I went to Zimbabwe for 6 years doing EOS. Teaching secondary maths, science and a little bit of English, and lived in a home which had no electricity or running water. I met my wife about 5 years in. I finished and went home and I did 1 year of supply teaching here then I went to Zanzibar for 3 years and then I had a motorbike and Eric has a motorbike as well, he was a comedian, and we both did teaching the teachers in Mnemba.
Before I had a stroke I did football, badminton and I swam as well. After that it was hard. I do walking football. I do gardening. In Zimbabwe I had honeybees- 4 hives and I got stung a lot.
I had an allotment in the back of my house. I grew many things- potatoes, spinach, lettuce and corn as well. I don’t have an allotment now. I decided to volunteer at Sudley because I wanted to do gardening. It’s an exercise as well. I walk for 3 miles from home to Sudley and I walk back as well.
I don’t know [if I’m making a difference in my community]. 4 years ago, I didn’t have speech at all but I persevered and now I have speech halfway there. It’s good, it’s exercise and there are other people who have had different strokes. Philip 2 doesn’t have speech at all, he says yes or no and that’s it. It’s good to do exercise and it’s hard as well. My right leg is broken, this one (left) is okay, but this one is broken so I persevere and its healing. I go to the gym as well a few times a week, and it’s hard but I persevere.
By Hellen Songa.
March 05, 2022
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