We finished the East African Safari Rally! We were able to get the Peugeot back up on its feet long enough to reach the end. There were 50 to 60 Jamii Borians dancing us all the way to the podium where we celebrated our accomplishment as a community of individuals battling against poverty. I repeatedly use the word 'special' to articulate the conglomerate of emotions beating within my chest during the events of this race. Truth be told, it is not something that can be worded well. It needs to be felt. By the end of the finishing ceremony EVERYONE associated with the race now knew and understood the opportunity and compassion behind Microcredit and Jamii Bora. In fact, racers and organizers were so supportive we have begun initial, although vague and very preliminary, discussions about growing this campaign in the next 2011 East African Safari Rally.

We did not finish as high in the rankings as we might of liked, but the feeling of crossing the finish line with rows of supporters cheering our campaign on, made us feel like champions. More important than any finishing stat is the fact we are continuing to bring attention to Microfinance and Jamii Bora as the 2010 Africa/Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit (AMERMS) rapidly approaches. AMERMS is to be held in Nairobi, Kenya April 7-10 of next year. The more we can do to highlight this pivotal event the better. It will be a momentous moment for the poor of Africa, and it will give them a stage from which they can exhibit to the world if given dignity and hope they can rise up and resolve their own problems.

My boys are excited to get back to a stable system from which they can post the amazing material they’ve captured over the past 3 weeks. I know they have felt frustrated with their ability to upload via spotty or non-existent internet service. Check back, as many visuals will be uploaded. It will bring to life the stories I’ve written here.

The real race is still ON. The race to PROSPERITY…

The sooner the world can wake up and aknowledge through action that by parting with a little and spreading the word, this generation of global citizens possess power beyond their wildest imaginations to create real change.

Be the one to help push this forward, not the one to close this browser window and go about your daily routine.