My final two months in South Africa must have been amongst the most enjoyable and most rewarding, despite leaving being the hardest thing I ever had to do.
Over the holidays the Art and Craft Workshop was quite successful! Two other volunteers came in to help out and by the end of the first week we had a steady stream of children from all ages coming in to try out something new. The younger kids coloured mandalas, painted tins to become plant pots, made jewellery out of pasta pieces and paint, and, overall seemed to enjoy getting messy! The older girls made some beautiful dream catchers made from driftwood and shells we found on the beach as well as some jewellery from beads.
I had been busy preparing the teachers at the preschool with a folder full of all the teaching resources and art ideas they needed for the next term in line with the lesson plans and curriculum. Amongst other small tasks such as designing a new menu for the Ziyaduma Restaurant - a TransCape project to help one family in the community to earn extra income from travellers and locals alike with delicious pancakes!
Before I knew it the time had come to go! I spent a couple of weeks with my brother at the end of my year to show him some of the wonderful places I had been so privileged to go to and finishing up in the incredible country of Mozambique.
It is difficult to conclude a year of your life, no matter what you have been doing or where you have spent it. Time, it's true, passes much faster when you are having fun. Or, indeed, when you are happiest. Towards the end I began wishing for the seconds, minutes and hours to slow down, scared that I would miss out on a beautiful moment. Now that I am home I know that I did everything I could to appreciate my time, and give it the respect and love it deserved. The memories of every sun-rise and every child's smile will always stay with me.
Although my 'gap year' did not exactly go to plan, it was this that made it so unique and life-changing. What allowed me to find not only the people who touched my heart, the places which inspired my thoughts... but to find out a little bit more about what it all means.
Now onto the next stage, in a couple of weeks I will be moving yet again (a little be less adventurous this time!) to Sheffield to study Geography. Although I am excited about the prospect of studying, nobody really prepares you for the difficulty of coming home after such an intense year.
I want to personally thank everyone who supported me in my volunteer work. Without the strength of my friends and family, the financial support of my sponsors, and gratitude of those I worked for I could never have learnt as much as I have. Furthermore I want to encourage those who think they may want to do something similar - do it and you will never look back.
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