I first traveled to Lesotho in 2005 with Wittenberg University. As for many, the trip opened my eyes to a different culture, a different way of life and and different definition of community. The taste of Africa I received on the Lesotho trip led me to return to Africa, to Tanzania in East Africa, and next up, to Botswana in Southern Africa with the Peace Corps.
As I have pursued a career in international development, I am constantly searching for the best approach, being very mindful that we are not here to "save" a country, a people, or certainly not an entire continent. Africa is rich in resources - with it's greatest asset being its own people. It is easy to come to a community and impose your own ideas of what and how things should be done. What I enjoy so much about working with Bloom Africa is that this organization "gets it." Our job is not to "save" a community, but to empower a community. We work closely with the people in Roma at Leratong Community Center, and soon hopefully other communities, to listen to how they define their challenges and how they see solutions.
To implement the community learning centers, we will need patience, determination, strong partnerships and support. The aim is to be local solutions to local problems, and we simple help facilitate and empower those doing the work. We are not the heroes or the miracle workers - the members of the Leratong community are. We are not trying to "save or change" the world, but the experience certainly does change us.
Khotso,
Erika Franz
Erika currently serves as a Board Member with Bloom Africa.
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