Today was our last day working at the habitat site. It is incredible to see just how much work goes into building one little house. We watched as a small cinder block foundation turned into a house with four walls, a floor, a roof, two windows and a door. The work that occupied only a few days of our time will be enough to house a family of four orphaned siblings for years to come which leaves us with a real sense of accomplishment.
As it was our last day, we had to say goodbye to the all of kids who had been congregating at the site everyday. These were the ones waiting every day at the gate that led to our work site so they could walk with us down the dirt path to start working and also the ones thay stayed and filled our whole day with entertainment up until they had to let go of our hands to allow us to leave until the next day. The last 45 minutes of our work today was dedicated to playing with these kids. A couple girls taught us a few Lesotho games and we spent a large portion of our day pretending to be either a chicken or a horse with little ones on our shoulders making clicking sounds encouraging us to gallop around. Kids were running, jumping, dancing, and singing. But most importantly, they were smiling, laughing, giggling, and screaming with joy; all of which were contagious. Although the goodbye was hard, that moment of pure happiness will stay with us as we move on to Roma.
When we returned for dinner, Larato, who has been giving us language lessons, taught us how to make traditional papa, a cornmeal dish, over an open fire. The papa was delicious and really added to the meal. During this, Larato also gave us all Sesotho names. These names are ones that hold a specific meaning in the Basotho culture. Some were funny and some were touching, and all seemed to fit.
It seems like we've been here forever yet the days have flown by so fast. We are sad to leave Ramabanta with its gorgeous view and irreplaceable people and memories, but we are excited to see what new adventures and experiences Roma will bring.
Best,
Becah and Annie