A very special visitor from South Africa

This week our dear colleague from South Africa, Ghana Matolengwe, was in Toronto. She works as a monitor for projects in sub-saharan Africa for the Canadian Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) and the six monitors the SLF uses in Africa had their annual meeting in Toronto with the SLF staff. The SLF Operational Director Leah Teklemariam was 10 years ago a CIDA funded intern in South Africa and worked with Ghana on one of our three projects with the Walter Sisulu University. We create all sort of wonderful connections that way....

After the SLF meetings I picked up Ghana and we met at the home of Katie Dunphy, who worked years ago as one of our NC international project managers. Katie also worked on projects in South Africa and nowadays works as CSR consultant at KPMG. In the meantime - while still working for NC - she met a nice Spanish fellow, married with him and they are now the proud parents of a two  year old. Ghana right away made friends with the little man....

During the evening a variety of former interns and others who had worked with Ghana during the 17 years we worked together, and now live & work in Toronto, stopped by....

After this get-together I drove Ghana to Fonthill in order to visit Niagara College briefly the next day. We started with breakfast and met up with Bea Clark who also worked with Ghana...

Then we visited the NOTL campus of Niagara College where 12 students followed a preparation program for international co-op work placements in South Africa, Ecuador and a few of the Caribbean island states. Ghana told them a bit about "living and working overseas"...

These NC students will all become a bit more "world ready" during the coming few months....

Finally we had a small get-together at the Welland campus with a number of current and former NC staff who had worked with Ghana in South Africa. Then it was time for Ghana to go homewards again

Thanks for visiting us again "Mama/Sis Ghana"! You are a beautiful human being and you have made a difference in the lives of some 150 Canadians during the past 17 years. May you go well!!