Kabulo Loji

Dear Joan,

I am most probably one of the last contributors to this souvenir. In fact as I am writing, my memory is so full of big souvenirs that I really got confuse not knowing  how to express and translate them into just few words, using appropriate terminology, logically presented to make sense in a still challenging language for me, English. In few occasions I met you (I feel I was not very privileged to meet you sooner), you made me THINK, stretching my brain up to unthinkable limits, you made me LAUGH...like a crazy boy, you made me CRY...like a baby, cry of joy, cry of emotion

Oui,

Tu m’as fait raisonner...à la limite de la normale

Tu m’as fait rire... comme un fou

Tu m’as fait pleurer...comme un bébé, pleurs de Joie mélangée d’émotion 

You taught me to always question the level of my current  knowledge and understanding of the world, which leads de the hunger of more investigation on issues, thus creating more knowledge. This knowledge that liberate on condition that it is used to achieve social change...I could had never learnt that if I was not under your umbrella, I am quite sure. 

Oui c’est vrai,

Tu m’as fait douter de ce que je connaissais déjà, ce qui m’avait permit de me remettre en question

De toujours pousser le raisonnement aussi loin que possible,

En vue  d’avancer vers l’inconnu,

A la recherche du savoir,

Ce savoir qui libère,

MAIS seulement lorsqu’il orienté vers l’amélioration des conditions sociales,

Ça c’est ce que j’avais retenu de toi et que je n’oublierais jamais

Your influence made me acquire another perspective of being un educator. My vision changed and got reshaped from “engineering rigidity” to a “social human being flexibility”.

Like a true mother, you guided me through that transformation with love,  friendly calling me “our engineer” ...you never get upset or show sign of irritation by my several sometimes stupid opposition to changes; providing me with many opportunities to re-assess my views and move forward with confidence.

During hard times, when I needed support, yours was not negotiable. Talking to you during those difficult moments was always rising new hope. On the last and the worst of all, when I was really troubled as I had never been before, you advised: “Don’t try to change them, you are the one who must change”. In everything I am doing I hear the echo  of this sentence which is becoming the credo of my life. In fact if we individually change to become more human, the whole world will tend to become more human.

Dear Joan,

NMMU Action Research Conference, my first ever conference presentation it was you, Polokwane Tzaneen, Heltasa 2010 it was you, meeting people and communicating ideas trough workshops, Friday’s group meetings, other conferences...still you. You are amazing.

I will really miss you. To be selfish I would say, I will miss you more than you will miss me. Because, I still need your support...remember that you insisted that I complete my Master’s studies before dreaming big and it is that motivation which is keeping me moving although under a very challenging environment. You have been exceptional by reminding me all the time that there was a reason I moved from Congo to seek for asylum in the Rainbow Nation and that I have a mission to accomplish therefore I must remain courageous. Garder courage.  

From the deepest end of my heart  I thank you very much for everything and may God Bless You.

Chère Joan

Du fond de mon Cœur...je te remercie infiniment pour tout.

Ton Kabulo

Joan with Kabulo Loji and Bonnie Kaplan at the
largest baobab tree in the southern hemisphere