My Moms

This is my wonderful mom, Mariam Lamola. I call her Mama. This is a typical Sunday evening with her ironing all our clothes after a day of washing laundry. I cook dinner. Everyone wins.

These are her two sisters. Mokgaetji is the oldest in the blue. I call her Mma Mogolo (older mother) and Raisebe is the youngest in the pink sleeves. I call her Mmane (aunt or younger mother). My Mom is the middle child. They also had a brother who passed away. Raised by a single mother all four children grew up to be educators.

They are preparing food for my birthday party.

Paying Labola

David, my supervisor and best friend, paid labola (a bride price) today. That means he is married and his wife will live with him now. Florina, his wife, also works at Aletuke. She is one of my favorite people here.

First time to the ocean

Mary J is the OCV supervisor at Aletuke. I brought her with me to Durban for a Peace Corps training. We stayed in a hotel right on the beach. Mary J was in the water for hours everyday. She had a blast. Imagine never seeing the ocean until now.

I just love this photo.

No kidding, she was like a pig in shit, a kid in a candy store, a person who has never been to the beach rolling around in the sand.

Just a little adrenaline

This was bridge swinging in Sabie. What a blast. I would have done it a hundred times over. But next time... a bigger bridge.



I ended up getting lowered into this river. It was great to swim and there is a great waterfall off to the side.

Oh the changes we go through

Just push play.

Happy 35th!

Kristen, the PCV who lives near me, was the guest of honor of the guest of honor. She sat at the cake table with me while my sister gave a speech.


... (singing) Happy birthday to you. Hip hip horray! Hip hip horray!

Hey Darcy, how about another drink and some sunblock?

My Mom, family and neighbors put on a wonderful party for me. Couldn't think of a better way to spend my 35th birthday.

Happiness is...

...being around children who, despite the world around them, can still smile and laugh like this. They have so much to teach me and I have so much to learn from them.

The perfect gift

This is Anna and her children. She was the domestic worker for my first host family I lived with. She is a typical hard working woman, living alone with her children while her husband is away working in Joburg. He comes home once a year and, unfortunately, has stopped sending money. As a thank you gift before I left I went to her home and took this absolutely beautiful picture of her family. People in these villages have very little photo documentation of their lives for obvious reasons. Who can afford a camera? So taking photos is a priceless gift for them.