September 24, 2009

Senator Frist was the Commitments Presenter in an Infrastructure Breakout Sessions Seminar: Infrastructure of Recover: Good Jobs and Smart Growth.

Global recession has slowed private sector investment and caused rampant job loss. In response, governments around the world are investing in economic recovery though forward-looking public works projects. This new generation of infrastructure investments -- from broadband networks to transit systems to clean energy technology -- is laying the ground word for global deployment of advanced technology and private sector innovation. The response to to the economic crisis has set the stage for a new generation of smarter infrastructure empowered by better use of information and more efficient use of resources. Outdated development patterns are being "leap-frogged." This session provides an opportunity to reflect on progress one year into the economic crisis and to examine the relationship between the public and private sectors.

The end of August has brought with it an amplified reminder of the cultural divide between America and Tanzania. The sighting of the first crescent of the new moon signified the beginning of Ramadan and because Tanzania has a sizable Muslim population the effects are quite noticeable. Ramadan is a Muslim holy month meant to cleanse the soul and express repentance for all the sins committed during the rest of the year. Muslims must, amongst other things, fast from dawn to dusk everyday for the duration of the holy month. The goal is to be pure in thought and deed, which means Muslims give up behaviors that are thought to be sinful, negative, or distracting from spiritual introspection and closeness to God. Less orthodox Muslims who usually don't are now wearing traditional Muslim clothing and in many parts of the city where there are concentrated Muslim populations you will find restaurants closed during the day and open late into the night. In Zanzibar, where something like 98% of the population is Muslim you can be fined if caught eating publicly during daylight. The most orthodox Muslims are so strict about fasting that they spit on the ground all day to avoid consuming their own saliva.

From Big Kenny Interview: The First Trip -- Impressions of Akon, SUDAN 2007

Love Everybody has helped with the facilitation of the Konyok School for Girls in Akon, Sudan. The school currently has 550+ students enrolled. Love Everybody's goal is to instill hope, strength, and excellence to all students who attend so they can prosper in life. Their motto: "Highlight the good, inspire greatness, and encourage mutual responsibility for the betterment of humankind. -- Love Everybody." Member of the Tennessee Global Health Coalition.

August 26, 2009

So, two years ago; October of 2007, my wife and I and several friends from the organization My Sister's Keeper from Boston and Dr. David Marks and Walt Ratterman from Sun Energy Power decided we were going to get together and go into the country of Sudan. We went there and visited this village, which is basically a refugee camp right in southern Sudan, about 50 kilometers from the line of demarcation between there and Darfur. So this is an area that people had fled into that had been pushed off of their land. Like farmers. My dad's a farmer, and I guess that's why it hits with me.

As much as I hate to say it, my time in South Africa has now come and gone. Calandra Miller and I safely arrived back on American soil at 7:30 AM on August 6, 2009. At the time, I could not say the same for our luggage, which remained (safely) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The last couple of weeks spent in South Africa were bittersweet, to say the least. I was looking forward to coming home and seeing my family and friends once again, but at the same time I was having to say goodbye to many good friends and, what I consider to be, family back in South Africa. The volunteer girls, Betty, Eva, and Engelinah treated us to some milkshakes as a going away present. This was a distinct honor to me, because what we might take for granted in the United States, they had to budget for weeks in advance. We also spent some time celebrating with Stefan and his family, the Wiids (the family who hosted me in their cottage during my stay in SA), and Pastor Dave Garton and his wife Gail (who run the rehab program that Project HOPE is partnering with). In the midst of our imminent departure, I took some time to reflect on what I was doing and had done since arriving in South Africa.