August 3, 2018
Our RIDETZ 2018 participants have been back home and settling into post-ride life for almost a month now and, like all riders after their first trip, are asking themselves, “What’s next?!” The nine riders had quite a journey–filled with breathtaking views, dust and dirt, high fives, big hills, scrapes and bruises, many laughs, and personal accomplishment. Participants from across the US had the opportunity to meet scholars and other TFFT supporters, experience the beautiful landscape of Tanzania, and learn a little bit more about East Africa and the work that TFFT does.
Whether you plan on it or not, spending 10 days relying on a group of strangers in an unfamiliar place will change you. RIDETZ is such a special journey because it challenges our preconceived notions about reaching our goals, building trust, and strengthening relationships. We love for our supporters and TFFT family to experience this, and love even more that every year, a TFFT scholar gets to learn these valuable lessons as well! This year’s student rider, Neema, had the experience of a lifetime and wanted to share what it meant to her with our TFFT family. You can read more about why she originally was interested in RIDETZ here. Keep reading to hear what she had to say about RIDETZ!
My name is Neema Hassan. I am a Form 3 student at Shepherds Secondary School. I am thanking God for keeping us all safe because without him there is nothing that we can do. The aim of writing this letter is to give thanks to the TFFT community for allowing me to participate in RIDETZ 2018. We all rode to the coast for a reason. We did not give up and biked all the way from Arusha to Tanga! It was many miles and in whatever else I do, I think about this experience, not giving up, and believing that I can do it.
I now have better biking experience and an understanding of RIDETZ, and the others who managed to do it with me do as well. I enjoyed myself every day, but the day that was unforgettable was Day 8! No one will forget Monday July 2nd!
Day 8 was when the team faced a lot of rain and mud and were unable to bike all the way to camp!
RIDETZ was an unforgettable adventure! I want to thank all of the riders: Katie C, Katie S, Denise, Candice, Scott, and Bethany, and other supporters for making the impossible possible. Thank you for your support!
With lots of love,
Neema
