I used to write…

I used to write and dance…

I used to write and dance and sing…

I used to write and dance and sing in ignorance.

Independence Arch in Ghana.

But somewhere along the way my voice became muffled, I lost my swagger, and my song was off key. Often I would stare at the walls of my bedroom in Nairobi and think to myself, “Where have “I”  gone?”. While I am back in Asheville, I am looking for myself again. Asheville is a place long forgotten, a place of beauty and hidden secrets, a place of love and passion. What an ideal place to reconnect with my soul. For much of my life, Asheville was the home to my soul in its art and expression.

But somehow I yearned for more than a beautiful life and commonplace existence. My soul whispered to me of unseen places, adventures, most of all growth. All of these things I learned in my many years in East Africa. I will carry these intangible moments with me forever.

I will also always carry the burden of what I know exists in this world that is beyond belief. The statistics had faces. REAL child mortality… children dying is hard to swallow. I saw TRUE suffering of immense proportions. I saw the inner moral conflict time and time again when you are forced to make choices that jeopardizes a soul’s very humanity.

I thirsted for knowledge and understanding and was always pleasantly surprised when I received it. I owe so much to my journeys and trials in East Africa and I plan to repay it tenfold.

Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development is now being led by a local Kenyan, Mr. Eric Kigoni and the whole team is still there working away. BUT the flaw in the NGO was the constant issues surrounding the budget. There were never enough resources to serve enough people in need. It requires so little, but we were always coming up short.

Now I am proud to say that there is a sister organization in the United States named the Voices of Africa Foundation! This Foundation is meant to raise awareness of the issues facing the Horn of Africa and help to find resources to make the work of the NGO have more meaning and impact.

The Foundation will need your help to serve and what better gift to give this Christmas season than the gift of hope and food!  Every dollar can feed two people for a single meal, let’s feed hundreds for Christmas!

3 Easy Ways to Help: To donate time, please email us at innovation@voicesofafrica.org, to donate funds, our new PayPal account is contributions@voicesofafrica.org, to donate thoughts and prayers, please share our website and like us on Facebook…

Many blessings,

Crystal