Bye Bye Waterford
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Laura
23 November 2013 | Swaziland, Mbabane
I can’t believe the last week of my volunteering here at Waterford Kamhlaba has ended... It is so unreal how fast the time flew by.
On the one hand I’m leaving in a happy spirit because I honestly have attained so many new experiences that I would’ve never ever experienced in The Netherlands. For example, and this may sounds a bit spoilt and silly, but having to walk down a steep hill to the nearest IB hostel called Elangeni, to wash my clothes (to then walk up again – chill for an hour – walk down and put my clothes in the dryer if it’s free - walk up again to chill for an hour – walk down to get my freshly washed clothes and then finally walk up again to rest :D Quite intensive labour indeed)
Also tiny things like washing the dishes or sweeping the floor, things I totally took for granted at home in The Netherlands (Mama I’m so grateful <3)
But also the skills I acquired whilst working as a volunteer; I now know how to staple 120 copies of a four paged exam most efficiently and least time consuming, I know how to bind a copied book, I know how to scan, I learned how to operate contacts in Outlook and I learned how to make a class of 30 bouncy children sit still like little angels. (and I think that’s not even all the skills yet!)
I’ve also met a lot of new friends here. I know for sure that with some of them I will stay in contact after I’ve left Swaziland.
On the other hand I’m sad. Waterford has really left a mark on me, partly because of what a wonderful school Waterford is with its lovely staff members and its highly motivated students, but obviously also partly because of the past of my parents here. (To make the story short: My papa and mama met at Waterford when they were 17, they fell in love and now they’re happily married for 25 years!) The people I met here and connected with, I will miss dearly. I believe that once someone’s touched your heart, that person has actually taken a tiny piece of it, which makes saying goodbye so so hard because the tiny piece will remain with the person and is missing from your heart.
I will miss the nice campus and the lovely nature surrounding it, I will miss my cozy little room, I will miss the routine of a volunteer’s life at Waterford and I will miss the interesting and lovely conversations with students and staff!
After walking around campus with a sign saying “FREE HUGS :D” and giving people lots of hugs and telling them I will leave soon (with some of their responses: aaah really? I thought you were staying for another term!?) and after making little Thankyou-notes for the staff members and putting it in their pidgeon holes on Friday afternoon, I think I can really say goodbye to Waterford now...
Tomorrow (Sunday the 24th) I’ll be going on holiday for a week with a group of IB2 students to Ponto d’Oro in Mozambique! I am so excited and I will have the time of my life!
Lots of Love
Laura
On the one hand I’m leaving in a happy spirit because I honestly have attained so many new experiences that I would’ve never ever experienced in The Netherlands. For example, and this may sounds a bit spoilt and silly, but having to walk down a steep hill to the nearest IB hostel called Elangeni, to wash my clothes (to then walk up again – chill for an hour – walk down and put my clothes in the dryer if it’s free - walk up again to chill for an hour – walk down to get my freshly washed clothes and then finally walk up again to rest :D Quite intensive labour indeed)
Also tiny things like washing the dishes or sweeping the floor, things I totally took for granted at home in The Netherlands (Mama I’m so grateful <3)
But also the skills I acquired whilst working as a volunteer; I now know how to staple 120 copies of a four paged exam most efficiently and least time consuming, I know how to bind a copied book, I know how to scan, I learned how to operate contacts in Outlook and I learned how to make a class of 30 bouncy children sit still like little angels. (and I think that’s not even all the skills yet!)
I’ve also met a lot of new friends here. I know for sure that with some of them I will stay in contact after I’ve left Swaziland.
On the other hand I’m sad. Waterford has really left a mark on me, partly because of what a wonderful school Waterford is with its lovely staff members and its highly motivated students, but obviously also partly because of the past of my parents here. (To make the story short: My papa and mama met at Waterford when they were 17, they fell in love and now they’re happily married for 25 years!) The people I met here and connected with, I will miss dearly. I believe that once someone’s touched your heart, that person has actually taken a tiny piece of it, which makes saying goodbye so so hard because the tiny piece will remain with the person and is missing from your heart.
I will miss the nice campus and the lovely nature surrounding it, I will miss my cozy little room, I will miss the routine of a volunteer’s life at Waterford and I will miss the interesting and lovely conversations with students and staff!
After walking around campus with a sign saying “FREE HUGS :D” and giving people lots of hugs and telling them I will leave soon (with some of their responses: aaah really? I thought you were staying for another term!?) and after making little Thankyou-notes for the staff members and putting it in their pidgeon holes on Friday afternoon, I think I can really say goodbye to Waterford now...
Tomorrow (Sunday the 24th) I’ll be going on holiday for a week with a group of IB2 students to Ponto d’Oro in Mozambique! I am so excited and I will have the time of my life!
Lots of Love
Laura
-
24 November 2013 - 18:37
Heleen:
Hallo Lau. Prachtig verhaal. Het stukje hart verdwijnt niet hoor, een ander voegt ook weer een stukje toe, zodat het weer heelt.
Reageer op dit reisverslag
Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
