I've been holding off doing this blog post for so many reasons. First, I have thousands (approximately 8k!) images from this incredible trip with Empower Tanzania and I wanted to sift through all of them before posting. That just hasn't happened yet. It is really an interesting and overwhelming experience to go through them. They bring back so many feelings. Second, I have no idea what to say...this adventure in Tanzania was indescribable. So what was I going to write for this post? I will do my best.
Going to Africa has been on my radar for YEARS and it is so life altering that it finally happened and for the purpose of photographing the projects Empower Tanzania is doing there makes it even more incredible. Photography is my passion, photographing images with true feeling and emotion is my absolute dream job, so being in Africa to photograph the most beautiful people and country I have ever seen, to photograph their real life, their love, their hurt and fear to hopefully share those images with you so you can SEE it, really see it and feel it as much as possible without actually being there...that is a dream come true. This trip did so much more though, it has ruined me. I thought I "got it". I did...I've donated to causes for years that provide jobs and clean water and aid to countries in Africa and elsewhere, but I had no idea. I just didn't. You can't get it unless you see it first hand. I've seen poverty and need in other places I've visited in my travels south in Central America and the Caribbean, but I've never traveled across the globe and I've never seen anything like this. It has changed my life and my heart. A piece of my heart was left in Africa. I am glad for this ruin.
We had so many fantastic conversations while on this trip, I learned so much more than I ever thought I could learn in 12 days. I went through every range of emotions each day and found myself weeping at the end of each day, sometimes I didn't even know why I was crying. The opportunity? Amazement? Sadness? Hope? Love? Guilt? All of it...I cried because of all of those emotions and as I type these words, my cheeks are stained with tears. I thank God for this opportunity and am counting down the days until I get to return to Tanzania.
Friends, I cannot caption these images...I will try to provide insight into them as best I can, but my words can do them no justice. I take photographs, I am not a writer. My only hope is that the emotion truly comes through these images so that you can FEEL even a tiny bit of what I feel when I look at them. And I have COUNTLESS more images that I plan to share in the months to come and many that will be saved for Empower Tanzania to share while telling so many incredible stories that we gathered while there. I can't wait for you to read each and every one of them...you don't want to miss these stories.
I have the most lovely, giving, genuine clients in the world...I truly know this. You all have made me look so much better than I am. I love each of you so much and was so excited to share all of these (and many more in the months to come!) images with you. If you would each consider donating even just a few dollars to Empower Tanzania, a HUGE impact would be made. Truly, $5 in Tanzania is LIFE CHANGING and if each of you donated even $5, the impact would be gigantic. It's easy, it's tax deductible and I personally KNOW the people you are helping now. I have hugged them, worshipped with them, ate dinner with them, met their families...I love them. Please consider giving anything you can...it will quite literally SAVE LIVES. No amount is too small. And when I go back, I will take pictures of the people you saved so you can see what you did, meet them.
DONATE HERE and leave me a comment or send me an email that you donated ANY AMOUNT and I will enter your name into a drawing for a gift that I brought back from Tanzania for this purpose and 50% of your next session with me!
Enjoy this Sneak Peek into my trip to Tanzania...
I have to give huge props to this incredible lady. She exudes love and light and I am so grateful beyond words for her friendship and also invitation on this life changing trip. Leslie, you truly changed my world by including me in this trip and I will be forever grateful!
The sunset on our first night in Same, Tanzania...
A view of Hedaru on our first day of adventures...
Water is life...
I see my son Wesley in this little sweetie...
Just one of the incredible stories that we are excited to tell will be about this truly remarkable woman...I cannot wait for you to hear all about her story!
The love and welcomes we received were out of this world. Our entrance into Hedaru was incredible...we felt like royalty. This is "Mama Sheri" who lead this trip and does life giving work for Empower Tanzania. So blessed to have met her and to know her. An incredible woman is an understatement!
This was my first breathtaking moment in the Maasai village of Ketahe. They need water, life giving water. Such a simple thing. Thank you to Empower Tanzania, they are getting it!!! I fell in love with the Maasai on this trip, you guys. This moment right here, when I snapped this picture...I was falling in love with these people. I wish you could each know them!
I have thousands of pictures of the children...
Sometimes you remember a moment when you snapped a picture. I remember this moment vividly. I was overcome with emotion that I was IN the midst of all of this love any beauty and truth and I looked out the window and saw this beautiful Maasai and was so happy to pull the camera up to my face so I could hide my tears. Overwhelming. This image will definitely have a special place on the wall of my home very soon...
My first time inside a Maasai boma.
Karibu = Welcome in Swahili...
At sunset we were checking out the water source these lovely Maasai have to walk miles to in order to get water. A water source that is not only dirty, but filled with crocodiles and hippos that are a grave danger to them. I turned around and saw the day turning into night and snapped a picture of yet another of the countless moments that my breath was taken away. It's a miracle I could breath at all while on this trip!
Joseph. He is truly an incredible man. He was with us every day. He worked SO HARD to accommodate us Americans and all of our needs. He translated, answered all of our thousands of questions, organized our days, worked tirelessly to make sure all of our needs were met and did it with joy day in and day out. He is a passionate staff member of Empower Tanzania, has a love of photography (which means I love him even more!) and is a great example of the love of God. So blessed to have met him!
Oh, the travels. I have never seen roads (if you can even call them that!) like the ones we traveled. This was a small part of our adventure one day when we went to see the amarynth fields...
Even the animals in Tanzania are the most adorable things ever! Loved these piggies!
Dr. Chumbua welcomed us into his home for tea and introduced us to his family. What a lovely man! While he is called Dr. Chumbua, it is important to know that there are only 2 actual medical doctors per 100,000 people in Tanzania. So many with basic medical knowledge are addressed as doctors like Dr. Chumbua. It was amazing and eye opening to visit his medical clinics. The work they are doing is so needed and life saving!
And his wife was just as lovely!
We spent so much time with Chief Isaiah. He is a Maasai Chief in Nadururu. Meeting him and his family, eating goat in the bush at his village, visiting the church he built for his family and photographing his 7 day old baby were some of the most memorable moments of my life!
This baby...I can't even handle the beauty of this baby!
The honor it was to photograph this newborn baby is huge!
I have said it before and I will say it again, Africa looks good on Leslie. She was the most perfect travel companion the entire time!
I treasure all of the Maasai goods I purchased from these lovely people...
Here is Chief Isaiah in the church he built for his family...
Nardi is beautiful inside and out. She has counseled 100 women while managing the Gender Based Violence Program and helped empower them in the terrible situations they were in by linking them to resources that could assist them. It was so wonderful to meet her and spend the day exploring the market with her!
We had an incredible trip to the market in Same to support the local shops...
Best avocados ever...
This view...another moment that I couldn't breath...and it wasn't because of the thin air so high up in the mountains. :) See the mountains off to the right side of that picture in the distance? That's Kenya. This picture will also have a home on my wall in the near future...
And again...always smiling, always adorable and the epitome of love and joy...
Towards the end of our trip, Dr. Jeff Carithers joined our group. He runs the health programs for Empower Tanzania. He is the most energetic, passionate, knowledgeable man! It was so incredible learning from him! One day, on our drive up the mountain, we saw a man with albinism walking down the road. Jeff had our driver stop and hopped out the back to speak with this gentleman about his condition and gave him sunscreen. There is lots of superstition around albinism in Tanzania and it was so wonderful of Jeff to talk with this man about how he is no different than you and I, he just lacks the gene that allows his skin to have pigment. You can read more about albinism in Tanzania and the superstitions surrounding it HERE.
Visiting Gonja Hospital in the mountains was so interesting. I can't wait for you to hear more about what is happening in the hospital here. Make sure to follow the Empower Tanzania Facebook Page HERE to keep up with the stories we gathered and learn more about Gonja Hospital in the weeks to come!
This image was captured proceeding a surgery at Gonja Hospital...
The kitchen at Gonja Hospital!
Visiting the Msindo Kids Club was so fun! So many gorgeous children, so many lovely stories gathered. We found out what the dreams and aspirations were of several of these children. Can't wait for you to hear all about them on the Empower Tanzania Facebook Page as well!
This kids club is held on Saturdays and provides these kids 2 healthy meals and extra education and life skills every week. Incredible work being done here!
The spot where these Maasai from Pangaro will be getting their new well in a few short months!
Such exciting stuff happening. Super pumped about the deal that was reached during this handshake with this lovely Maasai woman in Pangaro!
I love the Maasai villages...they were my favorite places to visit. And the goats...omg, the goats!
Baby wearing and nursing at it's best...
All of the choirs we heard in Tanzania were just incredible. It was emotional and gave me chills all over to be worshipping on Sunday with the Maasai in Pangaro and listening to their choir!
The church was filled to the brim and children were attending from the outside looking in...
Following the church service, this lovely Maasai woman presented me with her bracelet as a gift because we share a name...this is Jennifer...
We were presented with kongas and jewelry and hugs and tea and food everywhere we went. This was after the Maasai church service in Pangaro when we were presented with this beautiful Maasai attire and jewelry...I will treasure each of the gifts I received for the rest of my life...
The young men learn this amazing jumping dance of sorts and we had the honor of witnessing it first hand. So unbelievable!
Following an incredible time in Same, for our last day, Leslie and I went on a few hour safari at Arusha National Park the hours before we were going to board our plane to head home. I didn't want to leave Same, I didn't want to leave the people to go on safari. I am so glad we got the opportunity to see this side of Tanzania as well though. And it was so fun to just spend the day with Leslie on safari, in conversation, eating lunch and dinner and then going on quite the interesting shopping excursion. So many laughs!
Look at the beauty of this country, though!
Hundreds of zebras and thousands of baboons and flamingos. The giraffes were my favorite though!
So many of these images are deeply special and emotion stirring to me. They will litter my walls all over my home. To my surprise, many of my friends and family have also asked for large prints/canvases of some of these images and if you've made it this far into this post, maybe you would like one to! :)
I am excited to announce that I plan to hold a gallery showing and sale in late summer/early fall where I will showcase many of these and many other images that I love and haven't show yet because I am saving them for the show! They will all be up for purchase. More details on that at a later date!
Remember that you can DONATE HERE to Empower Tanzania and be entered to win a gift I brought back from Tanzania as well as 50% off of your next session with me. All you have to do is click the link HERE and make sure you let me know that you made a donation to be entered to the giveaway...any amount gets you entered!
Donation made. ❤️
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