Well, there we have it. 30 days of The International Exchange done and dusted and what an emotional rollercoaster they’ve been... To see children as young as five living on the streets, their only worldly possessions being the clothes on their backs, is gut-wrenching; those images will stick with me for the rest of my life. I remember one evening seeing a group of the street kids who I had met earlier that week as I was walking in to a bar. One of the girls who had introduced herself to me was now sitting on the kerb and caught my eye before giving me a meek smile. I immediately made up an excuse to the group I was with about feeling tired and hopped in a cab home, my hands shaking uncontrollably and a lump rising in my throat. Seeing these kids outside of the realms of Barefeet suddenly made me feel like a total hypocrite for being out enjoying myself whilst they were begging for enough money to buy their first meal of the day. The harsh reality is that life must go on and we shouldn't punish ourselves by staying at home every night to lessen the guilt. But if we were each to make incremental changes, including supporting charities like Barefeet, our combined efforts would make a huge difference. Barefeet are doing an incredible job to try to steer these kids out of homelessness, to lift their spirits in the darkest of times and give them a renewed sense of self-worth. They have a long battle to fight but their determination and dedication to helping these children is truly inspirational and they have every right to be proud of everything they have achieved thus far.
Speaking of achievements, having 30 days to complete an objective is tough. Most people who start a new job typically spend the first month finding out what the organisation does, let alone being tasked to deliver their first project?! TIE is not for the faint hearted but I feel like I have given the team the tools they need to curate an amazing Arts Festival this year and, despite my initial panic, I managed to tick off my four sub-objectives just in the nick of time. As well as completing tasks which ordinarly wouldn't fall in your job description and which may be completely out of your comfort zone (e.g. I think I'd genuinely laugh if someone from OV asked me to create an all singing, all dancing event budget) TIE also allows you to visit somewhere you may otherwise have completed neglected from your travel bucket list. The likelihood of me ever visiting Zambia outside of TIE was very slim, but boy am I glad I have. Zambia is a beautiful country, full of people with beautiful souls.
One thing I’ve really grown to appreciate is that you very rarely hear Zambians complain; they are happy to have a roof over their heads and food on their tables, regardless of how shabby the roof may be in comparison to our standards (and trust me, some of them are shabby). It’s really refreshing and something that we could learn a lot from. In the UK we are constantly striving for more, whether it be a new car, new trainers or (my personal kryptonite) a new handbag. But do we actually need these things? Don’t worry, I’m not going to be one of those people that returns from a lifechanging trip (like one of those “gap yah” wallys) and then attempts to beat people into submission about their frivolous spending habits but it will definitely make me a thousand times more appreciative of everything I have and that I’ve worked hard to obtain.
It’s therefore with mixed emotions that I am saying goodbye to this wonderful place, somewhere that will now come to occupy a special place in my heart.
To my support squad – you’ve been bloody brilliant, putting up with my rambling texts, SOS calls and just general gibberish. Your dog pictures and constant stream of ridiculous memes on Instagram helped me more than you’ll know! I owe you all a bucket of wine to get over the effects of my neediness - soz.
To team TIE, Philippa & Matheus – your support throughout this process has been unwavering (despite being on the opposite time zone to me!) and I am so appreciative for the opportunity you have given me. Thank you for your guidance, quick action and for all the little “just checking in” texts you sent me over the 30 days. Knowing you were a phone call away helped me through some of the ‘wobbly’ moments and I am forever grateful.
To the Barefeet team – THANK YOU. Thank you for everything that you have shown and taught me, especially for attempting to teach me how to dance numerous times (something I haven't been able to do in 30 years, let alone 30 days, so don't be disheartened at the lack of progress)! You are such courageous spirits, each of whom has had a tough journey through life, but who approach it with such enthusiasm and positivity. I have enjoyed every minute I’ve spent with each and every one of you and have all my fingers and toes crossed that the Festival this year is a roaring success. To Grace – thank you for your friendship and endless hospitality. You are one of a kind and I have absolute faith that you will continue to lead the Barefeet team to greatness.
This is not goodbye, it’s just see you again soon – myello!
xx
