Tariq’s 1994 Family Trip to Kenya, Africa
During the summer of 1994, Tariq Khamisa took a very special 5-week trip
to Kenya with his mother Almas, his sister Tasreen, and his aunt Yasmin
Hasham (Almas’ sister). It was the first time Tariq and Tasreen had been
back to Africa since the family left in 1973 to escape the oppression of
Uganda’s new dictator.
Tariq’s sister Tasreen writes her trip memories:
"We started the trip by spending a few days in London, England.
Tariq loved London – the culture, the cars, the pubs, and riding the Underground.
We then continued on to Africa. Nairobi (Kenya’s capital) was our home base,
where we stayed with our mom’s family who still live there. We collected
African treasures and were glued to the TV watching World Cup soccer.
We went on a wonderful 4-day Kenyan safari, visiting several national parks, and spent some time in Mombassa at a family beach resort. We also visited my mom & dad’s families in Kisumu, Kenya (located on Lake Victoria).
Despite all the good times, Kenya was hard for Tariq. He was frustrated
with the corruption, danger, racism and hatred that he saw. However, I feel
so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend 5 weeks of quality time
with my brother. Our times together – on Safari and in Mombassa - were a
nice escape from the hard realities of Kenyan life. We were able to contemplate
life and have the most amazing conversations while overlooking the beautiful
Indian Ocean."
Tariq’s mom Almas writes: 
"The memory of Tariq I will treasure the most was our trip to Kenya
six months before he died. Kenya had changed a lot, even for me, but it
was the most wonderful experience to see it through Tariq’s eyes. I especially
loved taking him to Kisumu and sharing my early life there and introducing
him to my aunts, uncles, and cousins who still lived there.
The part of the trip Tariq enjoyed the most was our safari into the national parks to see the wildlife in their natural habitat. He couldn’t get enough of the animals and took over 50 rolls of pictures. When we got back home, he sent me an album of his favorite photos with the following note:
Africa surely was an experience and I am so glad I was able to share this extraordinary adventure with you. It truly was a growing experience and an eye opener that I so badly needed. Thanks. I really do love you lots and think of you often. Take care, Mom. Love, Tariq