Victoria: How a safari can be an opportunity to show compassion

Sadly, despite Tanzania’s reputation as a land of breathtaking tourist destinations, incidents of harm against children with albinism have been persistent in recent years.

Victoria, a solo traveller, had always dreamt of embarking on an expedition in Africa, and her chosen destination for her maiden trip to the continent was Tanzania. An avid reader with a passion for geography, she has spent years learning about different countries worldwide.

‘My dream is to travel to as many countries as possible until I can’t walk anymore,’ she said with a laugh.

She had read about children with albinism in Tanzania, and she started financially supporting an organisation that has been helping these kids as she was planning her safari to the country. She knew this would be the perfect time to meet the angelic faces she had only been seeing online.

Victoria is not a wealthy woman who just splashes money around; she gives from the little she gets from her work. Her trip to Tanzania was delayed because the tickets were so pricey. She had to save money and wait for the right moment to travel to Tanzania.

For a female solo traveller, she has always put her best foot forward, and being optimistic is how she goes about life. ‘I was not scared to travel alone. Everywhere you go, there are good and bad people.

On social media, some people criticise Africa, Asia, and even Europe, but when you travel, you have to see the good in people,’ she advised.

Even her close friends were sceptical of her trip to the continent. There is still a lot of misinformation, but it’s something that can only be corrected when people travel and open their hearts to new experiences and ideas in life.

Victoria, a woman of faith, never understood why someone would want to harm children who are born just like God intended. “They were born like that; they didn’t ask to be born with albinism; it’s God’s work,” she said.

She said that she wanted to just bring smiles to these kids and let them know that there are people out there who care and love them.

She insists that she is not rich, just an ordinary American who thought it would be a good idea while she is on safari to also show love to these children who have been traumatised just because of their skin condition.

Victoria showed up with a smile on her face and hands full. Of school supplies, from books, pencils, crayons, and more, the children were happy to see her.

She is already planning to send them money for Christmas so that their festive season becomes joyous and they feel the love and care people have for them.

Victoria’s safari expedition took her to Tarangire National Park. She describes it as one of the most beautiful places she has visited; tourists from across the world were just admiring the nature around them.

She took all the pictures she could so that she could save all the memories of Tarangire. Her tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable; she was overwhelmed with all the new information she learnt about the animals she was seeing.

She was lucky enough to see all her favourite animals, from the lions, wildebeest, and zebras; she even saw the mischievous monkeys leaping from branches.

Her time at the park was truly breathtaking. Victoria also went to Serengeti for three days, choosing to spend her time in a camp close to nature rather than a hotel.

Seeing the skyline at night as the scorching sun was far gone, replaced by the serenity of the night, cool breeze, and the clear sky filled with bright stars, Victoria knew she had made the right decision to travel all these thousands of miles to get to Tanzania, the birds chirping and the lions roaring from a distance; it couldn’t get any more authentic than that. In the morning she visited the Maasai village and danced with them, sharing stories and smiles with the Indigenous tribe; she even had a fun makeup session with one of the Maasai ladies and had a fun time with the ladies.

Her time was also spent in the sky as she explored Tanzania from the heights of the hot air balloon, though by the time she was in Tanzania, it was a little rainy, and she couldn’t see all the animals she wanted from above.

She is planning to make another trip to Tanzania in August when the weather is better and animals are visible from the sky; she hopes to see the wildebeest migration as well.

She crossed the ocean to Zanzibar and indulged herself with the Zanzibari street food, spending her time in Stone Town, walking around the old town.

She visited the legendary Fred Mercury museum, where the sensational British musician was born and raised. Fun Zanzibar and the island have a museum dedicated to his legacy; the museum has become a hotspot for tourists, mostly boomers who were young during his prime.

At night she also explored the nightlife the Spice Island had to offer. She couldn’t leave Zanzibar without going to Prison Island, and for the first time in her life, she saw the hundred-year-old tortoise. A

lthough. During her visit to Tanzania, she was amazed by the humble and respectful nature of Tanzanians, mostly the young people toward their elders; she observed that, and it warmed her heart to learn that it is a norm in Tanzania.

“Whenever I went, they treated me like family; they welcomed me as one of their own,” she said. “I am glad that I stepped foot in Tanzania, Africa; having my feet on the African soil is the best feeling in my life,” she added.

She left Tanzania with a profound love for giraffes, of all the animals she saw.

She admired the giraffes because they bothered nobody and minded their business.

She explained that despite their huge size advantage over other animals, the giraffes didn’t confront or bother other animals; they just used their long necks to feed and about their lives.

On top of that, seeing a giraffe face to face is so surreal; their shape, size, and colour are just vibrant, and they stand out, she explained. When she took the pictures of the gigantic animals, they just glowed.

She believes giraffes are the stars of Tanzania’s national parks.

From her busy life in the US, Victoria was glad to be in Tanzania and leave all the work stress behind; she was able to only see the beauty and the nature of Tanzania while on vacation and nothing else.

She plans to come back and meet the children with albinism and share a lovely moment again.

She is currently saving up so that she can be in a position to impact their lives with the funds that she will have accumulated, knowing that her small contribution goes a long way to these innocent children.

She also hopes to come back and see the breathtaking Serengeti one more time.