Dear Jeff,

Thank you for inviting me along to experience the wonders of Africa. It was more than I could have ever imagined. When thinking of Africa, I imagined animals among a dry heat, beautiful landscape. In actually being there, I experienced the animals, but more important than the animals is the friendly, loving nature of the people.

Though it is hard to pick one moment that was the highlight of the trip, the moment that pierces my memories is being able to visit the children of the primary school. I hadn’t expected such a warm welcome. The people of our journeys were the highlight and joy of the trip, but visiting those children, I felt as if our group was celebrities. The children were so warm, approaching me with smiles, handshakes and a friendly hello. I always think about them in that they have so few desks, but are full of smiles.

If I were to choose the second most memorable activity, it would be the village visits. I was especially fond of the Zambia visit. A mix of the village visit to Victoria Falls from the Zambia side and the visit to another country really gave me a look into some differences in culture. You can see the difference in colors of clothing, roadside signs, buildings, etc.

Along with the visits with the children and villages, I really enjoyed the foot and drive safaris with Charles. Of the safaris I attended, my favorite was Hwange National Park. We had fun driving to Hwange while Charles made us feel as if we were like family, and through Hwange with the abundance of the animals. Some of my best animal pictures I have are from that particular park. I have already blown up 4 of my pictures to 8X10.

The single moment that I would change would be the shopping in town. I found the quality and selection wonderful in that of the Curios and the crafts were so beautiful. I wish I had brought home more, but I found the pressure of the craftsmen overwhelming. Though I have bargained before for items, I have never experienced such an overwhelming, bombardment of so many people wanting my attention and money. I felt more at ease when we visited the women who laid out their items and had fixed prices. In addition, I really felt good about helping people that I knew had a relationship with the ranch.

During the stay in Africa, I cannot recall one moment when I felt unsafe. Usually, on trips to foreign places abroad, I feel a tense, cautious feeling, as if everyone and anyone are out to cheat me, rob from me and cause me ill will. On this trip, I had no instance. The people are so friendly and loving and the animals were more scared of me. The only uneasy feeling I had was from the moneychangers, but they were only a nuisance, not a safety hazard. I did not fear the animals since we were in a large enough group and our guide always had a firearm. Richard, Charles, and Roger were all people that I trusted would keep us safe.

The single moment that I recall with greatest pleasure is the look on the children’s faces when they saw themselves in my digital camera. Photography is a hobby I love, but to see their faces of joy warmed my heart. I could have taken pictures of them all day.

After visiting Zimbabwe, I felt like I really had a home in Dibangombe. If I had enough money and time, I would go back in a second. However, as I do plan to go back to Africa, I would also like to see other parts of Africa. I want to meet new people and take more photographs. I feel this program was valuable to me and to others. This program was so well planned, had a group of wonderful people that felt like family and was an environment that I felt safe in.

Again, thank you for this valuable experience that I will cherish always.

Sincerely,

Roxanne Reichel