Hey guys,
today was the final day. Two weeks in Johannesburg in South Africa went past and the time in the children's home was incredible.
At 6 a.m. all members got up and helped in the kitchen or the dormitory of the children. It was the last time I could chat with Bijan our cook. We had a nice talk about the future. When we sat on the breakfast table I began to be sentimental. For the last time in the big hall with all children. Hearing the loud laughes and loud conversation for the last time. Puh... I didn't want to go home. All children and employees were very dear to me especially Ashanti, the 70-years-old employee.
After the breakfast we had to pack our bags and say goodbye to the children. We made a last walk through the children's home terrain and waited for the bus.
Shortly before we left, a little girl gave me a little present for the farewell. She had painted a picture for me. A tall white girl and a short black girl were painted in the middle of the sheet. Next to the girls our names were painted in a big red heart and on the top of the sheet a little message was written:"Thanks for the nice time with you".
Wow... this was the best gift I ever got. It is so impressive how much the children value your work and help. They are so grateful for what you do and were so thankful.
Then we had to say goodbye. When the bus was leaving the children's home, all children and employee stand in the entrance and waved good-bye to us. On the way to the airport we talked about our experiences during the internchip. Everybody had a different highlight and it was very interesting to see which part the other members most liked.
For me every day was a highlight but especially the chat with Ashanti about the apartheid was really fascinating. In general the project of the children's home, the school, the landscape and the city... all of these things were so incredible and impressiv. Well, also there are some things I didn't like. For example the sanitations or our dormitory but these are just some small negativ aspects of the whole beautiful adventure.
The fight to Hamburg was really relaxing. I thought a lot about the persons I've met. Ashanti, Bijan, Maja and so many more. When we arrived in Hamburg and checked out I saw my parents standing in the arriving area. That's when I realized how much I missed them. I fell in my mothers arms and hugged her. On this point my adventure in South Africa ended.
Now I'm sitting on my bed in my really comfortable bedroom and dream about all the perfect moments of my internship. This adventure and internship really paid off. From the children's home to the city Johannesburg to the Kruger Nationalpark and to the Heritageday, all of these experiences were such a great enrichment for me. I'm very happy that I chose this project. I don't regret any decision I made.
At this point my blog about my adventure in South Africa ends. I hope you liked my articles and had a lot of fun reading my blog. If you have any questions or want to hear more details, please send me a mail to aliciavergin@gmail.com
-Alicia
