Day 6 - elephants and zebras and warthogs (and a heap of really scary insects)

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ok. I'm going to put it out there. I don't camp. If I can't plug in a hairdryer, well, it's just not somewhere I really want to be. whoever came up with the term glamping really needs to look up the definition of glamorous! I've now glamped (and let's be honest, probably never will again!), so I can speak with some authority on the topic. Ok, so maybe it really wasn't that bad, but hey - no aircon in 45 degree heat and an outdoor shower (yes people, that's correct, although granted it was completely private) was always going to be a bit of a shock!

So why spend a few nights in a game reserve? This is the Majete game reserve. It's land that's been reclaimed from the villagers to save the wildlife. Much of those beautiful and majestic creatures haVe been hunted to near extinction. Sounds like terrible people who would do something like poach and hunt right? In some cases (Canadian dentists as an example) that's certainly the case. But for starving people who need to make money to feed their families, your inner conservationalist is at odds with your inner humanitarian!)

The people of Majete 5 were relocated for the reserve. Imagine having no choice in being moved, and then having a patrolled fence built around an area that had contributed to your livelihood. Tough to take And many of the people were struggling with it. Enter the hunger project - who are working with the reserve to help villagers surrounding the reserve to be able to find other means of supporting themselves. to save the animals and to help the villagers.

So, back to the reserve. After leaving Majete 1, we spent three hours travelling through the reserve. We saw zebras, elephants and a lot of impalas - and a heap of warthogs. Now I've never seen the lion king, so I hadn't seen a warthog before. They are truly hilarious looking creatures, and besides the zebras, my favourite! They are just stocky little guys who strut around like they own the park. For those of you who watch Suits, one of the lovely ladies on the trip likened them to Louis Litt - and from that point, all I could see whenever I saw them was him! I actually wanted a carving of one that I could bring home, but for some reason, no one seems to carve them - go figure!

besides an early morning safari (5.30am), the time in the park was actually spent on a leadership workshop. We talked about our own leadership visions and spent a lot of time planning for what happens when we go home. It's not unusual based on what we've seen to feel a variety of responses when we get home - guilt and shame at what we have, disconnection with things that may have been important a few weeks ago and a sadness at what we've seen. I'm honestly not sure how I'll feel - I'm just excited about coming home at this point. It's been a long week and the idea of having an indoor shower ? and easy to access gluten free food is kind of compelling! Also, I won't miss chasing a scorpion out of the room with an industrial strength can of spray - ask me about that story when I get back. I'm surprised my high pitched scream wasn't heard in Sydney.

In all seriousness though, if you see me this week and ask how it was - just be prepared for any range of answers and please don't take offence if it's a short response, or even if I get a bit tongue tied! These blogs have been a great way for me to process the trip but there are still a lot of stories untold and I need to do a bit more to be able to share these in a way that will do them justice. I do want to share though - it's important for them to be heard.

So, am I glad I went? I am. I've gained an incredibly valuable perspective I didn't have. I've also learnt the value of being truly grateful for what we have. Australia is the lucky country!

For those at work, I'll see you Tuesday. Thank you all again for donating to this amazing cause. You've really made a difference - I've seen that first hand.

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