Watoto. (Children).

African children are some of the most purest of children I have ever met. Instantly, they melt your heart. They are not spoiled with toys, in fact, most do not have any or probably would even know what to do with a toy. They are not taught that toys, or material things bring them happiness. In fact, as long as I have been traveling here, or living here, I have yet to hear an African child have a tantrum.

I see children simply just playing with one another, or making toys or games out of empty boxed juices and bottle caps. African children are some of the happiest I have ever met.

When someone has a baby in a village, that is not just their baby, it is considered to be the villages baby. The village will help raise the child, with lessons, with praising and even with scolding when the child is in need. The children here do not fear strangers, they are taught their is goodness in everyone, so they have no shyness or fear to come up to complete strangers for attention and affection.

I love watching the children here and how everyone looks after them. The children are free to be children; they are not overly sheltered or glued to an iPad or the tv. You see them playing outside together with their parents nowhere in sight, not a worry in the world. It sort of reminds me of how our country used to be; children actually playing outside until street lights came on, not a concern about child abduction or someone calling the cops on you for child neglect. Here, the children play on the side of the street, our thru the villages, or on the beach, with out a chaperone in sight, they have the village to look after and tend to the children. There is no fear of your child being unruly, as a parent you will hear reports back from the other villagers if they were being fresh.

The children here are under less pressure also. There is far less bullying here. The children are not made fun of for not having the trending toy or the trending stylish boots. The schools actually have uniforms for the children, which is adorable, but also helps I feel.

There is an online program, connecting children in American schools with children in Ugandan schools. They schedule the calls ahead of time, and it is truly an incredible program seeing these 2 entirely different worlds come together. The children in Uganda ask the American children, "do you help with harvesting the crops with your family before school?" and the American children ask, "what is your favorite toy?" These 2 worlds are so different not one being better than the other, but i do firmly see the importance of these 2 worlds knowing of the other and learn about their differences.

Before I began my travels to Africa, I remember thinking “I would never bring a child to Africa.’ I shamed myself thinking of this. I feel it is so important to Bring children, American children, to Africa. So they can experience and understand what it is like to be a child in another part of the world. Also, the children here love to see white children, the adults love to see white babies, because they do not get to see many, a lot of  the women will come scoop them right up. Now I think to myself, “man I can’t wait to bring a baby to africa!” Children are very observant and from a young age, you shape their minds. I’m actually surprised I am not more closed minded, considering my parents went on the same vacation every single year.