Traveling to Africa has been a life goal of mine since I was about 13 years old. There have been only a few people in my family that have traveled to this beautiful country and they each had amazing stories to tell. Because of those stories and amazing photos, I wanted nothing more than to be able to travel to Africa and return with my own stories and experiences to share.            

Staying in South Africa for two weeks was quite the emotional experience. There were times when I felt deliriously happy and other times very sad. I was happy to be in such a beautiful and welcoming country. I was also beyond ecstatic to finally be in the country that I have wanted to travel since I became a teenager. What made me the most happy though, was seeing all the smiles and joy on the all the peoples’ faces when we would come and visit with them. The children loved to play, hold our hands, teach us part of their language, and learn about us. Our presence and care alone was enough to make them happy; that is incredible to me. Although there were many times I was smiling, there were also times that I shed tears. It was very hard to see the amount of poverty that people are living in, in South Africa. Poverty such as families living in houses made of scrap metal with no running water or electricity; Men sitting in the middle of the roads half clothed, asking for money; children clinging on to us, wanting to be held and not letting go. These are just a few of the things that would break my heart, and be embedded in my memory forever.            

Traveling to South Africa was definitely one of the most eye opening trips I have ever experienced. Submerging myself into a culture that I have never been a part of before was the only way, that I felt, I could be close with the country and understand the peoples’ way of living. I’ve witnessed some of the poverty and yet at the same time, I was privileged to see and feel the warmth and welcoming of the people. They greeted us with open arms and without judgment. Despite their struggles and hardships, they still believed in God and had smiles on their faces.            

I think this trip will teach me to be a different person. Here in America, we don’t realize how fortunate we are. We take many things we have for granted. Things like running water, electricity, food, shelter, an education, medication, etc. All of these so-called “necessities” are a part of a normal, everyday life here in America. Unfortunately, in South Africa, people are working to maintain at least two of these life needs, let alone all of them. Coming to South Africa has taught me that people can be selfish and close minded. In Africa, children are crying because there isn’t enough food to eat. Here in America, children cry if they don’t receive a cell phone for their birthday. To me, this is absurd. Visiting South Africa has taught me to appreciate what I have and to be aware of-the-fact that there is always someone out there who has it harder than me. From what I have seen and learned, I would like to take the information that I have acquired and use it in my every day teachings. I think it’s important to remember the hardships I’ve seen and try to live a less materialistic life and be grateful for what I have. Traveling to South Africa has definitely made me realize how blessed we really are.            

One of the places that I would like to make better is Lambano’s Sanctuary. Their mission is to provide care and support for children dealing with HIV/AIDS. Here, a few women take care of 29 permanent children that have been infected with this virus. Lambano also opened a twelve bed Hospice to provide care for those dying from the disease. I think this organization and its mission is very admirable and I would only want to help continue their hard work and dedication. If I were to make things a little better for this organization, I would first try to have more women permanently involved. This sanctuary accepts children from birth to 16 years of age; these first few years of a child's life are the most crucial ones. If there is only one woman taking care of at least six children, not all the kids are going to get the proper amount of care and attention that they need. If there were more women permanently involved in these children's lives, I think they may have a better chance of living a little while longer. The reason I put such an emphasis on the word “permanent” is because these orphans have already experienced a loss. They don’t have their biological mother to take care of them and they are placed in a sanctuary with 28 other children. That can be very difficult for a child to adapt to. If there were more permanent volunteers in the home, perhaps a child would get the chance to truly bond with a “mother-like” figure. I think this would give the children the closest opportunity to a “normal” life, which in my opinion, every child deserves.            

I feel that I deserve an ‘A’ because I worked very hard at engrossing myself in the South African culture. I enjoyed learning about their culture and trying the different foods. When it came to visiting the different elementary schools, havens, and orphanages, I think I did my best to make all the children happy and let them know that I care. For the two weeks, I feel like I worked my hardest to be a part of the group.