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Drew’s Trip to South Africa


Published on: Sep 30, 2016     No comments

This post will chronicle Drew Alexander’s trip to South Africa as part of Wellspring International Outreach’s (WIO) project to build a home for orphan children. This is through Drew’s friendship with motorcycle photographer and journalist, Neale Bayly, who founded WIO. This blog begins with Drew already in South Africa about to begin the project.

November 6, 2014

6:48am
Good morning!

drew1I have been in White River for 2 days & while I’m becoming more comfortable in my new surrounding, I am still struggling with driving on the other side of the road. I keep getting in the car on the passenger side. I think I will get the hang of it by the time I return home!

The people here are extremely warm & friendly despite their hardships. Their willingness to help me with my project is overwhelming! Although I am a stranger to them, they treat me as a friend. I wonder if we would do the same if the circumstances were reversed.

Without a cell phone & limited internet, I find myself thinking back to my trip to Pocahontas County with Neale Bayly where all this began for me (see October issue of BtS).

Today I am off to visit Ouma for the first time! The build team & I will be on site to start demo tomorrow.
When I first decided to go to help Wellspring International Outreach with the South Africa I knew I would make someone’s life better & I have. But I didn’t know it was mine!

Drew Article
Here is Drew’s article from Between the Spokes magazine, the official newsletter of BMW BMW (BMW riders of the Baltimore/Washington area). (reprinted with the author’s permission)

 

November 7, 2014

6:31 am
Day 3: White River

drew2Yesterday was a day filled with emotions. I never felt such joy & sorrow simultaneously. I finally got to meet Ouma and her grandchildren. Nothing in my life had prepared me for this moment. For those who know me, it left me speechless with tears rolling down my face.

My friend Charles from Child Welfare South Africa White River was my guide, emissary and translator. His level of compassion and commitment for these people was evident as we drove down the labyrinth of dirt roads to Ouma’s house. Nearly everyone we passed smiled and waved, it was apparent he was respected and loved by them. When we finally stopped, I saw her sitting in front of her shack. Like many others we had passed, her home was made from discarded tin and plastic. Her refuge was made of refuse.

In Swazi, Charles explained who I was and why I was here. There was some skepticism from the leaders about what we were going to do, we showed pictures of the cabin and told them we were building it for Ouma. Charles explained that this was going to be given as a gift with no strings attached. I could see in their faces many promises had been made by others to do the same, but were left unfulfilled.

Our builder arrived and started measuring the footprint for her home and everything changed. When Charles told Ouma she would have a new home by next week. She came over to me, wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed tightly. She knew that the promise Neale made to her was real and would come true shortly.

We sat for a while and held hands as our builder continued his work and Charles spoke with the others. Our plan of action was in place and construction would begin on Monday. The crew from Wendy Lane Houses would set up tents and stay on site until completion. Then Charles told me of another woman living there with her 10 children that needed help.

Last night I spoke with Neale, he gave me the go ahead to build another one. So after Ouma’s home is built, work will begin on the next Wellspring International Outreach home!


Saturday November 8, 2014

8:52am
Day 4

Sanbonani (Swazi for hello)!

drew3The more I visit with Ouma, the more I feel I made the right decision to come here. Yesterday, we began preparing the site for the construction crew who will arrive on Monday. Although we were going to tear down the shack, we have enough room to build an 8 by 8 meter house next to it and the shack will be used as the kitchen and multi-purpose room.

I think everyone in the community is getting used to the long haired, crazy American, as I’m greeted by many on my drive in. It amazes me how these people are able to be happy & smile living in the conditions they do, but as my friend Charles told me, “Their happiness comes from knowing their lives could be much worse.” I found this hard to fathom when I looked at the abject poverty that surrounded me each day, but now I am beginning to understand.

Today, we took the kids from the community to play their first soccer match on grass, what an amazing sight! They took off their shoes and played for hours, I was exhausted watching them. On the way home, all fifteen were singing and laughing in the back of Charles’ pickup truck and went crazy when they saw us pulling into an ice cream stand. If you want to make a kid scream in delight, give them an ice cream cone!

Tomorrow I am treating myself to a ride along the Panorama Route, so look for some breathtaking photos in my next entry.

Salani Kahle!

Sunday November 9, 2014

Day 5
A Day of Relaxation

drew4On Sunday, Alan & Lenora Williams, my hosts at Stonecrop Guest Farm treated me to an incredible day! We traveled along the Panorama Route which offered spectacular views on beautiful roads. As I sat in the back seat, I found myself leaning into the curves wishing I was on a motorcycle. We went through the quaint towns of Sabie & Graskopf to Mac Mac Falls as Alan told me of the rich history of the area.

You could sense we were traveling through the cradle of civilization. A turn down a dirt road led us over the Truer River to a beautiful Bush Kitchen for lunch. We sat by the river and enjoyed a wonderful lunch and had a truly great day of relaxation.

Monday November 10, 2014

Day 6
A Day of Frustration

Monday morning Charles Sanderson from Child Welfare SA White River and I decided to meet the build team at Ouma’s. As we drove up, we were surprised to see no one except Ouma and her grandkids there. I was told the area was nicknamed “Slowveld” because progress on Lowveld can grind to a halt without any reason. After a quick phone call to Wendylane Houses, I raced down to their offices to resolve what could have been a major issue. Apparently, there was miscommunication between the owner and his staff regarding the build schedule.

When I pulled up to their offices, they expected to see the happy go lucky American Hippie, what they got was the Brooklyn Badass! I stated my case to the project manager, Louis Rascher and told him the seriousness of the project. Apparently I must have made an impression on him, because by afternoon his team was on site working feverishly! He told Charles, when I came into WendyLane office, he thought I was a warrior going into battle.

So thanks to Louis, we are back on schedule and he assured me he would pick up a hammer and saw to make certain Ouma’s home would be by built by Wednesday. I am anxious to return to Ouma today and see their progress. Please keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer that we can keep our promise to Ouma.

January 28, 2015

In November I saw the first Wellspring International Outreach home being built. Today my friend Louis Rascher emailed me with this wonderful photo! Two new homes for White River, Mpumalanga.


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