The Tour d’Afrique 2011 kicks off today in Cairo, Egypt. It was this time three years ago that we started our transformation from working class career oriented professionals to adventurers and full time travel bloggers. It started out as a New Years Resolution on the eve of 2008. We were feeling blue after 2 years of working too hard and traveling too little. We were stuck in a rut. It was just after midnight on a very gloomy New Years Eve for us. We were watching TV and luckily a profile of ultra marathon runner Ray Zahab came on the CBC. We were instantly inspired and made a pact to do something extraordinary in the New Year.
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.
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.
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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