“It is good to have an end to the journey but it is the journey that matters in the end” as my journey in Blanco comes to an end this would be the quote i would use to describe my time here, this is because although experiencing this journey was amazing I am gaining so much more amazing things at the end of it, that i believe only Blanco could have given me.
Being here has made me realise so much about me as a person, it showed me how lucky my life is back home, compared to the lives of the people that live in the scheme and valley. Most importantly being in blanco has taught me the true meaning of happiness, that it isnt found in materialistic things and that its not about what we have in life but who we have in our life that matters. The locals of the scheme and valley are some of the happiest people ever and are so grateful for everything B2B do for them, even if it is just spending 5 minutes with them to have a talk, smiling at them or giving them a hug. This is something that i would personally take for granted back home, but these things mean the most to the people here.
One of my highlights of Blanco was meeting Kyra who is 6 years old, shes from the valley on the first day while getting a tour of the scheme and the valley she took hold of my hand ever since that day we have been stuck together. Spending the first few days with kyra her personality shown so quickly and you could see how much of a diva she is but with this you could also see how appreciative she was to be with me. She doesn’t speak much english but what she can say shows how much love she has for me. Leaving blanco yesterday and saying goodbye to kyra and seeing how upset she was to see me go showed me how much of an impact i really did have on her as much as she did on me. Having this connection with her has made my b2b journey so special and i hope i can come back one day to see her.
When you come to Blanco you know there is challenges that you are going to have to face but i never expected or realised how much until i was really there. Seeing the shacks that the people of the scheme and valley live in was so upsetting but no matter what there homes look like they welcome you with open arms. Seeing some of the kids running around with no shoes on was also so hard for me to witness but like i said they are the happiest kids ever and they don’t let this get them down.
Today we started off the day early to drive to Cape Town. When we arrived in Cape Town we went to the waterfront for some free time and then we went on a sunset cruise. Going on the cruise and spending time with the team was a brilliant end to the day but it was also beneficial to me as it gave me time to digest everything that I’ve done over the past 11 days and also give me time to reflect on the situations and the environment that me and my team witnessed first hand. This was much needed as it brought us a lot closer together to fully support one-another and gain a better understanding of everything we witnessed back in Blanco. From being in Blanco for 11 days to now being in cape town is a strange feeling as it is such a change going from spending time in the townships everyday to now doing things like going on a boat tour but i cant wait for the next few days in Cape Town to wind down and finish the rest of my time here.
“The end of a journey is the start of a new one” as my last few days approach in Cape Town this is the quote i will be reminding myself on. Even though my Africa journey is coming to an end everything I’ve learned while being here im going to continue to use and remember back home. I cant thank B2B enough for giving me this opportunity to come out here and make these memories that will last a life time. I cant wait to see what the rest of my Rcity journey holds as it doesn’t end here.