Ladies of RASA...we salute you

WINTER 2023… There’s a chill in the air. The unsettling whistle of the wind as it weaves its way around boulders, through trees and scurries through the valley below combined with the hum of the fridge has kept me from falling into a deep sleep.

Wrapped warm in a heated blanket it’s difficult to get out of bed. It’s cold outside. And that, fills me with fear.

A song written by a South African artist, Ard Matthews, titled Impossible Machines lies deep within my soul. It’s lyrics is as follow:

I don't knowBut this life is so predictableWe do curious thingsWith impossible machinesAnd this I knowThat you can't rely on anyoneCause everyone elseIs afraid of the dark

Let go of the thoughts that harm youPut anger and fear asideCause the best of you is yet to come, You know that life is sweet if youLike to see it that way now”

In the days to come a few ladies will make their way to the start of The Freedom Challenge at Pietermaritzburg City Hall. Incredible sacrifices has been made up until this day. Time away from families, work, lives and responsibilities. All put aside to accomplish one task—to get to Diemersfontein. I am immensely proud to be a part of this incredible community of strong, powerful women. There’s a mutual respect amongst us. One that is incredibly difficult to find in the outside world. The friendships we share are real, it is raw and quite remarkable.

I am filled with fear and anticipation. What obstacles lie ahead of us? Nothing on the trail is easy. The hardest days are yet to come. What I do know is that we will endure, we will fight. Every step of the way. Success is our only option. Failure is not.

With incredible gratitude and a heart filled with joy and content, I salute you ladies. I wish you good luck. Life itself is a test. Hardly an easy feat.

Let’s all get to Diemersfontein.