The Pond of Frogs

Today was just incredible! From morning until bedtime, it was just full of fun and excitement. Vedant, Lexy, Ed, and I went to Fatima, a vocational school. We spoke with the director and shared our program. We got to take a tour of the school, and students who were part of ELI Africa last year recognized Vedant and were very excited to see him. I could see that they loved the program last year. Then we went to shop for some equipment for the center, and the scenery was so picturesque that I could not put down my camera. We were having such a good time together in the car as well, joking, sharing stories, and enjoying each other’s company. As we arrived at the center, we heard the new that the two students from yesterday returned to the center with three more! I felt a sense of relief. The two students worked at the garden yesterday and dug out rocks from the garden, and I was afraid they would consider it boring labor and not come back. Quite the contrary, I was exhilarated to hear one of them say he just wants to garden. I believe that just like this, our center is going to grow and grow. I am excited for the future of ELI Africa.
The students tried all the different activities with the fellows and returned home around four. By the end, the students and fellows were already so close, laughing and learning from each other. The programs went even more smoothly than the first day as well. After they left, I started working on the pond in the backyard with Vedant. We had pulled out all the giant water plants, and the rotting water was revealed. We began with taking out the water with buckets. Slowly but surely, the water level was lowered. It was smelly, mucky, and just plain gross, but seeing the progression of our hard work was very rewarding, and we could not stop. To be honest, I was having so much fun. I kept wondering how many different species were living in this eight feet square space, how many insects, plants, and bacteria… Then, I saw a black creature jump up and down the water. There were a dozen small frogs living in that tiny swamp! I cannot even describe the rapture… I was reminded of my childhood, how I used to play in the creek and catch them with my friends, and how those memories are intertwined with my love for nature. Vedant and I worked zealously, and every once in a while we couldn’t help exclaiming how much we value nature and labor. There is just something about hard labor that empowers you, that makes you feel human. Cleaning the pond was not a task to be done, but an exercise of passion and will. We often reveled at how fast the pond was getting cleared up. The pond was very deep however, and soon we could no longer stand on the edge and reach the water. It was time, to go into the pond. I was the only one with boots and I hesitated a little bit. The water was too deep and the boots too short, and the rotting water was bound to flood into them. Also, there was the fear of not knowing what could be in that black water… There might be leeches, flesh–eating insects, etc. But in the end, I love adventures and taking my chances. As Vedant lowered me into the water, he played a prank (of course) and pretended to let go of my hand and we all had a good laugh. After that, I was more at ease with the decision. Once you decide you will get dirty, you can finally have all the fun. Surely, the water swooshed into my boots and I felt the cold water walking around with me. It felt good, although I knew it was rotting water, I was numb to the smell and about to get some serious work done. I passed Vedant buckets full of muck. Bucket after bucket we continued, and finally, when I realized it was dusk, the bottom of this massive pond was revealed. None of us could believe that after a day of work this pond was cleared out. We had done the job.
We washed our hands and returned home, and Vedant prepared for us the Mauritian dish with mackerels as he had promised us. I was proud to help him chop the vegetables and stir the noodles, to help feed our amazing team. We were all so tired, but we were together as a family, and the dinnertime was like the exclamation mark at the end of a sentence. Now, I feel with every bit of my body, that this has been a rich and full day.
Needless to say, I’m loving ELI Africa. My words do no justice to the experience I’m having here…