Hello Gorgeous People,
I want to share with you about my recent trips to Gambella (West part of Ethiopia almost close to South Sudan). For those of you who are wondering if this was one of my small travel fix, happy to tell you NO!! It was WORK:-) this time though truth be told, I was dying to go that part of Ethiopia for a very long time.
My first visit went like this. I am so excited to go to Gambella followed by OMG… this is so depressing, lots of poverty, HIV/AIDS, refugee camps, tension in the community. I felt confused and miserable for days, feeling guilty and helplessness as I have never known it before. Extreme heartache and emotionally shattered!
So next time around, I asked myself what am I capable of doing? If I keep doing what I am doing or feeling, I realized I wasn’t serving anyone else or myself. I needed a drastic mental shift!
Here is something I shared with friends in my email from there. Including pictures too. Enjoy!!
“Few of you who have chatted with me after my first trip in at the end of May know little bit about the challenges I faced on my first trip. This time am happy to report I’m amazingly doing well. Of course nothing has changed, still there is so much poverty more than I could ever be able to explain, still the HIV/AIDs is higher in this region and I see more kids on the street but I also came to my senses, turn to my own inner wisdom for guidance. Instead of choosing to see the worst and torture myself with guilt I have opened up to the wonderful culture, beautiful green land and amiable people that surrounded me.
Aside my work I visited a local orphanage, market and I even had a test of local food (Okra and Maize Genfo). I am always grateful for wonderful souls that show up in my life when I need them and my blessed life full of adventure and possibilities.”