have provided plumbing, clean running water and toilets to an area where they used to have to travel great distances just to have a drink of water. Now they have a legal sanitation system. We met a family that gave us pastries and they were so proud of their child who is sponsored by a man from Holland. We reiterate again, this sponsorship is for the community, but the child has the added bonus of being able to correspond with his sponsor.

Our final stop was a business set up through Plan’s micro-finance programs. Struggling families can apply for a loan to start their own business and Plan gives them 24 months at a very low interest rate to pay that back. People who otherwise would never be able to finance a project themselves are now given the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Once they have paid off their debt, Plan takes that money and refinances another entrepreneur.

The project we visited today was a furniture making business. These craftsman were friendly and proud of their family business. They take their beautiful hand made furniture to the market and sell it to tourists. So the next time you are haggling over a few dollars, remember, many of these crafts are hand made over 15 days by talented and hard working families. We know we will think of it next time.

Our trip today was an incredible experience, we are so lucky as Canadians to have all of the opportunities that we have. People face enormous problems in this world and by doing our own small part, we are hoping that we can at least bring awareness to more people about how much help is actually needed.

We have all heard the rumours that Aid money never gets to where it is supposed to go, but today we saw first hand, the difference that Plan is making in a community that would otherwise have little hope.

Many thanks to Plan and everyone involved who sacrificed their holiday today to bring around to these destinations. The hospitality that we were shown today will stay with us.

We will be online again, on the 11th to give and update of our Nile cruise and Riders meeting. Unfortunately we have to leave our Dahab Guesthouse and go back to the tourist trappings of the Cataract Resort where the internet costs $13 per hour. Here we have wireless for free and we have made good friends with Mohamed and Amir at the front desk. We will miss this place, but we know that we are going to meet amazing people along the way.

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How do you spell relief? P-A-SS-P-O-R-T

We have our passports back in our hands, but I have to tell you about the crazy week that we have had to get them…

Monday…..

It all started on Monday when we phoned the Ethiopian Embassy to make sure that our passports had been sent. They told us the Friday before that they were already in the mail, but when we checked the tracking number there was no sign of them. After trying to get through for an hour, they finally answered and put us on hold forever. Tseodait eventually answered at extension 30 (the lady that I had been dealing with since I realized that I didn’t apply for the proper visa) and assured us the she would be putting the passports in the mail today. We were a little upset since they told us before that they were mailed on Friday, but at least she said that she had them and that they would be in the mail today and we would have them tomorrow evening. We were relieved and could happily go on with our day.

Tuesday…

We went to in Oshawa and did a fun first interview for Cable TV telling them all about our upcoming adventure. I had to work that day, but they are so great at YTV, that they let me leave for a couple of hours. I went back to work and Dave spent the day tying up loose ends. Things were looking up and we were getting excited. But not for long. When we returned home late in the evening, there was no sign of our package on the Canada Post website or in our mailbox. Another night of sleepless stress for me. Dave takes things a lot better than me and can turn his brain off to sleep, I on the other hand, fret all night long. It is terrible.

Wednesday…

We decided to call the Ethiopian Embassy again to make sure that they were sent on Monday. It is the holidays, so maybe the mail was just delayed. Dave drove me to work because he had a ton of things to do and we were doing a pre-interview by phone in the afternoon for an up coming TV appearance.
So before he left to get things done, he started calling the embassy from the YTV Make-up Room at 8:30 am sharp. No Answer. After a solid 1 1/2 hours of trying to get through with no luck, he had to leave to pick up our boxed bikes and do a million other errands. So I took over and called continually from 10:30 to 11:30. I neglected my job and silently freaked out as I felt helpless not being able to do a thing. I called again all through lunch, but had to get back to work with no luck.

Anyway, back to our passports….We tried all day to get through. It was unbelievable, nobody answered the phone, the mailboxes were full and every extension that we tried was not picking up. I have to tell you something about the Ethiopian Embassy. They don’t answer their phones, but you can’t leave a message because they won’t return long distance calls and if you try to email them, it gets bounced back. It is really quite absurd.

I had a doctor’s appointment that evening that was 2 1/2 hours behind schedule. For some reason, they thought I had asthma, but after sitting in the waiting room all evening fretting about my passport and not my asthma, I went into his office and was told that I was completely healthy. Great news, but what a waste of time! It was now 7:30 pm and we still had to put together some photo’s for CTV to put on their website. We would rush home, get a couple of shots together and then in a last desperate move, leave for Ottawa to get our passports!

By 10pm, we were on the road ready for our 5 hour drive ahead. We were making good time until just before Kingston, at about midnight when inexplicably, the 401 was closed and we came to a grinding halt. We sat on the highway, surrounded by transports and had a nap in the freezing cold. We were awakened by the noise of air breaks and diesel engines starting up and were on our way half asleep and ready for bed. We got off at the next exit and managed to stay at the most expensive hotel in Kingston for a total of 4 hours.

Thursday…

We were up and gone by 6:30 am to make it to the embassy for 8:30. It was my turn to drive and I almost got us into an accident when I hit a patch of ice. I managed to get the car back under control, but not before giving Dave a mini heart attack.

At the embassy in Ottawa we were greeted with smiling faces and our passports. Apparently, they had been sitting in the incoming mail box. Can you believe it? If we didn’t drive to Ottawa, they never would have found them. I was all ready give them a piece of my mind the minute I had my passport in my hand, but they were so nice and polite, that all I managed to say was thank you very much. And have a Merry Christmas. I was so happy to have my passport back, that I forgot all about the stress of the past week.

So all is fine you say? Not quite, we now had to make it back to Hamilton for 6pm for an event that our friend Donn was putting on for our Charity. We took turns driving while the other slept and made it back to pick up our door prizes, clean ourselves up a bit, and scarf down a Mr. Sub.

The event at the Casbah went very well and $230 was raised for Plan Canada. It finished at 12:30 and we were happy that we would be back in Toronto for 1 am since I had to work at 8:00 am. But, of course things couldn’t go smoothly, nothing had been going smoothly lately.

In Mississauga, about 20 minuted from Toronto, we got a flat tire, awe heard something grinding when we hit a bump and concluded that the tire must be flat. We got off at the next exit and sure enough, it was flat as a pancake. We always carry puncture seal with us, so we re-inflated the tire thinking it would get us home, but nothing happened. It must have been one big hole. We had to phone the auto club for this one. It was way too cold to change it ourselves, and why pay for the autoclub, if you don’t use it right? So once again, for the second night in a row we were napping in our car on the side of the road at 2 in the morning. The tow truck came and found that our jack was rusted beyond use. He yanked at it for several minutes and then finally broke out his own. Why didn’t he do that in the first place? Our tire didn’t want to come off at all, and it took forever to get it changed. After about an hour, we were on our way and in bed by 3:30 am. I was up at 6:30 and off to work in a daze.

Friday…

Dave was greeted to an email from his mom that his dad was hospitalized. He had collapsed at home and his mom couldn’t revive him. She didn’t have our new phone number because we just changed it to take to Africa with us. We sent an email with the change, but I guess she erased it by mistake and didn’t program it into her phone. Luckily, he is going to be OK. He had a bowel obstruction, complications from an old surgery and he was in such pain, that he ended up passing out! Luckily he didn’t need surgery and he is out of the hospital and home resting. Thank God.

Saturday…

It is Dave’s last day of work on his movie and then we are free for a couple of days. He had to drive to Burlington on his little spare tire, since we haven’t had a moment to get it into the shop. The weekend is going to consist of final book keeping, sleeping, packing and oh, a trip to Canadian Tire to get a new tire! I still feel wiped out and I am sure Dave will be beat after working out in the snow today, But at least we have our passports back!

What a week!

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