I can't believe the year has come to an end already, but even more unbelievable is that I've been home for a whole month already.

The last couple of months at the project flew by, as we were busy setting up a library and website (www.children.org.ls - if you're interested to see), as well as our usual duties of bathing the children, teaching Maths and English, hospital trips and lots of time playing with the kids.

Hloni

Summing up one of the most amazing years of my life so far, is extremely difficult to do, but I'll have a go.

Over the year, Lesotho became my home. Maseru, even though it's the capital, is a small town and over the year I began to love it. It's always so noisy, especially with the taxis incessantly beeping their horns to attract more passengers, there are people everywhere and local shops blare out their music.

But, it's fun and the people are almost always friendly. One of the best things about spending a year somewhere is being able to walk down the street and say hi to people that you recognise or know, in the local language.

Mohlolo - August 2003

The children's village was fantastic. Most of the staff took care of the children as though they were their own, and the kids… well, it was impossible not to become attached to them. All of them had had difficult or traumatic backgrounds in one way or another and craved so much attention; but despite this, it always amazed me at how "normal" they were.

It was so rewarding to see them develop over the months they were there: those who arrived having been abused, whose mental and physical scars began to heal; the little ones who learnt to walk and talk, and those who simply gained some weight and began to look healthy.

Mohlolo - June 2004

People always mention the HIV/AIDS statistics, and it's easy to sympathise in a very detached way. However, watching a child dying made me realise that these are real people, they aren't just statistics, and that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with.

Coming home, people often ask if it's strange to be back; well it is, but basically because nothing's changed here and it feels like I never went away. It feels like such a long time ago already that I was in Lesotho, almost like a dream.

I expected to have changed myself, which I think maybe I have in small ways. It's hard not to appreciate what I have now, and I think I have become more sceptical about some of the help and advice provided by Westerners to the developing world.

I'm now even more determined to study medicine than I was before and I've also caught the "travel-bug" - coming home to an overcast grey sky really encourages my desire to travel away from England again!

Thank you again to everyone for your sponsorship as well as the support that made my year in Lesotho possible.

Lots of Love
Meg

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