Being on the road...

“But if these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in” ― Junot Díaz

This is the one quote that I came across that I believe is the right dose of motivation to me as of now. I have never seen my life as anything but life itself; crazy statement right? You may be thinking what an obvious statement. So I want to ask you to think about your life right now and see if there is life in it? Besides work or studies, money or fashion; how much is there to your life? If you live with your family then that is one lucky part of your life but besides that, what is there? Do you spend time with yourself perhaps sitting in silence by the beach watching a sunset or treating yourself to a special meal on an achievement or writing your journal? I mean anything that isn’t ‘routine’; do you do it? I keep travelling alone and even living alone so I am quite used to having meals alone like I did in Dubai, visiting places alone like exploring Mauritius (although I found a batch of amazing brothers) or now even Dar es Salaam. I can say that Dubai was a killer for me. I went to Dubai mall and saw families and friends having the ‘time of their life’ together and here I was all alone and there were people like me as well, all alone; but guess what; nobody sees this part of my life. Many people tell me they would love to have my life and I am lucky; indeed I am blessed but being on the road or being a frequent traveler has its challenges and today I want to express this part of my life to you all…

I was hired to do photography for a conference organized by Oracle in Mauritius. At that time, it was a great opportunity for me not only because the amount of cash I was getting but also from a learning perspective, it was great. It was an HR conference and I learnt about what companies look for when they hire, what creates an HR’s certain perception towards an individual such as time management, dressing, tattoos, etc. in that session, I learnt way more than what my degree lectures were teaching me. During lunch time, I walked up to the speaker and mentioned how lucky he was to be living such a life where he travels the world, spends half of the time at airports and hotels; earns from something people pay for. I will never be able to forget his reply to me which today is a live realistic visual for me because I am living that life in a way all though I am not yet at that level of travelling. He said ‘I travel because of work. Whether I am at an airport or hotel, I am working. Look, right there is the beach and look at those half naked people who are enjoying the sun; and then see me; wearing a suit in this heat delivering a lecture, not so lucky am I?’ My work travel trip to Zanzibar is a clear mirror image of his statement.

The obvious thing we miss being on the road is family. A friend this morning asked ‘you miss the food your mother cooks?’ Such an obvious answer to that question, isn’t it? YES! I miss it. I am particularly my momma’s boy because I am the only child and for her to send me away; well it’s only a 2 hour flight but still very far, not easy at all. I miss both my dad and my mom. Parents are unmeasurable treasures and blessings from He who is above all else. I can’t express the depth of love I have for them. To be honest, their value was reflected by my trips. Khalil Gibran said ‘love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation’. It were these trips that made me realize how important they are to my existence. I am so bloody happy and excited to be going to them in about 8 days’ time!!!! Never thought going to Uganda again would be so exciting. That country has given me love and pain together and I wanted a change which Shukar I got by moving to Dar es Salaam. I can’t explain how great an opportunity this is for me and I am grateful. Coming back to the point, #home T-8 days!!

I want to conclude this article by saying I am living a dream life and people I meet around all say ‘how lucky you are’. I guess just one thing missing and I am asking Him to give that to me. When I get her, it will be a complete Hollywood or Bollywood story of this young guy who gets a dream job at an airlines at a very high position and finds this amazing girl who he wouldn’t get otherwise and they face the world together. I don’t want it to be as dramatic as the movies though.

“Whatever he had found, it made him a better person. Maybe that's what love was, finding the person who brings out the best in you and eliminates

the worst.” ― Diana Holquist

Peace!

Champ!

Global Encounters

“global encounters”…I remember the first time I heard about the program, I did not even give it a thought because I thought it did not appeal to me at all or wasn’t related to me. I was way above the participant age criteria and too young and under qualified to be a facilitator. In 2014, when I was finishing my bachelors, my lil one; my sister got selected and said I should try as a facilitator. I sent in an email but I was too late as the deadline had passed but I made up my mind that day that I will apply next year. Today as I write this article, I am humbled to say that I did make it this year as a senior staff member or as a Mwalimu for those who have attended Global Encounters. I want to share with all of you, although I know words will not do justice…I want to share about a family of mine that has members from 19 countries!!

When people cry at the time of departing regardless of their age or nationality, then I think you can rightly say that they have been touched by each other’s souls. It feels like yesterday when I was travelling from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa for the camp. I remember that first day when I arrived and met a co-member of the team, I felt nothing to be honest and had no idea of what to expect. Slowly the entire team gathered together and that first day of meeting everyone was really very weird for me as an introvert. I am transforming as an individual but being an introvert is something that is naturally in built and I can’t and should not try to erase it. My first real friend from the team is more like an elder brother who I have come to respect and adore as a person. His stories are the most hilarious ones and I will never forget one statement of his… ‘Live in the present moment’! I feel he has a lot of thoughts that he doesn’t really voice or you could say on a positive note, he only voices the ones he feels need to be voiced. He and I went to the airport to pick up the Tajik group of participants. I remember how we were eating pizza and having tea when we suddenly realized that they had come out and WE RAN!!

The camp began as I mentioned without me expecting anything except what the Lord had to offer. The first week was spent with the volunteer team and I began learning about the people I am going to work with for the next 4 weeks as a team. I must say that we were a very talented team where by each individual had something to contribute. There were different elements in the team like different colors; we made quite a beautiful collage together. I made a slideshow out of the pictures I took in the first week and presented it on the closing of that first week…I received appreciation for it and that made me emotional because I felt I contributed; that to me is one of the most special feelings because you know that you are of value to the team and not just a result of a poor selection.

Participants arrived a week later. I helped check in the participants who arrived in the last batch; to be honest I enjoyed being at the check-in. we slept late and then it was kind of an early morning still and the day began with orientation and the camp had begun. I remember seeing everyone involved in all the different activities and I thought to myself ‘this is it…GE is finally on’. There is a saying that “the time of our life which we love the most, enjoy the most is certainly the fastest time of our life whereby you blink and it’s gone”. I can say this for GE. I don’t even re-call where all the time went. We went for a safari during the camp. We drove almost a full day to Amboseli, which is a national park in Kenya and stayed there for two nights. The second night was a very emotional one and I will just say that it is a memory that will be special to each individual present around that camp fire.

We then went to Nairobi, visited AKDN work and flew back to Mombasa. That flight back to Mombasa is also a very special memory because we were almost 90 in the same plane and one of the cabin crew even announced that whoever is GE, please raise your hand. It was a hilarious flight as well (Shadan, a young brother from camp knows why!!) I remember going to the office the following week sorting departure tickets and the lady at the counter told me ‘you are the GE guy right?’ J

The week after Safari was very fast and there were times when time took a pause as well. It was of course VERY emotional as well. We celebrated Imamat day together with the entire community of Mombasa as well as participants of the second camp. I will not try to put that feeling in to words!!

The last day was crazy... Serena hotel Mombasa… I made a slideshow with the help of Asma and Shadan who sorted photos for me…just as the slideshow was ready, my laptop shut down and the work wasn’t saved so I had to do it again :/ but as my MD had earlier told me that ‘during GE, there is an invisible hand on top of the shoulder of each volunteer’, the slideshow got ready. It was almost 20 minutes with pictures and songs of GE Camp 1 2015. It wasn’t the best by any means but it was good enough I guess. That night, we sat signing each other’s ‘kikoys’ and t-shirts were distributed. There were hugs, talks, tears, music, silent eyes with the sorrow of departing yet a bit of happiness about going back to family, and lots more. The next day, every time the time came for a group to leave, there were tears. Even swimming on that last day could not cater for the grief the heart felt. I will never ever want to experience that silence in my life like at the dorm that night. I have felt it before as well but I honestly detest it. Insha’Allah, next GE, I will ensure to leave with a group of participants and not stay back.

I left the next day in the morning. I was so happy that my ‘bestie’ from camp, a co-Mwalimu had woken up to bid farewell. We sat and spoke for a while before I left for the airport. To be honest, I am so glad to have met her because she is a genuine person with whom I had serious talks, we laughed, we shared our stories and yes, she is one of the friends the camp has given me!!

The one thing that I wish to add here is the feeling of not going back to family. I was returning to Dar and not Kampala where my parents are. GE is such an emotional ride that after it, you need to go back to family and I did not do that. The feeling was of emptiness and nostalgia. I am hopeful that I get selected to be part of the camp again and Insha'Allah, I will go back to family before going back to 'normal' life. 

I want to conclude by saying this article by far doesn’t do justice to the camp because there is sooo much I haven’t spoken of. Being there, experiencing it is totally un-comparable to any piece of article describing it. There are so many moments like taking Farhan to the airport, teasing Shadow and Zara with women driving jokes, teasing IP about the balloon (Salman Khan), my conversations with Asma, being a roomie to Ndugu Sheroz and Rahim, the jokes with Shadan and Ndugu Sheroz (a particular one is but it was a puppy HAHA!) and many more, so many people I met who in their own rights are at a level and mean much to me that this article hasn’t spoken of but they are a part of it. I want to say that every single person I came across in the camp holds a special place and I will never be able to forget them and the time we spent together. My last statement will be one that people have heard a lot and sometimes it’s hard to believe but it is the truth…GE is the best thing that has happened to me. Someone asked me, would I do it again? My answer is the same as Khaled Hosseini said in his book, The Kite Runner...for you, a thousand times over!!!

Champ!