Our dear friend Sisanda

The hardest thing about leaving South Africa was probably leaving Sisanda.  Sisanda was an 8 year old girl from Walmer township, in Port Elizabeth who had been abandoned by her mother and a number of volunteers and staff members  from the Human Dignity centre had tried to look after.

After it became apparent that with all good intentions the people looking after Sisanda, were not coping and not able to deliver the right care for her going forward we moved from a support role, to Sisanda living with us full time for the last 3 months of our stay.

She is a very dear lively and vivacious child, who initially had some of roughness round the edges, but very quickly  adjusted in her behaviour to that of a normal 8 year old child (If we really know how a normal 8 year old X’hosa girl behaves).  It was a joy for her to live to as part of our family for the time we had her.

Upon leaving we managed to place with Mama Gladys a Xhosa woman of some considerable quality, who runs her own organisation that looks after 20+ Xhosa children, and managed to get good friends the Parkins to take her into Tucaway School which I helped out at over my year in Africa.

Anyway there are  more pictures to come and I know April wants to post more about Sisandas Story, with some since we left updates

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Lake Malawi at Sunset

A stunning place and a stunning picture. Bitter sweet memories though this is where I found out that both christine and my mom still had serious cancers. Suddenly you feel a very long way from home.

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