maya!

Change the Truth is thrilled to announce that beginning March 1st we will have a college intern living and working at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage.

Maya Knight, who is currently in Tanzania, will be heading by bus to join Melissa and all the children shortly after the Ugandan national elections takes place. Maya will be teaching computer and English and plans to create a women/girl's empowerment group for the older girls and female staff members.

I asked Maya to provide some information about herself. I recently received this email:

"Last night I was sitting with my friend on the rooftop bar that overlooks all of Moshi, Tanzania, the place that has become my beloved home away from home. We started talking about where we would be if people didn’t help us get to the point we are at now. I thought about my grandparents, two holocaust survivors who were given an opportunity to start fresh and make something of their lives. Now, because of them, I have the opportunity to get a fine education. I am who Iam because of these two people. My passion for Africa springs from their generous nature.

I first decided to travel to Africa in my sophomore year of college when I was feeling a little bit aimless. That summer, I went to Tanzania and the country stole my heart; the children chasing the van everyday as I was commuting to work, the huge smiles I passed by everyday from complete strangers, and the incredible optimism these people have despite all of their struggles. I went home to face a harsh reality of my own life, and knew from that moment that my life’s purpose was to be in Africa.

A little about me: I was born and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado. I feel so privileged to have grown up in such a beautiful place. It is a culture all in its own. People are relaxed, happy and healthy. Beautiful landscapes are right in my backyard. I couldn’t imagine growing up in a better place. I take it for granted and at times I am itching to escape, but I really do adore it. I am
blessed with an absolutely incredible family. They have given me awareness, nurtured me, and supported every spontaneous move I have made without judgment. My father had a similar experience when he was young. As a soil scientist, he was deeply attracted to Belize, a land rich in agriculture, but like me, he unexpectedly fell in love with the country. I have seen his passion blossom over the years, and seen how happy he is there, and I have always envied him, hoping one day I would find the place that makes me feel that way. So far, out of everywhere I have been Tanzania is still that place for me, but I am convinced it is not just Tanzania, but East Africa.

I am a student of the world. In school, you can label what I am doing community development, but my goals reach much farther than any degree. I studied abroad in Bolivia and Argentina this past September and October. This trip reconfirmed my love for Africa, and gave me new ideas. My dream is to be a midwife, and to establish a midwifery training center for women of rural Africa. My goal is to learn everything I can about African cultures and about how to best use my skills in the communities I’m working in.

It has been two years since my first trip to Africa, and I am back again for the third time. I have combined all of my passions and skills, and have learned an abundance from teachers, social workers, doctors and business men and women during my travels in Africa that I never would have learned in any classroom in America. My education entirely depends on experiences in the world, and I love it that way.

I know Gloria through my aunt and uncle. I was first exposed to her work when a collection of her images was featured in a book about the many holocaust survivors of Kansas City including my grandparents, great aunt and great uncle. We have shared brief conversations during a wedding reception or a family reunion, but I never imagined I would be working with her and Change the Truth. I learned about Change the Truth and St. Mary Kevin orphanage when my aunt and uncle gave me the gift of Gloria’s stunning book as a gift when I returned home from my first trip. I was amazed by how well she captured the essence of Africa.

I am very intrigued with Uganda. I am so thrilled to get to spend three months at SMK and to be a part of this project for many years to come. I am sure I will learn as much from them as they learn from me. The work that Change the Truth is doing is presenting these people with an opportunity to succeed. I don’t know where I would be without the people who got me to this point, so I have to try my hardest to return the favor to my brothers and sisters." - Maya