I Am An African

By: Wayne Visser

I am an African

Not because I was born there

But because my heart beats with Africa’s

I am an African

Not because my skin is black

But because my mind is engaged by Africa

I am an African

Not because I live on its soil

But because my soul is at home in Africa

When Africa weeps for her children

My cheeks are stained with tears

When Africa honours her elders

My head is bowed in respect

When Africa mourns for her victims

My hands are joined in prayer

When Africa celebrates her triumphs

My feet are alive with dancing

I am an African

For her blue skies take my breath away

And my hope for the future is bright

I am an African

For her people greet me as family

And teach me the meaning of community

I am an African

For her wildness quenches my spirit

And brings me closer to the source of life

When the music of Africa beats in the wind

My blood pulses to its rhythm

And I become the essence of sound

When the colours of Africa dazzle in the sun

My senses drink in its rainbow

And I become the palette of nature

When the stories of Africa echo round the fire

My feet walk in its pathways

And I become the footprints of history

I am an African

Because she is the cradle of our birth

And nurtures an ancient wisdom

I am an African

Because she lives in the world’s shadow

And bursts with a radiant luminosity

I am an African

Because she is the land of tomorrow

And I recognize her gifts as sacred

Why Lesotho?

“The rolling Maulti Mountains seem to scrape the sky as they stretch for as far as the eye can see.  As my taxi approaches the border, the distant valleys and dongas paint a landscape like I’ve never seen before.  As I exit the taxi, the clean mountain air surrounds me.  There are herd boys watching their cattle or goats in the distance.  I can hear cowbells swinging from the necks of the animals ranging up steep mountainsides in the distance.  The sound of children playing echoes off the sandstone walls, and the smell of a fire burning outside a rondavel fill my nostrils.  As I take in a deep breath and close my eyes, I let it all sink in and realize…This is Lesotho.”

It all started in 2009, when I traveled to Lesotho with Wittenberg University of a service-learning trip.  As I entered the culturally rich kingdom, my life was forever changed.  Despite the natural beauty of Lesotho, it is the Basotho, or people from Lesotho, that make it such a wonderful place.  The hospitality shown from the Basotho was unlike any I’ve ever experienced.  It’s common to be invited to a home for tea or to simply talk, when you may not know the person at all.  If you are walking through a village, it’s not rare for children to come running to you and figh over who gets to hold your hand as you walk.  The Basotho believe in walking hand-in-hand with their brothers and sisters, and I intend to never let go.

The simplicity of life in Lesotho helps expose the true wealth in humanity: community and togetherness.  There is no word for ‘stranger’ in Sesotho, the language spoken in Lesotho.  Instead, everyone is seen as a Ntate (father), Mme (mother), Abuti (brother), or Ausi (sister.)  It is only through each other that it is possible to be who I am, and this concept of Basotho culture is something I wish to bring to my life in the United States.

There are certainly daunting issues facing Lesotho, and the world economic downturn has hurt the Basotho worse than most people.  So as BLOOM Africa joins hands with our Basotho brothers and sisters, we hope to work together to empower each other and learn from our shared mutuality.  There is much the Basotho can teach us about our humanity, and we hope to embrace it as we continue to walk together, hand-in-hand.

It’s important to recognize the differences in our cultures, appreciate them, but never to forget that kaofela rea tsoana, ‘we are all the same.’

Thank you for your support, and we ask that you walk with us as we continue our work in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.

Khotso,

Andrew