We got up early this morning as we had to pack our suitcases before we left for our last day at the school. We entered they compound knowing our emotions would be high as we would have to say goodbye to our new friends and the children. We conducted our final training sessions in the morning and worked on various projects around the plot. The ladies were teaching the children about recycling and reusing containers so they would not add to the trash of the dump.
After lunch, the children performed for us with lots of songs and dancing. I got to pass out “sweeties” (candy) to the children as they left for their 1/2 mile march back to Mooiplaas. As they came through the gate, they would clap their little hands twice, then hold them open, bow their head a bit, and say “thank you teacher”. Some of the children immediately popped their candy in their mouth and discarded the wrapper on the ground. It was fun to see them snatch it back up when reminded not to litter.
We broke into small groups with the staff and asked them for feedback as to the work, training and teaching that we had done throughout the week. It was all positive. My group especially liked the medical and computer training and asked for more training and any medical books or computer training books that we could send. Then we presented certificates of completion of training and prayer cards to each of the staff members. They were very proud of their certificates and wanted their photos taken holding them up. Then they gave us hand-made cards (by the children) with beaded earrings for the ladies & a leather pencil holder for the men. Then after many pictures, and hugs, we said our tearful goodbyes to our new friends and hope to return soon.
Our drivers picked us up to take us to the game reserve for our next two nights. It took a bit longer than planned because a terrible accident had closed the highway and we had to take an alternate (longer) route. But dinner was wonderful and the accommodations were as well.
Today we got up early and spent the entire day at the plot. It was very chilly this morning but at least the wind wasn’t blowing as hard as yesterday. The sun was shining bright and as usual, those darn birds were singing. But with the windows to our room tightly shut to keep out the cold (40 degrees) it muffled the sound so we were able to sleep a bit longer.
At the plot we set to planning and organizing our day. The preschool children arrived and we watched and clapped as they danced & sang songs while they waited for their porridge. Then we began our tasks. While some were giving the prayer room a second coat of paint, others were teaching the staff in shifts. And yet others of our team were teaching the children about disabilities. After I finished the management class, I helped with teaching the younger children to count money to buy food. We went through several denominations of rand. Then I showed them a dollar bill and I thought it was so cute how they repeated that the picture was of “George Washington”. When the children got restless we went outside to sing songs in a large circle. We did the Hokey Pokey; Jesus Loves Me; Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes, and several others. They learned very quickly, then they taught us a few songs & games that we didn’t know. It was great fun!
In the afternoon we made some minor repairs around the children’s bedrooms and some helped water the garden with fish water from the tilapia tanks. It was very stinky water but it sure helps the vegetables grow. The kale, spinach, beets and cabbage are growing rapidly, which will help feed the children. Others taught the staff in afternoon sessions.
The 2 girls from Russia & Ukraine drew illustrations for future lessons including leaves of South African trees, fruits & vegetables. One of the girls drew a picture of the Black Panther, the comic book character, so that the children would have a reminder that some superheroes have dark skin too.
Then we were treated to a visit at a special coffee shop, named Cup A Joy. We had coffee or tea and shared some special treats like carrot cake, chocolate cake made with beet juice and cheesecake. We were visited by others from West View Methodist Church. Isabel came along and brought her husband. It truly was a joyous surprise for us all.
We were a bit full when we arrived at the B&B for dinner, but we still cleaned our plates as Nic’s cooking is so good. After reflection and prayer we were all ready to pack our bags in preparation for our trip to the safari property after our work tomorrow.
We woke up early this morning to strong winds & much cooler temperatures. We took a ride to Mooiplaas, which is an unsanctioned settlement of 16,000 people next to a huge garbage dump. (This is where the preschool of Ditshego is located.) The roads were narrow, bumpy, dirt tracks with lots of small houses placed closely together on either side. The houses were made of bricks, wood, metal or whatever people could find to build a shelter. Some had chickens or goats in their yards and we even saw one with 2 cows. There is no electricity in Mooiplaas and no running water. The water is brought in daily by large trucks with tanks. We saw people waiting for the water truck to arrive with buckets and jugs to fill. I can only imagine how dark it must be there when the sun goes down.
The preschool was previously a couple of horse stables made of cinder blocks. They added a roof & windows and bright colored paint, including a painting of Mickey Mouse, to make it look more like a school. There were some swings made of tires and a slide outside. The children greeted us with smiles, hugs and “high fives”. They all wanted to pose for pictures with us. Inside we visited 3 classrooms: 4-5 yrs, 6 yrs, & 7 yrs. Many of these children are undocumented so they may never be allowed to attend additional schooling. But they were eager to learn and provided us with a demonstration of their knowledge by reciting the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, days of the week & months of the year. Much of this was done through song. Their classrooms were filled with charts & drawings as well as building blocks & books.
We also saw the clinic, counseling center & kitchen. The preschool also has no electricity, so they must cook meals for the children on large burners with propane tanks for fuel. They have no running water, but they are working on a JoJo tank to store water.
We walked through the roads of Mooiplaas with the dust & trash blowing all over us in the strong wind. The children all seemed happy and came from the field where they had been playing soccer to greet us. We saw a small grocery store, hair salons, an herb shop, and several huts preparing food along the main road.
We arrived at another preschool which is funded by an NGO. Besides Ditshego it was the only other school with certified teachers. They also had a garden for vegetables to feed the children. There was a building on the grounds where women were stringing and weaving beads into all types of jewelry, coasters, napkin rings, etc. Their work was beautiful and the women had learned this craft which allows them to earn a living. After buying some of their items we returned to “the Plot” where we had been the previous day. We engaged the staff in training sessions including computers, management, health & counseling. While they were quiet at first, some lively discussions ensued and we came away with a feeling of a good day connecting, learning, and growing.
At dinner, we had visitors from West View Methodist Church, including Pastor Ian and Assistant Pastor Siphiwe. They shared their stories of growing up and being called into the ministry. It was a very good day!
This morning we woke up to a much chillier temperature of 59 with a chance of much needed rain. Our guide told us they have not had any significant rain here since April. The flowers and planting areas look lush, green and colorful but the open fields are nothing but brown.
We met our friends from West View Methodist Church at Ditshego for a work day. There were many tasks assigned to the volunteers including building an echo friendly wall to extend the chicken coop to a free range area. There were others that painted the children’s play equipment with brightly colored paints. And there were quite a number of bird boxes (bird houses) that were painted by the younger volunteers. I spent the morning working with three young ladies from West View painting the children’s prayer room. First we had to remove all of the books off the shelves and the carpet squares off the floor and then thoroughly dust, sweep and wipe down everything with a damp cloth to prepare for painting. We used bright white paint to lighten up the small, dark room. Unfortunately the orange and turquoise colors that it had been previously painted were difficult to cover and we ran out of paint before we could totally finish the room. The lady that runs the prayer room asked that an eagle be painted on the wall along with a Bible verse. Luckily, one of the young ladies from West View has artistic ability and readily agreed to do so. The four of us formed a wonderful friendship over those 3 hours.
After a lunch of bbq sausages, vegetables & fruit, we viewed the other projects around the plot. The team made good progress on the Ecco wall, but it will take many more days to complete it enough to keep the chickens enclosed.
Then we listened to the story of a woman who had suffered damage to her spinal cord and was confined to a wheelchair for 28 years. She said God spoke to her and told her that he would heal her in his own time. She was patient and did God's work to the best of her abilities and waited for the healing day to come. She prayed for God to give her a sign. Finally a message was sent to her through a scripture reference from a friend that told her it was time. She got out of her wheelchair and began to walk. Her neurosurgeon was amazed and could not believe it until she demonstrated for him. He ran tests & scans of her spinal cord and found all damage was gone. God's promise to heal her had been fulfilled and the doctor proclaimed it a miracle.
As we waited for our ride to arrive, some of the female staff members from the day before asked for another hand massage. I pulled a small bottle of lotion from my backpack and went to work. It was such a pleasure to put a smile on their faces, as we rubbed the lotion into their hands.
Today we finally got to go to the Ditshego Property where we met Nortje, the Operations Manager. He was quite funny & very informative as he showed us the gardens and the tanks where they grow tilapia fish. They recycle the fish water for the garden vegetables. Every effort is made to make this a “green facility”.
The driveway was made of pavers in a circular pattern that reminded me of the yellow brick road from The Wizard of Oz. There is a huge eucalyptus tree near the entrance. We noticed a large bird had gotten stuck in a string hanging from one of the tree branches. It was very high up and was hanging upside down flapping its wings trying to get loose. The girls from Russia and the Ukraine were so distressed for the bird that they started praying for God to help the bird be freed. Nortje found a telescopic pole and with some effort the bird was released.
The property itself is an old brick ranch that houses children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, as well as classrooms (inside and outside). A decorated shipping container is used for storage and Nortje’s office. They have a large lapa (out door, covered patio) for meetings and they served us tea & finger sandwiches there.
We started with a devotion about communication and spent the morning playing listening games and team building games with the staff. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much. Isabel, the head of Ditshego, said it has been a tough year for the school so this was a much needed break. There was a bit of a language barrier but most of the staff spoke some English, and quickly formed teams with us to play the games.
After lunch we spent time with the Principal of the preschool (3-6 yrs), Mma Maria, and the leader of the at risk program for kids, Lesiba. It’s a sad situation but not terribly unlike the problems kids face in the United States with drugs, alcohol and abuse.
Then we treated the female staff members to a hand massage and painted their fingernails. You can really get to know someone when you are massaging lotion into their hard-working hands.
After a short ride home, a nice dinner, and our evening devotion, we all fell into bed for a good nights sleep.
Tomorrow is a big day in South Africa, because it is a national holiday & we will be working along side our friends from West View Methodist Church at Ditshego.
