Drew Wallace, a volunteer from the US posts his final blog before going back home...
Time goes by way to fast. It
feels like I just got here in South Africa, and already its three weeks later
and I’m leaving. I’ve learned so much while here, it’s been an experience
completely unlike anything I have ever done before. My whole life has been
spent inside the U.S. and this is the first time I have ever been outside that
shell of American middle class comfort. As much as Project HOPE and South
Africa has given me in terms of experience and unfailing hospitality, I hope I
was able to give back just as much of my time and effort to help get the HOPE
center ready to see patients, and start to make a positive impact in this
community.
While here, I was able to finish
up a few different types of gardens, and make instruction booklets for each
one. With luck and a little sunshine, the plants will take root and grow, and
start producing healthy foods, and maybe inspire some of the HOPE center’s
patients to try making their own gardens, and be able to eat a little healthier,
and manage their conditions a little better. I wish I could stay around just a
few weeks longer, and get to see the fruits of our labor here in South Africa,
see the first patients walk through the doors of the clinic, hopefully see the
first vegetable gardens start to pop up in the township, but life and school
gets in the way, as it so often does.
Anyways, so long South Africa, I
hardly knew ya but you taught me so much, I hope I was able to give a little
back. Maybe someday I can return, time willing. I know I certainly want to.
Project HOPE is an amazing organization, and
I’m proud and ever grateful that I got the opportunity to volunteer with them. I’m
certain that they will make a gigantic impact for the better in this community
and I wish them all the best in the future operations of the HOPE center.
Thanks Drew for all your hard work! If anyone would like to come and volunteer with Project HOPE here in South Africa please contact me on slawson@projecthope.org
