It's That Time

Nervous. Apprehensive. Excited. All emotions I felt as I waited to
depart on my first flight to Lesotho.

Today, nearly eight years later and for the third year in a row, my
brother and partner, Andrew and I will be embarking on a trip to the
mountain kingdom to continue the work of BLOOM Africa.
But this time feels extra special.

With us, we are joined by six volunteers. I can tell they are all
nervous, apprehensive, and naive - as I was my first trip. And excited
(talking about you, Adam Waxman, Mr. three-calls-a-day and new Lesotho
travel guide extraordinaire.)

Their excitement fills me with pride. As well as gratitude to Profesor
Rosenberg, who first introduced me to me the tremendous spirit and
culture of Lesotho all those years ago and encouraged me to become a
shepherd of the Lesotho culture myself.

Will you join us on this adventure?

Over the next eight days, I will be sharing my love for Lesotho with
our volunteers and here on the blog with you. Visit daily for updates
and please send your comments, questions and good spirits on our
Facebook page.

With excitement,

William

William is BLOOM Africa's Deputy Director and Vice Chair of the Board

Being a Voluntourist in Community

So there is a blog that has gone viral over the last couple of weeks.  The blog, titled 'The problem with little white girls (and boys)" touches on the ever present issue of short-lived 'mission trips' that commonly takes place in less developed nations.  As we at BLOOM Africa gear up for a return visit to Lesotho on Friday, taking with us 6 volunteers for the first time, I felt like it was necessary to reflect and respond.

Many of us on the BLOOM team are on this team because of a short time spent in Lesotho at one time or another.  For me, it was a month in the summer of 2009.  Looking back, I have to admit that as a 22 year old college senior, I didn't yet "get it."  Our trip was focused on building things, which typically fell apart 6 months to a year later.  And unfortunately, it was easy to see some people were there for the wrong reasons.  But that doesn't mean that trip, and all of those before and after, were at a great fault.  Service trips can be done well if the local community is involved.  If there are things being built together, with a local expert leading the way, the extra hands from western volunteers may actually be warmly welcomed.  There is the ability for cultural understanding through working together that could be helpful.  But, sadly, often times this is not how these trips are typically organized.  But, the impact the trip had on my life can't be overlooked.  The experience did something to me that I couldn't explain. It ignited a passion in me that I never knew I had.  Many students, myself included, suddenly were on a path for a life of service.  For that, I am forever thankful.  But I longed for something that was more sustainable.

The trip caused me to pursue service opportunities, which led me to volunteering in Bloemfontein, South Africa for a year after graduation.  The program I served through, called Young Adults in Global Mission, has an unlikely mission.  The mission is 'accompaniment.'  What does that mean!?  Accompaniment basically means to be in community with those you serve.  To walk hand-in-hand with the marginalized and go foar beyond sympathy and empathy.  It is living in true community where understanding and love can occur.  So I have to be thankful for that time spent in Lesotho, although I learned so much more about community development after living in South Africa.

Recently, I was lucky enough to attend a lecture by Dr. Paul Farmer (founder of Partners In Health) and Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez (founder of Liberation Theology) in Chicago.  These two giants in the field of development and fighting poverty have written a book (In the Company of the Poor) where accompaniment is seen as the best way to fight poverty.  Why?  Because until a person breaks the barriers of their privilege and truly feels what their brothers and sisters feel, they will not be able to understand poverty.  Without understanding poverty, how can we ever overcome it?

As we embark on BLOOM Africa's first ever 'Voluntour', accompaniment remains our focus.  As the volunteers going on the Voluntour saw our itinerary, they may have been a bit surprised to not find any cement mixing, building houses or painting projects.  Instead, they found a lot of community conversations, long walks, meetings with village chiefs and time spent with out volunteers.  I believe there is great value in cross-cultural experiences that sometimes come from "mission trips", but the mission has to be right.  If the mission is to travel somewhere less developed than home, throw together a structure and then leave, it is neither sustainable nor beneficial to the community.  But if the mission is to travel somewhere to share in experiences with others, learn a new culture, and create friendships and relationships, it is a sustainable good.

Reuniting with my dear friend, Rose

We believe that BLOOM Africa has positioned itself in a true accompaniment model.  Our team of volunteers and staff in Lesotho are growing every year, and we are empowered by their passion for BLOOM's work.  Our Community Learning Centers are organized and operated by our partners in Lesotho, and we want the programming to stem from community needs and local challenges.

As we count down the hours until we depart for Lesotho, there was an excerpt from the blog that caught my attention, "Before you sign up for a volunteer trip anywhere in the world this summer, consider whether you possess the skill set necessary for that trip to be successful.  If yes, awesome.  If not, it might be a good idea to reconsider your trip.  Sadly, taking part in international aid where you aren't particularly helpful is no benign.  It's detrimental."

Well I think every human has the skill of accompaniment.  We all have the ability to spend time with others, get to know others, and understand others.  We all know how to share a meal, share a laugh and share hope.  I highly encourage you to travel internationally, but keeping in mind how much you have to learn by spending time with others in community...a community that has much to teach us, and not the other way around.

Andrew Steele is the Founder of BLOOM Africa and served as a Young Adult in Global Mission volunteer in 2010-2011

An Exciting Return

It’s that time of year again.  In just 10 short days, I will be heading back to Lesotho with my good friend and BLOOM Deputy Director, William Thomas.  This will be the third year we have gone back to Lesotho to continue building strong, life-long relationships with our friends and partners.  But, this year is different than the last few years in a big way.  We are bringing 6 volunteers with us.

This year is the inaugural BLOOM Voluntour, where 6 volunteers will join us on an amazing journey of self-discovery and transformative experiences.  The volunteers are as diverse as the beautiful mountain ranges in Lesotho.  Three volunteers will join us from Chicago, one from Dallas, one from Cincinnati and one from sunny Santa Monica.  You have already met two of the volunteers on this blog, (Laura and Sarah) and you’ll meet the rest of the gang on this blog and on our social media.  On February 28, we will all depart from Chicago’s O’Hare airport towards our welcoming hosts and friends in Lesotho and South Africa. 

After we settle in for the night after our long flight, we will travel to Lesotho with a stop in Bloemfontein.  We will be having a South African braai with the Monamas, my host family during my time in South Africa, and others in the community.  After our fill, we will head east and cross into Lesotho through the Maseru Bridge border gate. 

We will be spending 5 days in Lesotho, mainly in the Roma and Ramabanta communities.  In Roma, we will volunteer at Leratong Community Centre, meet members of the community and hike to see dinosaur footprints.  We’ll spend a day in Thaba Bosiu, the mountain range where the Lesotho kingdom was born.  There, we will meet with partners who BLOOM Africa has funded, and hike up the famous mountain where King Moshoeshoe defended the Basotho nation against all intruders.  We will then trek high up into the mountains until we reach the tranquil village of Ramabanta.  The volunteers will enjoy an afternoon of pony trekking where they will see cave paintings dating back thousands of years.  We’ll also meet with women in the community who have been making scarves and hats in the Center where BLOOM is expanding its work. 

Ramabanta

After our time in Lesotho, we will head to the world famous Kruger National Park in South Africa, where we will spend 3 days on safari.  There, we will have the chance to spot the big 5 (Elephant, Lion, Rhino, Leopard, Water Buffalo), as well as embark on some exciting activities and adventures.  Our visit will conclude with a visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, one of the most powerful museum experiences one can endure.  And on March 10, we will return to our homes, changed and transformed forever.

I’ve often been asked what I’m most looking forward to about this upcoming visit.  I honestly have to say that it’s the opportunity to introduce Lesotho and South Africa to 6 fantastic folks.  To see their faces when they see the sun set behind the majestic Maluti Mountains.  To hear their laughter when talking  with the children at the Community Center.  To touch their hands as we walk together with our partners and learn more about Basotho culture.  To taste new foods with them that they have never had.  To see their expressions when they hear their first Lion roar in the distance deep in the bush.

And like last year, we will be blogging our experiences right here.  Follow us on our journey, and I hope you can join us next year!

With great anticipation,

Andrew