Leaving a Legacy

The dictionary defines legacy as “a thing handed down by a predecessor.” It can be words of wisdom, memories, material possessions, or something the person is known for.

 

Morgan McKeowan, a January 2007 Racer, fell in love with Swaziland when she came here on her Race, and got the idea to do Legacy Books for the men and women dying of AIDS. Legacy Books are scrapbooks of a person’s life, with everything from their birthday, favorite childhood memories, information about their children, and pictures of them and their families. With AIDS so prevalent in Swaziland, many children are growing up without knowing their parents. The goal is to show them they have value and something worth leaving behind.

 

Morgan brought a team to Swazi about a month ago, and started the Legacy Books, and we got a chance to continue the project this month. We interviewed about 20 people, took their pictures, and are currently working on putting the new books together.

 

We also finished the books Morgan’s team started, and had a ceremony to present the completed books to the people who were interviewed when her team was here. During the ceremony, Anna spoke about what it means to leave a legacy, sharing what her mom left behind when she passed away, and shared that it was important for them to leave a legacy so their children can remember them As we announced each person’s name and they came up front to receive their books, their faces were beaming as they read their story and saw their picture in a book. I’m sure many of them don’t have any pictures at home, and they laughed as they looked at themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

Their stories were heartbreaking. Like Nomsa Gina who lost both of her parents when she was very young and had to live with her grandmother. Her brother was the only one taking care of her and he committed suicide when she was 15. Her grandmother then passed away a year later and by the ago of 16 she was left completely alone. She had her first child three years later and when he was one year old, his father took him and she has not seen him since.

 

Many of them didn’t know where they were born, their parents had died at a young age, had at least one child who had died, and they felt like they didn’t have hope. Their life dreams were simple, to live to see their grandchildren, and for their kids to go to school.

 

But now, they are starting a legacy.

 

 

 

      

 Darci interviewing                                                                     Cathy and Rachel working on the books