Chicago to Amsterdam:
7 Hours
Amsterdam to
Johannesburg: 11 Hours
Being welcomed with
opened arms by a family in Bloemfontein, South Africa: Priceless.
After many seated hours from Chicago to South Africa on our
KLM flights (yep—multiple), and a 4 hour drive from Johannesburg to
Bloemfontein (both cities located in South Africa), our group could not have
been more humbled and truly grateful for an amazing meal with at least thirty of
Andrew’s “family” members. (This was Andrew’s host family during his volunteer year.) We attended an event called a Braai, which is the South African term
for a barbeque (unexpectedly similar to a typical American BBQ). There was
singing, dancing, prayer, socialization, and lots of lots of delicious food,
all provided by the Monama family. We
quickly made friends with many of the folks there, including some university
students studying accounting to mechanical engineering. I don’t think we could have started our trip
out with a more joyful, friendlier or more cultural experience.
After the Braai,
we loaded back into the bus and headed to Lesotho. We entered into the Magic
Mountain Kingdom without any issues, and then headed to Roma. We arrived late, ate dinner and hit the hay. Man!
Traveling really wore us out!
Today, Monday, March 03, 2014 was simply amazing. We began by
connecting with a group of Basotho who serve as volunteers for BLOOM Africa by
connecting our work in the States to the families and children in Leostho who
we serve. Maicy, Ma’Monaheng, Bokang and Malefa make up an integral part in the
success of BLOOM Africa’s projects and mission.
We then walked to the Leratong Community Center, and saw all the great
aspects of that space. The Leratong Community Center offers a space for
children to play after school, while also growing their life skills: Volunteer Basotho
women teach young children from the community how to knit and sew. Children
also get the opportunity to read, write and build their language, social and
emotional skills. Since BLOOM Africa
funds this Center, it was great to get an inside look.
Later in the day we returned to Leratong to enjoy the shiny,
smiling faces of the children post-school day. We played Duck, Duck, Goose and also learned a fun game/song combination that
Basotho children—Bana, in Sesotho—grow up playing. We played basketball
and soccer; we read books; our normal-seeming volunteers became the silliest
Tickle Monsters you’ve ever met. The joy and laughter was overwhelming, in a
good way.
We ended the day hiking up to the top of a mountain in Roma
to see dinosaur footprints—made, they say, by the Lesothosaurus— and a Lesotho
sunset. We were accompanied by about 20 kids who were eager to show us the way
to the “dinosaur”. It was apparent that they were proud to know the way, and
proud to show us around their home. While the dinosaur prints were cool, they
were no match for the breathtaking views that were waiting for us at the top of
the mountain. Words cannot describe the beauty, peace and joy of the sight.
My name is Sarah Braden, and I am BLOOM Voluntour 2014
teammate and a long-time BLOOM supporter. While I absolutely enjoy reporting
about this adventure from the eyes of group as a whole, this blog entry wouldn’t
be complete without a personal reflection:
The joy and vitality of the Basotho is something that cannot
be explained; only experienced. It is humbling, exciting and restores my faith
in the strength and love of humanity. Families support each other with extremely
limited resources; kids find joy in silly games; strangers greet you, no matter
the color of your skin. The community is filled with a sense of amity, hard
work and hope. The grass is not the
greenest, the work is not the easiest, and circumstances are far from ideal.
However, joy, hope and acceptance are definitely present; and that makes all
the difference in the world.
I speak for my group when I say that this day, well, it
ROCKED. And tomorrow we will travel to Ramamabanta to continue this unique
adventure.
Sarah
Sarah Braden is from Dallas, Texas and on the BLOOM Voluntour
No comments:
Post a Comment