I need Africa more than Africa needs me.

So this week the good people over at mochaclub asked if we could help get the word out about what they've seen to be reality in Africa. For those of you who don't know what mochaclub does it's actually pretty simple. They use monthly pledges of only $7 a month from people all over the U.S. to greatly impact the people in places like Sudan, where in the past 3 years over 2 million civilians have been forced to leave their homes. The mocha club relies on the support of it's members to bring relief to multiple areas through a wide variety of projects - And they do all of this with only $7 a month! On the last tour we brought out our friend Sammy to help raise support. The response was overwhelming and enough money was pledged to provide water for A LOT of refugees who would otherwise have no clean water.

This brings me to what it is our friends at Mocha club have seen to be true in the midst of these war-torn regions, and that is not the images of despair that so often gets flashed on our televisions, but communities of people grateful to be alive and grateful for what little they do have. In seeing this it becomes evident that finding happiness is not about finding sweet deals on the internet or waiting in a line outside a department store the day after thanksgiving. True happiness is something I understand more by having the privilege to give 7 dollars to people who really don't need anything more than clean water to be 'happy.'

SO... help my friends at mocha club and help yourself by checking out the following info....

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]