Life's Little Surprises

Once in a while life catches you by surprise. It presents you with an opportunity that wakes you up from the everyday routine you have establish for yourself and challenges you to step out of your comfort zone. It challenges you to reexamine your values. On September 22, 2007, I was presented with this opportunity.

I was researching the possibility of visiting a friend in Africa for a few weeks. In doing this, I came across a game reserve called Antelope Park in Zimbabwe. What really caught my attention was their African Lion Environmental Research Trust program (ALERT). This program is the world’s first lion rehabilitation and release into the wild program. Why is this program needed? Close to 250,000 lions used to roam the African continent and the latest estimates suggest that 12,000 remain. When I read this I almost fell off my chair. The reason? Hunting, poaching, snaring, decrease in available habitat and diseases. The king of beast is the last animal I expected to be so endangered. I immediately sent in a donation but felt this was not enough.

I read more about the organization and learned about their many projects and strong community involvement. I discovered they had several community development programs such as leading literacy clubs, HIV education classes, and environmental seminars. They also have a strong partnership with the local orphanage. This sealed the deal for me. Something came over me that I can’t explain. It was a surge of a passion so overwhelming, I knew my life, my everyday routine, was about to change. A few e-mails later, I found myself accepting an opportunity to join the team at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe, Africa.

Since September 22, life has done nothing but provide positive signs that this was the right decision. This is where I am meant to be at this point in my life. Everything has fallen into place to help prepare me for this journey, even aspects that were not part of my original plan. But it could not have been done without the support of my friends and family from the West Coast to the East Coast.

After nine months of planning, I am set to begin my journey on June 24th. A journey that will now take me to Zimbabwe to work with the African lion (see weblink below)and the Midland orphanage, to trek through the juggles of Uganda and spend time with the critically endangered silver back mountain gorillas, travel overland through Tanzania's Serengeti, and finally pay a visit to my friend in Botswana. The last three months of my journey will be spent with a special non-profit organization, iKhaya LikaBaba (House of the Father for Abandoned and Orphaned Babies) in the Kingdom of Zululand, South Africa. As of now, I plan to return sometime in December; however, I purchased a one-way ticket so you never know.

I invite you to please join me on my journey. At the end of each blog entry you will be able to click on “comments” and post a reply if you wish.

Wishing you all the best… and a challenge to step out of your comfort zone!

Cheers!
Kelly