Guest post by Tahina Rabezanahary, Program Manager for Africa, Canadian Red Cross
In recent months, I travelled to Mali, Liberia and Kenya to visit Canadian Red Cross Maternal, Newborn and Child health projects. Most of my visits consisted of meetings with the communities, local leaders, local staff and Community Health Workers (CHWs) who are working to provide health care services to women and children who would otherwise have little access to lifesaving interventions and treatments. I would typically travel on the bumpy roads of Africa to reach the most remote communities where few people travel to.
Of course, while I insisted on doing a low-key visit, the villagers always made sure to properly welcome us the African ways. There were dancers, music, speeches and food just to tell us, the Red Cross, how grateful they are of our support to their communities. And as if that was not enough, I had to show them that I too know how to dance the African way. So I danced. And as if that was not still enough, I was offered a goat, a chicken and a Kenyan necklace that I had to wear while dancing!
Tahina (right) dances with locals during her visit in Kenya.When doing development work in Africa, we have to prepare for a dance party and bring a bigger suitcase for the goat because that’s just the way we Africans enjoy life in spite of everything.
Villagers offer a goat to a visiting Red Crosser.