A Trip to the Motherland, Member of Dallas South Family’s journey to Africa
My former college roommate and line brother is doing something that many of us hope to do one day: he’s touring Africa. Nazim went on the trip to accompany his nephew who is traveling with his school.
He volunteered to share his experiences with the Dallas South Family, and for that I am grateful. I hope you enjoy Nazim’s first hand account and pictures as much as I did. He promises that there will be more to come.
By Nazim Ansari
From the beginning I was very excited about making this jouney to “The Motherland,” and haven’t felt this way since I travelled to the Million Man March in college. I know I will see and learn a great deal, I already have, but I want to come back home with a greater appreciation for everything and everyone I have in my life.
Nazim Ansari
Like most, I get bogged down with the day-to-day tasks of work, bills, responbilities, sometimes complaining, but often just existing and not just living. That can lead to an ungrateful mindset, because I may not take time to appreciate all that I have.
I also hope to walk away with a greater sense of humility and more love. This trip is filled with tours of cities, museums, schools, sites, etc, but I will also see the rough the conditions for my African brothers and sisters. So my desire is to drink everything in, and chronicle all that I see, hear, learn, in order to come out more focused on the mission of saving our people.
Nazim and nephew
Day 1 – 4/9-4/10 Flight from NYC to Casablanca, Moracco.
We arrived in Moracco around seven in the morning (1am CST) and immediately went on a day tour which lasted almost 12hrs. We had a chance to tour the city, and learn quite a bit of history from our excellent tour guide, Hamid.
Casablanca is an old city, where archeologists have unvoceverd sites dating back 100,000 years and plant/sea life 2 million years old. The Original people migrated from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and settled there. Through wars and migration, they are now in the mountains of Moracco, and are called the Berbers. They make carpets and rugs by hand in many beautiful colors.
Today the population in the city is mostly Arab people, and Moracco is 50% Arab and 50% Berber though you never see the Berber’s. Our tour guide’s mother was Berber and father Arab. We toured the city and saw The Great Mosque (3rd largest next to Mosque’s in Mecca and Medina), King’s Palace, Governor’s Palace, ate and did a little shopping.
We also saw the “slums,” as they are called where local fisherman live for free. Casablanca is a modern city, but we also saw poverty there, as little girls were on the street trying to sell gum to tourists (exactly like I witnessed in Mexico).
I was troubled when we ran into some very rude people working at the airport. In certain areas they are not accustomed to seeing Black Americans, and some of them treat our African brothers harshly. They tried it with us… but keep in mind I am on tour with New Yorkers. That ain’t happening. But for the most part, its a beautiful city, with nice people, mostly Arab.
Day 2 4/10
We departed Moracco later that night, because our trip is 1 day in Moracco; 4 days in Dakar, Senegal; 4 days in Bajul, Gambia; and 1 final day back in Moracco to fly out. We arrived at night here in Dakar, Senegal and as soon as I stepped off the plane I knew I was in the Africa I wanted to see.
The air was hot and humid and the people are dark and beautiful. All the hustle men at the airport were trying to sell everything. Riding through the city we saw all the late night clubs open, and Black folks were everywhere. We checked into a very nice hotel, Le Meriden and well…. I am about to get some rest. I will try to update everyone in a few days..
I have included some pics of arriving in Africa, McDonald’s in Moracco, the slums, a few of The Great Mosque, the Atlantic Ocean which the mosque is actually built on water, the Kings Palace, and me and the tour guide Hamid.
Peace and Blessings,
-Nazim
