Unexpected Connections: Lessons from South Africa

When I landed in South Africa, I did not know what to expect.  I was with a group of eleven people I was vaguely familiar with, in a place I had only dreamed of going to, and had an opportunity to help a community that I knew little about. When I stepped back onto the plane home, I left with what was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life, many new friends, and the knowledge that even small actions can have a large impact on anyone you interact with. Working with the other student-athletes and friends at VUSA and Ladles of Love curated an environment of support that showed it was good to embrace the unfamiliar and build meaningful relationships with every person we worked with.

When I stepped back onto the plane home, I left with what was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life, many new friends, and the knowledge that even small actions can have a large impact on anyone you interact with.

One of the workers at VUSA that I formed a connection with was named Massi. Massi was VUSA’s social media manager, but it felt like his role was significantly more than that – he was coach, mentor, videographer, and assistant to anyone who needed help.  Initially, I was nervous to reach out and form this new connection, but Massi and I quickly became friends as we shared our stories on how we have gotten where we are today. Massi grew up playing rugby and even made the national team for South Africa, traveling all around the country to play. When I asked him what he would like to do most in his life, he said, “To see the world.” He has not been out of South Africa in his life, and yet we have the privilege to come from the United States to support VUSA and the community. Creating this newfound connection with Massi made me realize how we cannot take any moment we have for granted and to take every opportunity to continue helping and reaching out to others.

As the weeks went on, we became closer, and it felt as though he enjoyed working with the kids as much as I did. Whether it was learning how to play rugby or teaching a new sport like kickball or a new game, Massi worked with determination to give the kids an opportunity to grow and find something they love. Seeing the kids thrive and smile regardless of whatever circumstance they found themselves in certainly made me realize it takes very little to change your attitude about something. Even when the kids could not quite get the rules right or made a small miss with a ball, they played with determination, rigor, and a love for anything active. I felt lucky to be impacted by them and see their happiness shine throughout any activity we did.

Seeing the kids thrive and smile regardless of whatever circumstance they found themselves in certainly made me realize it takes very little to change your attitude about something.

The entire ACE experience is one that I will never be able to replicate and one I will always be grateful for; I hope that I had even a small percentage of an impact on the kids as they had an impact on me. I am so thankful for my time in South Africa and the people that I met.