Today Bulembu has a vision to create a totally self-sustaining community, restoring health, education, commerce and providing care for the children. Join our journey and breathe life back into the community in Bulembu – From the Bulembu Website

A friend of mine, Jamie Woller, helped start and works for the Bulembu project. I recently sat down with him to chat about what he does with Bulembu and his thoughts on the future of the project. Not only is Bulembu something that is very unique and special in Swaziland, it is a testiment of what a handful of dedicated and passionate individuals working hand-in-hand with the Swazi people can do to make a difference in the lives of others.

I work in a community in Swaziland Africa called Bulembu where we help those who are suffering from disease, have very little food and cant find jobs. We try to give opportunities for people to go to work, and provide for their families; opportunities for kids to get a good education so that they can have access to jobs; opportunities to receive medical treatment for those who have diseases. But one of the most important things we do is look for ways to teach those we help, how to learn how to do many things on their own. The idea is that after years of helping those in our community, they can begin to not only care for themselves, but can also begin to help others in surrounding communities. This is the type of transformation we aim to provide. In many ways it reminds me of when I was a kid, I would build Lego cities filled with schools, hospitals, farms, churches, police stations and all the essentials for people to be safe and cared for. Similar to that, in Bulembu we are concerned with every area of the community – the hospital, school, homes for orphaned children,  the creation of jobs, staff training, management and leadership, sale and delivery of products and even bringing out volunteers

• What first drew you to this work?

When I was just a young child, I remember a missionary coming to my church and showing pictures from his work in Africa. My heart swelled with compassion for children that were so much less fortunate than I was. I was actually stunned to know that others lived in such deep poverty. Since then I have worn a pendent around my neck of the continent of Africa to remind me of that experience. Now the drawing motivation is much more than the compassion I feel for the marginalized, it is also about justice. I do not want my generation to be the one that gets etched into history for allowing entire people groups to collapse because of diseases and famines, which we could have prevented – but rather just stood by and watched. After extensive travels around various parts of the world, I realized there is so much that can be done to make a difference. It was then that I really committed myself to being a part of bringing holistic transformation to the marginalized. I thoroughly believe history can be changed easier than we think. For instance, in 2004 Stephen Lewis mentioned that by the year 2050, if something wasn’t done to stem the tide of AIDS, the people of Swaziland would be extinct. When I heard that, I asked myself, “How could I not do something to make a difference?” After three years of working in Swaziland, I am convinced that together, the NGO’s there are turning the outcomes of history. That to me is amazing.

• From what sources do you draw inspiration for your work?

As a child I witnessed countless occasions where my parents were the defenders of the “underdog”. In so many occasions both of them would fight for justice. Even today, I gather great inspiration for their value of justice. Also, the lives of both Mother Teresa and Rich Mullins have probably impacted me more than any other. Both of them lived selflessly, as if their life was not their own. They inspire me to constantly surrender more for the sake of others. Probably the thing I gather most though, from both of their lives, is to see each individual person. Sometimes projects can become so large, they lose their focus, of what it is really about. In this regard, both Mother Teresa and Rich Mullins inspire me that lives are changed one at a time and it rarely is us changing lives, rather we are just a vehicle that God uses.  

• Tell us about a project that delighted you often.

It is actually a project that I am currently working on. In December this year we have nearly 1,000 South African students coming to the Bulembu community to volunteer for two weeks. I have been thrilled at the sheer challenge of assisting coordinate the logistics and overall strategy for such an event. The challenges we are exposed to in order to make this event a success are tremendous. But, the joy comes in knowing that as 1,000 young adults descend the village, the transformation that is going to take place not only in the lives of those living in Bulembu, but also in the lives of the students, is incredible. Similar to the delight we might get completely renovating an area of our house, say our kitchen, that is what it is going to be like when they leave. I still struggle to grasp what 80,000 man hours of volunteerism is going to do to our community.

• How do you plan your work?

I think the biggest challenge in planning work is assembling plans or strategies here in North America –whether it is for a macro-business, clinic expansion or community project – and then to have it filtered through numerous phases before being implemented on the ground in the community. The planning in the initial stages has to take into account the many cultural phenomenon’s, long term sustainability of the community and the resources we have on the ground and the leadership available to drive it forward. One thing I have certainly learned through multiple work plans, is to step back, take a 30,000 foot view of everything all working together, and see the macro image. Since I am truly a visual learner, sometimes I lay out images and drawings to see the inner working connectedness of each plan in relation to the overall strategic plan. This is an ever increasing reality for us since we are concerned with every area of the community – the economics, the medical clinic, education system, orphan care program, job creation, training, management and leadership, product logistics and distribution and international funding.

• How does your work connect to other aspects of your life?

Being an integral part of an emerging NGO draws on every area of your life. When it stems from a foundational outcry or conviction you have, it becomes holistic to all that you do. In many ways my value and passion for transformation is what serves as the basis for each area of my life. I have been blessed to have so much support from my friends and family whom many have partnered with me in the journey. Taking my mother out to Africa for the first time a few years ago was a true blessing. I find so much fulfillment in sharing my passion with those close to me. I honestly don’t see how every area of my life could not be impacted by the work I do.  

John Dau: Changing the World and Taking Names

Born in Sudan and at the young age of 12, he was separated from his family and forced to flee from the the Muslin-controlled government involved in the Second Sudanese Civil War who were fighting against the non-Muslims of the south. Dau was forced to travel on foot thousands of miles along with 27,000 others (most of them children). Dau himself led thousands of these “Lost Boys” across the arid African desert to relative safety in Ethiopia. More than half of these 27,000 “Lost Boys” would perish on the journey.

There were times where John and these Lost Boys would have to drink mud water for sustenance. They were constantly chased through the dangerous wilderness, often having to navigate through lands entrenched with lions or hyenas. Once, when being chased by gun-welding government forces, the Lost Boys had to swim through alligator-infested waters. John remembers about 3,000 people, many of them children, dying during that one event.

John lived in Ethiopia for four years until violence broke out once again in the region. Faced with disease, starvation, violence and seemingly insurmountable odds, he fled once again to Kenya where he eventually had the opportunity to attend school. In 2001, he would be among the 3,800 refugees that resettled in the United States.

Once in America, he worked 60 hours a week as a security guard to receive a post-secondary education at Onondaga Community College. John is currently pursuing a political science degree from Syracuse University. He has founded three non-profit organizations: the Sudanese Lost Boys Foundation of Central New York, Duk Lost Boys Clinic and the John Dau Sudan Foundation. Through the John Dau Sudan Foundation, he has been working towards bringing medical clinics that do not exist for most of the populations of Duk, Twic East and Bor South Counties in the State of Jonglei in Southern Sudan.

You may not have heard of him before, but people like John change the world. The things he has endured we here in North America may never experience, but that does not give us license to idly sit by.

The civil war in Sudan is a forgotten war, even though two million people lost their lives and many more are still affected by it. Now there is yet another war, in Darfur, and the typical American isn’t even aware of it. The U.S. being a big melting pot, Americans can walk the streets without noticing all the different nationalities. That is a good thing. On the other hand, it means Americans stop asking questions about their neighbors and stop learning about their problems – John Dau

Read this interview with John here. Just take a moment to at least learn about someone who is larger than life and who has led a life that most others do not lead. People like John should be on the front page of the news or on magazines, but instead we have Britney Spears and her inability to take care of her children, Lindsay Lohan’s first foray into lesbian relationships or Matthew Mcconaughey’s new baby. Wake up people, everyone has parental problems, babies are born every second and lesbians aren’t shocking.

People like John doesn’t want to be a celebrity and nor does he request it. His focus is to show the importance of surviving against all odds and fighting for the human rights for all people (especially among the Sudanese people). He is the real hero, the real celebrity deserving of our attention. That will never happen, but in the meantime, we have the ability and the freedom to learn about the world around us and the real things that actually matter.

Changing the world can be done by everyone, the first step is to learn about the world around you. Changing the world doesn’t require a certain age, sex, education, circumstance, environment or race. Changing the world starts with you choosing to change the world.

Welcome! I have officially started this blog to document my time before I go to work as a volunteer in Africa as well as during my time there. First of all, thanks for taking a part in changing the world with me.

I will be taking part of a non-profit organization called Global Vision International. GVI has over 150 project partners in over 30 countries, provides opportunities for volunteers to fill a critical void in the fields of environmental research, conservation, education and community development. GVI sends out over 2000 volunteers from all over the world to over 30 countries each year.

Starting on May 4th, 2009, I will be going to South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland to work through GVI on a variety of community development projects. During my time there, I will be working closely with other GVI volunteers alongside the local people of each country to develop social and educational programs for orphans, create feeding and food donation programs, initiate shelter improvement projects, and teach English and basic education to underprivileged children. The goal of the projects is to assist in the growth of sustainable communities for the African people.

First of all, you might be wondering what name of my blog means. “Tumikia” means serve in Swahili.  I started this blog to keep you informed about my goals for the trip, tell you about great people who change the world, let you know my thoughts and to show you a little window into my experiences along the way.

Once again, thanks for taking the time to read this little blog and I hope you enjoy it. Most of all, thanks for being a support and for being a part of something that can make a difference in the world for others.

Jered Love