Sunny's Choyce - Infinities Edge Global Trekking

The Guilty Observers Rumors started flying around about a marshal law lockdown, then possibly barricading off the informal settlements where I work, and maybe even evicting foreigners from the country. So here I am in South Africa with a looming feeling of panic starting to come over me. I'm sitting down to write this story and have no idea where it should start…but have a very clear idea about the ending because I’m living in it. It is January 2020 and even from early on it was very clear from day one that my time here was not going to go as planned.  Even though I’m from Nova Scotia, Canada, I also work half the year in one of the many informal township settlements in the Western Cape region of South Africa called Thembalethu. One of my first days of work I was driving on my own into the township. Out of nowhere a massive bull stormed full force over a hwy gate and landed directly in front of my moving car on the turn-off. It easily could have flattened my...

Annie’s Gift  Finding the children from Annie’s foster home in South Africa By Sunyata Choyce “Are these all your kids?” the woman at the sales checkout asked.  I looked at the five foster kids with me that I just picked up from their new home.  They were all staring at me with big smiles on their faces as the lady asked her question.   What was I supposed to say?  These kids just suddenly lost the only mom they ever knew a few months ago.  Her name was Annie. I called her Auntie Annie. I winked at the kids and said to the teller, "Yes these are my kids, all Annie’s kids are like my kids”. Tears welled up in everyone's eyes.It was then the woman in the shop realized she hit a nerve with us all. Perhaps I should have somehow given her a heads up that these were children with no parents, whose foster mom just died. I mean what was I supposed to say “No these are not my children, there nobody’s children” ? ...

The children start to bring each other... The line grows and grows with children. They know their friends are sick or hurt in some way so they get in my first aid line with their friends to see if someone can help.  We were told at the start of the day well working here at a small community project (Freshstart) in Smutsville, South Africa that Meningitis was running through the community; but they choose to stay open for the children anyway. I agreed. An hour in, with many children attended to, I finish bandaging one boy with two big gashes on his legs.  I looked up and I now find a sea of kids waiting . I was so focused on what I was doing and trying to pay authentic attention to each child that I did not notice the growing line. Today is hot, very hot, and sweat is just pouring down my face. As I put on yet another pair of plastic gloves, I ask if there is another volunteer to help as well. No, everyone is busy. There are not enough volunteer...