Many politicians make promises of reducing poverty, helping the homeless and serving those less fortunate. While some follow through on those promises with legislation, others, like state Representative Steve Wieckert, take the term ""public servant"" to a whole new level.
This past winter, Wieckert, a Republican from Appleton, traveled to Africa with Habitat for Humanity to build houses for those in need. The three week trip took Wieckert and 13 other volunteers to Tanzania for an experience Wieckert said really ""put things into perspective.""
Wieckert and the other volunteers traveled to the heart of Africa, where they built brick homes that Wieckert described as no bigger than an average garage. Wieckert said that for the Tanzanians, however, compared to their old mud and grass huts, the new homes with brick walls, cement floors and steel roofs, were big.
One thing that struck Wieckert was how poor the people he was building houses for were. ""Their worldly possessions might be their clothes, it might be a cooking pot or two,"" he said. ""They actually would have trouble sometimes finding enough food to eat.""
Before going on the trip, Wieckert heard one immediate necessity was shoes, so he sent out an e-mail to other lawmakers and collected a generous supply of shoes to bring over.
Despite their poverty, Wieckert said the people were always grateful for his group's help and were gracious and caring people.
""They were so appreciative of anything we could do,"" Wieckert said. ""They have a good work ethic, they have very good family values, and they really respect other people.""
He said that he once left his laptop on a table, and a man chased after him to return it. In such a poor country the laptop could have easily been sold for a large amount of money.
Wieckert said his desire to help people inspired him to take the trip. ""Vacations are nice, but I really think helping people, people that are so less fortunate than we are, is doing what we can.""
He added that the trip also taught him about other cultures and shaped his outlook on life, as he watched people simply try to survive.
""We are very fortunate,"" Wieckert said. ""We have to think how we can improve, but we also should take a minute to count our blessings.""
Aside from building homes, Wieckert did take a minute to enjoy his surroundings. In a six-and-a-half day trip he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.
Wieckert also enjoyed a safari, allowing him to see a plethora of wildlife including elephants, giraffes and zebras.
Wieckert said he wished he could have stayed longer and would love to return some day. In the mean time, he has spoken to various ambassadors and other legislators about Africa, and is hoping to create some brother-sister relationships between Wisconsin and an African country. He also said his trip gained more visibility for the region, and a number of legislators have asked what they can do to help.
""Everything helps,"" Wieckert said. ""It has a synergistic effect."" Because of his trip, Wieckert said eight to 10 other people have already approached him about taking a trip to Africa themselves.
