Interim 2019: Service in the Kalahari (South Africa)

Sophia

I can confidently say that this interim trip has been one of the best, most rewarding trips of my life. I loved that we not only had the opportunity to do service at a wonderful school surrounded by wonderful people, but we also got to visit significant sights and learn a bit of history about South Africa. As someone who had researched Robben Island for the presentations during interim, I knew of the brutal conditions that political prisoners and criminals worked in prior to going on the trip. And although it felt like I knew how difficult it was to work in those conditions, I had not yet realised that I would soon be able to deeply understand and experience how those prisoners felt. On the first day of working, I commenced digging and shovelling manure with a positive attitude, and thought, "Well, this is not so bad". That was the first thirty minutes. Soon, I was sweating and getting hot, and I did not know how I would be able to do this all day. As we were going back to our hotel, I thought about how we have to do two more whole days of work in the scorching heat. I was overwhelmed and tired, but I could not help but realise that the children at the school that we worked at have to be in that heat all year round. And if the simple labour that we did was enough to drain every single one of us of energy to the point that we were all catching some zzz's on the way back to the hotel - about to enjoy a filling meal, I quickly perceived the rigorous and exhausting life that prisoners lived on Robben Island, finishing their day with no more than a mat to sleep on and a quarter loaf of bread for dinner. Although I was initially grateful for the privileged life I live in Singapore, going on this service trip made me become even more grateful, considering this was my first time properly interacting with those who are less privileged than I am. A thought I recently came across was that in reality, the children we met at the school had a large impact on us - possibly even larger than that of us on them. When you surround yourself with people who live in very different conditions - but are still living their lives to the fullest, that is when you start to understand that you should take advantage of every moment in your own life and pay less attention to little, insignificant things. Looking back a few years ago, I would have never thought that I would be able to experience an amazing trip like this, and it is definitely one that I will always remember.

Martin's Reflection

Prior to this trip, I’ve always considered South Africa as a rich and privileged country who happened to prosper due to British influence. I thought of it as a great destination for tourists, one that catered to residents of a first world country. It has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources; the country itself was scattered with mines that served to harvest the country’s gold, platinum, copper, and coal. Yet, on that Saturday morning, as we passed through the Johannesburg slums, I realized that for the first time, my ignorant perception wasn’t just slightly inaccurate, it was flat out wrong.

Never once had I considered how much South Africa was suffering. I had never heard about the high unemployment rates, the rising crime or the millions of people living below the poverty line. Nor had I considered the effects of the crippling Apartheid system. This country, seen as Africa’s cultural hub — the “rainbow nation” as some would call it — quite ironically, sits on a history of institutionalized racial segregation. And to this day, the economic legacy and social effects of the Apartheid's suppression of Black Africans for the benefit of the white minority is still experienced. South Africa, at this point, is still rebuilding. At 1 AM on Saturday when we flew out of Changi Airport, I knew none of that. But by the end of the first day, with the conclusion of the museum, I finally had my eyes opened.

With this newfound knowledge, I arrived at the school that first day wanting to make a difference. I wanted to work hard for the people that had suffered so much. For the first few hours, I was motivated. My adrenaline was pumping and I would pickaxe at the ground angrily. You could probably even say I looked crazy with how hard I was hitting the ground with my shovel. It wasn’t very long before I tiring though. My upper body started aching. I would gasp for air. I craved water. The school kids themselves, aged from 6-14, would beg me to let them use our tools. Reluctantly, I would hand over these tools and let these kids work. To my surprise, the young and undersized kids would be working efficiently, effectively and faster than I ever could. I could dig all the holes I wanted to. I could plant all the trees I wanted. I could mop as many rooms as I wanted. The truth was, the students themselves did our work better, simple as that.

I was flabbergasted and defeated. I spent hours pondering in bed that first night wondering why I was here, 9,217 kilometers away from my home, helping these African kids in tasks that they themselves were exponentially better at.

On the last day, I finally understood why. It’s not so much the actual planting of trees or the establishment of the garden. On the way to our soccer game, a teacher at the school had told me that he moved to the village from his hometown and stayed there to show the kids that there were people outside the community who cared for them. We were here doing the same thing. To the kids, we weren’t just normal high school students here on a service trip. No, we were so much more than that. To them, we were a group of foreigners who could be sitting in the comforts of home but instead, we were here laboring for them. It didn’t matter how inefficient we were at the work, the teacher told me, it was the action that counted. Yes, we did good work here. Yes, we helped their school in so many different ways. But that wasn't our most important impact. We were here to lead by example. The kids want to follow our footsteps; all of them aspired to be pilots, astronauts, and engineers. In the end, we were here to send an important message: that people care. I care. My classmates care. The world cares.

And I'm proud we were able to show that just that. I’m proud of myself. I'm proud of everyone. Through the work we had done, I’m pleased that we were able to show the kids that the students at Singapore American School care.

Lara's Reflection

Even before signing up for the trip, I knew I wanted to do service in the Kalahari. Having done service before, I knew what to expect, however, I was looking forward to visiting a new country and experiencing South African culture. While I really enjoyed building the garden and being with my friends, my favourite part of the trip was spending quality time with the children at the school. I’ve been on service orientated trips before but I’ve never had the opportunity to connect with the kids as I did in South Africa. Throughout the three days, we worked hard to complete the garden, however, in between breaks, we had lots of time to bond and play with the kids. And despite our language barrier, we were able to laugh, and enjoy our time together through simple activities, such as riddles, duck duck goose, and soccer. During our short time their, we didn’t need electronics to build strong connections with the kids. All we needed was time, care, and patience to be with each other and make the most of this opportunity.

Although I learnt a lot about South African culture, and hard labor over this trip, what I want to remember in the long term is joy and happiness the kids shared. Before going to the village, I was prepared to see these kids with a lot less than I do. After school, these kids would change into clothes with rips and holes, but despite this, they never failed to smile. And while hard to choose amongst so many, this photo captures their cheerful faces in one photo. Seeing how little it took to make these kids so happy reinforced my value for joy and gratefulness. While I’m very grateful for my privileged life here in Singapore, walking away from my first interim abroad, I have learned to appreciate the simple things in life. And by interacting with the kids, I now value the significance of being content with what I have. I should never be ungrateful, or wish to have more knowing that these children were so happy even with nothing.

Visiting the village for only three days, is a short amount of time to really get to know the kids, but they gave me a new perspective to life. Poverty exists in more than half of the world's population, however, it is an issue that will only improve over time. But whether we choose to enjoy our life is under our own control. These kids may be less fortunate than us, but they always had smiles on their faces and were excited to play games and take photos. This opportunity has encouraged me to make the most of my life and to give a positive outlook on any challenges I encounter. The kids will always remind me to be grateful for who I am because even despite their struggles, they were all full of joy and never stop smiling.

Caroline's Reflection

Last week was one of the most unforgettable weeks of my life, I got to experience so many things that people wish they had done in their lives, and I am so grateful for that. When I signed up for the trip, I signed up just because I wanted to go to a new country, I was aware of the service portion of the trip, but it wasn’t the main catalyst as to why I actually signed up; however, the service was the most heart-warming and best sense of accomplishment I’ve had in my life.

The picture above was taken in one of my favorite moments last week. I would go and play with the kids and I would bring my camera out from the bus to get some footage for my video and you can just tell that they haven’t seen anything like it. I would turn it around and hold it near the ground to take a selfie, and the kids would just pile on top of me because it just made their day to feel loved and feel included by using a camera to take a picture of them. It warms me to know we were able to make these kids feel loved, we gave the kids a smile on their face and that, in return, gives us the best feeling. In addition, these kids gave us a view on a different perspective that for most people at SAS haven’t experienced. These kids would play with rocks, hopscotch, even a torn up soccer ball instead of having their head and thumbs attached to a phone 24/7. The kids we met found joy in their own humbled lives, they don’t need the technology that people in Singapore can’t live without.

I also got to experience a level of manual labor that, quite frankly, I’m not accustomed to. I had to lie on my stomach, in 100-degree sun, scooping dirt out of the ground with a can for 2 days straight. It was physically and mentally draining. But to look at a hole that I broke ground on, holding a pole that will help supply people in Africa a garden, is a feeling of accomplishment that I don’t think I would’ve experienced in my life. Craig used the expression “give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” I dug 2 holes, start to finish, which physically took everything out of me. But those holes hold poles, which hold up a net, which at the end help crops to grow for the village, so fulfilling to know that we helped these kids long-term.

We were supposed to go to a school in Southern Africa for 3 days and change these people's lives with human touch and connections; however, in the end, I can vouch for my friends as well, by saying that my life was changed. I now go through my day with a new perspective in mind of poverty, work ethic, and taking things for granted. I am so grateful for this humbling experience and just the fact that I got to do something that I am proud of. Craig said before we started our first day of service that we would leave our legacy here forever, and that next year people would keep coming and adding their own legacy. I hope to return one day and see how functioning the school is and how decades of students legacies overlap each other.

Link to trip video

Talia's Reflection (image)

As a middle schooler, I always envied my brother who was able to go on interim trips abroad. It was a step up from CWW; I could go to places like Morocco, Japan, and even Africa. But the fate of my interim trips for the first two years of high school hasn’t been great to say the least — particularly, the Maldives Whale Shark trip, which I was on, was cancelled the day before we were meant to leave. It was devastating to say the least, and stayed in Singapore for the second year in a row. So, unsurprisingly, I wanted to make the most of my last two years at SAS; I wanted to go somewhere I’d never been before, do things I’ve never done before, and step outside of my comfort zone. The Kalahari trip was my first choice for junior year.

The suburbs of South Africa didn’t look that different from those in Asia. The stereotype of “Africa” with impoverished children and a third world country as depicted on the big screens had been so instilled to our minds that I was shocked. Sure, living situations may be like that in some remote areas of Africa, but not the continent as a whole. I suppose that was my own naivety led me to believe that.

Driving to the school, I immediately took note of how clear the skies were. Singapore and other big cities I typically visit do have relatively healthy PSI levels, but their skies were not as clear as it was in Kuruman. It was free of pollution and I truly felt like I was seeing the world through an extremely high definition TV screen; it seemed almost unreal.

With the African sun beaming down on us, the work was hard to say the least. I’d never dug holes before and planted trees, so I was very inexperienced. Nevertheless, it was a rewarding experience that I do not regret. I was dumbfounded seeing the kids having no trouble helping to shovel out the dirt and rocks while all of us had to go for around three water breaks already. The strength and vitality of the kids was inspiring to me. All of them were eager to help us, even if it was not their job and they did not have to do anything. That was a stark contrast to how things are at SAS, where honestly many people I know do the minimum to pass or choose to do things solely for college - not because of their own interest, passion, or just to help out.

I think probably the highlight of the entire trip for me was the game drive. As I mentioned earlier, I had never been to Africa before. I’d only see animals on trips to the zoo - none that were wild, running free, and living their life in the natural world. You’d never see a lioness carrying the skull of a wildebeest’s she had just hunted in Singapore’s Night Safari. I loved seeing all the animals up close; the zebras and giraffes were just out of our reach, and no one would forget the lone lion guiding us through the shadows of the night. We were on the game drive for around 3-4 hours on the first day, but it felt like it went by so fast. Everyone was so absorbed with spotting animals and appreciating the untouched landscape that no eyes were glued onto their phone screens (except to take photos, of course). It felt so peaceful and was a refreshing experience.

As our trip came to an end, I wondered how our work- despite being there for only three days - would impact the lives of the kids in Kuruman. I remember Mr. Hopkins showing us a video of what the school had looked like a couple years ago - barren with no structures other than the school building. It was surprising to see the before and after photos of the areas where we built the garden and planted the trees. Our hard work will be cemented there for years to come. I know I will definitely return to Africa again in the future - perhaps that will be my interim trip for next year. Hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity to revisit the school and see the school flourish, helping nurture the kids to be successful adults.

Heleen's Reflection

When we were in the middle of digging the garden, the little boy and girl ran up from across the field to say hello. The boy and I had already gotten to know each other a little bit from the day before, or at least tried to communicate even though the language barrier proved to be very difficult. When the boy came up to me again the next day, I was so glad to see the heartwarming smile stretched across his face. It made me realise that we were only there for three days out of the entire year; what seemed like forever to us was only a small portion of the kids’ year. Many of us were constantly complaining of the heat and how tiring the work was, but after the three days, we would return to our aircon and blast it to whatever we desired. All of us had that to look forward to because we knew that we had the option of aircon amongst other things, we knew that we could wash off and put on a new set of clothes, and perhaps most importantly, we knew that we could return home to Singapore and continue on with our lives.

I want to remember this moment because it showed me that there were so many small bits of happiness embedded into each moment, much like the small gems that could be dug from the otherwise rock-solid soil. The little boy and girl showed me that this was their reality, yet they were smiling as bright as they possibly could because they enjoyed our presence. After finishing the three days of service, I felt accomplished and gratified. The service experience was one of the best interims that I have ever experienced because of the pure difficulty of the trip. Now that we are back to school, I miss the smiles I received during the toughest moments and I am even more thankful that I had gotten the opportunity to go to Kalahari. I can only hope that I could one day visit to see how far the trees have shot up, how well the garden has grown, and where all the children are at in their separate lives.

Kelsey's Reflection

Photograph

As soon as I heard about the Kalahari Desert service interim, I felt an immediate draw and connection to the trip. While attending Zurich International School, I was granted the opportunity to visit our sister school located in Bosomtwe, Ghana. My week in Ghana was one that I can wholeheartedly say left me in tears and memories for the rest of my life. Attending and aiding another school in a new part of Africa was a dream come true. Although I visited Cape Town on a family holiday, the bright blue beaches are vastly different from Johannesburg. It isn’t always a teenagers top priority to learn about the history of a country. Nevertheless, I found myself engrossed in the recent history of the Apartheid and Race Laws. Prior to Craig’s explanations or visiting the Apartheid museum, I had very little to no knowledge of how severe and how it wasn’t until 1994 that these laws were abolished. Small facts were just as intriguing as I never imagined that simple English lingo - a traffic light vs. a robot - would be so different from our everyday English. Never did I imagine to learn that gangs rushed apartment complexes, housing in them until forced out by police, and certainly, never did I imagine that there would still be a push of white supremacy by teenagers my age.

On our first day at the school, I was confronted with a massive shock. I hadn’t thought twice about which of the twelve national languages these children spoke, and in the back of my mind, I thought that the children’s English would be decently developed. I was not prepared for there to be a language barrier between us, and since there was, I wasn’t expecting a real bond to be formed. To my surprise, the barrier was easily combated for their eagerness to practice their English. I was asked “What is your name?” countless amounts of times, as well as “How are you?”. Such simple sentences dissolved any barrier, and the following days came with the same questions from the same children. Every morning, the same three to four students (Sepseb, Paulno, Cuclair, and Tepinei, forgive my spelling!), would come up to me to hug me and see what I was working on. There eagerness to follow us around and participate in whatever we were trying to accomplish infatuated me. The amount of energy these children had blown my mind. The first two days consisted of what felt like endless digging, where I struggled against the earth. To my embarrassment, every time one of the kids saw me struggle, they asked for the shovel, got to work, and dug 10x faster than me. I couldn’t help but feel an immediate rush of guilt for allowing them to undertake my work. However, getting the shovel back was a lot easier said than done.

On our second day at the school, I had the chance to go into the third-grade classroom to read with the kids. Despite the original goal of reading, contained chaos broke out. The children started scream-singing, springing to their feet. Being lead by one student, they performed what appeared to be a dance of repeated stomps. Being encouraged by them to participate, I sprung to my feet and followed those around me. Scanning the room, I saw over 30 brightly lit faces with no care in the world.

No matter how many times I have traveled to a developing country, it continues to amaze me just how happy and satisfied everyone is. Moments like these make it completely worth it to stand in the blazing sun digging holes through the rocky earth. Moments like these are the reason why I would do it all again.

Concluding my reflection, I wanted to extend my appreciation for two comments made by Craig. The first was in recognition of being the first to spade that section of the earth and to find the beautiful natural materials, such as the crystals. The second was that the trees I put my sweat and energy into would live on throughout my life and my future lifeline. My heart and mark will live on at the local school in Kuruman, South Africa.

Mansi's Reflection

I’m not sure what I had in mind when I signed up for this interim trip. Okay, that’s not entirely true. I vaguely recall scrolling through several photos posted by students who went to Kalahari last year, and somewhere during the process, I imagined myself going on the same trip and playing and interacting with the cherubic children. But the unfortunate reality of my interim selection pick for the following year quickly suppressed that dream.

As luck had it, I was able to select one of my top-choice interims, and as pictured above, spend quality time with the kids as I had hoped to. While our service work with the tree planting and greenhouse was certainly a memorable experience, I think it’s the moments I spent with the kids that will leave a lasting imprint in my years to come.

Driving up to the school each morning for the three days never failed to fill me with excitement and enthusiasm. From the very first day, our waves at the children were consistently reciprocated and immediately met with toothy grins. But perhaps the best part was that by the last day, we weren’t treated like outsiders: the children were used to us arriving and getting to work, and when they were out of class, they would try to help out with shovels almost twice their size and weight, energetically throwing dirt and rocks everywhere.

With time, I also noticed that there were some of the same kids who kept coming back and we mutually gravitated towards each other. And while I couldn’t learn all of their names, I was able to identify them by prominent characteristics that they displayed. There were two young boys, ages 6 and 8, who I came to know as the “trouble makers”. They spent their time pulling other children's hands out of mine, and all-around causing chaos in hopes of reclaiming their spot next to me. On the other hand, they both revealed a softer, more gentle side and warmed my heart when they helped me teach a classmate who could not speak as much English how to play the hand game “Slide”. And then there are the ones who absolutely make your heart bleed. The five-year-old girl (pictured above) who sat in the corner of the classroom as we wiped down the bookshelves, ready to learn whatever simple English words that came out of our mouths in a game we came up with to keep her and ourselves entertained while working. She picked up every name of a body part, school supply, and color we taught her — and at a pace that took my breath away.

Looking back on this trip, I am grateful for the opportunity we had to help the school, and also for the opportunity to meet the amazing kids. I think that when most people think of Africa, they imagine a struggling population living in dire poverty and facing wretched conditions on a day to day basis — they see hopelessness. But after visiting the elementary school in Kuruman, I can say with confidence that there is an abundance of hope for the future of the beautiful country of South Africa, and it lies in the heart of the children.

Jenny

Before leaving I thought I knew about the history of South Africa. I knew who Nelson Mandela was and the apartheid, but as I would soon find out throughout the week, there is great depth and complexity to the history of South Africa. Going to the apartheid museum and walking around Soweto (pictured) was overwhelming on the first day, but I’m glad we did because it added deeper meaning to the service we did. It also prevented me from asking dumb questions later on. It was hard not to see parallels between us digging holes and the prisoners’ forced to labor on Robben Island (just to name one place.) Although the duration and difficulty of the work we did pales in comparison to what forced labor is like, it made finishing every task more rewarding.

Learning about South Africa gave me also an appreciation for the country as a whole, and the people we met there. Craig was so incredibly knowledgeable and I found his story amazing. I am so glad I was able to meet someone with his experiences. He is (not to be dramatic) a beacon of hope to me in a time in America where the political and racial climate is so tense. Hearing him speak of his childhood, and how he was brainwashed, and how he was able to overcome it, and how he is so comfortable and willing to talk about it really struck me. I will never forget it. I also appreciated how he explained the reasoning of the white migrants - aligning themselves to those in the bible. In the museum, I read nothing of that and I think it is crucial to understand both sides, not to be sympathetic but to better understand the issue. I want to thank Craig for teaching me so much about South African history and really trying to make us understand.

While I found planting trees and creating a shade garden rewarding, the value for me on this trip was in the history of the country. Throughout the week, every day I would learn more and more, and better contextualize the places around me. I saw the changes in the country Nelson Mandela risked his life for, but I also saw disgusting demonstrations of racism. When we passed those teenage boys on the bus waiting on the road with signs in Afrikaans, I thought they were begging for money. I was deeply disturbed to find out they were asking to fund their trips to a white supremacist camp. I had not even realized it until then, but I had been so naive towards the state of things in South Africa. Over interim, I was not only taught about the struggles of the people there, but I was enriched in a way that now helps me understand the world better.

Nina's Reflection

this is a photo of very green grass if u can't tell. maybe it is paint maybe it’s not. idk, either ways i did not expect like so much greenery. Ok so before I went on this trip, i honestly thought south africa would be hot, boring, and sandy but boy was i wrong! I was honestly shocked at how i was so quick to judge without even having been in the continent in the first place. this is kind of a stupid thing to notice but it did leave me feeling a bit confused and frankly, kind of embarrassed as well so i guess ill talk about it. When we first got out of the airport, i was completely shook. it was just so weird to me that a continent known for how hot it is could be um cold. I mean, it wasn’t that cold i guess but i was cold. what im trying to say is, i need to stop judging things. like for real. sry maybe im just dumb but i was actually like surprised. Also, i want to talk about the service. So when I was looking at all the service trips, i decided to choose this even though i didn’t know anyone in it bc i felt like this was one of the only trips where it might actually be helpful…? and fun also. i was right, i guess. at first it was kinda scary bc i didn’t know anyone and it was my first trip ever where i did not have like any friends so that wasn’t fun at first. Anyways, i feel like making the greenhouse and stuff was actually beneficial because like who else is going to be willing to do that. it was fun. i like manual labour sometimes and it was very validating to finish digging a hole. One thing thats haunting me though is how we were playing with the kids. I know that’s supposed to be a positive thing but i feel kind of really bad and guilty that we get so close to them for 3 days and then leave and basically pretend they don’t exist. i just feel like that could lead to abandonment issues and idk i just feel really guilty and wanted to mention it. and the amount of plastic waste that wasn’t fun to watch. also i got sunburn on my neck for the first time ever on this trip and i can’t believe there are people who get this all the time. like, wow. ok thanks for reading x.

Kalie's Reflection

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1040CAAVkHYu9e_E87dR7PH6Z07U8zdZZ8h57IysQxRw/edit

Last week was hard. Mentally and physically.

I remember the first day we arrived at lunch. As we sat down with our food this group of 10 male dancers came to entertain us. Then as we turned the corner, we saw another dance from 5 kids that couldn’t have been over the age of 10. Dance has been a part of my life since I was in 6th grade. Its something many students at SAS have the ability do just for fun. However in Africa, that isn’t the case. Adults preform not because they want to but because they have to, to eat that night. Kids perform on the streets to help as well. Not for fun, but because its how they afford even the slimmest living. That was challenging for me to wrap my head around. Hearing Craig (our sponsor) say that most kids have to drop out of school at 16 to work, I couldn’t relate to. But hearing only 5% graduate or seek higher education was impossible to understand. I tried for most the trip to imagine being in their situation, but I couldn’t. Watching the kids at the school run around, hug you and hold your hand breaks your heart when you know very few of them will beat poverty or achieve a living standard greater than their parents was a mental battle for me. Being at the school, helping the school thrive helped with the mindset I had. It helped me realize by the simple gestures we are doing for this school, we are helping shape lives for the better.

Never having experienced such an impoverished people was eye opening. As we drove into the school, it was unlike anything I had experienced before. Stepping off of the bus to hear the yelling and bright face smiling children waving and crowding the doors of classrooms was humbling. These elementary aged kids were so excited to see these people they had never met before. It amazed me. It made me feel honored to be a part of something that is so much bigger than me. Digging holes, shoveling dirt, breaking soil, cutting wood and building structures is so much fun when you are surrounded by such grateful hearts. After you finish an assignment, seeing their innocent faces you just want to do more. Working your body for 6/7 hours in dry heat for those sweet kids, fills your heart. That was definitely the hardest physical part of our trip.

Taya's Reflection

Throughout my experience on interim this year, I learned and grew so much. Going into the trip, I had a few really close friends and many other girls that I didn’t know too well. One of my favorite outcomes of the trip was that I was able to become really close with a lot of people I never expected to connect with. Growing up, my family traveled all over the globe but the one place I always wanted to go was South Africa. Being able to finally go allowed me to learn a lot about what the country is really like and about how it differed from my expectations and preconceptions. More specifically, I learned that the country is much more diverse than I ever would have expected, including people from all ethnicities and backgrounds. I liked how Craig connected this idea to that of Singapore’s diverse culture. Regarding South African Culture, I learned about the Apartheid Movement and Nelson Mandela at the museum, in Soweto, and from Craig’s bus talks. I never knew how much of a rich history South Africa had and learning about it was really fun. My favorite parts of the culture to learn about, and to teach in my presentation, were the languages spoken in the country. From Afrikaans to Zulu, there are so many cool words that I still use while talking to my friends from the trip.

One thing I was especially excited for was the service days of the trip. I am passionate about helping others, and I had heard such amazing things about the kids and the school from my friends, so I was ecstatic about this trip. The service I did in Africa this year was laborious and difficult, but in the end it was so gratifying to see the physical difference we were able to make in the community. To remember the shade house when it was just a plot of land, the trees when they were just dirt, and the classrooms when they were cluttered and dirty, reminded me in the end how much effort I put into this project and how much more I could contribute if I put my mind to it. I can say that my overall favorite part of my interim experience this year was playing with the children at the school. I think this aspect is a really important part of the service we did because it allowed us to bond with each kid and and to show them that we cared about the service we were doing, rather than solely focusing on the work and never spending time with the actual community. The kids at the school, even though we didn’t speak the same language, were so fun to play with and interact with. In the end, leaving the school only made me want to come back in the future and help again.

During the service work, there are so many special moments I shared with my friends, and the school children. One that stood out to me was when I had just finished cleaning a classroom, and as I was the last one to leave the room, all the kids and their teacher rushed into the room. The teacher told me that they had just learned how to sing the South African Anthem and that they were so proud. I asked if I could hear them sing, which she didn’t expect me to ask, so she started jumping and clapping and instructing the kids into rows. Thirty kids performing to their audience of just me was weirdly such a special few minutes of my life. They sang the anthem to me while the teacher clapped along, each kid was so enthusiastic and full of life in their performance which made me smile the whole time. I clapped and cheered for them in the end and all the kids ran to hug me. Overall, it wa a really happy moment that I wanted to share because it was one of my favorite memories from interim this year. One little boy that I bonded with more than the others was one named Muwahu, which is definitely not how you spell it but I tried my best based on how I heard it. I met him on the first day and if you saw me holding a little boy during the trip, it was most definitely him. Every day when I would arrive at the school and the kids would run out, he would run to me and jump into my arms. He made me so happy throughout the trip and he even made me cry when I had to say goodbye. Most importantly, he motivated me to work harder in the service work so that he could grow up at the school with trees that provided shade, and a shade house to cover the plants. I will miss the kids and the experience of South Africa so much and hope to go back to the school to visit with friends or family in the coming years.

Reid Terrile's Reflection

In past years, I’ve had the privilege to go on interim trips where I made great memories and had amazing experiences. This trip had some big shoes to fill, in other words. This was my first interim service trip, and I didn’t really know what to expect. Would the labor be hard? Would it be fun? Would it be worth it? When picking trips, I was considering staying in Singapore, but a gut feeling told me to jump at the opportunity that was South Africa; Service in the Kalahari. Regretfully, I had always looked down upon South Africa. I thought of it as a developing country and a dangerous place. And while it may still be developing, and a high crime rate is still prevalent, the long bus rides through both the city and countryside truly opened my eyes to some of the beauties of South Africa.

Our guide told us that the kids we were going to be working with were truly at rock bottom. Nonetheless, I was excited to see how our group could help. Whether we were digging holes, cleaning the classrooms, or digging more holes, all of the kids had smiles on their faces and were eager to help. These kids have almost nothing, yet they’re ear to ear smiles would lead you to believe different.

But it wasn’t until the final day that I realised what the word fun meant. As a kid, I hated staying inside when I had the choice to be outside. No matter the activity, I always had fun being out and about. But these kids redefined my definition of fun. They climbed on my back, held my hand, and looked up to me both physically and figuratively as we walked to the soccer field. Yet by the end of our soccer match, it was me looking up to them. It was me admiring them. It was them who set an example of how money and luxury are not a necessity to have fun. I watched them run around on their soccer field, which wasn’t much of a field at all. Rocks scattered the uneven playing surface, and I was mind boggled to see the goalposts were somehow standing upright, considering they didn’t have the best support. The ball was torn and beat up, but that didn’t stop some of the kids from kicking it beautifully into the corner of the goal. When they scored, I watched them celebrate like pros, running up and down the field, waving to the imaginary fans in the imaginary stands. They smiled, and they had fun despite their circumstances.

I walked away from that field a different person, with a different mindset. The wonderful kids I worked with taught me that, as cliche as it sounds, it’s not about what you have or the situation you’re in, but it really is what you make of it. These kids have so little, but they make the most of everything nonetheless. I went to South Africa to help the kids, their school, and their lives, but I would have never guessed that I would be the one learning life lessons.

Gustav's Reflection

When I signed up for this trip, my excitement for the trip was all geared towards the location. South Africa to me, seemed so exotic and different from the other places I’ve been to. In the course description, the service we’d be doing was only summarized in a few sentences, so at the time, I just didn’t think about the service factor of it as much as I should’ve but little did I know, it was so much more than that.

I spent most of the first two of three days, digging holes. At first, it felt great. I thought to myself “This isn’t hard, Craig probably exaggerates too much”. But as every second passed, it seemed like the sun grew as well. By lunch, my back and shoulders were sore, my eyes littered with dust, and my entire shirt was drenched with sweat. I still remember at the end of the day, getting on the bus and just have my body collapse onto the seats.

But when I was working, all tired and emotionless, I saw a lot of the kids, all happy and excited. They were wild, playing soccer and trying to talk to every single one of us. This evoked a kind of nostalgic happiness feeling in me. This year I’ve been so caught up in school and grades that has led to a lot of stress and worry. Yet, these kids were just so innocent and curious and living in the moment, it made me think back about my childhood, and how they were doing the very things I loved about childhood. It made me want to work harder and get more done for them so that that feeling would last longer for them.

Out of those kids, Katlego (pictured) stood out to me. On the first day, he and a few others came up to me as I was digging. His English was a lot stronger than the other kids, so while I could only answer the other’s questions about my name and country before language boundaries got into the way, Katlego kept me company and made the job easier by talking to me. He even translated my questions for the other kids. Over the course of three days, I got to connect with him and learn about him on a personal level. The experience of getting know someone from such a different background may sound awkward or uncomfortable at first, but it was one of the most humane experiences I’ve had.

At the end of the third day, I remember feeling so accomplished and relieved as we took our interim photo and officially finished service. I felt sad when we left though. Yes, we did do a lot, planting trees, building the greenhouse, and putting up the water tank. But I kept thinking like we could’ve done more. It makes you appreciate and be grateful for what you have because these kids go through everyday without things that we in SAS consider a necessity. They face the struggles and challenges of poverty and many other issues, yet their smiles makes them the strongest kids I know. They are only kids, but they’ve impacted me in a way no one else could.

Serra

I’m going to be completely honest, I picked this trip not only because it sounded cool, but because I wanted to go to africa, and I needed a service trip. Yes, I admit, those motives are pretty selfish, but when I got there and when I started doing work for others it made me have an out of body moment. I stepped back and took a look at all of us on the trip, and all the the kids there. We are in this wonderful place, trying to help these kids to literally survive and all we can say is “this is too hard, i'm tired, i'm so done.” This is exactly what’s wrong with SAS people. We are over privileged and don’t even realize it. Take what we have, compared to what they have and ask yourself who is happier. You can’t. One night on the trip, I was talking to Craig and he said that happiness isn’t a destination, you’re not happy once you have 3 ferrari’s and a mansion, happiness is an attitude. And that really spoke to me. There is something fundamentally wrong with the way we live our lives here. We live like we’re on top of the world, we waste things that don’t need to be wasted and we buy things that we don’t need. Sure, we like to have nice things and we like to get things that make us feel good, but how long does that last. Not long, because going back to what Craig said, happiness is an attitude, not something you can buy. Our waste during the trip, especially with the food, was crazy. I was so ashamed to be living the way I do and then go back and see the kids the next day. Other than that, the trip was pretty good. I loved playing football, and the game drives were amazing. I did my project based on the big five, and seeing them in person was really amazing. To me there is nothing as magnificent and elegant than animals, and seeing them in person up close was breathtaking. The work for me wasn’t that bad, I quite enjoy being outside and doing things with my hands, and it gave me something to be proud about at the end. I could say I helped do this and that helped all these people. It’s a pretty great feeling. All in all, I think it was a great trip, very eye opening and enjoyable.

Namika

This picture truly encapsulates all my emotions over the one week period I spent in South Africa. Having already been on multiple service trips in the past, I already knew that this would be another eye-opening and rewarding experience. Although the strenuous and long work was not the easiest, it taught me something that could not have been attained through other means. Going to the apartheid museum and visiting the school gave me an appreciation for the privileged life I have.

Right as we arrived at the school, we were greeted with the students screaming in excitement. Just by looking at their big eyes and cheek to cheek smile, I knew that every second we were there was going to make an impact on their lives. While I was digging up holes in the dense dirt, this one timid girl kept staring at me. She was in complete awe in the way I was digging, so I decided to approach her afterwards. Her name was Manditi, and she was 9 years old. She had proper school uniform on, but her shoes were clearly old and worn down. Over the past three days, everytime we made eye contact, she would run towards me and give me the biggest hug. On the last day, I could tell our connection had grown immensely. In the moment she said “I’ll miss you”, all I wanted was to keep making her smile. Manditi emulated a sense of gratitude and hope that I’ve never seen in someone else. It truly breaks my heart that I’m never going to see her uplifting smile, but I’m incredibly thankful to have been able to go on this trip and touched the lives of many.

Christina