Sadly, stealing is all too common in developing countries. No matter what the situation, it's hard to not feel violated, upset and angry. What's harder is to forgive and move on. Within my first week in Tanzania, I lost 2 Ipods and a set of headphones. I was devastated and confused as to why no one seemed to know who snuck into my home. Later, after a mutiple stolen phones and lost cash, you come to realize that items and money are transient and worse things can happen. Nevertheless, that doesn't take away the pain and frustration you feel each time it happens and, without doubt, it will happen. Travelers learn this painful lesson right off the bat. However, what can hurt the most, is when something is stolen from a space that you thought private and secure. Our clinic director, Chantal, experienced this today when her computer was stolen from inside her office. Despite me sitting outside working on my computer, someone managed to sidle inside and take her laptop. Her heartbreak was palpable. While she is a strong, patient and wise women, she couldn't help but be hurt. The words that she uttered right before leaving were "what hurts the most isn't the missing computer, but the lost documents and the disrespect." Unfortunately, too many of us can empathize with this pain.
