Written By Josh, Latitudes ’19 South Africa
The past 3 months in South Africa have been some of the quickest but most memorable days of my life. I spent my time there doing amazing work with a program called Dreamcatchers, that has been working tirelessly to improve the community of Melkhoutfountein in any way that they can. Every day I was doing something different, some of it was hard but in the end rewarding. 1 week I would spend my time painting houses around the community, the next week I would be working in a former dumpsite that Dreamcatchers has since transformed into a beautiful garden full of life, and then the next week I would be assisting groups of dentists who came from England to give free dental care to all the citizens of the community. My time with Dreamcatchers on the southern most tip of Africa was truly inspiring. The head of Dreamcatchers, Anthea, has dedicated her life to this project and her passion is incredible. The people that work with her, Katrina, Jason, and Deborah always made the work days fun and I cannot express how much I will miss them all. When I was not working however, the good times only got better. My homestay family made sure I was integrated well with the community, and from the start they made me feel at home. Reesa, Rhoni, and Cammy were the best 2nd family I could have ever dreamed of. I am going to miss Reesas delicious food and quick jokes, Rhonis laugh and arguments about football, and Cammy didnt really talk much but I’ll still miss her too. I feel so grateful that I was able to also take a lot of amazing trips around the area. I hiked through caves to look at ancient bushman art, visited the beautiful and vibrant waterfront of capetown, drove through a massive game reserve flooded with elephants, and nearly had a heart attack when I pet a cheetah at a zoo. All in all my time in South Africa was one to remember, and I am heartbroken to have to say goodbye. Reesa always told me before I left for work to enjoy every moment, and every moment was definitely enjoyed.