Tuliameni Kalomoh.

A close friend who has been serving in the Peace Corps for almost three years sent me an amazing email the other day that got my wheels turning. Where she lives in Namibia, it is common, and actually necessary, to hitch-hike in order to get around. The other day she was picked up by former Namibian Ambassador to the U.S. She shared his incredible story and thoughts on African life, family, post-apartheid, and other deep thoughts. 

The most striking part she shared was this: 

What are we doing with this access to knowledge? 

"He mentioned that the main thing he misses about living in America is cheap and easy access to books, which doesn't really exist in Namibia. Windhoek is one of the only places with bookstores, and the selection is not spectacular/things are expensive. It's nearly impossible for Namibian teachers to develop a "culture of reading" with their learners when books - especially quality books - are so hard to come by."

As an obsessive reader and media addict, this put things in necessary perspective and made me begin to question my reality. We are living in an information sharing age where we have constant access to anything we could ever imagine. In one click, I was able to read about the man who had sat next to my friend in Namibia and made these observations. 

And we have all this access to information, yet we squander it. We can know anything and everything, but we choose to devote our time to taking pictures of our food, "liking" stuff, and looking at Kim Kardashian's shoes. What will it take for us to appreciate what we have and begin using it for good? 

And side question for just me - how can I bring information and technology to Africa, and who wants to help me? Let's do that.