Created on 7/29/2014
Monday night we were scheduled to meet our host families
before moving in with them the next night.
It was like an orphan lottery as 49 host families and 49 volunteers
gathered in the same room on Monday night to meet a stranger they would live
with for the next 9 weeks. Every
volunteer looking around not knowing what family they would live with and vice
versa. It was extremely intimidating and
exciting. So one by one, volunteers
would pathetically try to read the name of their host mom and then scramble to
the strangers who cheered for them. It
was actually very entertaining. When my
turn came I called out “Evangeline Gurirab” but nobody claimed me! The room stayed silent until it was obvious
that nobody wanted me. Everyone then
sighed as Benna (Training Manager) ran to me and informed me that my host mom
wouldn’t be able to make it tonight but would pick me up tomorrow evening. I wanted to say to Benna “Thanks for the news
but you could have told me before I stood up in front of over 100 people and
butchered the name of my absent host mom!” but I refrained. There were a few others who ended up in the
same situation so we joked about our orphan status and threw one hell of a pity
party.
Anyways, fast forward to the next night. We all hauled our luggage out front of the Kukuri
Center and were picked up by our new families one at a time. I waited and watched others slowly disappear
as they left for their new home with their host family. I was starting to get a bit nervous, thinking
that I would be stood up for the second night in a row. Eventually my host mom came to get me. After she identified me, she cried out “My
Son! My Son! I’m so sorry! My Son!” and gave me a big welcoming hug. All was forgiven at that point.
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and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace
Corps, or the Namibian Government.
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