East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan) contains some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world – from the Masai Mara plains of Kenya and Tanzania to the mountains and lush, gorgeous forests of Rwanda.

East Africa is also home to a huge diversity of wildlife not seen anywhere else on earth – lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, giraffes, zebras, and mountain gorillas to name a few.

People pay top dollar for luxury 5-star safari excursions, where they are wined and dined with the best food, drinks, and photography opportunities.

What they often don’t see are the devastating impacts of poverty, drought, poor education, HIV/AIDS on families and especially children.

Yet in spite of very difficult living conditions throughout East Africa the people are remarkably joyful, kind, and generous.

Children and youth predominate the population and they are eager to get a good education, yet the schools teach a kind of learning by rote, with no critical thinking.

Anything will grow in the rich East African soil, yet drought, poor farming practices, and flooding have wiped out crops in recent years, causing food commodities (maize, beans) to triple. This has put large parts of the rural population into crisis.

Many opportunities to serve and to elevate the people of East Africa exist for people from developed Western countries. Here is a sampling – permaculture, schools and education, technical and university training, child sponsorship for children without parents, and leadership training.

Keep in mind, the East African people are a proud people with much to give the world, and they are eager to learn, so opportunities exist to empower them to develop food sovereignty and economic self-sufficiency, in addition to better education.