A lot of time has passed since I have been given this wonderful opportunity to explore the world and meet other people. And even with in the first year of this remarkable journey I came out of it viewing the world in a different way. I’ve learned so much from attending Waterford Kamhlaba that at times I think about what my life would have been like if I hadn’t gone, and to me that almost seems like a nightmare. Waterford Kamhlaba has become me, providing me with the worldly knowledge of which only a UWC, especially a southern African one, can provide. I have been living a dream that has turned into a reality.
I have met so many people and explored different cultures that before seemed like a world away. And have explored issues that never seemed to involve me or I felt didn’t really need my perspective. Coming to Waterford helped me to explore myself as a person within the world I am living. This journey to Waterford has given me a great direction for the life I want to live, and I’ll probably say it a million times in this letter but thank you for allowing me this opportunity because it has gone beyond me wildest dreams!
Living at Waterford is like living in a little bubble. It’s definitely not a free for all utopia, like a lot of people expect; but within Swaziland it’s definitely more a freedom bubble then the rest of the country. Sometimes even the rest of the world. Other than the UN and other UWCs their really is no place else that you could have so many different nationalities live together, work together and play together with some sense of harmony, and respect or the other persons beliefs.
I am amazed everyday that I can wake one morning and hear siSwati, French German Lesotho, Amharic, Hebrew, or Chichewa being spoken on any occasion. (These are the nationalities just in my corridor!) Thus I can say, “Hurry you’re late for first period!” in any one of those languages!
Waterford and its students really become a family, we fight, we learn, we eat, we live and we love. And we each do it in our own different ways.
Although there are times when it is sometimes hard and the course has its difficulties. There really is no way to describe the passion, love and exhilaration I feel everyday as I walk through the halls of the hostel, of the classroom block, and through the streets of Mbabane. The country of Swaziland’ as stigmatized as it might be, is very welcoming and really enjoys showing new people their culture and teaching them the language. They embrace us as foreigners and try to make us feel as at home as possible.
I really love Waterford, and again I can not stress enough how much I appreciate the opportunity provided by the Bermuda National Committee and my emphasis for them to send more students to Waterford in the future. Its not just about the school it’s about the entire southern African experience!
Yours truly with many, many thanks,
Maya Beckles
WKUWCSA 07-08
