African Children
The image often conveyed by the media, often shows children in misery or within a refugee camp with a big belly and flies on their face and also with snot running down the nose... All right, I am exaggerating, but I had this pejorative of poor African countries.
In Tanzania, like everywhere else in Africa, there are a lot of children (often 40-50% of the country population). A family with 4 to 8 children is common and everywhere I go, I see them by the dozen, regardless of where I stop.
There are poor kids, or course, but not in such a bad state as in some TV ads. Certainly, there are not always clean (not easy when you don't have running water or electricity) and they are poor, but they don't seem unhappy. To tell the truth, they seem happy. Obviously, they don't have the burden of finding food and a roof to live... not yet.
In some villages, children have « creative » toys. Here, this child owns a small car that can be controlled with the steering wheel. The wheels really operate properly despite the rocky ground.
On the two pictures below, please note the ties on the steering wheel made from rubber straps (from a used tube). Tires are made from old sandals.
Most children like to be in photographs. They know that with digital photos, they can see themselves right away. It makes them laugh.
For a bonus and make some friends, a small video is an instant success.
