TIA...This is Africa

Recently, I've been so fully aware of all the frustrating and negative things about living in Africa. Our team's general comments when such things occur:

"T.I.A."

Or in other words, "THIS IS AFRICA!"

Unfortunately, I'm not completely stoked about the idea of just passing everything off as "Oh well, this is Africa." But that's what everyone else seems to do.

Especially when the power goes out. I'd say it's off at our house about fifty percent of the time. I'm not exaggerating in the least bit.

Or when boda boda drivers try to overcharge us. They think that because we are MZUNGUS, we ooze money, therefore we can afford to pay more for a ride across town.

Or when it rains and rains and rains, and the dirt roads become a thick mud that cakes your shoes. It's a pain trying to clean the kitchen floor when you're on cleaning duty.

Or when Africans answer their phones right there in the middle of a class we are trying to teach. And they just stay in their seats and have a conversation. It's so distracting!

Or when we plan to go teach at a school, discuss all the important matters with a headmaster, then he decides not to mobilize or inform students at all. Tens of hours gone to waste when not a single student shows up to learn. It's certainly what happened at our high school this week...

BUT then I meet someone like Tyrel Matthews. Clearly a student leader at that failure of a school, he decided to round up as many students as he could find so that we could offer our lessons on leadership, goal-setting, decision-making, and overcoming conflict and stress.

Tyrel Matthew's dream is to become President of Uganda. He's without doubt one of the brightest kids I've met here in Africa. His favorite subects are history and literature. And politics. Basically, he caught my attention when he told me that! And after talking with him, becoming friends on facebook, and receiving a recommended list of African novels, I've come to love and respect and admire him.

And we had a class to teach as well. 30 students total. Not bad, considering he convinced them all to come to school when their exams were complete and they wanted a break from it all.

And I've been thinking. Maybe power outtages, African "time" (which is far worse than Mormon Standard Time), and difficult boda drivers are not the true Africa. Maybe it's people like Tyrel Matthews.