West of Africa

In the midst of the Kony 2012 campaign shedding light on the inconceivable war crimes committed by Joseph Kony, I found myself thinking about what else I could do to help.
For awhile I've wanted to go to Africa to experience life, real life uninhibited by fancy technology, superficial beings, and overly-lavish settings. I feel like despite the strife in the different areas of Africa (Uganda, Darfur, etc...) the people there know life because they are in constant battle for it. What are we doing here sitting on a comfy couch with a faux-fur blanket on our laps watching "13 Going on 30"? What am I doing?
In conversation with my mom, I confessed that  everything I do, sparked by the Kony 2012 video, seems very superficial and unimportant when things like the tragedy of war and hate are being spread across the world. I said I feel incapable of succeeding because I have no idea what it's like to have nothing, to see the disparity and the beauty of a poignant life. There's way too many opportunities for me to generalize here, so I don't want to say too much in case I accidentally offend someone, but in short, I want to help. I want to do more than buy a pair of canvas shoes and donate $30 for a "Kony Action Kit" (which I'm very much looking forward to receiving.) Thus, I am going to Africa.
I've found a great charity group here which will hopefully be contacting me back about a volunteering position. I have a lot more to research and more charity groups to look into before making a decision, but with mom on board, I'm looking forward to finding a great way to contribute hands-on.