When I woke up this morning I felt kind of lost. It’s 3 weeks ago since we left Rocky Road and 3 days ago that we left South Africa. I can still remember leaving Rocky Road as if it was yesterday. It was quite emotional because Rocky Road feels like my “African Home”.

We went to WWISA and Rocky Road to volunteer at the clinic in Kurland and because we couldn’t get academic credits for that, we also wanted to do a survey. We decided to find out what the school kids of the Bitou Ten Schools between the ages of 12 and 18 years old think about HIV/AIDS and how that influences their behaviour. Because of Mac’s great help our survey grew quality wise and now we might get more than double the credits! Besides the survey we are now familiar with the health services in the area. We helped at the clinic in Kurland, the polio campaign, did school health checks, issued TB drops, went to the day hospital in Plett and the ARV-clinic and joined the people of the mobile clinic. We also helped at a camp with school kids and I helped at the crèche in Kurland. It was great to do so many different things and I’ve had a wonderful time.

It took some time to get used to the “African Way of Life”. After a while we discovered that it is a very relaxed way of life, because it is almost impossible to get stressed. So, it gives you time to enjoy your time in South Africa. We have met a lot of different people, but all of them are very friendly and really hospitable. There are a lot of moments which I will never forget. The walks in Nature’s Valley, doing the last one and a half day of the Otter Hiking Trail, having a drink at the Ski Boat Club, watching rugby at Enrico’s, chasing baboons away from the garden, driving The Bakkie & Golf, going out to Flashbacks, eating muffin’s, skydiving, horse riding, having a braai, going for a drink to Koinania, sitting around the fireball with marsh-mellows, meeting a lot of great people, having a braai again, playing ’30 seconds’, listing to Rocky telling about Fritz, the fairies and fresh air and so on.

Besides of all the fun things we did, we also experienced a lot of touching moments. For example the kids at the crèche who welcomed me enthusiastically every single day I walked in. It was really fun to help at the crèche and get to know the kids quite well.
What I also still remember very well was the woman who came to the clinic on Tuesday because she had burned herself with boiling oil. A really large part of the skin of her leg was burned and it looked really awful. When she came in she was in a good mood and laughing so I never expected to see her leg burned as it was. The most awful part of the story is still coming...... the accident happened on Saturday but she couldn’t afford the transport to the day hospital in Plett so she had to wait until the clinic in Kurland was open again; and this was even closed on Monday because of Heritage Day!

Further there was Sister Christine. We helped her with the polio campaign and the school health checks. When we said goodbye, she said to us that we are not doctors to her but daughters. She is a lovely woman.

Of course there were the people of Rocky Road and their visitors. Mac, Rocky and Marietjie and the volunteers we met all contributed a lot to the fantastic time I had. Without them it would not be the same. I will always remember them and I am sure that we will meet again in the not very distant future!
I have got to know South Africa as a beautiful country with a lot of different sides, very friendly and hospitable people and an amazing nature.
Now I know where that feeling this morning came from… I’m living at the wrong side of the world!
Cheers!

Bonny Aansorgh, The Netherlands

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