This is the season when we, as a society, focus on giving back to friends, family, and those in need; however, a select few in our world choose to make the season of giving a year-round event—and Jacqueline Beaudet is one of those people. This past summer, senior Jacqueline Beaudet went on a life-changing trip to help those less fortunate than herself in Africa. During the five-week trip, she traveled through several countries in Africa with a program called “Pro Africa”. A close family friend of Jacqueline’s had taken part in the same trip earlier, and told Jacqueline and her sister what an amazing experience the journey was, which inspired them to make their way to Africa to help those in need.
Planning the trip took weeks for Jacqueline and her sister, Stephanie, and they were finally able to leave for the trip this past July. They flew from New York City to Amsterdam, then to Tanzania, which is located in the eastern part of Africa. Upon arrival, they took a cab to their hotel at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. Two days later, they began their ascent to the top of the tallest mountain on African continent. The climb took a total of three days to the peak, and two more days to reach the base once again. “It was an amazing feeling when I finally reached the top. I never would have guessed that I would be able to do that” said Jacqueline about her impressive climb. Back at the the hotel at the base of the mountain, Jacqueline and her sister were thankful to be back in a place with electricity and running water. The next morning, they took a small plane to Serengeti National Park, where they flew to a makeshift airport consisting of a dirt runway and a little hut. Here, Jacqueline and her sister were picked up by a safari guide who drove them to their hotel. On their way, they got their first glimpse of the wildlife that surrounded them, spotting a leopard casually lying in a nearby tree.
They stayed at the hotel for three nights, going on a different safari everyday. “I saw lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, and countless other animals closeup in the Serengeti National Park. It was a great experience that I will never forget,” said Jacqueline. Jacqueline and her sister then traveled back to the airport and flew out of the Serengeti National Park to Manyara, and then were picked up and taken to an orphanage in Oldeani. They stayed at the orphanage for three weeks, helping out with the many impoverished kids living there. In the morning they would wake up, make the kids breakfast, take them to school, help teach lessons at that very school, give them all baths, and spend quality time learning about their lives. This experience had a profound effect on Jacqueline, who said, “They were all so eager to go to school in the morning and learn, even though a majority of the kids at the orphanage will never be able to go to a university. It made me think about how lucky we are here in America and the opportunities for education we have.”
Jacqueline loved every aspect of the trip, but her favorite was the three weeks that they spent at the orphanage. “The kids were full of energy and love despite their poor living conditions. They were so thankful for everything they have, and it was really inspirational to see their positive outlook on life,” said Jacqueline. “There were people of all ages at the orphanage volunteering with us, and they all also loved their experience there,” said Jacqueline, who recommends the trip to everyone. “There was a little girl who I met at the orphanage named Faraja. She was a vey strong little girl and showed a lot of courage. I am now her sponsor and I really couldn’t have found a better person who I would have liked to sponsor,” said Jacqueline. Jacqueline hopes to travel back to Tanzania in the near future, so she can visit all of the amazing people that she met on her trip.
