I’m throwing it back to around 2010 in Zambia, Africa.

In my role at Blood:Water, I have the privilege of helping to coordinate our Vision Trips to Africa. I’ve had people before tell me, “Jake, how about I just write you a donation for the cost of the trip instead of going.” It’s there that I have to take off my fundraiser hat and tell them that I don’t want their money (GASP!), but that I want them to have a life-changing experience. And the only way to do that is by going to meet the people in Africa that I have met. Once they have done that, their donations to Blood:Water will be far more meaningful than if they had just cut a check.

For me personally, it was a trip to Africa in 2010 that changed things for me. At the time I wasn’t working for Blood:Water and had never been to Africa. It was during that trip in which I was able to visit with amazing people who had an incredibly bright future. And these weren’t Americans living in Africa. These were Africans. They were inspiring. It was a trip that changed my life forever.

So for my #ThrowbackThursday, I’m throwing it back to a day on a river in Zambia where I knew I would be back someday. That was 2010 and I’ve been able to go back with Blood:Water several times since.

Who is joining us there in 2015?

Interested in joining? Click here.