A sister story

Sister Dunya’s tribute to Adi
Delivered at the funeral service on 22nd November 2012

Adi and I were born at Mowbray Maternity Hospital in Cape Town on 23rd March 1983 to Irene Ansems. And so began the adventure of the three Ansems girls: Irene, Adi and Dunya.

Our adventures started in Sea Point under the watchful eye of our beloved nanny, Ellen. Although growing up with a single mom who worked long hours to provide for us, not once do I remember ever feeling neglected or unhappy as I always had my best friend, partner in crime and soul mate with me. I’m sure mom got tired of the endless elaborate song and dance performances we’d put on for her, and exasperated with us turning the lounge into a massive tent of blankets and chaos!

Mom called Adi “the light of her life” and me her “pride and joy”. Mom was undoubtedly our hero!

Mom took us on our first camping trip at the age of 21 months old, and our first overnight hike at age 10. Adi was immediately bitten by the adventure bug.

Mom would take us and the Harpur girls on day outings around George on the weekends – Adi would turn these outings into unforgettable adventures! Whether it be the first to plunge into the icy mountain pool, or starting a song and dance routine on the George Dam wall, or simply daring one of us to do some crazy stunt that would have us all in hysterics.

Although I remember that I moaned like hell because I wanted a disco for our 16th birthday, Adi insisted we go canoeing overnight up the Keurbooms River. I know everyone would have long forgotten my silly disco, but the crazy memories of paddling up the river against rapids will live on in my mind and the minds of those girls who joined us – many of them here today.

Adi’s enthusiastic appreciation of the outdoors eventually took her all over the world, much of it on foot: conquering the Fish River Canyon, Transkei, much of the Drakensberg and practically every hill and mountain in the Western and Southern Cape. She taught kids how to ski in France, took surfing, archery and climbing lessons in Ireland and traveled to India on a Christian Mission outreach.

The Ansems Girls left George for Cape Town when Adi and I had just celebrated our 17th birthday. Here Adi, the eternal dreamer, developed her imagination and creativity into Art. This also marked the beginning of her night owl behaviour, where she would work endlessly and painstakingly on her paintings till the early morning hours. Her talent developed to the extent that one of her matric art pieces was selected for display at the Cape Town Art Gallery in 2000 and Westerford High School bought her painting. Many of her paintings were sold over the next ten years.

Although she did not pursue a career in art, and did not have much time for painting after school, she expressed her creativity through photography – we’ll all remember having to pose for a typical “Adi” photo, regardless of the situation, timing and location of the snapshot.

The three Ansems Girls went their separate ways after matric in 2001: Irene to the UK, me to UCT and Adi…..well, Adi went all over the world! Though distance couldn’t sever the bonds of our Ansems tripod.

After a gap year in 2002 (which turned into a three-year gap year) Adi returned to South Africa in 2005 to begin studies at Stellenbosch University. Her deep empathy for the impoverished, mistreated and downtrodden led her to start a social work degree. But Adi ultimately had bigger ideas! Instead of bringing comfort to just one or two individuals’ lives, she dreamt of uplifting entire communities, better the lives of many before they were broken and damaged. And so, Adi took her social work undergraduate degree to an honours level in Sustainable Development.

She did exceptionally well in this field, combining her intelligence, creativity and empathy. Her hard work resulted in a report on Somalia being published in an academic journal, Scientia Militaria, and she was invited to complete her Masters degree for which she received a full two-year bursary from the CSIR.

Always up for a challenge, Adi completed her first year of Masters at Stellenbosch in just eight months – allowing her to start another one-year Master’s Degree in Luxembourg, Europe, while simultaneously completing her Stellenbosch Masters.

Adi and I had gone our separate ways after school – Adi, as mentioned, into social work and sustainable development; me into commerce. I am now a qualified Chartered Accountant. But when we saw each other, I always felt like the uneducated one, as she would tell me how the real world works, outside the accounting department. And so, Adi and I planned to Save the World; she would come up with the plan of action, and I would fund the good deeds.

Uddles, I know you are with us, and I hope you can hear me. I’ve come to love and appreciate your quirky outlook on life and your free spiritedness. You’ve inspired me to believe that no idea is silly, and I shouldn’t care what other people think.

Our Ansems Girls tripod is lost without its strongest leg – you’ve left some massive shoes to fill. I miss you so much already. I love you with all my heart and will continue your legacy forever. Goodbye, my dear sister and best friend.