So during the summer holidays in Cape Town, I decided to do a bit of travelling and went out to Zimbabwe for two weeks. I stayed with a friend who is the executive director of an organization called Vanavevhu (the link to the website is at the end of this post). Vanavevhu helps children who become heads of their households as a result of their parents passing away (mostly from HIV/AIDS). Through my friend Liz, I was able to see the rewards and hardships of running an organization. I also got the benefit of working with the kids in her program. Vanavevhu helps these kids think of income-generating projects, since they are forced to drop out of school in order to support their families. Some of the projects that the kids are involved in include candle-making and selling vegetables. I helped the kids cultivate their gardens, so that they could raise produce to sell in their neighborhoods.
I also got to experience Liz's town – Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zim, with over 700,000 people residing there. It seems like a pretty small town though. The pace of life is pretty laid-back, and it was a welcome break from my last few months.
Besides staying in Bulawayo, I had the opportunity to go to Victoria Falls. It’s about a 5-6 hour drive from Bulawayo and what a ride – we had to stop once because a herd of elephants were rushing to cross the road. I was so taken aback that I forgot to take pictures! Pretty memorable though. The falls are amazing, but the town itself reminds me of a resort. It’s built itself around other attractions besides Victoria Falls. You can do whitewater rafting or bungee jumping, or you can go on game drives or on a sunset cruise. I opted for the rafting and bungee jumping.
I loved the rafting, but I think I just did the bungee jumping to get it out of my system. However, it didn't help that, before I went, Liz told me about a woman who went bungee jumping at The Falls and her rope snapped. She plummeted down to the river, but thankfully, she was a good swimmer and made it out without, well, dying. Apparently it was a freak accident and to prove it, the Minister of Tourism for Zim (in his mid-40s) went bungee jumping to show how safe it was. So knowing this, I still decided to give it a try. If The Minister of Tourism can do it, why can’t I, right? And I screamed the whole way down. Everytime I opened my eyes, the world seemed to be spinning and I would see the river below me. I kept thinking that if the rope snapped, I would not be as lucky as that other girl. So I tried to keep my eyes closed. I think it’s safe to say that I never have to do that again, been there, done that.
Overall, I feel extremely fortunate for having such a great hostess as Liz. Not only did she let me stay with her for two weeks, she also cooked for me - and let me tell you, she is a fabulous cook! I also got to experience life in another African city outside of Cape Town, and it was unforgettable.
All I have left to say is thanks to Liz and her organization for having me. If you guys are looking for a place to donate, look at her website - and spread the word. Vanavevhu has a lot of amazing projects that they are working on, and they could use all the help and donations that they can get. So look at the website below and forward it along!
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