Ontario resident Kristie Antonitto traveled to five countries in Africa for a Rotary

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Anybody for mice on a stick? The little rodents are a protein source on the African Food Pyramid

Kristie Antonitto, a photojournalist for WHAM Channel 13, recently detailed her Rotary-sponsored Group Study Exchange trip to 5 countries in Africa . Kristie, who is currently a full time student at RIT studying for a second career as a nutritionist, also works for Highland Hospital as a Diet Office assistant. Kristie was chosen with four other professionals for the fully funded 30 day trip to Africa to exchange cultural, professional and vocational styles with their African counterparts.

During her speech and slideshow, Kristie has highlights of her visits to charity organizations, hospitals, World Food Program, and homes. She noted that Malawi is the 3rd poorest country in the World.

Housing was provided by Rotarians in the countries the team visited: Zambia , Malawi , Zimbabwe , Mozambique and South Africa . Of the mostly white families with which she stayed, many were of Indian descent, and ran the gamut of middle class to well-to-do industrialists and other professionals. Although their accommodations were often very nice and included pools and large homes, the residents still dealt with such problems as electrical outages and brownouts, as well as water shortages.

She recalled one home, where her “shower” consisted of a basin, which she knelt in and poured a bucket of water over herself. Mosquito netting on beds, and insect repellent were standards for the trip.

The saddest days were her visits to a home for blind and disabled adults and children, and the many orphanages for children who had lost their parents to AIDS. She found the numbers astonishing. The World Food Program helps to supply lunch for school children and several other organizations, such as the Scottish International Program's St. Mary's Meals help to put a dent in the overwhelming malnutrition issues. “In 44 schools in Malawi over 100,000 children a day are fed by such programs,” said Kristie. Nutrition rehabilitation includes such food staples as sheema, a porridge like mealie meal (finely ground corn) cooked in boiling water and eaten with the fingers.

During her trip, Kristie Antonitto presented a soccer ball signed by the Rochester Rhinos to a Rotarian from Africa .

“Protein is not often a part of the native's diets,” acknowledged Kristie. “In looking at Africa's Food Pyramid, to compare it with ours ( U.S. ), I found that mice are included under protein.”

Although farming could be taught to the Africans to alleviate some of the lack of protein-rich foods, tobacco is largely grown as an export product. Tobacco farming, construction, and copper mining in Zambia , are the largest industries in Africa . There does not appear to be a tourism market.

“In South Africa , I noticed that the most common beverages were Coke and Fanta. It made me mad, because there is no dental care and many people are toothless.”

Besides the rampant spread of AIDS all over Africa , poaching of the wild animals is a another major problem. “One of our team works at the Seneca Park Zoo, and filmed two white rhinos in Malawi , which we later learned were poached the next day and left dead with their horns taken for profit,” Kristie explained sadly. “We found that if we wanted to see any wild animals, we had to go on Safari. The wild animals have been so overhunted that they are almost non existent.”

With all the negativism and sadness of parts of the trip, Kristie and her team found wonderful, friendly villagers, hospital personnel, happy children playing soccer, and much industry. She met a man in Malawi who ran a Crocodile farm, which she was thrilled to observe.

Kristie was asked if she ever felt afraid during her African trip. “No,” she admitted, “I just felt that Rotary would never put me in harm's way. I felt very protected.”

Fairport Rotarian Jeannie Wells led the Group Study Exchange team to Africa . Jean is a nurse. Her team included: Kristie; TC Pellett from the Greater Rochester Visitor's Association; Sarah Meyer an Outreach Coordinator for the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith College; Laurie McFadden who is the Alfred University Library/Archivist, and Joe Roman, a 6th grade Science, Social Studies and Reading Lab teacher at Wheatland Chili Schools. A GSE Exchange team from the five countries visited by this group, came to our area in early 2007 on the same type of business and cultural exchange.