It’s not goodbye, just, see you later. . .

Over the last 12 months I have seen things that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Some have been amazing, others terrible, but all equally impressive and formative.

I’ve seen classes with no teacher for days on end, children who can’t understand to throw a rugby ball backwards after several weeks of coaching sessions and children who are sent home from school because they are “quite wet from the rain”. I have also seen a boy pick up a cricket bat for the first time and hit the first ball over two buildings, the delight on the face of a child who had never seen the sea when he first stood up on a surf board and a teacher who would previously never have touched sports with a pole teaching his own group. I have had the pleasure of meeting several hundred exceptional people from around the world, many of whom I am still in touch with and all of whom I wish nothing but the best. In their company I have played soccer and seen the sun set over my township, kayaked within 20m of a Southern Right Whale and watched two teachers dance and sing their way into a room with the definite impression that neither they nor I nor any of the 30 other people in the room had much idea what was happening.

The improvements are sometimes hard to see when you take things in two week segments, but looking back over 26 fortnights you notice how many things have changed. The interest of the teachers, the improvement in discipline, in teamwork, in general ability and the changing attitudes of everyone we work with. All of these things have combined to make this an amazing year and one in which I hope I myself have changed and improved as a person.

As I say goodbye to Sports and Surfing, ACJ and Gordon’s Bay it is of course hard. GVI staff see people come and go at an alarming rate, but we have learnt the truth of what we tell each group that comes through. You never really leave something like this behind. You take all of these experiences with you wherever you go in life and you can always stay in touch. I have to thank all of the volunteers that have been through here that make all of the projects what they are and allowed me to have such an awesome experience. I have to thank the project partners we work with who accommodate new people coming in every two weeks and who appreciate what we do so much. I have to thank the many members of my GVI family who have supported me through everything and shared the good and bad times equally. To everyone who has been part of this experience I owe a huge debt of gratitude. I leave saying the words that I have heard so often. I will be coming back here…

Nick Herrick – Sports Coordinator

It’s not goodbye, just, see you later. . .