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Why Africa?
That’s a question we’re asked quite often. Africa has been fascinating to us for a very long time. For me it started as a childhood dream and continued on into adulthood. For Joel and I together it began during our first safari to East Africa in 1996. Africa inspired us with its seemingly endless beauty, it captivated us with its wildlife and it opened our hearts to its children.
The children became etched in our minds from the day that our vehicle broke down in front of a girls' school in a remote area of Tanzania. They came running out to greet us with glistening smiles and overwhelming curiosity. Our exchanges were brief but very memorable. We didn’t know at the time that having a flat tire on a dusty, bumpy road would become an important first step to our future in Africa with its children and its wildlife.
Keeping the connection to this magical place alive has been a consistent part of our lives since that time. Our extensive library of African-related books continued to grow and we cherished the ones detailing the lives of courageous, pioneering individuals.
There must be something that Joel and I could do to make a difference in the lives of these endearing but desperately poor children. Three years ago the Jambo program was just an idea and today we’ve successfully linked more than 5,000 children. We anticipate that in 2005-2006 more than 6,000 children will be actively participating by sharing their lives, music, art, letters and their hearts and by realizing that they have many things in common after all – they’re all children!
Going into schools and interacting with children has given us the opportunity to see Project Jambo at work. It has produced some surprising moments of discovery for us.
Bringing the world of the Kenyan children into as many American classrooms as possible is our goal. We enable our children to hear the Kenyan children singing, to watch them playing sports, to touch the hand crafted items that were made by them, to listen to their questions, to laugh along with them and to observe them in their homes and classrooms.
It’s also about discussing why the girls shave their heads, why they have no shoes, where their water comes from, how far they walk to school, what animals they encounter and how they grow their food.
We’re dedicated to the exploration of cultural diversity together. Project Jambo has opened the eyes, minds and hearts of the American and African children alike.
Sue and Joel Gilbert
Founders
I prayed that this lovely wilderness would not forget me, and the answer was always: "It is not I who will forget, it is for you to find your way back." Vivienne De Watteville, Speak To The Earth, 1935
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