Kate. She was a volunteer in Benin - an education volunteer, to be exact. Yesterday, we celebrated her remarkable - and remarkably short - career with a touching ceremony of music, photos, and heartfelt first-hand accounts. For many people it was a chance to finally say goodbye to their beloved friend because, you see, the funeral held exactly one year ago was rife with confusion and grief. The confusion persists, as does the grief, but the majority of volunteers who swore in at her side have since departed, and there wasn't a person in my stage who ever met her. But it's not for lack of want, and we all feel as if we have.
Kate stood up for what she believed in. Plain and simple. She was buttressed by her friends and a proper sense of justice, propelled by boundless energy and positivity, and surrounded by purpose. Or so we hear. And so we see, through blogs, tears of friends, and photos of an ever-present smile.
We arrived, last July, in a flurry of uncertainty. Up until the point that our plane touched down, volunteers here in Benin had serious doubts that they would receive any new volunteers. The program here would, in effect, be shut down. Volunteers also thought that, upon learning of Kate's tragic fate, many of my fellow stagiaires would wish to leave. For the most part, we're still here. And thriving. And we're all better off for having known of Kate's existence. I'm not kidding - she was a very special person. So this blog is for her memory, and to give the sincerest of condolences to her friends and family. Her memory will live on forever through the efforts and spirits of volunteers across the globe, and it will be especially vibrant here in Benin.
For more information, visit her blog: http://beinginbenin.blogspot.com/
Beautifully said. Keep safe and keep the support group close. Love, Mom and Dad
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