Bridge Southern Africa Families,
Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
I have quite a bit of trips news to talk about, but first I would like to commend all Bridge Southern Africa families for the collective patience displayed as recent events played out in South Africa. I'm sure all of you keep an eye on the news, and I expected a deluge of calls--but none came. My approach was to make contact with our people in South Africa, listen to what they had to say, and address family concerns as they arose. The on-the-ground reports we received from our contacts were consistent with the reports of the most reliable media sources at the time, all of which seemed to indicate that the problems were localized, and that in most areas life was business-as-usual. Around May 22nd our report from Johannesburg was that if one were in the city and didn't watch the news or visit certain neighborhoods, then everything would seem completely normal. On May 26th Lebo's Backpackers Lodge in Soweto wrote a letter to all their clients stating that "none of the violence in the other locations has reached our communities". Our friends in-country confirmed this and we can all see now that the issue has faded from the headlines. We recognize that the situation is still a concern and though all parties in South Africa are working towards a peaceful resolution, we understand that things can change quickly, so we are monitoring the situation closely. We have safety procedures in place should circumstances change, and today we can thankfully report that our itinerary is safe, and all the people we plan to visit are ready to welcome us with complete confidence in our well-being, and assure us that our students should feel safe and look forward to an amazing experience in South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
Leadership News
As many of you are already aware, our BSA 2008 trip developer and BSA 2007 trip leader Sarah Liane Foster will not lead the trip this summer. Don't worry, though! We have replaced her with two wonderful people: one is her male co-leader from last year, James Evans, and the other is Susannah Malarkey, an Africa Peace Corps veteran. Along with our original male leader Thatcher Glode, a 3rd year Windsor Mountain Leader, that gives us three Leaders for Bridge Southern Africa 2008--Thatcher, James, and Susannah--all top-notch educators, and all with extensive in-country experience. Sarah Foster is still on board doing an excellent job as trip developer and will be with us up here in New Hampshire during our staff training and orientation between June 12th-26th. She will communicate the nuances of her itinerary to our leaders and prepare them for the exciting adventure ahead, as well as share the wisdom gained from six years of leading trips with Windsor Mountain.
Trip News!
On Monday, please check your email inboxes for a Bridge Southern Africa 2008 Family Calendar, complete with our full trip itinerary, mail stops, an email update schedule, and a "students phone home" schedule.
Also, after you receive our calendars, please feel free to call us with any questions you have about the itinerary. Everything is in place and it could not be better! I hope everyone is getting excited, because we already are!
Best,
Angus, Sarah, James, Susannah, Lou, Marjorie, and the entire Windsor Mountain Team
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