Why Tanzania??

In 2008 my daughter spent the summer in Tanzania as part of a volunteer experience working with TAFCOM.  She loved her experience and returned on her own the following summer. I went to visit her and was enraptured by the experience. I felt very drawn to the people and culture and decided that I might want to spend a serious amount of time volunteering with TAFCOM and other organizations in Tanzania and Africa.  So I returned in 2010 to make sure I could do this by myself. I am now retired, my house is sold and I will return to Tanzania in February. I will be spending 6 months in Africa, mostly in Tanzania volunteering for TAFCOM. Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. 


TAFCOM is a local non-profit founded by a Tanzanian couple, Nie and Jonas. They live and work in Pasua. TAFCOM has many programs and I will share more about TAFCOM in my next blog. 


Selling my house and possessions was bittersweet having lived there for 23 years; but it has also been very liberating. I will leave the US on Feb 20 arriving in Tanzania on Feb 21st. I am staying 6 months and sandwiching my stay in between 2 half marathons. I have run 4 in Columbus so far and will run a Kilimanjaro half on Feb 26^th and end my trip on August 26^th running a half marathon at Victoria Falls. After that I plan to meet my aunt in Ireland the end of September for a 2 week trip and then who knows……….

It is hard to express how excited I am and how “right” this feels. So many things have happened that show me this is what I should be doing. Someone recently asked me if I have had second thoughts. I laughed because the thought has never even entered my mind.  

I am so grateful to my kids as they are very supportive. I am grateful to Neal for his inspiration for my running, which not only keeps me physically fit but is the best mental health booster I know!!  I am especially grateful to Lee Ann. If it weren’t for her trip to Tanzania and her encouraging me to visit I don’t know if I would have chosen this new path. She helped me reawaken my “Free Spirit”.  I was so impressed by the culture and especially how gracious people are even in the midst of their poverty. I am so blessed and fortunate to have the time, resources and good health to be able to embark on this new adventure.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

My wish for all of you is that 2012 brings you more joy than sorrow; more harmony than discord; and that the world knows more peace than conflict, more prosperity than hunger.