Mendip YMCA - Inner Project Journey 2009
After an intrepid month in South Africa’s Kwazulu Natal, Mendip YMCA resident support worker Dan Hooley-Jones and Spencer House residents Alaurah Pinder and Luke Mynott have completed this years Inner Journey Project.
The three team members spent four months preparing for this expedition in Britain before flying from Heathrow to Durban at the beginning of July as part of a sixteen strong group of young people and their support workers. Some of the young people had never flown before, so the thirteen hour flight to Johannesburg followed by a connecting flight to Durban was the first challenge of many.
After one night spent on the outskirts of Durban we visited Amanzimtoti YMCA where we were warmly welcomed by the staff and service users of this desperately needed and underfunded project. Comparing the buildings and furnishings with our own projects was a sobering experience.
After visiting Amanzimtoti we moved our group to Umgeni valley, where we got of first taste of the South African bush. While there are no large predators other than a rarely seen leopard there are giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and impala among other large herd animals. This was an excellent opportunity to become familiar with the wilder parts of South Africa without having to deal with some of the more powerful hunters and herd animals (no rhino or elephants either). We spent five days here, helping with conservation projects and learning about the wildlife in the valley. We also helped to clear overgrown paths and helped at the “free me” animal rehabilitation centre.
One week after leaving for South Africa we made our way into the Drakensberg mountains. We spent our time walking across the “lower Burg” (still higher than any mountains in Britain), slept out in a cave and studied ancient San Bushman cave art. This art is a tradition that dates back to the oldest known branch of humanity, and it is a magical experience to see it first hand.
After three days in the Mountains we moved to Zingela, a remote bush camp but one that also rewarded us with some home comforts. Here we learnt more about the wilderness, including close encounters with bush pigs, warthogs and mere cats. After a day relaxing in kayaks we took netball kits and played a local school at football and netball. After spending time with our new friends we experienced the dissection of a kudu (killed for conservation reasons) and our young people were left with guides for a sleep out without their leaders. Some warmed to this challenge more easily than others, but the separate groups of boys and girls all returned safely to the camp.
Leaving Zingela we drove to Twinstreams, a conservation education centre which we used as our base for visits to Ethembeni HIV and AIDS centre and Shakaland Zulu centre. This broadened our experience and understanding of the local culture and gave us a greater insight into the problems all across Africa of the AIDS epidemic.
We left Twinstreams in tense excitement, as our next destination was the Ompholosi game reserve where we would spend five days without any of our modern conveniences. The Ompholosi is a “big 5” area, meaning that buffalo, leopard, lion, rhino and elephant are all wild in this area. Divided into two groups we saw all but the elusive leopard from this list, as well as wild dogs, hyena and crocodiles. Our understanding of zero impact camping was now essential, as no trace can be left behind in the Ompholosi (you aren’t even allowed to take toilet roll!), despite all of this we spent a surprisingly tranquil time on our wilderness trail.
On our return to Twinstreams we were disappointed to find out that our two days that we had planned to spend looking at issues regarding youth justice with our friends from Amanzimtoti YMCA had been cancelled. Instead we spent our last days in Kwazulu Natal reviewing what we had learnt and enjoying the company of our friends in the group. It was with some regret, and equal amounts of happiness that we left for Durban airport to begin the long journey home.
When discussing the expedition Luke Mynott said, “Having survived for five days with nothing but what I could carry I now know that I can survive whatever life throws at me”. Alaurah Pinder also said “I have always wanted to go to Africa, but never thought that it would happen. Now that I have been I’ve stopped wishing for things and started planning for them”.
Mendip YMCA provides a range of support for young people with housing issues, Family Mediation, Schools work, Resettlement Support, emergency accommodation, work with landlords and supported accommodation. They also provide information, advice and support through Routes drop in in Frome.
To find out how you can offer support to Mendip YMCA please contact 01749 679553 or access our web site www.mendipymca.org.uk.
Donations to support our work with young people are gratefully received.
Published: 04 November 2009