My time is done here.......for now

My final day…where did the last 4 weeks go? It’s been such an emotional day, I’m exhausted.

Today was our meeting regarding the handicapped children that come to the crèche. The meeting went exceptionally well, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Everyone seems to be on the same sheet of music now, with a better understanding of what each organization’s role is in this. During the meeting the crèche manager thanked me so much for bringing awareness to the issues. She said when they made the agreement with Sibongile, it seemed simple enough at the time. She didn’t realize the issues that could crop up and wasn’t real clear on the role of CCS or Sibongile. She is also the manager and not in the classrooms very often, so she just doesn’t see everything. She also gave me credit for pushing hard enough that Morgan was assessed and will be getting the help he needs. (that’s when the tears started this morning) We discussed training for the teachers. Ellen (Chumani’s teacher) was in the meeting as well and they asked her how she felt about Chumani in her class and asked her if she could handle Chumani on her own, in the event a time came that there were no volunteers in place. She whole heartedly agreed that Chumani was a joy to have and that she would be fine on her own, if necessary. It was also agreed that the CCS volunteer (my role), could not be solely responsible for the handicapped children. It wasn’t fair to the volunteer or to the child. Volunteers role out of here every few weeks....one child cannot be so dependent on one person, since the person isn’t permanent. As for the volunteer…being solely responsible doesn’t allow much time to interact and bond with the other children. Everyone was awesome and we all walked away feeling accomplished and just great about it.

After the meeting it was back to the classroom for me! The children were wrapping up their activities and we went outside to play. Ellen called me back in and told me that she and Ethelina would like to talk to me. I went inside and they thanked me for all the help and said they were so pleased that I had returned and were counting on seeing me again in the future. Then they gave me the most wonderful gift! It is a round piece of fabric with all the kids hand prints and a wonderful message from the teachers. Oh…and they think my name is Wanda. The presentation of the gift and their kind words put me in round two of crying.

Then it was a handful of tissues and then back to the playground! We played until lunch time, at which time I helped set up tables, wash a bunch of dirty little hands and serve lunch. After lunch was the normal routine of the kids laying down for a nap and me and Chumani on the playground, me pushing him in the swing. The manager came out again to talk to me again. We discussed the positive changes and how much of a learning experience this was for us all. (This was round 3)

Wonga arrived and Chumani and I loaded into the van to return him home. I carried him inside and then had to say goodbye to him and Morgan. THAT was the really hard part. Oh…by the way..I finally got a picture of Morgan…that’s who I posted above. I gave them both hugs and kisses and told them how much I loved them. (Round 4)

We arrived back at the home base and had a wonderful lunch and I had to say goodbye to the staff…who literally was like my second family here. They are the most wonderful and caring people. Everyone from the office staff, the security guards, the housekeepers, the cooks, the guy who takes care of the lawn…everyone makes it a point to get to know you. They all know each of our name’s, we sit and talk about our families. They take such good care of us here. I will miss them all. (Round 5)

I finished my paperwork, got my pickup information for tomorrow and now I’m getting ready to start packing up my things then we are going out for our farewell dinner. It’s Mexican and Margarita’s at Cape Town’s Best Mexican Restaurant, Panchos!

I’m so relieved that things went so well with the meeting today and so glad that things seem to be on track. I was really worried about leaving here with some disappointment….not in the least. My trip here was successful. I had a wonderful time. I actually accomplished more than I ever thought possible. I am leaving here fulfilled and feeling very rewarded.

My heart aches about leaving. It’s all so bittersweet. I love this country and it’s people…I will be back. I’m emotionally drained...and I'm pretty sure I don't have a tear left in my body...but I am so happy to be coming home. Actually I’m very excited about returning home. I have missed everyone so much.

Well I’ve got packing to do and margarita’s to drink. So I’m off!

XO

Today was a really good day at the creche. Kids all did well..Chumani was awesome, and I'm really seeing acceptance there. The teachers were really good with him. One little boy in particular seems to have taken to Chumani. He seems to recognize that Chumani is different and always seems to go out of his way to say hello, and always sits by him when he can. Today when they were all singing in a circle, there was a point in the song where the kids march around in a circle. Well, because Chumani isn't mobile, they just march around the back of his chair. Everytime the little boy marched behind Chumani he would tickle him or wave. It was heartwarming.

On an even better note...and I probably won't get thru this part of the blog without crying, as I can't even think about it without tears welling up, because it's such wonderful news......Morgan went to a Red Cross Hospital today for a full assessment (which he has never had up to this point). The little boy that I was told was somewhere around 4...is actually between 8 or 9 years old. They said that he is right now at about the level of a 1 1/2 year old....which is why he bites, scratches and doesn't talk much! The also verified that Morgan doesn't have CP at all and that he has some medical issue where his muscles are too short leading to his feet or something, which is why he doesn't walk. The Red Cross is talking about doing this surgery for him, and he will walk again. They also have said that if they (the home...orphanage...he is in)can get him to the Red Cross weekly they will start workin with him...speech therapy and all! Oh my gosh! I'm so excited for him! I raised a little stink about it...and we've come this far already!! YAY Morgan! I was also told today that when Morgan was born he had some sort of brain tumor which is why he is so terribly delayed. That coupled with the face that he was abandoned by his mother at a very young age and went into an orphanage, where most just write off the handicapped. His tumor has been removed and then he was pushed aside as another kid without the capacity to do anything. Now...he is with doctors who want to help him. As long as the folks in his home are diligent about his appointments, he will have specialists working with him. The Red Cross also said they may be able to put someone in their home to help with him and the other children. What a huge step we've made, since I've been here. I expect tomorrow's meeting to go very well. Positive steps are being made on all sides. Now it's just a matter of making sure everyone understands their role in this thing.

Everything coming together right at the end of my journey. I feel like my purpose has been served. It's going to be so hard to say goodbye to those boys tomorrow. So hard to leave them, not knowing for sure if there will still be someone here to fight for them.

I will try to follow their progress once I get home. It isn't always easy to find information on specific children...I tried that last time...but I'll do my best. Either way...I feel good knowing that perhaps I played a part in getting them accepted, raising awareness and helping to give them a fair chance.

Update

Well, I haven’t blogged in a few days, so I guess it’s time. The past few days have been a little rough, so I just didn’t feel like re-hashing. Today I’m feeling better and I know some of you are waiting to hear from me.

So, things at the crèche have been difficult. I won’t go into great detail as I know you’ve gotten the picture from previous posts. Just for a quick catch up…..Morgan hasn’t been attending this week as he is having some behavioral issues. Last week he was pinching and scratching everyone, including me all day. He even tried to bite me. Scary, considering he is HIV positive and has very poor oral health, sores in his mouth, etc. Good thing I was paying attention. At any rate, the Momma’s at the school didn’t want me to bring him back this week and I was trying to explain to them that it wasn’t my decision…I basically just pick the boys up on the way. There seems to be confusion as to who is responsible for what. Sibongile (the home the where the boys live) and Home From Home (the crèche) are the two organizations that have the agreement about the boys attending school there. CCS’s role in this is to provide transportation. And of course as volunteers for CCS, we help with the boys as well as all the other children here. As I stated in earlier posts, that wasn’t really happening. Sibongile made the decision to keep Morgan home for now, since he keeps acting out.

On a lighter note…Chumani is doing AWESOME! He has fit right in to his classroom. The children seem to have accepted him and the teachers seem to be on board for the most part. So that’s a great thing! Their attitude’s seem much better and I think they are able to see how smart he really is. In fact this morning when I was carrying him through the gate…I could barely walk! All the children were around me calling Chumani and talking to him in Xhosa. He was talking back to them and grinning from ear to ear. It was so awesome to see. I am very hopeful for Mr. Chumani! And very excited for him!

Back to the not so good part….I still am frustrated about the things I’ve mentioned before about the lack of training for the teachers and it seems no one knows or understands the agreement, the role of the volunteer, etc, etc, etc. Sibongile emailed Home From Home and CCS about this possible third child and what they expect from CCS and how they need an additional volunteer as the third little CP child will need “full time care.” I don’t agree with that nor does my director. If the little girl requires round the clock care, that needs to be done by a staff member of either organization, not the volunteer. Volunteers are on a three week cycle, the position isn’t sustainable. There will be no continuity for the little girl, nor would be skilled for her needs.

The manager of the crèche knows I have concerns as I’ve expressed them to her. She knows I’m not happy with how things have been handled with Morgan and Chumani and she knows that CCS has just called a meeting to get things ironed out. So needless to say the manager isn’t real pleased with me. I think she believes I just came in a started stirring the pot. She doesn’t feel there are any problems or issues with the boys at her crèche. Need I remind her that the 4 hours a day that they are there (when I’m there), she is usually not there, so she doesn’t see everything that goes on. But when she is there…she makes it very obvious that she doesn’t have anything to really say to me and I know some of the ladies are talking about me. The manager sees me as a threat, as she has basically been put on report.

Our director has called a meeting to try and resolve these issues. The meeting will include the crèche manager, the lady who founded Home from Home, I guess you would call her the CEO, a rep from Sibongile, the CCS Director, the CCS Program Manager and myself. It is scheduled for 0930 on Friday morning. Thankfully it’s my last day as I’m sure the people at Home From Home will be even less thrilled with me, since all the bosses will be there.

I’ve been really upset and feeling like this whole issue has really overshadowed my trip here. I was really feeling somewhat short changed. When I came back this time, I specifically requested the same placement. I specifically asked for Home From Home, so that I could have a similar experience as I did last time. I wanted to be able to spend time with all the children. I wanted to get to know them and know their stories. I wanted to be able to bond with them. I didn’t feel like I was able to do that. I wasn’t able to spend much time doing activities and crafts with the school children, as my days were consumed with just keeping up with Morgan and Chumani, since no one else wanted to deal with them. I felt cheated and frustrated and just really wished that my trip was over. Then I was talking to Teri. (She is one of the volunteers here that I have really bonded with. She and I will continue this friendship long after we both return home.) She reminded me of all that I have done for the boys and while my time here was stressful and frustrating, that perhaps what I did was more beneficial than anything I’ve done. Because I’ve raised awareness and maybe….just maybe I might have played a role in these boys having a fair chance. I sat back and reflected on what she said…and perhaps she is right. If my raising the awareness gets them treated better, gets them noticed and makes people realize that just because they aren’t “normal” doesn’t mean you give up on them….then it was worth every ounce of frustration, tears and stress. Chumani and Morgan have burrowed down into my soul. I love those little boys so much and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to bond with them. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to love them and be a brief part of their lives. I am a much richer person thanks to those two little angels.

I can’t even think about saying goodbye to them on Friday. I won’t think about saying goodbye to them on Friday. I am going to enjoy every second with them and worry about the goodbye when it gets here. I only see Morgan briefly now, when I pick up and drop of Chumani. When he is not in timeout, in his room…he seems genuinely happy to see me. :)

So…this is where I am right now. Thanks again to everyone for the interest and support.

Muizenberg

Today a few of us traveled to Muizenberg. The weather was perfect! It was sunny and warm, but so breezy it never felt hot! We all came back sun burned!

We went to a an outdoor market and did a bit of shopping and then walked to the beach! The beach there is beautiful! I got to put my feet in the Indian Ocean!! :) The sand was soft and white. The water was loaded with surfers and children were playing soccer on the beach. Muizenberg beach has rows of these little colorful buildings that you rent. They are basically to store your things and use as changing rooms. But the cute rows of color just add so much charm to the beach.

There were all kinds of interesting little creatures. There were these little snail like things that wash up with the surf and then start to burrow in the wet sand. There were these little things that appeared to be some sort of jelly fish, but they were much smaller that what we see at home. They appeared to be clear on the top, but underneath they were blue. There were a couple areas where the little jelly creatures were washed up and it appeared as though a bunch of those snail things were all over and around it, perhaps having lunch! They were strange.

The beach was so beautiful, the water was pretty..much prettier than the Atlantic Ocean, the sand was white, the sky blue, mountains in the background. Beautiful homes on the side of the mountain overlooking the ocean....heaven! We walked the beach for a while and then hopped the train back to Rosebank. It's still so unbelievable to me that there is so much incredible beauty here in Capetown and the most unbelievable poverty, shacks, etc in the townships....A Tale of Two Cities.

This was a very much needed relaxing weekend. Tomorrow is back to the creche! I can't believe it's my last week here!

The Stellenbosch Wine Route

Today my friend Teri and I hired a driver to drive us Stellenbosch to the winelands. It was beautiful country and rows and rows of grape vines. We visited two Vineyards and did some wine tasting.

Spier was the first stop. The Spier estate is a beautiful, historic 1000 hectare wine estate. (One hectare is equal to 2.47 acres). This wine estate was established in 1692. We tasted 5 wines and explored the grounds. It was so beautiful! They had some duck like creatures in their lake that were so cute. Neither breed of which I've ever seen. They looked like something from the duck family, big duck feet and all....but they chirped like a bird. Maybe they are really quacking...but it's in Xhosa! :)

After Spier, we drove into a little town area for lunch at a cute little cafe and had a sandwich, did a little window shopping in the town and then it was on to our next Winery, Delheim. Delheim is high up on the southwestern slopes of Simonsberg Mountain and was established in 1699. The farm was breathtaking! Hills and mountains and rows and rows of perfectly aligned grape vines. The wine tasting room was actually an adorable little cellar. It was warm and inviting. Warm as in welcoming and comfortable. Thankfully temperature wise it was quite cool in there, seeing as it was so ridiculously hot today. Delheim was easily my favorite of the two places we visited. Please check out their timeline they have on their website. The place is so rich with history. http://www.delheim.co.za/dstory-carved.htm

The landscape in Stellenbosch is lovely. Rolling hills and farms as far as you can see. There are so many different wine estates. So many different routes.

Today was a very much needed break. A perfect location to just unwind and relax.

Dinner at Mama Africa

Friday night we went to Mama Africa for dinner. It is without a doubt the neatest restaurant I've been to here in Cape Town. The food was wonderful, the atmosphere awesome and the Marimba band incredible. We saw Abakhaya play last night and plan on returning on Wednesday evening to see them again. I found a video on YouTube. Check them out!

youTube - Abakhaya Marimba Band - Papa was a rollin stone

Also check out Mama Africa : http://www.mamaafricarest.net/

We went to celebrate volunteer Jenny's birthday. It was a great time. Probably the most fun since I've been here.

Shocking Statistics

Rape is endemic in South Africa.

Women:

• 1 in 2 women have a chance of being raped in their lifetime
• A woman is raped every 26 seconds in South Africa
• More than 40% of the perpetrators are known to the rape survivor
• Less than 2% of the reported rapes are false
• Most rapes occur in the rapists community
• 1 in 4 women are in an abusive relationship
• Every 6 days in South Africa, a woman is killed by her intimate male partner
• Women are more likely to be attacked by someone they know, than by a stranger

The Rapist:

• 85% of rapists were armed (usually with a knife)
• In 1998, just under 7% of reported rapes were prosecuted

Children:

• A child is abused every 8 minutes in South Africa
• A child is raped every 24 minutes in South Africa
• 85-90% of perpetrators are known to the child
• 1 in 4 girls & 1 in 5 boys under 16 years have been sexually abused
• 1/3 said their first experience was rape or forced sex
• 2/3 of teens said they'd experienced sex against their will
• The rape graph rises sharply from 3-25 yr old girls and peaks at girls 8-11 yrs

HIV/AIDS & Violence Against Women and Children

• 40% of young men aged 20-29 (most common age of rapists) are infected with HIV/AIDS
• The incidence of HIV is highest in girls aged 15-25
• There are 1700 new cases of HIV infection daily in South Africa
• In 2004, 20% of girls aged 13-19 were infected with HIV/AIDS (six times more than boys)
• 16% of the women raped are already infected with HIV

This information came from a pamphlet that was distributed at another volunteer's placement. She works with adults between 18-30 years old. An organization came in to talk to them and distribute the material. Although the pamphlet is dated 2005, they are still using this data and based on the other talks and presentations I've been to, these numbers are probably still very representative today.

Source: Rape Crisis Cape Town, Men Against Rape, April 2005

Thanks

Today was a tough day and I'm physically and emotionally drained. I really don't have the energy to blog today. But I did want to take a minute to thank everyone who is reading the blog and posting messages. Your support and your belief in me is what keeps me motivated. Thanks for taking the time to follow my journey and for caring. I truly am grateful.

Beautiful Weather, Happy Children, and a Braai...doesn't get much better than this!

Another great day! Morgan did not attend the creche today as he had a check-up at the hospital, so it was just Chumani today. He and I both had an awesome day! He played, and sang, and practiced his writing and I pushed him on the swing! Best of all....the teachers in the classrooms seem to be getting on board! It was a very promising day! I think they are starting to realize how smart he is! They actually engaged him, asked him questions, moved his chair around so he was involved with the group. At one point, I was even setting up the tables outside for lunch, and one of the teachers picked him up from his chair and took him outside to the swings! Definitely making progress! I am feeling a little better about it. Let's just hope it sticks after I leave.

I am going to talk to our Program Director about some things I'd like to see happen, such as real training for the staff! I think these children were thrusted upon the teachers with no warning. They were given no background information on Morgan or Chumani. Yesterday one of the teachers was amazed to find out that Morgan could hear! She thought he was deaf. He's been attending the creche for about 8 weeks now! I also found out that both boys suffer from seizures (which is common, I understand, with some CP patients). I'm certain none of the teachers are aware that they could have a seizure nor do I think they would know what to do in the event of one. Training needs to be done. Medical and some sort of sensitivity training. Especially now that it sounds like they may be sending a third child from the CP home to join Morgan and Chumani. Sounds like this will happen next week. I'm a little nervous about it, as it's difficult enough taking care of two of them by myself in two different classrooms...and now a third. But I'll manage.

Without Morgan there today, I was able to spend the whole time in the classroom. I worked with the older of the two classes. Chumani is in with the younger and actually seems to do a little better when I'm not in the room with him. The kids in my class were practicing writing their first and last names. It was cool to see them learning! They are getting prepared for primary school! Some will go next year and the others will go the following year. The weather was beautiful today so we all spent a good bit of time on the playground! YAY!

After lunch, the kids went down for a nap and Chumani and I went to the playground to swing while we waited on Wonga (our driver). Chumani was being silly and kept saying in his sweet little accent, "Rhonda...I'm laughing!" I kept saying, "I know Chumani, I hear you and you're making me laugh too!" We both were laughing and singing and he was just being so silly...so I called him a "Silly Willy" and he repeated it and cracked up laughing at the sound of it. I was trying to make sure he understood the context of it so I kept saying, "silly willy....funny...laughing..." He kept repeating it and laughing. I told him "Chumani is a Silly Willy!" And he cracked up! So when our driver arrived and we climbed into the van (there were a couple other volunteers in the van), and I asked him, "What's Chumani?" He said, "Wonga is a Silly Willy!" And we all started laughing, Wonga included. When we arrived at Chumani's home to drop him off and I carried him inside, Morgan was home from his appointment with a big smile on his face, so happy to see me! I picked him up and gave him a hug, told him how much I missed him and he planted a big ol' kiss on me! Gosh how I love those two little boys. They make me a better person and I'm so grateful to have them in my life, however briefly.

It was just an awesome day! And it couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I was starting to feel tired and a little frustrated with the way things were going at the school...so I really needed this day to restore my faith and re-energize me!

After placement we went on a field trip for lunch, as a group. They took us to this cool little restaurant called Mzoli's. It's in the heart of one of the townships called Guguletu. We sat outside and there was a band! There was one drummer and three marimba players and a guy that sung! The band is called Abakhaya and I purchased their CD. It was so much fun! It was a traditional South African Braai. A braai is basically a cookout. We had bbq'd chicken, beef sausage and lamb chops cooked on an open fire with traditional South African side dishes. It was a great afternoon! You know me....I stuck to the chicken! :)

I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

A great day!

Molweni!

Although it rained most of the morning and we were stuck inside at the creche, it was a pretty great day! I spent most of the day in the daycare room with Morgan, with the exception of a few trips to the classroom to check on Chumani and change his nappie.

Yesterday, while I was at Robertson, another volunteer went with the boys to school. Kelsey knows both boys very well as she volunteers at their home, where the other CP children live, along with my 2. Morgan did not have a good day at all. He was not in a good mood and was pinching and scratching everyone. They even had to put him in a crib, to contain him while he through a temper tantrum. Kelsey said it was an exhausting day. Chumani on the other hand always has a great day. He is always happy. Morgan was fine today..in fact, he had an awesome day. The teacher feels maybe it was because I wasn't there yesterday that he was so out of sorts. I'm so hoping that's not the case, as I'll only be here another week and half. I am starting feel guilty. Both of these boys are orphans. Maybe Morgan's behavior has something to do with being abandoned. What if when I leave he feels abandoned again? I hope my being here and spending so much time with him, isn't causing him more harm than good. If I could bring both of them home with me, I would. I need to get picture of Morgan. I'll try to get that done tomorrow. I want to show you the other little guy that owns a piece of my heart. I could tell he was very excited to see me this morning, as he hadn't seen me since Friday!

I was talking to a local a few days ago and he was talking about Skoli's. He said a skoli is what we call a gangster. I told him there was a little boy in the daycare named Skoli. He said that wouldn't be his name, but what they call him, because he is probably naughty. He is in fact that! He is usually the more aggressive child there. He takes toys from kids, pushes, somewhat of a bully. He got put in timeout today for quite a while. He is always being scolded by the teachers and I also find myself telling him no and stop. While at first it seemed kind of funny that they would call the little boy Skoli....it's really quite sad. That would be like you calling your toddler, Bad Boy all the time. So much for positive reinforcement. Skoli is the name he answers to and I thought that was his actual name until I had this conversation. I asked the teacher today what his real name was and she doesn't know. She only knows him a Skoli.

I walked into town this afternoon to buy more poster board. I made up two posters for each classroom with each child's picture and their name under it. Not only did it help me learn all the names in the classrooms, but the children love to see their picture!

In language class we learned something really neat tonight. Traditionally, most Xhosa children are named by their Aunt (I believe he said it was usually the father's sister). They are given a name that means something. He gave a bunch of examples and most of the names mean things such as; joy, blessing, gift, given, hope, beauty. I thought that was just wonderful. He did say though, with so many teens now giving birth, that the tradition isn't followed like it used to be. There are a few children at my school that have American names. I'm not sure if they've actually been given American names or if they are just nicknames they use. I need to try and find that out. We have a Morgan, Hilda, and an Amanda. Another volunteer works at a primary school with 3rd grade children. She has a student with a Zulu name that is hard to pronounce, so when she introduced herself to Irma (our volunteer), she said her Zulu name, but then said, "Just call me Cynthia." So I think maybe they sometimes just go by easier names.

Oh yeah! The last time I was here, there was a little boy that I was particularly attached to. His name was Msisi. He was about 18 months old, I think, when I was here before. I was hoping to see him again on this return trip. I was so anxious to see how he was doing and how he had grown and progressed. I didn't know a whole lot about him, as I was so attached, I felt the less I knew the better. I wasn't 100% sure he was an orphan and I wasn't sure if he was HIV+. When I arrived this time, he wasn't here. I was so disappointed and very worried that perhaps something happened to him, but I was afraid to ask. I was so afraid to find out something terrible. Today I finally got the courage to ask. It took a few minutes for the teacher to figure out who I was talking about, since it was so long ago....but she got it! She said, "Ohhh...the light skinned boy that was little and used to cry and cry and you held him all the time." EXACTLY!! She said she thinks he is fine. He stopped coming because he lived a good distance away from the creche and they were having a real problem with transportation. So that tells me two things: he has more than likely remained healthy and may not be positive. And it also tells me that he has a family! He is not an orphan! The orphans that attend that creche live right across the street from the facility. So YAY Msisi!! :)

Well...I guess that's it for today. I can't believe I'm almost 1/2 way through my third week! The time has just been flying! I already hate the thought of leaving here, but I am so anxious to get home to my own family!

Sala kakuhle!

Robertson

Today I traveled with our Director and House Manager to a WONDERFUL little town called Robertson. CCS will be opening another volunteer house/site there in April. It is about 2 hours from our current location in Cape Town. I have been interested in the Robertson site, so they invited me to come along. The house that will be rented is a beautifully restored Victorian house that currently serves as a Guesthouse.

The town is so charming...like a little Mayberry! The people are warm and friendly, it's a much safer little town. The streets are lined with old, tall trees. The town has big church with a tall steeple in the middle of the town. There are little cafes, coffee shops, and antique stores all around the town.

There are two nearby townships, one filled with blacks and the other coloreds. These would be the locations for the volunteer work. They had a home in Robertson not too long ago, but the location was too isolated and transportation was a nightmare. This new location is in the little town.

It's in the heart of the winelands, so it is very much a farming community. I fell madly in love with the town and am certain that's where I will go, the next time I come here. I'm a rural girl....you can keep your big cities! :)

It's amazing to see all the fields and fields of farm land, with the mountains in the back! It's breathtakingly beautiful! Definitely the location I would like to go to next time.

Tomorrow..it's back to the creche! I've missed my kids!

Already at the 1/2 way point

I can't believe I am already 1/2 way through my trip! The time is just flying by.

Yesterday after placement a small group of us volunteered to help do some gardening for a really neat organization called The Caring Network. This organization empowers individuals with the skills to care for the vulnerable and ill, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS through the provision of training, capacity building, networking and community action.

They provide individuals from previously disadvantaged communities, particularly those who are unemployed, with training in life skills and healthcare. These caregivers are then sent out into the community to support those that are vulnerable and ill. They provide home health care AND fresh vegetables and herbs and medicinal plants. In 2009 there were 5 care givers in the Khayelitsha Township (this is the township I currently work in), who served roughly 180 clients per month and completed approximately 17,368 home visits. They care givers are supervised by a full-time nursing coordinator.

Our group went over to help do some weeding in one of the vegetable gardens. The whole place was wonderful. It was warm, inviting and relaxing. Okay...so the weeding part wasn't relaxing...but the surrounding area. They have a cute little court yard that is used for resting and tea time.

While the weeding wasn't exactly fun...especially with this pulled muscle or whatever I did to my back and it was one of the hottest afternoons....the people that work there are wonderful and I worked with some of my friends from our homebase but above everthing else, it's nice to be a part of something like this. A part of giving back. I left hot, dirty, tired, but mostly rewarded and fulfilled. It was a good day.

That was followed by a hot shower, a small rest and we were off for Mexican food and Margarita's that was only a short cab ride to the next town. It was a going away dinner, of sorts, for two of the girls that have been here for 6 weeks and are leaving tomorrow.

Sickness is still running through the house....stomach flu and strep throat. So far I have managed to remain healthy. I just keep pumping the vitamins and Airborn!

Today at the creche went okay. I floated between rooms to take care of my two boys. Morgan again wet thru, when trying to help get Chumani settled in the classroom. The other teachers didn't know about it, as they don't pay much attention to him, so he was just sitting in wet britches. So when I was changing his nappie, I had a little chat with the manager. We'll see what changes are to come next week.

I'm very excited for Monday! CCS has opened another program site in South Africa. It's a little town called Robertson, about 90 minutes from Cape Town in a rural farming community. It's actually located in one South Africa's most attractive Cape Wineland Towns. I've been told it's a very charming and rural setting. I actually considered Robertson when I decided to return to South Africa, but decided to come back to Cape Town. The Director is going for meetings or something and I had mentioned that I would really like an opportunity to check it out, and she said I was more than welcome to come along and she would "fetch me" early Monday morning, as long as I cleared it with my Program Mgr here. I let my placement know I probably wouldn't be there Monday and cleared it with my Program Mgr....so I'm heading to Robertson Monday! I can't wait! It's supposed to be a friendly, close-knit community where the remnants of slavery and colonial feudal systems continue to impact the lives of the farm workers, and great divides continue to exist between farm owner and farm worker.

Well, I am grateful for the weekend to get some rest. The couple days will do my back good, as i won't have to lift my boys for a couple of days! Hopefully I'll be good as new on Tuesday.

Well...I'm going to call it a night.

Take good care.

A very trying day

Today has been the most trying day so far. It's Wednesday, so I work in the classroom. I did get a better breakdown of the class structures at the creche. We have 2-3 year olds in the daycare room. There are two classrooms, these are for the 3-4 year olds and the other room is 5-6 year olds. Then the children move onto primary school.

I was working in the 3-4 year old room today. It appears most of the children are closer to age 4 right now. Well, today they decided to move my little buddy Chumani (he's the picture I attached!!) into the classroom. He is one of the cerebral palsy boys that we transport from their orphanage to the creche. Now..let me remind you....this is the magnificent little boy that is 6 years old and is very bright. This is the boy that speaks fluent Xhosa and can also speak some English, German, and Afrikaans. He is very smart but has never had opportunity to go to school. The manager of my creche has decided that Chumani is too advanced for the daycare room and she moves him to the 3-4 year old room. It quickly became very obvious to me that the teacher doesn't want him there. In fact, it's become very obvious that none of the teachers want either boy there. Which amazes me seeing as the whole point of Home From Home is to offer a safe and loving environment for children affected by HIV/AIDS.....children that are different...children that face discrimination in their own communities...yet, they don't seem very tolerant of these two boys, that too are different. It's as if they don't want to be bothered. One of the teachers actually came out and said about Chumani, "He doesn't belong here. He's not like the other children. He needs special care." I pretty much told her that Chumani was very bright. That he wasn't mentally challenged at all, that his hips and legs just don't work.

So, Chumani is brought to the classroom and put in his chair. The children are forming a circle for their prayer and song time. They make their circle in front on Chumani, leaving him out. The teacher says nothing. I pick Chumani up in his chair, seperate two children from holding hands and I put his chair in the middle and link his hands with his neighbors. The next song came and hands were let go of, and the circle formed again...in front of Chumani. I again, parted two children and put him in the middle. I had to do this three times.

Then, it was time to do a writing assingment. She sits the kids at tables, while she gets their papers and pencils out. They are just to write zeroes. I remember that from last time. They just have them write zeroes...the teacher stated it was just to get them used to handling a pencil. So I ask her which table I should put Chumani at. She said, "No, he is just going to watch...he isn't like the other children, he can't even hold a pencil." To that I replied, "We don't know if he can hold a pencil or not....and he needs to be included with this group." So I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil, and pulled him up to a table. Guess what....Chumani knows how to hold a pencil. :) I tried to explain to the teacher that he was very much like the rest of the kids except that his legs don't work.

Lunch time has rolled around and I am with my group and I'm serving lunch and helping those children that need help. I see the younger kids are inside eating lunch....and what do I see? The teacher fetching Morgan 15 minutes after the rest of his class had gone inside and started eating their lunch. Morgan (my other CP boy) who doesn't walk, but can scootch around on his bottom...had scootched over to the side of the building on the playground. They had called the children to come inside, and they did...well...all but Morgan who can't work and is somewhat mentally challenged...and they forgot about him. I was so upset. I go check on him, in his room and he is eating his lunch. The last to finish of course, since all the other children got a head start.

Lunch time was over and I finished gathering up all the dishes and taking them to the kitchen. I put Chumani down for a little nap. He likes to lay down with the other kids before our driver gets there. So he gets about 20 minutes of rest. Morgan can't be put in the room with them, as he scootches all around and unties shoes and is just basically disruptive...so I usually take him out on the playground and we play and swing. So I get Chumani down and I ask one of the teachers if anyone had checked and/or changed Morgan's nappie (diaper). She just very matter of factly said "No." So I went to check him and again he had peed thru his nappie and had been sitting in wet britches. I was so upset! I picked him up and grabbed his back pack and said, "You're right, no one checked him. He has wet thru again!" I got him changed and we went and played outside until our transport arrived.

It absolutely breaks my heart that these two boys are neglected. They have made it painfully obvious that they don't want them there. As soon as I climbed in the van to leave, the tears I had been fighting back all day, started flowing. These precious little boys are such a joy to be around and they deserve a fair chance.

I was discussing this with the my director here and am trying to figure out what the real issue is. Is it just a matter of the boys being more work because they have to be carried and need a nappie change every once in a while? I mean heck...they are only there 4 hours a day. Or is it that an agreement was made between the organization that runs the school and the organization that runs the boys' orphanage and they were just thrust upon the teachers with no real warning, guidance or training? It's almost as if the teachers are being passive agressive. The resentment is blatantly obvious.

Morgan wet thru the last time I was in the classroom working and wasn't in his room to check. The manager saw that he had wet and was very upset that no one had checked him. She let the teachers know it was unacceptable and they needed to take care of him. I could see the looks and resistance on their faces when she said it. Of course, the manager isn't always there....like today....so no one took care of it. Or is it that they are just afraid of them? Afraid to pick them up? Hold them? I just can't figure it out. Either way...something has to change. So I will ensure there is something in place or something changes before I leave. Otherwise...what will happen to these boys if there are no CCS Volunteers at their creche? Who will watch after them and give them what they need?

This is Chumani's only opportunity to go to school. I don't want them to make him feel like he's not wanted....then he won't want to go back. Right now, he greets me every morning when I pick him up from his home, with his back pack, a great big smile, his arms reached out, and says, "Time to go to school," in his precious Xhosa accent.

These two sweet boys are precious and deserve better than what they are getting when they go to school and I have made it my mission to ensure things change for them. No time to waste....I already am down to only 2 1/2 weeks left! My time here is flying by and there is still so much to be done.

Drumming Circle

Today was a great day! After placement we had lunch at the park and played in a drumming circle! An organization called Drumming SA came to the park with their Dejembe Drums! We all sat in a circle with our Dejembes and had a great drumming lesson! It was great fun! I wasn't too bad either..if I do say so myself! :) Check them out: http://www.drummingsa.co.za

My day at the creche was a good one. I worked in the classroom, with the older children, mainly 5 year olds! The class I helped today only had 12 children present, so it was nice. They practiced writing their names and did some coloring then played on the playground. Today was my first day getting beat up!! There was a little boy on the playground that was about 5 and was just sort of bullying the other kids. He was pummeling another little boy and I walked over to him and pulled him off the other boy and told him no. When I tried to sit him down on the porch he was trying to pull away from me. When I told him no and tried to sit him down again, he started punching me. I picked him up to carry him inside to the teachers and when I got to the doorway he opened his arms wide, and grabbed the door frame, so I couldn't get thru the door!! I had to pry his fingers off the doorway as he was flailing and struggling. I took him inside and explained to the teacher that he was beating on another little boy and that when I tried to stop him, he started beating on me. The teachers started scolding him, slapped his hand a few times....then a couple more times for good measure. The little boy was crying and they made him sit inside until lunch time. Oh and there was a little girl that wasn't feeling well and was running a fever. Of course, they don't have any thermometers here, they just feel the forehead....they gave her something similar to Tylenol, I think....but 500 MG!! An adult dose. They let her lay on a mat and she slept for a while and then got up and ate some lunch. It made her feel better..but I'm just not too sure how good 500 mg is or a 5 year old girl.

The playground was great today. It was very hot though...probably the hottest day since I've been here. But the sun was up, the sky was clear blue and I got a little sun burned. The kids had fun playing. Most of them come dressed in layers as it's a little chilly in the morning...so I was peeling layers off of the kids and hunting for the correct backpacks. They were all so sweaty!

I'm trying to arrange an afternoon to stay at the creche and clean up the playground. Unfortunately, it is littered again. They obviously truck the sand in, but the sand isn't sifted for foreign objects. Unfortunately there is glass, hunks of concrete, broken plastic all mixed in the sand. And there are always pointy sticks. With the exception of the swingset/climbers...there really are no more toys out there for the kids to play with unless the teachers get the little bikes out. So the kids play with the trash on the playground. They are runing and fighting with sticks. Playing with boards, putting glass in their mouths, filling the chip bags with sand. And they really don't like when you take it away from them and the teachers don't seem to notice.
My roommate Julie has offered to help clean up, so I am arranging an afternoon to do that. I will borrow rakes and trashbags from the homebase and take them to the creche. I think I will buy some thick rubber gloves also...never know what we'll find there.

It was wonderful to see and spend time with the kids that were here was I was here last time....none of them remember me. There 2-3 years old then and they have volunteers floating in and out...so I didn't expect them to know me. It was nice to see the changes. Nice to see that they are growing and thriving!! They are all so sweet.

I'm debating how to spread my time. I think I might work in the classroom 3 days per week and in the younger room (where I initially started) 2 days per week. I'm just not sure. I just feel bad, as the younger kids had me all last week and are probably wondering why I'm not in there now. Also....my two kids that have cerebral palsy.....they seem to get left out if a volunteer isn't in there making sure they are getting attention also.

I counted today...between both rooms there were roughly 56 children there. I'm sure there are more enrolled, just probably not at school. I'm trying to figure out the total number so I know how much snack to bring. I'm going to bring them sweets this week! I want to be sure to bring enough for everyone there. Cookies and juice or something. They don't get sweets very often so it will be a really nice treat! I also need to plan something to celebrate valentine's day. We'll do some sort of cool craft and I'll buy cookies and some chocolate candy.

Well, that's all for now.

Safari

It is very nice to have the weekends off and be able to enjoy and experience South Africa. Today, myself and 5 of my house mates went on a Safari. It was incredible! Our driver picked us up this morning at 6:00 am and we traveled two hours via the scenic Du Toitskloof Pass and through endless wine lands to the Aquila Private Game Reserve. Once we arrived we were served a buffet breakfast. The food was delicious and plentiful! There were some traditional and not so traditional breakfast items, but it was all lovely!

We then were escorted to our safari vehicle and climbed aboard! The game reserve is 4500 acres of pure beauty. It starts on the ground and goes up through a mountain. Our safari vehicle was covered, but open so it was pretty dusty, but it was awesome. We saw Hippos, Rhinos, Zebras, Water Buffalo, Springbok, Ostrich, Giraffes, Elephants, Wildebeests, Lions, a Cheetah, and a Leopard.

We had a Water Buffalo preparing to charge our vehicle! The Hippos were in the water with their babies! There were a few baby Zebras and we were fortunate enough to see quite a good sized herd. There were a lot of Springbok and I was amazed to find out how small they are! I thought they were the size of deer, but they are much smaller. The giraffes were pretty far away so we didn't get to see them too well. The cats were under bushes and whatnot, and in a fenced area, so we didn't get close to them either. They did have a few cats in a different area that were captive. The leopard, cheetah and a male and two female lions....but it wasn't much different than seeing them at the zoo, so I really didn't care for it too much. It just made me feel bad that they were being held captive and didn't seem to have enough space to roam. The rest of the animals were free roaming and it was so neat to see them in their natural environments and it was really cool to get so close to most of them. The safari lasted about 3 hours.

After the safari we were served a buffet lunch. Again, tons of food of all types. They had dishes made with chicken, beef, springbok and lamb. Lots of side dishes and a traditional African dessert. It was similar to bread pudding, very sweet with a warm custard sauce. We enjoyed lunch...me only chicken and side dishes...no lamb, springbok or beef (as I'm not really sure it's beef) :) After lunch we just relaxed and talked for a while and then loaded up for the two hour drive home.

While traveling through the winding roads we came upon a group of baboons...oh I don't know maybe 10-12 little critters....just sitting on the side of the road, watching the traffic and a couple crossing the highway. It was funny to watch them. I asked our driver if there are many baboon strikes on the highway and he said, not normally. He said they are pretty smart and can move very quickly to avoid the cars. I suppose the locals know where they sometimes roam and are aware. It was just odd to be driving down the highway and see both sides just littered with those cute little creatures.

It was a really great day. It was awesome to get so close to the animals.

Tomorrow is back to the creche! I have missed the children and am looking very forward to getting back there. My plan is to help out in the classroom with the 5 year old kids this week! I want to work with Ellen and Ethelina, the teachers I worked with last time I was here. Mainly, there are a few kids in that class that I worked with 2 years ago! I'm anxious to see how much they have grown and progressed.

So, with that being said, time for me to get off of here and start planning my activities for tomorrow. Songs, crafts...oh and I need to make a cheat sheet of some of the important Xhosa phrases so I can communicate better with the kids. Important phrases....like; sit down, quiet down, come here, what's your name....etc. :)

Well I'm off. Go Colts!

Pictures!!

Finally! I was able to figure out the issue with uploading pics to my blog! I needed to compress them, as the original files were huge.

I've attached the following pictures: I talked about how the government has been working on this housing project in the townships. The pictures show the shack's that are being torn down and then the new solid structures that are replacing them

I've also attached pictures from our sunset trip on the top of Table Mountain! I've also included a picture of a Dassie! They are these cute little critters that run around the mountain. They are like cute, chubby Prarie Dogs!

Hopefully I will be able to post pictures from here on out, daily as I blog.

A day off...

Today is Tyler's 19th birthday!! Although we celebrated before I left on this trip...I woke up feeling guilty and homesick this morning. I was a little off at the start of the day, but once I saw Kelly's email saying she was taking Tyler out to dinner for his special day, I felt much better. Then once I talked to him on the phone and found out the Kelly's mom made him Mickey Mouse Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast...I felt much much better! I'm sorry to have missed his birthday, but this was the best time for me to come, work wise and with Rick's work schedule. Sorry Tyler. Next year we will celebrate extra! :)


Today was our first full day off. It was a beautiful day and nice to sleep in! I made a trip to a place called The Old Biscuit Mill. It was a market type place with some antique shops and glass bead stores, etc. They also had a section that was just food. There were people there making food. A small group of us went down for breakfast, as they sell "New York Bagels." Well I can't say that I've had a New York Bagel but it tasted like something I would get in Florida! :)


After shopping around for a bit, we took a taxi to an enormous mall....Canal Walk. It's one of the largest malls in South Africa. I needed trekkers (tennis shoes). The tennis shoes I brought are the nylon-ish running type shoe so the top of the shoe "breathes" however the playground at the creche is so sandy and dusty that the stuff comes in thru the breathing holes in the top of the shoe. I get home from placement and have to wash the sand out from between my toes!! So I bought new tennis shoes that are more practical for the sandy playground.


Then it was back to homebase for lunch and then a train ride down to Green Market Square! I love that place. It's the open market in the town square in Downtown Cape Town. Lots and lots of vendors selling their goods! The only thing I'm not really crazy about is you have to barter! BLEH! I don't like to barter and I find it stressful. I bought a few items today and I'm quite certain my bartering stunk. I probably could have gotten better deals, but I'm always afraid of offending them by not offering enough. So I tend to settle. At any rate...it helps those folks that need the money, so it feels good to buy their stuff and support them. I picked up a couple items today.


Tomorrow is a Safari!! I'm very excited! There is a group of 5 of us going. Our driver will be picking us up at 6:00 am. We are going to the Aquila Private Game Reserve. I hope we get to see a lot of animals!! I think I figured out (and all by myself I might add), why my pictures wouldn't upload! I needed to compress them!

Where did it go?

I spent an hour this afternoon, blogging about my last two days and it's gone!!

Well, I tried to recap the last two days, since I didn't blog yesterday. I haven't been sleeping real well here and I was really tired and just not feeling too well so I went to bed very early. I am happy to say that I did finally get a good night's sleep. So I'll recap the day I missed.

On Wednesday it rained, so we were stuck inside at the creche most of the morning. It was dreadful. 24 children, and 5 adults crammed in a loud, hot, and small room. I would estimate the room is about 12x12. Between the TV (old Blue's Clue's VCR tapes), the children being loud and misbehaving and the Xhosa women talking in their loud booming voices....I was pretty much on overload by the time we got out of there. It's really funny to watch the local woman talk. In the morning you can tell they are all catching up on the goings on and you get a group of them together and they all talk at the same time and it's like the all try to talk over each other...but none of them misses a word the other's are saying. I really love to hear them speak. They are the most warm people ever. They are all from the same township, the same clan and it shows. They are all beautiful women that have a connection to each other.

Nothing much else happened yesterday. Some of the groups chose to go out and I think I was in bed by about 7:30-8:00 pm. I read for a while and then went to sleep. Between the day inside with the noise and chaose and this communal living...I really just needed to go to bed and have some solitude!! I felt much more rested and refreshed this morning.

Today was a beautiful day! When we arrived at the creche, the kids were already outside playing...YAY! We were outside until amost 10:30 this morning!! It was awesome. I love to be outside with them. I pushed more swings today! And they are so cute. They all clamor for my attention and the refer to me as either si-si (see see, which is sister), Mama, or Miss. They are so polite! They ask me to push them in the swing. It's, "Pusha Miss".....or si-si or Mama. This one little girl they call Macy...just kept putting her head back with the biggest smile on her face like she was flying. They are all so wonderful and their little smiles just light up my day. To see them laugh and smile....that's exactly why I came here.

I've been working with the younger children, 3-4, but think I'm going to move to the classroom of 5 year olds next week. That's where I worked 2 years ago...when those same kids were younger. So I can work with the two teachers I worked with last time as well as the few children that are still there, that haven't yet moved on to primary school yet. The program manager here said it's my choice, so maybe I'll just switch off every week, while I'm here.

There was little boy today that was really ill. I felt so bad for him. I noticed he wasn't real active on the playground and when we were inside he kept putting his head down on the table. Well he ended up vomiting all over the floor. And sadly...it was in the morning, and it was obvious that there was no food in his belly..only liquid. The teacher walked him to the bathroom...we took the other children outside while she cleaned and mopped the floor. When the kids came back in...the brought him back in with the group. On Thursday's there is a singer/story teller that comes to the creche to sing and play his guitar for the kids. He brings 2 young Xhosa men with him to translate and they have the kids get in a circle and dance, and act out his songs and participate. They made the sick little boy participate. They eventually let him sit down. I felt his forehead and he was fevered and his little eyes were glassy and heavy, like he wanted to go to sleep. You know...like we've all seen our children when they get sick. Lunch time came and they put lunch in front of him. And of all days...today was the day where Soured Milk was on the menu. If you aren't sure what that is....read my blog below from my last trip...I am pretty sure I wrote about it. It's like runny cottage cheese...it's nothing I could eat. Anyway...the child started eating and of course didn't make it thru the meal. My whole point is that this poor little boy obviously has some sort of virus, and they don't isolate him from the other children. They kept him in the group. They cleaned the mess, with soap and water...but no sort of bleach or anything....so i'm sure there are still those germs in the room, on the tables and such. It's hard to speak up and not offend. You have to tread very lightly around these things. In the meantime, all the children have been exposed more than they should have had to. I'm so hoping it doesn't go thru the whole creche. I'm also so hoping I don't get it!! :( Hopefully my twice per day Airborn doses along with my vitamins will keep me healthy.

This evening a group of us took the cable car up to table mountain to watch the sunset! It was just as breathtaking as I remember it. I would love to share pictures with you...but for some reason I'm having trouble uploading pics to the blog!! I've tried with every post and no such luck. Tomorrow I will hunt down a computer weenie in the house and get some help!

Oh and on the top of the mountain, one of the guys in our group....Jay...just found out today in email that he was accepted to Dental School so we bought a bottle of chamapagne to celebrate. He is a really nice kid! He is from British Columbia, Canada and is Chinese. Thank goodness he has really good teeth!

Oh well...sorry to rush thru this, but since I've had to retype it and it is 10:50 pm....and I still have one more email to get out...I really must go so I can get to bed at a reasonable time, to stare at the ceiling, since my clock still stays it's 3:50 pm!!

More tomorrow!!

xo

First Volunteer Day

I had an amazing day!! Today was my first day at my volunteer placement, "Home From Home." It was my first day back in two years and I'm so excited about all the postive changes I've seen. Truly wonderful....where do I start?

Well, the drive out to the township was uneventful...but the same route as before and everything was very familiar. Shocking to most, but suprisingly enough, I didn't find it really shocking..I guess it just is what it is. The shacks, the poverty, the little barefooted children, the trash, the women handwashing clothing in the buckets outside their plywood, sheet metal and plastic tarp covered homes........while it seems like such a sight....I've learned that some of these people have other options but choose to live this way. Even though their living conditions are nothing like our standards, they have a sense of family and community and they don't want to leave. They watch after their neighbors, their children, their neighbor's children. They want to stay with their clans. They have their families, their neighbors, their businesses.....yes their businesses. Some of them have salon's, shoe repairs, barber shops, bars, etc. I still love this town, the city, the suburbs, and the poor townships. This is Cape Town.

On the way to my creche (preschool), we stopped at another home and picked up two little boys to take to school with us. They are orphans in a home for cerebral palsy kids. The boys were 6 and 4. The 6 year old boy is named Chumani and the 4 year old they call Morgan. Neither boy can walk, but Morgan is able to sit up on his own and can drag himself around with his arms. Chumani isn't able to sit up. Morgan doesn't speak but he laughs, and he dances in his chair and he smiles. Chumani is raised in a home with multiple language speaking adults. He can speak 4 languages!! He is smart as a whip and just a beautiful little boy. While he doesn't speak all 4 languages fluently, he can speak enough to get by. He can speak Xhosa, Afrikaans, German and English and I am truly smitten with him. He is just a total joy. I wish I could bring him home with me.

We arrived at the creche and Dann (my volunteer partner) carried Morgan in and I carried Chumani in. We set them in chairs (Chumani in one with arms to keep him in it), and as the other children arrived we greeted and sat with them. I walked around and was very happy with what I saw....the playground filled with new climbers, swingsets, and sliding boards!! Someone donated the new items and it was wonderful to see. What they had before was old metal, worn out, rusted, broken down sets. They also have hired a man that does work outside of the creche. Someone planted a garden for them with fruits and vegetables and he gardens for them and does odd jobs around the house. He also must be keeping the playground clean. It used to be littered with all sort of dangerous trash, metal soup can lids, glass, etc.....now it's pretty clean and much safer for the kids. I saw the teachers I worked with before and they remembered me and were happy to see me again. I met the new teachers and the children. I even recognized lots of little faces from my last visit. It seems as though all of the children have remained healthy since my last visit, however some have graduated preschool and moved on to primary school, so I won't get to see them!! :( But it's wonderful that they are learning and thriving and I couldn't be happier.

The school is part of an orphanage and they have since hired a manager to oversee the homes and the school. So there is much more structure. They no longer accept children that are still in nappies (diapers), it was just too much. They now have 3 classrooms and additional teachers. They have a class of 5 year olds, a class of 4 year olds and a class of 2-3 year olds. I am working with the little guys. The structure is awesome...the kids are better behaved and learning more. Our class pretty much just sings songs...lots of songs and plays on the playground, because they are so young.

It was great to hear the South African teachers singing in their loud booming voices in their native language. I absolutlely love it. The kids stand in a circle and they sing along and clap and dance. Music....singing and dancing is such a strong part of their culture. When I was here before, my other volunteer partner and I taught them musical chairs....and it stuck. It was awesome to watch them line up the chairs and play!! The kids love it!! They also sang some songs that they've learned from other volunteers....The Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, etc.

They now have a chest freezer in one of the rooms. They opened today, to get packs of chicken livers out for lunch and I saw a freezer full of food!! Finally....MORE FOOD! The kids had a healthy portion of rice and chicken livers. Before, they had very little protein! They have more food donations and are able to provide more for the children.

We played outside for quite sometime. I pushed and pushed and pushed more children on the swings today! And my little buddy Tumani sat in a baby swing that would support him and we did some swinging and some talking. He really is quite a smart boy. He asked me what my name was again and I told him "Rhonda" he replied with, "I'm Tumani!" He gave me a big old smile and pointed to a few of the kids on the playground and told me who they were. When they called for lunch I asked him if he was hungry and he touched his stomach and said, "Yes, I'm hungry." I took him in for lunch. When we were picked up by our driver we take Tumani and Morgan back to their home. I carried him in the van and asked him where he wanted to sit and he pointed to me and said, "with you." Ahh...the little angel got me....hook, line and sinker.

I will take a camera to school one day next week and get some pictures. And with any luck I will be able to upload them. I'm not sure the internet connection is strong enough here, but I will try again.

Well that's it for today. I'm tired and sunburned and need to be well rested for another amazing day at the creche.

I am so very hopeful for them!!

We are only at placement until about 12:15, then we are picked up and brought back to the homebase. We had lunch, and briefing with the program manager to let her know how our first day went and if we had any issues or concerns. Then a few of us walked into town to pick up a few things at the store. We came back to a language lesson....man Xhosa is hard to learn..of course I remembered nothing from my trip before.

Then a group of us went out to dinner for some Thai food. I'm making some really good friends and am again so grateful to be here.

Well I am off to bed. It was a busy day, I'm sunburned and tired. I need to rest up for another busy day tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Township Tour

Today was a great day! The day they take the newbees on a tour of the townships, and placement information and a small history lesson. Although I've been here before, and skipped the placement orientation (I'm returning to the same creche as last time), I chose to do the tour and the history lesson again.

The last time I was here the goverment was just starting a housing project where they would tear down the shanty towns and build solid structures for the residents of the townships. There were just a few homes built in Feb 2008. It was awesome to ride around today and see the progress of this project. You can see what I mean with the pictures below. It's exciting to see the progress, however they have a long way to go. But I'm hopeful.

The tour was the same as before...same townships, same monuments and same tour guide! Mama Ivy did our tour and she is just awesome! No two tours are the same so I learned things this time that I didn't the last time.

Had a history lesson this afternoon "South Africa 101." It was done by the In-Country Director, Louann. She was great. It was really nice to get her perspective on the state of things as a South African white woman. I've talked to the blacks and the coloured's but never really had an opporunity to really talk to a South African white woman, so it was very cool.

What started out as a cloudy, chilly morning...quickly turned into a warm bright sunny day! Blue skies, puffy clouds. Just perfect.

All of the volunteers are great! We have a couple Canadian's, one from Switzerland and I believe the rest are from the U.S. All ages, all backgrounds, different ethnicities...it's a really nice diverse group. I have a roommate this time. Julie is from Ohio and she is great. We seem to get along very well and she is a hoot!

Tomorrow will be my actual first volunteer day at placement. I can't wait to see those little smiling faces! Right now there is a volunteer that has been there for 6 weeks or so. It's a guy named Dann. I will work with him this week, but then he goes home next weekend. Then I am on my own! I think they bring new volunteers in every three weeks so there is a chance I'll have another volunteer with me at Home from Home, the last week I'm here. Either way is fine.

Well...that's all for today. I'm going out on the porch to socialize! Early in bed tonight. My body is still trying to catch up with the time difference and we have to be ready to leave tomorrow morning by 0730!

Okay...after about 5 attempts of uploading photos and using up my precious paid for KB's....I'm giving up on pics tonight. Will try again tomorrow.

Much love,
Me

Finally Arrived!

Well I'm finally here. I can't say that the trip here wasn't eventful! The first flight from Orlando to DC was very bumpy and about half way thru the trip there was a very strong electrical smell on the plane. Everyone was looking around with fear and the flight attendants were up and down the isle trying to figure out the cause. Needless to say, I was a bit worried. Come to find out it was some cooling fan that was burning up or something...so they found the source of the electrical issue and cut the fan off.

DC to Johannesburg....well...the flight was pretty good! South African Airways, which I flew last time was awesome. They are very attentive to all the passengers, the food is very good (I still can't get used to their diet sodas), they always have a lot of movies to choose from....they definitely make the long flight as pleasant as possible. The Airbus that I was on has two seats on the left a row of 4 seats in the middle and then two seats on the other side. I was on the aisle of the row of 4 seats and there was another passenger on the other aisle and the two seats between us stayed empty...so I had some room to stretch out!

We are finally starting to descend and I put my TV screen on an outside camera, under the plane so I can see us land. So I'm watching...and watching...and watching....the runway is getting closer and closer and I'm feeling relief that I'll be able to get off this godforsaken plane for a couple hours and stretch. Right as the runway looks very close...I feel the pilot pull up on the plane and the airstrip is going away....away....away........then our Captain in his friendly, calming British accent says, "my apologies, but we just had one of our hydraulics go out...no worries though, happily enough the other two are still working. We will loop around and go to another runway that is a bit longer, but please don't be alarmed when you see the emergency equipment on the ground." PERFECT!

So now I'm starting to panic....hydraulic out....longer runway...emergency vehicles...this cannot be good!!! So I decide to turn off the TV screen showing the landing....I didn't want to see what we were headed for. The plane landed, with what felt normal...but we went...and went...and went down the runway and then one quick slam of the breaks...we all jerked forward...but the plane stopped and everyone applauded. I was very happy to get on the ground and off that plane.

Trip from Jo-Burg to Cape Town was uneventful. THANKFULLY! I sat next to some really cool teenager from Korea that just talked my ear off. He was very nice. As always a driver from Cross Cultural Solutions picks us up from the airport and I was elated to see it was my buddy Wonga! He was my driver the last time I was here, so it was wonderful to see a familiar face as soon as I got off the plane.

Of course, between the sleeping on and off on the plane and the 7 hour time difference, I was in bed reading, wide awake until about 4:30 a.m. and was up by 8:30 this morning to get ready for orientation and a town tour. As always, the group of volunteers here is awesome. Everyone is so nice and the staff here at the house is incredible. There are a few familiar faces from before and some new faces, but everyone is just awesome. As soon as Wonga opened the front door for me and I walked in.....ahhhh.....I felt like I was home. I wish I could explain this attachment I have to this place. I'm not sure I understand it....after having only been here 3 weeks, two years ago....but I definitely feel connected to this place and felt instantly at home and at ease the moment I stepped in the door. I know I will continue to come back.

Tomorrow is the township tour. Same route and tour as last time, but I'm looking forward to going again. I'm anxious to see if there are any changes, and it's a day spent with the other new incoming volunteers.

Tuesday will be the first day at my volunteer placement and I can't wait to get back there and see those precious little faces.

Well...that's it for now. We just finished dinner and I'm going to sit out on our big porch and socialize with some of the other volunteers.

More tomorrow! :)