It’s been almost a week now since I left home in Australia to visit Tanzania to see if it was possible to use blogging to give a voice to those who may not have one—more specifically, to people living with disabilities in developing countries.
I spoke a little about the “why” of this trip previously, but after three days visiting the hospital that the visit is based around, I’m now seeing the reality of the opportunity at hand.
What I expected
Some of what I’m doing is similar to what I expected:
- I’m meeting children and adults with disabilities and I’m telling their stories.
- Doing this leaves me with a real mix of emotions and feelings. It’s confronting, I’ve felt real sadness, I’ve had moments of hope and joy, I’ve been overwhelmed, and I’ve been inspired.
- The response of those who are reading the posts and tweets I’m making has been fantastic—the topic and medium have obviously connected with many.
- I feel myself changing. I’ve made trips to developing countries before to see similar projects and I know that each time I do, I return home a different person. This is certainly the case again.
What I didn’t
However there have also been a few unexpected things happen this week:
- I’ve had opportunity to talk to the team at the hospital itself about their own use of social media and blogging.
- I’ve learned a lot about blogging and seen the potential for using the medium to produce real-time coverage of such events and to promote great causes.
- I’m having a lot of ideas for future projects.
All in all it’s been an amazing week so far. If you’ve not already done so check out some of the posts I’ve written in the last three days:
Stories
- 30 Years of Waiting… Almost Over
- This is Amina – She Wants to Be a Doctor
- Baby Sharifu’s Fight for Sight
- Today I watch a Baby’s Life Transformed
Image Posts
Of course more posts are going up all the time this week (three or four per day) so keep dropping by the blog, follow@CBMAustralia on Twitter for updates, and subscribe to the RSS feed.
Great post. To tell the stories of under-resourced children with disabilities is inspiring and a noble calling. Thank you for speaking into to this giving a voice to those that currently don’t have one.
I think we can learn much from much from young people and social media from this region. In today’s post on my blog, I wrote about The Generation Changing The World And What Churches Need To Know http://wp.me/pVReH-V8.
Darren this is absolutely superb. I love way you’re using blogging to change the world, not just make a living. I have “Change the world one blog at a time” on the back of my business card and I’m totally passionate about that. Thank you so much for spreading the word, using blogging to make a difference and bringing Africa to our homes.
Safari njema:) Wishing you safe travels.
PS. And you are rocking that green surgeon’s hat too;)
This is a great idea! It will be a great day when Internet is truly accessible to everyone. But alas, not even the telephone has made it everywhere on the planet….
Thanks so much for this post. Hopefully, more of your fellow bloggers will follow you’r lead. I’m going to brainstorm…
I’m still holding on to my dream of donating money to help support African women learn how to build businesses that will support their families.
I admire what you have done Darren!
As I learn video and video marketing, I want my lens to be the voice of those who have none.
Thanks for the update.
Krizia
i’ve been keeping up with your posts on tanzania (for selfish reasons), but this is the first time i’ve commented.
i’m a missionary and development worker in geita, tanzania, a small rural town just south of lake victoria. and i wanted just to thank you for your willingness to come to east africa and serve. i really appreciate your desire (and ability) to raise awareness among the readers of your blog. may you be blessed as a result of your being a blessing to others.
Indeed blogging in our part of the world (EAST AFRICA) can tell these kind of stories and link some donors and impact investors with the underpriviledged, It’s a wonderful thing you are doing here Darren, May God Bless You
I love what you are doing! And I know I’m still pretty new to this blogging thing, but please let me know if I can do anything to help you! I’m already (re)tweeting your tweets and posts but I’d love to do more. And keep up the good work!
keep the spirit up,
because what you are doing are perfect….
You’re doing a good job Darren, giving people the opportunity to share what’s important to them, remain blessed.
I love what you have done, That’s very noble to help others especially people living with disabilities, sometimes I think that actions like these that make happier
I also like what you are doing. In this life, it is not what you can acquire, but what you give to others that really counts. Thank you for putting that philosophy into action!
Darren,
It is truly amazing how technology has changed the way we can share and change the world.
Bless you for what you are doing to keep us all informed of life far away from us.
David
Darren,
I follow you now for more than 3 years through your various activities and blogs. You are doing what I dreaming of. My respect for this new good idea.
Blessings, Gunther
The fact is that we can not deny our destiny from where we were born and on what conditions. So, it is impressing if we can share with the people like you have done Darren..
You have a brilliant way to organize plans though there are things that you least expect. But still you capture and generate values as an end result. It’s too apparent by the comments of your blogs that you’re admired of those values. Keep up the good work!
Darren, keep up the good work. We all can also learn from this. We can help others with any method we know. Lets continue to share our love.
Darren why not turn our gaze away from the rich and focus it onto the poor, of which there are billions. Help them gain Internet access. For this to happen, we need to get rid of all the “features” and produce a basic, simple device that enables a peasant in a poor country to access and learn from people over the world. The device must be cheap.
That was great humanitarian gesture you doing sown there in Tanzania. Good job bruv!
What a great project. You are inspiring.