Eighteen years ago, 88 American Peace Corps Volunteers descended into the small rural community of Moletji in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. They came on buses filled with luggage, sporting bicycles and helmets and dressed in the latest outdoor wear.

They were greeted by a large group of singing and ululating villagers, they were welcomed by the Chief and then they were assigned families to host them for the 2 months of their training before they went to their respective posts.

I was among this group of hopeful volunteers…but no one came to collect me. I stood alone with three other volunteers, as the last family left with their volunteer to take them to their family home. The four of us were gathered by the Chief, who said we could stay with him until he found us a family.

The next evening, the Chief approached me to say that a woman from the village had come to ‘adopt’ me. Her name was Melita Komape and she had the most beautiful smile. We exchanged very few words, as she did not speak much English, but the Chief told me she wanted to welcome me into her home, so off to Ga-Kompe – in the upper part of the village – we went.

When I arrived, I was greeted by two older gentleman and a friendly dog named “bakhie” (dog), and a mischievous cat named “khatsie” (cat). The one gentleman was to become my “Baba” (the other was his younger brother, “Rangwane Sam” and the woman who collected me “Mama” and they named me “Molatelo” (The one who came after the others). And so it was that Molatelo became a beloved part of the Ga-Kompe clan.

16 years later Molatelo returned home…

A lot changed…Baba had just recently passed on, the children were all grown (and some new ones had arrived), the house had been updated (there was indoor plumbing) and Molatelo got married, so the family had a “mokhoenyana” to welcome as well.

But what did not change was the love we have for each other and the sense of family that grew among a group of once complete strangers from different countries and completely different cultures.