First, apologies are in order for the length of time it has taken to write this blog. Many of you have been asking about it and I appreciate your patience. This has not been easy to write for a couple of reasons. First, although it seems silly, writing the final blog on Africa closes the door a little bit on the trip and I wasn’t quite ready to do that. Also, to try to sum up the experience is difficult; I hope I have done it justice. It stirs up many mixed emotions.
And so I ended my trip to South Africa the same way I began it – with my face pressed up against the window of the small, white Thanda pickup truck – trying to absorb everything I was seeing. The people and the land, these are things I want to hang on to. I don’t know what the future holds for South Africa – it is difficult to figure out. It is perhaps the only place I have traveled that I can’t quite wrap my mind around, can’t quite figure out. They are making progress and things seem to be headed in the right direction, but there is still tension and crime, byproducts of Apartheid and the fact that so many people were denied an education and the ability to learn skilled labor. Now, legally at least, everyone is entitled to an education and better jobs. So in time with an educated and skilled population, as people are able to support themselves and their families, well, the hope is that things will improve.
I say that people are legally entitled to an education but some are still denied due to social reasons. Sometimes in rural areas the children will sit in the classroom all day and wait for teachers to show up, many of whom were just too sick to come to work that day. HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact on South Africa. Other children, with their parents gone, may have to provide for younger siblings and work instead of going to school. So, for some the sad cycle will continue. This is where programs like Thanda Zulu come in. By providing support to those in need in the form of education, skills, and guidance – and they are making great progress.
As I said in a previous blog, I am not an expert on South Africa and what I have written is based on my personal experience but I would like to leave you with some random thoughts about what I saw and experienced. So here goes: beautiful beaches, sugar cane fields, people and more people everywhere – even walking along the highway, dust, rolling green hills, outdoor markets, poverty, wealth, warm and welcoming people, spectacular sunrises, big cities, small towns, rural villages, wildlife reserves, smiling children, well, you get the picture. This is a very beautiful and diverse country with a lot to offer.
I went to Africa thinking that I was going to be the one who was giving, but in the end I received a lot more than I gave. I met beautiful, warm people, was inspired to see how much of a difference people can make in the lives of others, and came away with a lifetime of beautiful memories and experiences.
