Day 5..? 6?

"You haven't truly lived until you've done something for someone whom can never repay you." 

This is the quote that was printed on our travelers shirts before leaving the states. We came to Africa with a purpose and a mission. To help as many people as we can.

That being said, today we found out that our supplies will not arrive until Sunday or Monday. Initially we were disappointed, but keeping our minds on that quote is helping us get by. It's not about when we are helping the people, it's the fact that we are helping them. Showing the people how much we care about them with or without supplies means the world to them. Something the people keep saying to us is how grateful they are that we left our homes and families to visit them and they pray for a safe return for us. We hear this with every place that we visit. The people in Africa are some of the most kind and grateful people I've ever met, and it's extraordinary to be able to give to people so deserving.

One person in particular we found extra deserving. It all started the other day when we went to lunch at a restaurant named La Foret. (Which means the forest. No we did not eat in a forest, the whole restaurant was set in a garden and we ate under a straw gazebo). As we sat eating our rice and steak kabobs (Yes, we ate the meat. It was delicious.) we started to ask our server a little bit about his life. It turns out that he has been living in Ouagadougou for a year, but is originally from Mali. He had to leave his country because a war broke out and it was no longer safe for him. Not only did he leave behind his whole family, but he also left behind the opportunity to finish his degree (He is studying accounting). We left the restaurant that day feeling a sense of remorse for the young man, and started to put together a plan for potentially helping him. He already works full time, and any extra money he has at the end of the month he sends back to his parents…so we thought that it would be much deserving if we could pay his tuition for two years to finish off his degree. He may not otherwise ever be able to save the money to pay for collage…to go to the University in Burkina, it costs $50 a year.

Tonight we retuned to the restaurant and told him our thoughts on helping him with schooling. As he sat listening to Hassimi explain the plan, the amount of tears welling up in his eyes was heartbreaking. He said that out of all the people he sees everyday, he has never experienced that kind of kindness. He even denied the money at first stating that he wouldn't be able to work full time and send money home if he went to school. But after Hassimi told him that his life and goals mattered too, he accepted our proposal.

That was the moment when that quote became reality for me, and for all of us. To see the sincere gratitude in a person's eye is the most rewarding feeling you can receive in life. We hope to help him and many others with our supplies, ambulance, and presence. We might not be able to change all of Africa, but Africa has changed all of us.

Much Love,

Burkina Faso Travelers.