Lessons from the Bush

By Kaitlyn Ammerlaan

Coming into college, I had no idea that I would have had the opportunity to study and travel abroad. I didn’t think that it was something that I needed or would even want to do. But as I began to get more involved with my major, Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, and my Conservation Biology minor, the desire to experience more of the world that I was studying began to silently weigh on me. As I continued to learn more about some of the greatest problems that we face, it became difficult to be hopeful about the future and my own ability to make a positive change. With this lost feeling weighing on me, I heard about a program that was happening this summer in South Africa and I perked up a bit. While it was a difficult decision to leave for three weeks of the summer, I knew that in order to best care for the world and people that I felt compelled to protect I needed to take this opportunity while I could. After traveling around this beautiful country for the last three weeks, I can say that I learned so much more than I was expecting to, both about the world and myself. I feel much more confident with who I am as a person and what I have the potential to do as a conservationist.

Before I left, I had the impression that I was coming to South Africa to find something new. But, through all of our experiences, I discovered that I did not have to go searching for something and instead all I had to do was look around and within myself. Throughout all of our travels, one of the most common occurrences was finding similarities between South Africa and home. We tend to view distant places as a unique opportunity to learn about people from cultures different from our own; and, while this was a very important part of my experience here, I found myself surprised about how much I had learned about myself and my culture as well. These revelations also demonstrated how interconnected the world is; how seemingly separate cultures can influence each other. I learned the most about this during our homestay experience. Coming into Dotha, the village that I had the joy of living in for two days, there were obvious barriers between us students and the people of the village. These were easily overcome, however, through simple conversations about music and Facebook, during which we found a lot of common ground. This trend of finding similarities and differences between our different cultures followed throughout the homestay and I believe that it facilitated the great appreciation and love that I have for the people of Ha-Makuya. In terms of conservation, these observations have helped better my understanding of the importance of fair negotiations and consideration of multiple perspectives when creating and implementing conservation strategies. I have become so much more aware of where I fit into this world and how I can use that position to contribute to conservation going forward.

My time here in South Africa has also significantly humanized issues surrounding conservation. One of the most impactful lessons that I have taken away from my experience in South Africa is the need for care and consideration of every aspect of the living world. The concepts of community and companionship and care followed me throughout my journey. From observing the wonders of Kruger National Park to being overwhelmed by the sense of community in Dotha to experiencing the joy of members of a community-run nature reserve, the adventure here in South Africa has shown how important and influential communities can be. When people take time to look beyond the needs of themselves and focus on the needs of others, positive change can be made. Again shifting to an environmental perspective, this compassion can then be extended to include elements of the natural world in order to create a sustainable system. I witnessed this most clearly during our stay at Lekgalametse Community Nature Reserve. At Lekgalametse, communities live surrounding the nature reserve and maintain it as a thriving natural area. It was incredible to learn about all of the plans and steps that were being taken by the local community to protect and preserve their land. This is the same level of care that I hope to help contribute to in my own community and also help facilitate in others.Beyond conservation, I have discovered more about my own ability and drive to care for those around me.

I have had the amazing opportunity here in South Africa to discover a renewed sense of compassion for the world around me. This is such a big world that we all live in and it is so important to take time to experience all that is in it. From your backyard to the bush of South Africa, there is so much to love and appreciate in this world. Take some time to breathe and take some time to care for those around you. I am excited to use all that I have learned here to help me grow as an individual and to contribute to a more sustainable future for the incredible communities here in South Africa.

An Interview with Mr. Malala and Rodney

By Daniel Dominguez

Our interview began on a sunny afternoon in the savannah, a slight breeze was blowing in the air as we sat down in the shadow of the main cabin of the Tshulu Research Camp with Rodney and Mr. Malala. We nervously awaited the beginning of the interview, just then Rodney began to smile and speak. He started by introducing himself and Mr. Malala, we then began to introduce ourselves one by one. Rodney said the best way to start our discussion was to introduce the concept of the Tshulu Trust. The Tshulu Trust operates in Ha-Makuya of the Mutale Local Municipality in the Limpopo Province. The Tshulu Research Camp was built as an ancillary site to help accommodate its primary mission, which is the homestays. The homestays offer a unique experience: visitors will stay with a family that needs help and their stay helps bring in income to a struggling family at the time. In return, visitors get to experience the life of the people in the area. The Tshulu Trust began in 2007 and helps employ community members. Its board members are all volunteers from the Ha-Makuya area who receive no financial compensation from being on the board.

Rodney and Mr. Malala had two very different stories on how they began working for Tshulu Trust. Rodney was a security guard in Johannesburg and was doing so to support his family back in Ha-Makuya. Much like the early industrialization of Europe, it was a better benefit to go to the city for work and make more money and send it back to your family than to stay in your local village. When Rodney learned of a security internship at Tshulu Research Camp and the mission of the Trust, he applied for the job and secured it. Rodney began as the night security worker at Tshulu Research Camp; and three years later in 2011, he became the camp manager, the role that he continues to work in. Mr. Malala's story is much different. When plans began, it became apparent that someone in the community was needed to make the project happen. The trust came to Mr. Malala because he had studied the geography of the area and corrected the board on the best location for the camp. Mr. Malala was an engineer by trade; having never received any formal training, he could do masonry, contracting, electrical, and welding work around the camp to make it a reality. He is a real jack of all trades. The Tshulu Research Camp stands tall because of his continuing work. Whenever any maintenance needs to occur, he is contacted to rectify the issue. The two men would like to expand the camp so that they could bring in more visitors to the area and hire more people in the community and their families.

Rodney’s family consists of 4 children and Mr. Malala has 9 children to support. Both men expressed that it was challenging for them to put their families through school. Although admission was free, they still had to pay for books, supplies, and boarding while they attended the far away schools. Working for the Tshulu trust helped them raise the necessary funds to continue their children’s education.

Being a child of Immigrants, I asked if they would ever like to emigrate to a country like the United States and they stated that they would not want to move there. This was a surprise to me as the reason my own parents moved to the United States was so that their children could have a better future. They responded “We would not like to move away from Africa because here we are connected by blood and by soil, in America we would only be connected by blood.” It became clear that the two men wanted to help the community grow and they wanted to take charge of the growth and began working with the Tshulu Trust.

As the breeze began to slow and the sun came over our heads I had one final question for the men, “Are you happy with your situation?”

“Yes,” they both stated

Rodney continued; “We can not change the circumstances by which we were born to. It would have been nice to be born to a family that had a lot of wealth, but that is not the case. We were born here, and we can not change that. All that we can do is work to better our situation and to help those around us, that is why we are happy because we are doing just that.”

All About Perspective

By Sabrina Romeo

Throughout my travels, many people we’ve encountered have asked me what my favorite part of the trip has been. I would typically answer with a most treasured animal encounters or a pretty place we’ve visited, but after the homestay in Ha’ Makuya, my opinion drastically changed. While at the Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, a few days after leaving Ha’ Makuya, one of the men, who had explained to us how the area joined together surrounding communities with their conservation efforts, asked me what my favorite part of the trip had been so far and it was a new, but an easy answer.

I answered that my favorite part of the entire trip so far (now over half way through) was experiencing what true happiness looked like. Not influenced by materialistic desires or societal “norms”, the people in our village of Dotha seemed to be genuinely happy with the life they had. They had very minimal possessions, including many things that we as Americans would view as “essential,” such as continuous running sanitary water, an abundance of food, modes of transportation, shoes, clothes, laundry machines and other items along these lines. Not only were they lacking in those needs, but they also didn’t have easy access to anything resembling a super market, well-paying jobs, proper education or other circumstances that absolutely would not be acceptable to not have by our standards.

All of this in consideration, when we asked the mom of our home what she would change about her life in Dotha if given the opportunity to, she said “well, it would be nice if the neighborhood boys would keep the music down at night”. That was her one and only wish to improve her life. That moment really stuck with me throughout our visit in the village and is what has really summarized my experiences of the people in South Africa as a whole.

While the homestay showed me just how grateful people here are for the little they had, it wasn’t the only example I witnessed of people being abundantly appreciative for so little. Many of the people we’ve talked to look at the water situation in Cape Town as if those people have it way worse when in reality, Ha’ Makuya actually has a way worse water situation in regards to access and water quality. It has been an issue for them much longer and on top of that, has gotten no media attention/help whatsoever. I keep thinking that maybe to some extent, it’s a good thing the people we have gotten to meet don’t even realize how bad their situation is because at this point, I have no idea how we would even begin help them. It has been an issue for so long and with no actual governmental help, it is so out of my control that dwelling on it as much as I have has even become null.

Regardless of all of the unfortunate conditions I was exposed to while in Dotha and how I perceived things in comparison to my own life, they remain to be the most thoroughly content group of people I have met so far. We spent many hours just dancing, talking, playing soccer and actually enjoying each other’s company, which is something I feel is so lost in American society. We need to disconnect from our phones and just start embracing the people and places we get to encounter. I hope to bring my beautiful experience home with me and find that level of fulfillment.

The Black Mambas Mean Business

By Marissa Nelson

Rhino poaching is the biggest contributing factor to the near-extinction of these native South African species. Unlike the common practice of arming park rangers to go hunt the men hunting rhinos, Balule Nature Reserve is taking a different approach.

The Black Mambas are a group of women who are passionate about protecting their homeland for future generations and they’re fighting back without bullets. They patrol the entire reserve in uniform, armed only with walkie-talkies and a collective mission.

The protocol is to warn off poachers with their authoritative appearance. And as simple as it sounds, it is surprisingly effective! Most poachers understand what is on the other end of the walkie-talkie: arrest, fines, no work, or worse. So they often opt to ditch their weapon and flee rather than risk being caught. Balule’s anti-poaching model is a three-tiered pyramid starting with the Black Mambas acting as the eyes and ears of the reserve on the first line of defense. The second line consists of armed guards acting as tactical response to concentrate on hotspots. The third line, and last resort, is strategical deployment which is only used when the safety of the reserve and its inhabitants is in crucial danger. Because the poachers are aware of this system, the very sight of a Black Mamba is enough to scare them away. Balule has been able to reduce their Rhino loss by 70% since 2016 with the presence of the Black Mambas. It certainly helps that they have won top U.N. awards such as the Champion of the Earth Award in 2015 and the Eco-Warrior Award in 2017. This has attracted national attention to their anti- poaching mission, granting them heroine status in their own community and around the world.

The Black Mambas are also dedicated to educating the younger generations about the importance of nature and how to protect it. Their education program, the Black Mambas Bush Babies, has been implemented in primary schools around Kruger National Park to teach ecology and conservation. These amazing women empower kids and young girls to take charge of their home and have the confidence to stand against what is wrong and unjust. Balule also does not want to fight fire with fire because they don’t want to leave villages full of orphans and widows while creating anger and tension between communities.

This non-violent approach to anti-poaching is inspiring and will hopefully continue to be successful and spread to other reserves. However, the solution to poaching altogether is still unknown. The demand coming from China and Vietnam for ivory and rhino horn is the driving force of a very corrupt and interconnected trade. Different tactical proposals have been tested such as reducing the price of rhino horns, which seemed to help reduce ivory poaching. But, it is still easy for big wigs to bribe officials to allow horns to be transported overseas. The bottom line is that the value of rhino horns needs to be diminished, which is hard to do when the horn has been used both as traditional medicine and status ornaments for hundreds of years.

The instillation of the Black Mambas is an innovative, new approach to combat poaching. It will be difficult to end the war on poaching, but this approach is a great start to reducing the amount of poaching-related deaths. If the presence of this powerful group of strong women has already had this much effect on Balule, maybe it can pave the way for Kruger National Park to utilize the Black Mambas all over the South African National Parks.

Cultures in the Purest Form

By Jake Marinkovich

Something world travelers will often cite as a reason for their travels is to experience other cultures, but is that even possible in their purest form anymore? In this globalized age, you’d be hard pressed to find a place completely detached from the rest of the world. And when you know what the tourists want, and you rely on the tourists’ money, you’re bound to change your practices.

As I said, experiencing other cultures plays a major role in people traveling abroad. I know because it was a motive I stated in traveling to South Africa this summer. I was lucky enough to experience a new culture in one of the best ways possible: homestays. For three days, four peers, a translator and I lived in a 75 ft 2 hut in Dotha, South Africa. Dotha is a very beautiful, but very poor place. In those three days, we met nearly every member of the village. Without a doubt, we met every child under 12 years old. From the moment we arrived, to the moment we woke up and emerged from our hut, to the moment we left, I had at least 3 children within my proximity. We helped them with chores they needed done around the house, such as cutting firewood, and collecting water. However, most of our time was spent playing games and dancing. They even dressed us up in the traditional garb of the region. It was all great fun, but something nagged at me. How much of this was for our benefit? Was this what life truly is like for them, or is this a show for the foreign white tourists? Don’t get me wrong. It was an incredible experience, and I’m so happy I was able to immerse myself as much as I did. However, I’m afraid western influence is changing the culture of even the most remote places, like Dotha.

For me, at least, whenever I was shown some sort of traditional dance or ceremony, I had trouble completely letting go of my doubts and enjoying the experience. Luaus always felt rather whitewashed to me, especially when the majority of the staff is white. Or look at how traditional holidays have morphed together across the world. Holidays like Christmas have become virtually the same globally, when many countries had unique winter solstice holidays to begin with. Traditional clothing has largely gone by the way-side as well. You can see the same brands of clothing virtually anywhere you go globally. Especially in developing countries, where the populace idolizes the life of those in developed countries, they will imitate as much as possible, leaving traditions aside. This will continue through generations, as the younger children grow up without the traditional practices that their parents may have experienced when they were young. Soon, the traditional part of their culture will die out. This happens naturally over time, and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Cannibalism is something most people would agree needed to die out. But in the past, cultural traditions died because their country of origin was fading, or a neighboring country began influencing their culture. That is similar to what is happening now, but it has never been done on this scale before. We are seeing western influence on even the most remote areas.

In this digital age, cross-contamination of cultures is inevitable. You can see touches of western influence in almost every culture across the globe. I’m sure some will say that this isn’t a problem, and that cultural influencing is natural, but I still have a desire to see a culture in its natural state. If you feel the same, I can’t recommend homestays enough. It’s the closest thing you can get to a distillation of any one culture.

The Divergence of African Hospitatlity

By Madison Waggoner

After spending the past few weeks diving into every aspect of life in South Africa, I was perplexed by the strong contrast between my experiences in a small, impoverished village and a luxury lodge experience. Before coming to South Africa, I had believed that the accommodations surrounding an experience would play a huge role in whether or not I would enjoy the experience and learn from it, but I was proven wrong very quickly.

During the homestays, myself and three other students had the opportunity to stay with a family in Domboni, a small village nestled in HaMaKuya. We immersed ourselves in their way of life as much as we could. From sleeping on the concrete floor in a thatched hut to helping kill a chicken for dinner to embracing the fact that we looked like a fish out of water trying to learn their traditional dances; we spent every waking moment connecting with these amazing people. Hearing the realities of the daily lives in this village made the concerning statistics we learned previously come alive in a heartbreaking way. Domboni only has two water taps in the entire village. One of the taps gets water once a week on Wednesday, and the other is supposed to be filled every other week but is rarely consistent. All of the water from the first tap is completely gone by Friday. We asked a 16 year old girl named MaRangie what she would do with access to more water. She smiled as she explained how she would be able to finally do laundry and bathe. I could not believe the humility of the response she had given. I very quickly learned the people of Domboni are so much more than their circumstances. Everyone we met in the village had an incredible work ethic and a great motivation to better themselves. They taught me the value of building strong relationships by allowing me to see a glimpse of how tight knit their community is. I felt so welcomed in this place. I left feeling empowered and hopeful for the future of this village.

After the incredible experience I had in Domboni, our next stop was a luxury safari lodge. Every feeling and experience I had during my stay in this lodge starkly contrasted my time in Domboni. The moment we pulled through the gates of the lodge I had an incredibly uncomfortable feeling come over me that I just could not shake. The rangers who greeted us at the gate were white, something we had not seen in the two weeks prior. We drove for a few minutes to the lodging facilities through the private game reserve and I struggled to accept the setting of the lodge compared to the homestays we had just returned from. Two men were waiting for our arrival with beautiful fruity drinks in hand to distribute the second we stepped out of the vehicles. A huge swimming pool full of glistening, clear water was located in the center of the lodge, overlooking a watering hole to view wildlife while lounging around. A feeling of guilt crept over me knowing that just a short distance down the road villagers struggled to find enough water to drink or bathe in, let alone swim. The white employees had the management positions, and interacted with the guests, while the native African people held jobs as housekeepers, cooks, and butlers. The robotic and rehearsed happiness expressed by these laborers people was beyond disheartening. The decor of the lodge felt staged to match a traditional American or European assumption of how a safari lodge should be decorated, with no connection to the local culture. Some of the information told to us by the jeep jockeys was completely untrue, but told in a way that tourists would believe and not question. Everything was embellished to provide a so-called cultural experience, without a basis in reality to match the picture-perfect beliefs that many white tourists undoubtedly come with. It was sickening to me that so many people come here for the wildlife, but fail to recognize the intense struggles going on just next door. I left this place with feelings of guilt and frustration at the ignorance of not just the tourists but the people involved in creating the facade of the lodge.

After this experience I’m left feeling so disheartened that many tourists, including those with the intention of discovering what South African culture and life is like, leave with such a false impressions. I would have never guessed how the unforgettable emotions I felt stemmed from spending time in a community that had nothing but themselves to offer. It’s an odd feeling to have the opportunity to stay in such a luxury location with so many amenities and yet feel so unhappy. I am thankful for the people of Domboni for an incredible personal reality check and deeper understanding of their way of life, while also providing me with true insight into the struggles of real South Africans.

Ndo Livhuwa

By Marissa Nelson

Our hostmother, Joana, stepped into the rondoval with a tray of food and tea, she had the biggest smile on her face as though she had just been reunited with loved ones. We sat barefoot on the dung floor and greeted her in TshiVenda language. “Ndo livhuwa” we said to her which means “thank you” and she bowed to us then stepped back out. The four of us made tea as our translator, Pfunzo, explained to us that Rooibos tea is very popular in South Africa. The smell of the tea was a delightful relief from the overwhelming sting of cow poop. Joana gets paid to house and feed us which I’m sure lifts her spirits, but her genuine excitement to share her life with us was palpable.

She came back a few minutes later carrying another tray, this time with a meal. One of my peers had killed a chicken for breakfast that morning which Joana then plucked and cooked with a sauce that vaguely resembled curry. Pfunzo had explained to her that I am a vegetarian, so Joanna kindly brought me a separate bowl of boiled Mopani caterpillars. I graciously accepted them and put them aside as soon as she left. I didn’t want her to think her effort was unnoticed and I thought it was funny she considered them a vegetarian option. I had tried them earlier that day and did not care for them. They had a bitter taste and I couldn’t get past thelittle legs getting stuck in my teeth to try them again. She served us pap with every meal, which is a thick and sticky corn meal in a bread-like form. Pap is also very popular in South Africa and is used as a utensil to dip and scoop other food. I used it to scoop up the collard greens.

Toward evening time, we were corralled on Joana’s property by all the neighborhood children. The children seemed to continue pouring in from every tear in the wire fence around the homestead. There were so many of them and they were squealing with joy to see us. They sometimes referred to us as “Makuwa”, or “white things”, and it did not seem malicious but rather playful. They brought a couple drums and formed a circle where we were expected to sing and dance along with them. The kids had many rhythms and dance moves and we all struggled to keep up! My heart filled with love as these sweet little people welcomed us so quickly into their world. I could see past their torn clothing, their snot-covered noses, and their dirty feet. They were smart and creative and loving. Although they fought sometimes and pushed each other a lot, I could tell they all look out for each other and every single kid (in which there had to be at least 30) knew all the other kids’ names. It was inspiring to see such a tight community surrounding them.

That night, I laid down on the thin mat, which didn’t make a difference on the hard floor, and reflected on the day. Although I was not comfortable, I still felt a sense of peace and safety. The joy these people have amidst having barely enough water to last a week, a miniscule variety of foods, and little to no access to clothing or supplies, is inspirational. The people of the Damboni village are resilient, strong, resourceful, and kind. The school we visited seemed to take education seriously, the medical clinic director we spoke with cares a lot about the health of the community, and everyone shares a common passion for music and dancing. Ndo Livhuwa Damboni. Ndo Livhuwa Pfunzo and Ndo Livhuwa Joana for this experience. After settling into deep appreciation, I drifted asleep to the melodic sound of cow bells.

False Front

By Madison Waggoner

Throughout my life, animals have always provided me with a sense of calm and serenity. I have felt pulled in the direction of animal rehabilitation for many years and this curiosity aligned with my passion for animals which lead me to study abroad in South Africa. In the course of three weeks, my eyes were opened to a very different side of many wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Before flying to South Africa, my admiration for the work of wildlife rehabilitation centers worldwide was completely changed after watching the documentary Blood Lions. I struggled to finish it because I was shocked and plagued with disgust at the reality of animal treatment at many different wildlife rehabilitation centers. The documentary focused on the common occurrence of breeding programs posing as rehab or orphan centers with the hidden purpose of farming lions in captivity for canned hunting. As opposed to non-canned hunting, which can involve weeks of preparation and tracking, the lions at these facilities are kept in a small fenced area while eager trophy hunters pay extremely high sums to shoot them, while the captive lion has no escape. Because the animals have been raised by humans, they are much less shy when around them and are often unable to differentiate between the positive human interactions they have grown up with and a trophy hunter with the intent to kill. Many times the lions do not try to escape or show any aggression towards the hunter because of the comfort they feel around people.

The film also depicted the harsh reality surrounding volunteers and how they unwittingly play a major role in keeping the facilities moving. Eager to help and likely coming with many of the assumptions I had, volunteers from all over the world pay thousands of dollars for the opportunity to “rehabilitate” these animals. What these well-intentioned individuals do not realize is that they are actually paying to raise lions for canned hunting while the so-called volunteer organization reaps massive profits. The volunteers spend their time socializing, bathing, and feeding these lion cubs without realizing the harm the work they are doing is causing. These volunteers are told preposterous lies, many believing they are nursing orphaned baby animals back to health with the goal of reintroducing them to the wild. In the end, these lion cubs are raised with love just to be killed for money and the eager hearts of the volunteers are taken advantage of.

The market is propelled almost solely by American trophy hunters with a false belief that they are playing a positive role in conservation. While hunting certain species in specific areas can benefit the ecosystem, this is simply not the case with canned hunting operations in South Africa. The hunters are blatantly deceived, being told anything to keep the profits flowing for a great number of game ranches. The price of these canned lions has increased nearly 300% year over year, driven almost exclusively by American hunters wanting to kill a unique animal without the time and intricacies of a genuine hunt.

Having grown up around the practice, I have never been bothered by responsible hunting and I struggle to even consider these operations as a genuine form of hunting. There is no skill involved, no patience required, and the animals are subdued or otherwise unable to defend themselves as they would in the wild; the playing field is the farthest thing from fair. This is a simple act of killing a living being for a selfish sense of empowerment.

After discovering the dark reality of many wildlife rehabilitation centers, I have begun to question many worldwide “rehabilitation” efforts. I have always been so confident in what I assumed every center would be like, and this certainly revealed the naiveté of my mindset. This experience provoked me to always dig deeper and discover for myself the true consequences of my actions. Incredible wildlife rehabilitation centers do exist, and through this amazing experience in South Africa, I feel more confident in identifying the true purpose behind any center I might come across.

I Swear I Won't Cry

By Jess Faber

After I committed to this program the first thing I wondered was who I was going to be sharing this crazy life adventure with. And “hopefully they’re cool”.

When I walked into the LSC classroom for our first meeting I looked around to all the strange faces and thought “eh”. I couldn’t picture myself really getting to know any of them, let alone sharing the emotional experience that I was expecting out of this program . To be fair that was a big expectation I was putting on a first impression… but what can I say, I had big expectations.

I could not have been more wrong.

I’m writing this on the last full day we have left in Africa, and I’ve done way more than just get to know them. Things that make total strangers feel like family in just 3 weeks.

I’ve had thorns pulled out of my feet (and other places) despite the dirt and smell and stains covering them. I’ve gotten neck massages because I’d complained about headaches. I’ve done yoga with some of them overlooking the most beautiful mountains so that our bodies don’t feel quite as useless after the 5 meals we ate that day. And just about all of them have taken turns scratching my back when I feel needy. They’ve even patiently dealt with me stopping all 3 of our vehicles just so I can go pee on the side of the road. But most importantly they let me feel like I can be myself. Despite the jokes and the insults we occasionally throw at each other, I know that they accept me for me. That’s something that I’ve learned to value in life, because it doesn’t always happen as often as it should.

We’ve had some fun times together but it was more than that. We’ve had each others backs after having experienced some harsh realities, and challenged each others thinking on issues difficult for anyone to study.

Each one of the them has had a part in making this experience better than I could have ever expected. When we finally land in Denver and get off our last flight, I’m confident that the relationships we’ve made during our time in South Africa won’t end there. They became my family.