My first diary entry

I am 25 days from leaving now. The build up to the 31st of March has been like climbing an unforgiving mountain, the last few steps are always the most tiring. I am hoping from here on in it will be a ride that takes control of me (I'm sure it will).

This year i have worked extremely hard, day and night, sometimes not going home for days simply to get as many shifts in as possible. I work for St Anne's community services and without them this trip would not have been possible. Working with people is what i love, weather it be my colleagues or the service users, they have all provided me with more support than i could have wished for, I do not know how to thank you guys at St Anne's other than to work hard in South Africa and bring what i learn home to you, Thank you! My friends and family have been my balance when not at work, thank you too.

My inspiration for going to work in South Africa has come from my Grandma, Olive Yates. As a young boy I remember these black African people coming to our house for a meal once every couple of years. I never understood who they were or why our family had anything to do with them until I began to grow older and ask questions. My questions were never fully answered, but now I am a grown man my Gran opened a whole new, or should i say distant world to me and now I understand why my questions were so kindly avoided. Grandma met a South African Father called Simeon. Farther Simeon turned up at Grandmas church one day through his mission work. My Gran was touched by this mans strength of mind and hope for his country. As she continued to get to know Farther Simeon, she began to feel this mysterious pain he carried with him, the pain of his people. At this time South Africa was in the middle of Apartheid. All Blacks, Asians, whites etc were being separated into race. This was conducted by looks. so if a person had black features then they were classed as black and if they had Asian features they were Asian, this often meant that families were split simply because they did not look the same. Most of the native South Africans where pushed out of cities like Johannesburg where the land is rich with gold, out to lands that are not even good for farming, all so the white man could mine for his riches. The people affected by the Apartheid started to protest and show resistance and this resulted in many people being massacred. Hearing these story's of blood shed from Farther Simeon did not frightened my grandma, it drove her to follow Farther Simeon back to South Africa, so she could see with her own eyes, the pain he was caring with him.

My role is to try and follow on from where my Grandma left off. There is no Apartheid any more, but the after math, like in any war is disease and poverty. My role in South Africa will be to support people who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. I will be going for three months and have a sneaky suspicion that this trip will change my life.

Over the last 12 months i have completed two sponsored walks and conducted a charity auction. The first walk I completed was the National three peaks, the three highest mountains in Britain, all good fun until I found my self stuck on Snowdon in the dead of night, with my step dad. The second walk was the Yorkshire three peaks which i completed with two good friends. The auction took a lot of work, but it payed off in the end. I also received a very generous sponsor from Huddersfield's Pen Dragon, so all in all a very successful year thanks to a great team of people.

Before the end of this log i want to thank;

All my friends and Family
Everyone at Work
Pen Dragon
Kirkheaton School
Czerwiks

You have all helped me reach my goal, Thank you!