
Welcome to my online journal. This journal is a venue for my views and mine alone and are in no way meant to reflect on the the Peace Corps or its philosophy. I only hope to bear witness to the pandemic in Africa that is killing millions of men, women, and children who, after however many years rife with their own personal struggle to survive, are dying senseless and horrible deaths at the hands of HIV/AIDS. For more current postings, go to www.alysonpeel.blogspot.com
It was excruciating leaving the girls. Words don’t do it justice. I have just finished my exit interview with the PC Country Director and have officially closed my Peace Corps service. We had a party at the orphanage Sunday afternoon attended by all the girls, Manthoba and Tigi, the neighbors’ children, and Simphiwe’s 2 little ones. We had chicken, rice, cake, cookies made by the girls and I saturday, etc. The girls made little movies on my digital camera and we all had a great time. Then I fell apart. It was too much.
The following morning the girls all came to my little rondeval to say goodbye before they left for school. I did not want them all there when the PC came to collect me, I could not have borne the looks on their faces and to see them all standing there as I drove off, so I made arrangements to be picked up while they were in school. I hugged each and kept a smile on my face so they could remember me as happy to be with them. The pretense was exhausting and by the time the drive came, I had nothing left. I wanted to enjoy my last drive from Hlatikhulu to Mbabane, through those beautiful green hills and overlooking South African mountains in the distance, but my mind kept shutting down and I have little recollection of the journey.
More to come…