Last week was terrible in almost every way possible. Work, family, friends, life in general. You name it, it went wrong. But I won’t go into any details so as not to bore you. It was just “one of those days” every day.

The weekend was slightly better. A few going-away parties and some time spent with my best friends.

The final week was extremely busy. Very similar to final exams in college. I simply forced my mind and body to work like a madman, since I knew I would be able to rest once I flew out of the country.

So it goes without saying that I am definitely ready to leave this place and return home. After eleven months of grueling hard work, my spirit needs time to recover. But this in no way means that I regret this past year. I am absolutely sure that I have learned more about myself and the world around me than ever before in my life. I have experienced relationships with numerous incredible people who have forever changed my life. Through my work, I pray that I have offered a glimpse of hope to those around me.

My time in Swaziland cannot truly be described in words, but I have tried my best to share with you some of the events and stories that have been influential for me. I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Signing off,
Jesse “Sifiso” Grimes

My friend Patrick is an amazing person. He was originally diagnosed with TB of the spine more than three years ago. Doctors told him that he would never walk again. He waited for months to receive a special grant in order to have surgery in South Africa, and afterwards commenced a grueling process of physical therapy for over a year. This rehabilitation phase took place at my organization, Cheshire Homes. Now he is walking with only the minor aid of an elbow crutch.

What might be more amazing is that Patrick will be filling my position when I leave. This is quite ironic since I have been doing vocational training with Patrick the past few months in attempts to prepare him for re-entry into the work environment. The plan was to look for job opportunities outside my organization, but it soon became apparent to my boss and me that Cheshire Homes equally needed a member of staff like Patrick. So he is officially being hired as a Peer Educator / Administration Assistant. The peer education role is due to the fact that he previously attended Cheshire Homes as a long-term client and has been volunteering with the current residential patients. The administration side of his work revolves solely around the training I have done with him (including intensive handover training these last few weeks I am still around).

So obviously I am very happy with this whole arrangement, not only because Patrick will inevitably do a good job, but also because he deserves to have something go right in his life after all the recent struggles he has been through. He once told me that he considers me his brother since none of his real family would help him after he acquired a disability. I then told him that he also has helped me immensely by giving deeper meaning to my volunteer time in Swaziland. By loving and serving others, I find greater fulfillment in life. I hope this is true for you also.

Last weekend I went bike riding with my friend Trevor through a game park. We were mauled by a lion. Haha…yeah right, but that would be a great story! We did go mountain biking, though, but the animals we saw were mostly tame (such as zebra, impala, and warthogs). I tried to instigate a stampede with a pack of wildebeests, so that was somewhat dangerous. I also wanted to throw a stone at a few sleeping crocodiles, but Trevor advised me not to on the principle that “nobody likes to be suddenly awakened by a rock to the head.” All in all, it was good exercise and great fun. Unfortunately no pictures could be taken since we were soaring through the savanna and flying over rocks at breakneck speeds.

After the game park extravaganza, we stopped at a local craft center to pick up some souvenir gifts for my family back home. With little regard to common sense, I decided to purchase an engraved wooden chair for myself. Now I’m going to have to use more than common sense to figure out how to get it on the plane with me. Trevor is having a similar problem with a surfboard he bought while traveling in South Africa. Both of us independently came up with the idea to donate most of our clothes to local friends. That should at least help with the weight limits for luggage.

My office also did a bit of riding last week. Horse riding that is. Actually, therapeutic horse riding with the children who attend Cheshire Homes. I have been advocating for this activity ever since I arrived in Swaziland, and we finally were able to coordinate all of the logistical details. Most of the mothers were initially worried, but it turned out to be a resounding success. Therapeutic riding will now be a monthly event for these children with disabilities. Check the pictures below.

One of my favorite children, Thotho, being helped by one of my favorite adults, Sicelo.