Articles

On the morning of the 5th of September ten very naive, very nervous Trinity girls headed for the Johannesburg Zoo. Not knowing what to expect we huddled together at the entrance of the zoo, at 8 am, waiting for our day of hard work to commence. We began the day by getting lost on the way to "The Tree of Light" something that we expected to find easily (until we realised we weren't looking for a tree at all). Once we had found our way there we began helping with odds and ends. Then we headed back to the entrance to welcome guests, praying not to get lost again. This is the point when we got to meet all the amazing Muscular Dystrophy Foundation members who attended the 35th birthday celebration. Let's just say looking for surnames on an alphabetised list, while there are ten other people behind the person you're helping, is not the easiest thing in the world. Once all the members had been welcomed, we finally got the chance to spend time with them. We laughed and joked as though we had been friends for years - a gift we will never forget. I think all ten of us began the day nervous and stressed about what would be expected of us on this very long day ahead. But time flew, not only because we were having fun but because we were making friends and learning about a completely different lifestyle. Something we would never had experienced without your welcoming hearts. The experience at the zoo on that day was life changing. I think about the things I take for granted every day - simple things like walking up stairs - but then I think about how getting up stairs is a battle that has to be fought every day by many citizens of South Africa. On the day, we came as volunteers but left as friends of your association. We were asked to lend a helping hand but the lessons we learnt - the lessons you taught us - will help us through our entire lives. So thank you MDF for the lessons, the laughs and the friendships you gave us. We will never forget, because your foundation does not change only the lives of those who suffer from muscular dystrophy, but ours as well. The battles you fight every day inspire us and this quote by William Faulkner seems directed at you: "Man performs and engenders so much more than he can or should have to bear. That's how he finds that he can bear anything".
Chloe Hoffmann
Trinity House High School