Africa
and Us
by Jessica Bernhard
Most teens don't see poverty, hunger and AIDS when they think of Africa, but these issues are more of a reality to Africa than anything else. And, even if an enlightened teen recognizes the fact that these problems exist in Africa, they are apt to believe that Africa is just a collection of third world countries that need a lot of help. That may be accurate, until you go to Africa.
This summer, with my three cousins and my grandparents, I went on an African safari. Along with the amazing sunsets, the abundance of wildlife, and the memorable people we met, we came across a lot of suffering. Our first taste of real African culture was on our way into the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. Right before the entrance to the park is a town, known as Chobe Village. We were told that we were going to be stopping there to buy baskets and give pens to the children of the village.
When we arrived in our Land Rovers, dusty and hot from the sun, we were in no way prepared for the type of living that we were about to witness. It seemed like people came out of every nook and cranny possible in order to accost us.
The houses were made out of straw, and were very small. It was hard to imagine that someone might actually live in one of these makeshift houses. Yet, for the Chobe Village, it was life.
The saddest thing about the village was seeing the children. Some of them had hardly any clothes, their stomachs were round and stuck out from starvation. Most of the mothers were very young, and I wondered why these young girls were having babies, and why weren't they going to school?
Woman and child in Chobe Village
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