TIA or This Is Africa seems to get thrown around a lot, I don’t know if it’s just from people who have seen the movie Blood Diamond or what the source is, but to me, this photo is Africa.   The love and endearing touch of a grandmother on a young girls head.  I remember looking at how everyone, even the men, walked hand in hand in Rwanda and thought how amazing and warm and different it was to back home.  And realizing that the people who only know Africa by what wars the newspapers write about or safari treks that travel agents peddle really are missing out.  This place presents so many challenges and differences and experiences every day it really is tough to describe to people who haven’t experienced it themselves. And for me, the amazing strong women who work tirelessly to better their lives for themselves and their families are really the ones who are the unsung heroes.  Getting to know the people on the ground in the village over the past week was an incredible experience and now I am gearing up for another week of it here in Ethiopia.  Ready to take of for Dire Dawa in 4 hours and haven’t gone to sleep yet. Another big day tomorrow.

P.S. After a minimal amount of time in Ethiopia I have recognized two things of great beauty here. Women and Coffee. Not a bad place to be!