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Wednesday Aug 26, 2009

Haiku for the end

Is this Sapitwa?
Hand in hand we seized each step
To descend alone

*Sapitwa is the name of the highest peak of Mulanje Mountain, the mountain which overlooked our Malawian host community. It is the third highest mountain in Africa, and strikes a powerful pose over the pancake-flat landscape of southern Malawi. Its name means "unreachable".

I wrote this little haiku this morning. I’d forgotten to leave time for my contributiont to the last ever GX newsletter, but knew I had something to say after our 6 months of volunteering together. And this little poem came out, making me a little sad actually.

I was really looking forward to being home again - there’s so much I’ve missed, and it’ll be lovely to be back with people from home, and walking the dog through the lovely woods and moors surrounding my village.

But let’s not kid ourselves - leaving is a truely sad thing. As a team of 18 very different young people, we have always cared for each other passionately, and really have spent 6 months pulling each other through swamp and sunshine. I really love my host home too, but now it’s time to go, not really to come back. I’m loving my placement too, and I’ll miss spending my week days with my wonderfully fun and sweet supervisor. And, I will miss my counterpart very dearly. We’ve had a strong six months together.

There’s so much to enjoy still, that no one really feels like moping about looking glum all day. The sun has been hovering over Norfolk for nearly our whole stint here. We have trips, celebrations and meals out every day until we leave. We’re surrounded by people we love! And we’ve achieved and grown so much, and have so many happy memories.

I think the end of the program is hardest for the Malawians. A lot of them joined the program from homes where, materially-speaking, they had nothing. And that is where they are going back to. There’s no use pretending otherwise.

Those of us who are more privelidged can see GX as a springboard to a really fullfilling future brim-full of opportunities. I’ve always chased my dreams - even the most ridiculous ones - because for me it is true that “The dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they dream their dreams with open eyes, and make them come true” (T.E Lawrence).

But when you’re trapped in a poor rural village, one of 7, 8, 9 children of poor parents, in one of the worlds poorest countries, sometimes dreams can only be that- dreams. I hate that. But reality is both wonderful and harsh, and mundane. "Thunder and rainbows from the same sky". Never give up hope and optimism, because they will always carry a person far. But only so far. A person's means can't be disregarded.

I do believe that everyone can go home after GX and live fulfilling lives. We can be healthy in body and mind if we want (to be a bit Buddhist about it!). But it’s hard to be satisfied with a simpler life, with narrow boundaries, after you’ve seen and learnt so much. You want to go far,  make a difference, use the talents you now know you have.

I hope really hard that the wonderful, talented, much-loved Malawians I've been with are able to fulfill their bright potentials. How realistic is it they they will all have that chance? I can't say.

Posted by Sally ( 8:59 AM )
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