Ubuntu is alive and kicking in SA

Sonja Kruse is 34, single, brave and a very very positive woman. She is travelling around South Africa without money to prove that Ubuntu is alive and well and to highlight the positives about South Africa.

A positive attitude brings great rewards

I spoke to her on the phone this morning and am now feeling quite envious of her liberating experiences.

It all started with a dream she dreamed four years ago. Sonja has since had the idea in her head but now was the right time to do it. She quit her job and gave her car away, then hit the road with R100 in her pocket.

When I spoke to her she was on day 11 of her amazing journey and has been blown away by the kindness and generosity of her fellow South Africans, may of whom don't have much to give, but share it gladly.

I'll share our conversation with you - to give you an insight into the mind of this positive and courageous woman:

Where are you now and where did you sleep last night?

I'm in Port Elizabeth at the moment and slept at a student digs last night.

Where did you start your journey and how long do you plan to travel?

I started my journey 11 days ago in East London. I had planned to take six months to do it but will have to extend it to a year. There is just too much ubuntu out there.

Are you not scared of hitching and the potential dangers out there for single women?

No, I am a spitirual person and believe that I have made this journey before and no harm came to me. I am also quite a perceptive person. I've only had to hitch once but felt it was time and the right thing to do, even although the locals wanted to take me to the police station as they didn't want me to hitch.

Where have you been sleeping for the past 10 nights?

I spent two nights in a rural community, then a township, a backpackers' lodge and now here. People have been so kind and have been so generous with their food (and drink). I have offered to pay some of them but no-one will take money from me.

How do you find accomodation on your travels?

Everywhere I go, I tell my story. People have been so keen to offer me a place to sleep and some have even been disappointed that I already have accomodation in some places. I update my blog regularly and have been receiving offers of accomodation from other parts of SA already.

Where do you plan to go from here?

Wherever the road takes me. There is no itinerary but probably  in the direction of Cape Town and then across the Karoo. I want to end my journey in East London where I started and travel through the Transkei to get there.

Keep updated on Sonja's progress through her blog: www.letterdash.com/skruse or contact her on 072 308 8116

Sonja is also writing a book about her experiences.

Author info: Sasha Wyatt-Minter

Sasha is one of the editors of www.all4women.co.za and is also a 30-something, work-from-home married mom with a passion for writing, reading, good food and wine. She's obsessed with healthy eating and experimenting with alternative health therapies. Her best reward at the end of a busy day - a good book, a massage and some dark chocolate!