I need Africa more than Africa needs me!

A few days ago, while I was browsing through some of my friend's blog sites, I came across something very intriguing and something that I knew from the start I wanted to help with. It's something called Mocha Club.

Ever heard of it? Well if not, then you need to look it up.

Mocha Club [www.mochaclub.org] is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas at our friendly Starbucks or local coffee shop – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

I was asked by Mocha Club to write about the concept of why ‘I need Africa more than Africa needs me.' I have pondered this statement for a few days and I must say hundreds of things have popped in my mind! So here we go...I'm going to tell why I believe I need Africa more than Africa needs me!

Day after day I go through life never realizing how extremely lucky I am. I have a roof over me head, warm water to shower in daily, hot meals and cold drinks, transportation, access to medicines and doctors, education, entertainment beyond belief and a closet full of clothes that I look everyday thinking "I have nothing to wear." I could keep listing on and on about how blessed I am and we are as a nation that doesn't generally have to live in poverty but my point in all this is, even though we/I am so wealthy, I still complain and want more. Isn't that sad?

Now, I want you to stop for a second and think about this... Children in Africa, who have close to nothing compared to us, become overwhelmed with joy from a plate of food that is considered(in our scale) one meal. I've seen videos where their little faces light up from getting to go to school, receiving pencils and crayons to being feed a bowl of grits with a glass of clean water. Would your face light up if someone gave up a glass of water?

Somehow we've got to this point where we give money out of pity instead of out of compassion and love. Africa doesn't need our pity. It doesn't need us looking down on them for what they may not have. The truth is they have more then we ever will because they know what it means to truly appreciate what they have instead of being resentful for what they don't have!

My point is this...

I need Africa to teach me that life is about love and about cherishing what I have. Life is more than having it all or buying the best. It's about the little things. It's about appreciating what is given and trusting that tomorrow will provide. I need Africa to remind me that joy comes from something bigger than a new pair of jeans or a Starbucks coffee every morning. It's about seeing the blessing in everything. I need Africa to teach me how to be selfless instead of selfish...how to give instead of how to receive. To show me what true love and appreciation is, along with showing me some of biggest and greatest smiles ever:)

What do you think?

Share your thoughts in my comments, and even blog about it yourself. Join in! Help out! Because it's more then just talking about it...it's about doing something about it!

Come back Dec 1st to see what Mocha Club is doing about reforming that image. See you then...