Sometimes I feel like the greatest stroke of luck in our lives happened before we even learned how to speak.

We were simply… born. In a specific country. Into a specific family. Under specific circumstances. And none of us chose this.

These children live in Zanzibar. Perhaps someone looking at the photo will think: "How lucky they are. It is always summer. Palm trees. Bananas. The ocean is right there." And they will be both right. And completely wrong.

Most of them have never owned a single pair of shoes.
Many have never held a real toy in their hands.
Some taste chocolate for the very first time only when they reach school age.
And some have never traveled beyond their neighboring village in their entire life. Not because they don't want to. But simply because there is no such opportunity.

When I first moved to Tanzania, people often told me the exact same phrase: "Why do you help them? They chose this life themselves."

And you know…

I used to think there was logic in those words. Until I got to know the people closer. A child does not choose where to be born. They do not choose their parents. They do not choose their country. They do not choose their family's income level. They do not choose whether a school will be nearby.

And they certainly do not choose whether to be born in the center of New York, Kyiv, or Paris… or in a tiny village in the middle of Zanzibar.

It is just a lottery. Where some get a winning ticket, and others - do not.

Over my years in Tanzania, I have seen all kinds of things. Yes, there are people who do not want to change anything. But there are others, too. Those who grab any opportunity with both hands. Who are willing to walk several kilometers just to get to school. Who learn English from an old textbook passed down from family to family. Who dream of becoming a doctor, a teacher, or a guide.

They do not need pity. They need a chance.

Sometimes a single chance can change the destiny of an entire family.

That is probably why I still cannot just walk past these children. Not because I consider myself a savior of the world, and certainly not because I think I can solve all of Africa's problems. No. I just know one simple thing.

If today you can change the life of at least one child - it means their world will never be the same again. And sometimes that is more than enough.

Happiness and poverty do not always go hand in hand. I have met incredibly happy people who had almost nothing. And very unhappy people who had absolutely everything.

So, when you come here, try to look not just at the ocean, safaris, and beautiful sunsets. Try to look into people's eyes. Sometimes, that is exactly where the real journey begins.

The Lottery Called "Birthplace"