Manqoba

It's a miracle! Two posts in one day! Even though I have met my minimum for the month, I will most likely do one more before the month is over.  

In the beginning of July, a little boy named Manqoba came into our class at 1000 Hills.  Fikile carried him in and said he was paralyzed but I found out that he has cerebral palsy that affects his right leg and right arm.  Fikile had no clue what to do with him and had to go to a workshop so she just handed him to me.  The first week or two he was in our classroom, he was so nervous, didn't speak, and clenched onto whoever was holding him's clothes.  For the month of July, there were two girls from England, Mel and Hannah, who came to 1000 Hills to volunteer for the month.  They were in my classroom for most of the time and were a huge help with all of the kids.  Mel's brother has cerebral palsy so as soon as she saw Manqoba and learned about him, she instantly smiled and took him as her mission.  She knew exercises and stretches for his legs, arms, and hands that really helped him stretch out and be able to move more easily. It was a challenge at first to get him used to the classroom because he had never been at school before or around that many kids.  With a little love in encouragement, he fit right in to the class.  By the second week, Manqoba was making friends, playing on the bikes with the other kids, and eating on his own.  One of the biggest struggles was getting him home in the afternoon.  His father arranged for him to go home on the 1000 Hills transport kombi (a taxi van which are crazy and unsafe on the roads but this one is obviously safe since it is from the center).  After spending all day with Mel and getting to know her, leaving at the end of the day was really hard and scary for our little Manqoba.  The first week we didn't know anything was wrong so he just went back and forth to school in the kombi with what we thought was with ease but after one of the adults that goes with them said that he cries the whole time, we had to change our plan.  So one day Mel and I went with the transport to bring all of the kids home.  It was quite the experience riding in the kombi with all of the kids and seeing where they lived.  Luleka and Andsiwa, two of my favorite girls, were on the bus and they live right near each other which is really cute because they are great friends in school.  Of course there couldn't be a normal, no problem transport with us there because when there were 4 kids left, we had to switch to the ambulance that came to meet us in the middle of our route because the van was running low on petrol.  It was quite the bumpy ride in the back of the ambulance but thankfully Manqoba sat up front with Mel.  When we got to his house, we were hoping to talk to his dad but there was only an older sibling so we dropped him off and told the kid that there was a note for the dad in Manqoba's bag.  

Throughout the whole month of July, Manqoba made lots of new friends, especially Reabetsoe and Olwethu, and has fit in very well with our class.  He is starting to talk and count and loves playing with a small ball and throwing it.  Mel was a great help to Manqoba and a perfect fit for him to help get adjusted into our classroom.  Unfortunately Mel and Hannah were only here for the month of July but we thank them tremendously for their support and help throughout the month.  Manqoba and the rest of the kids miss you both but are doing well thanks to your help!  In addition to Manqoba being a great addition to our class, he is going to physiotherapy on Wednesdays at St. Mary's Hospital and Friday afternoons at Ethembeni School which is right behind the 1000 Hills center. I have had the opportunity to go with him and Mthi, a Zulu teacher in our room, to the sessions on Friday afternoons and it is amazing to see what they can do.  They usually start by stretching him out and making sure his muscles are nice and loose.  For the first couple of weeks, the therapists were working on his right hand that is constantly in a fist and his right arm that is always bent.  The therapists showed Mthi and I exercises we can do to help stretch it out which has been great.  Manqoba's physiotherapy sessions on Fridays are always a great way to end the week because they inspire me that kids can do anything no matter what their physical or emotional disability are. After only two sessions with the therapists and our stretching throughout the week, Manqoba was able to open his right hand with both our help and him opening it himself with his left hand.  It was truly amazing to see this transformation and to continue to see him stop what he's doing to open his right hand before continuing on crawling or playing.  Sometimes he does get distracted with something he is doing with his left hand that the right hand closes again but most of the time you just have to say "Manqoba, open your hand" and show him your hand before he stops and opens his own hand.  I had never been to physiotherapy sessions before but I'm glad Manqoba has given me the opportunity because the work the therapists and Manqoba are doing are simply amazing!  Manqoba is a perfect example of how much life and energy toddlers have and the joy they experience everyday.  Manqoba has a dad who loves him and did a great job of bringing him to school and getting him enrolled in physiotherapy.  I am excited to see how Manqoba improves throughout the rest of the year both in school and with his therapy.


South African Fact:  "Established in 1984, Ethembeni School serves 300 physically disabled and visually impaired children from all over Kwazulu-Natal, Kingdom of the Zulu (South Africa), educating them to reach their highest potential and to become independent and responsible citizens of the community.  The name Ethembeni means “Place of Hope” and the motto Phila Ufunde – Live and Learn. At Ethembeni 300 beautiful children live, learn, and give us joy and hope."

Sue Moretti and Company Come to South Africa

I apologize profusely to all of my readers for taking a month off from blogging in between posts but as you can tell from the title, my mom had to make it to South Africa before this post could be written!  Even though she was only with me for about 4 days before she went to Cape Town, there was no shortness of adventures, laughter, tears, and love.  For all of you who know the Moretti's, there would be no story without all of these things I just listed so I welcome you to another crazy story of two Moretti's in South Africa!


On Friday July 20th at approximately 1pm, Sue Moretti, Mary Brown, and Donna Hartford arrived at King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa.  They had a smooth journey until they got to Johannesburg where their short flight to Durban was delayed due to "intercom malfunctions."  I anxiously waited outside of baggage claim and as soon as the screen said the flight had landed, I walked over to the bars that were right in front of the doors for baggage claim.  Again I anxiously waited to see them through the automatic doors that opened when people were leaving after they got their bags.  After patiently waiting at the barrier in front of the doors, I saw my mom and Donna walk from the right to left to get their bags and I instantly climbed through the barrier and attempted to get through the doors but was immediately stopped by the security guard who said I couldn't go through that way.  After telling him that my mom was right inside and pointing to her, he still refused and I was forced to walk back behind the barrier completely embarrassed and my heart racing 100 miles an hour.  The guy standing next to me was very nice and told me I should try to sneak through the other door when he wasn't looking.  I told him I didn't want to take the chance of getting in trouble again and climbed back on the other side of the barrier.  Luckily, the wait wasn't too long and before I knew it I saw my mom through the automatic doors and their were instant tears on both sides.  As soon as she got inches out of the doorway, I climbed through the barrier and ran towards my mom instantly embracing her.  The tears instantly starting flowing on both of us and it was like we hadn't seen each other in years when it was really only 6 months.  It's always great to see a person you haven't seen in a while but to hug my mom in the South Africa airport was incredible and some what unbelievable for a minute or two!  After the initial shock wore off of them being in South Africa, we rented a phone in a store in the airport and then had the difficult task of fitting all of their suitcases in the boot (trunk) of our very small car.  The drive home was full of questions, conversations, and many gasps from my passengers who were thoroughly confused about which side of the rode I was on and the driving I was doing.  Luckily the conversation kept going on and there was only one minor incident with two big trucks before we made it to the Hillcrest AIDS Center.  


The original plan was to stop at my house, drop off their bags, and then go to the Center but since their flight was delayed we didn't make it there.  At the AIDS Center, Mom, Mary, and Donna met Kevin and Kellie as well as Olivia the CEO who gave us a great talk about the history of the center and how it all got started/how it came to be what it is today.  Nothing like throwing them into the culture of South Africa by bringing them to the AIDS center as their first stop after the airport, huh?  The information Olivia presented was very helpful to the ladies who knew about the HIV AIDS epidemic but didn't know specific states and programs that helped the patients.  The tour ended at Woza Moya, which is the gift shop, where the ladies were amazed with everything in the store and said they wanted to "buy one of everything."  Luckily they didn't but my mom, Donna, and I each gave a pair of shoes to be beaded by Lindiwe, one of the beaders who beads necklaces, shoes, etc. for a living.  She has young children and the beading of the shoes is her sole source of income.  I will be sure to post pictures of them after we get them back.  After shopping for a little bit, we drove to my house to drop off the bags but before we could get into the house, the ladies were drawn to and overwhelmed by the amazing view that surrounds our property.  Pictures were taken, mouths were wide open in awe, and smiles were on all of their faces when they realized that they were really in South Africa looking at this amazing view I have been raving about for months.  Throughout the weekend, Mary, Donna, and my mom would each be found wondering the grounds looking at the beautiful, breathtaking valley.  After some pictures, unloading the car, and meeting Matt, we were off to an eventful food drop in the Valley with Baba Benjie.  The drive to the houses that are receiving the parcels is a steep, windy downhill road that brings you deep into one part of the valley.  The car I was driving is very old and just drove back to and from the airport.  At the bottom of the really long hill, Baba pulled over to drop someone off and I pulled up right behind him only to find out that the car I was driving was smoking from under the hood.  I immediately panicked because our community track record with the cars is not good and because we were in the Valley.  I was annoyed with the car and that the food drop wasn't going to happen but our safety and the car became our main priority.  Long story short, we got the car home safely after all of my roommates coming out to help.  After a crazy day, we all enjoyed a much needed drink or two and a delicious homemade Mexican dinner. My mom, Mary, and Donna stayed up until around 9pm which was longer than I expected but they were asleep as soon as their head hit the pillows.  


Since we only had four days to fit everything in, the mornings were rather early which wasn't really expected for a vacation.  Jetlag caused Saturday morning to be a little later than we scheduled for but still left us with plenty of time to go to Shongweni Market down the hill from my house.  The ladies loved this market even more than Woza Moya and insisted on going back when they come back for a day before they fly home.  Mary and Donna were persuaded by South African grammar schools learners who were raising money to save the rhinos by selling personal artwork they made about the rhino poaching.  Mom and I bought homemade wallets and the ladies all bought a piece of jewelry.  After the market we drove into Durban to visit the Botanic gardens, the Victoria Street Market, and of course the Indian Ocean and beach.  The Google directions I printed to the Botanic gardens were completely wrong and we ended up getting a police escort after he realized I had no clue where anything was in Durban when I asked him for directions.  My mom thought this was hilarious and of course has a picture to prove it.  The gardens were beautiful and we enjoyed a nice cup of tea, scones, and crumpets in the Tea Garden after sneaking a peek at a wedding that was taking place in the amphitheater near by.  The next stop was the Workshop which is a shopping center with restaurants, stores, and frequent outside performances on the weekends.  After paying a fake parking attendant 12 rand because we foolishly didn't realize you didn't have to pay on Saturdays and the parking meter wasn't really broken, we watched part of the Durban Christian Centre's performance before going to get lunch.  I don't know if I have mentioned this in a previous blog but Durban is known for a dish called Bunny Chow which is a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry.  The dish originated by the Indian community in Durban and is a must have for all visitors and locals.  Of course we all had to have one for lunch!  I had a quarter chicken bunny and the ladies all had quarter vegetable bunnies.  Mary is the only one that can handle spicy food so she was the only one not dying from the curry!  Even though it is so spicy to some that it clears your sinuses out, it is still a delicious meal and a definite must have for everyone who visits Durban.  


After lunch we walked around Victoria Street Market which was not as impressive as Shongweni and the ladies were very confused about having to pay to use the toilet.  It is a famous market in Durban so I'm glad I took them there but Shongweni more.  The last stop was the beach where my mom insisted on taking a rickshaw ride, which was another "must do" in her South Africa tourist book.  It was super embarrassing and we completely overpaid for the 10 minute ride but my mom really wanted to do so the nice daughter was dragged with her.  At least now I can say that I rode one if anyone ever asks!  The water was really warm and even though we didn't swim, we all got pictures standing in the Indian Ocean and even one of a wave splashing all of us which the Zulu woman taking our picture thought was hilarious.  After the wave disaster, we walked along the pier, watched the surfers, and took pictures of the World Cup soccer stadium.  Then we drove home, took showers, and had some drinks and snacks before going out to dinner with my roommates. The seven of us went to a really nice seafood and Italian restaurant called Olive and Oil which is 10 minutes down the road from our house.  When Kevin ordered his lamb chops, Matt "bahed" like a sheep next to him which the waiter thought was hilarious and burst out into laughter after being so professional taking the other orders.  Thank goodness the food was all delicious because we had to wait an hour for all of our meals and they gave us the wrong first bottle of red wine.  When we got the bill, the more expensive wine was missing so we figured we got it for free because the waiter messed up on the first bottle and/or our food took so long.  In the end, it was a great evening with my roommates, my mom, Donna, and Mary.  Our meals were delicious and it became another story to add to our list.


Sunday my mom, Mary, Donna, Kevin, and I went to Mugg and Bean for breakfast before the Zulu mass at St. Leo.  The ladies were overwhelmed by the beautiful singing of the choir and the Zulu people.  All of them were in tears at different points throughout the service.  It was an amazing experience for them all that allowed them to experience the beauty of the Zulu culture and share in their experience of faith and spirituality.  Even though the Zulu mass is about 2 hours long and you can't understand anything that they are saying, the experience of the mass and the singing is beautiful and amazing.  My mom was actually speechless for a while when Matt and Kellie asked how it was when we were back at the house.  This was another must do for them when they were here and I am so pleased that they enjoyed the experience and were able to feel the emotion and spirituality throughout the mass.  Even though my community and I only attend these services once a month, I am always blown away by the singing and the faith I feel when I am there.  The first mass we went to in January, I realized how amazing the Zulu people are in their faith and especially musically.  Not only does the choir sing in perfect harmony but so does the entire congregation.  It is an extremely breathtaking and life giving experience to attend one of these masses and be surrounded to so much beauty and love.  After the mass, we went for a hike at the Giba Gorge Mountain Bike Park which was recommended by Brother Craig who served here until a few months ago.  The park was in the middle of no where but situated in a beautiful gorge surrounded by hills, trees, monkeys, and a small waterfall/stream.  It was very peaceful and relaxing to be outside and experience nature in South Africa.  In the evening, we had dinner at my house with my roommates and went to bed early in order to mentally and physically prepare ourselves for the next day.


Monday the four of us (my mom, Donna, Mary, and myself) went to St. Leo Primary School to teach grade 6.  We arrived just in time for the morning assembly where the learners sang their songs and did their prayers.  Then the crazy day of teaching began when the first group came into the classroom.  Mary had made and brought flash cards with different pictures of things you would find around the house since that is my "theme" for this semester. A couple of weeks before they came, Matt had found homemade posters of different rooms of a house including the kitchen, bedroom, living room (the learners called it a sitting room), and a bathroom.  For each class we focused on a different room of the house and used the flash cards to match the words to the parts on the pictures.  Since my mom and Mary are teachers, they were great at coming up with games and helping teach some of the classes.  Donna also helped by handing out cards and helping some of the learners who were struggling when writing sentences.  All of the kids loved the lesson and games especially when they found out they got candy at the end!  It was great to have these ladies here to help me teach but also to get ideas for future classes and lessons.  I loved watching my mom teach and interact with all my learners; she is such a natural teacher and jumped right into the lesson of the day.  Throughout the day and at break, they met some of the grade 7 learners as well as Teddie and Tariki who are Tia's brothers, who is one of my advanced grade 6 learners.  Tia, Teddie, and Tariki are all native English speakers who recently moved to the Molweni area and St. Leo.  Mary, Donna, and my mom all experienced the craziness of the school and the unorganized grade R class that is on the other side of the library.  Mary was especially shocked to see the grade R teacher sitting on a chair in the classroom sucking on a lollipop while the kids ran around the room screaming which is not surprising for me to see.  By the end of the day, Mary gathered some grade R and grade 1 kids and sat on the ground outside the classroom to read books to them and keep them occupied until the end of the day.  Tariki was right next to her the whole time reading with her and pointing out different things in the book that he knew.  The kids were all sad to know that they weren't coming back the next day but enjoyed meeting them and getting the treats.  

After a long day of teaching, we drove back to my house, changed our clothes, and grabbed a snack before driving to St. Theresa's.  The ladies had also brought candy for each of the cottages we help out in which all of the boys loved.  For some reason my cottage 3 boys were unusually quiet which part of the reason might have been because we gave them candy but also because they were meeting new people.  This was another emotional experience for the ladies because I told them about some of the boys situations but I reassured them of the great support they received from the aunties and uncles that work there and help them.  They got to meet the infamous, adorable Luke who was extremely polite.  After the long day, we came home and Mary, Donna, and my mom made dinner for all of us which included Pop-pop's cranberry chicken, a minestrone soup, and salad. It was great to talk with my roommates and relax a little from the long day while the ladies kindly made dinner.  We all sat near the kitchen and talked while they prepared the dinner and enjoyed a great conversation about St. Leo and other questions they had about South Africa.  My mom also taught me how to make homemade Play Dough which everyone was impressed with when it was finished.


Tuesday was their last day in Durban before they flew off to Cape Town.  We got up early and drove to 1000 Hills Community Helpers which I warned them was going to be a windy journey on Old Main Road.  I gave them a brief tour and explanation of the center before they did some shopping in the gift shop and met Dawn, the founder of the center.  My mom got teary eyed when Dawn said I was a special person and have been an amazing help to the center and especially the toddlers.  This was also great for me to hear because Dawn is often very busy and has never expressed her appreciation before.  The community center holds a special place in my heart and I am so blessed to be able to make a difference in the toddlers lives as well as other people at the center such as Dawn.  After a walk through the kitchen and school, we walked to my room where we were all greeted by 35 smiling and overexcited toddlers who waved and attacked us with hugs as soon as we stepped on the veranda.  There were instant smiles on my mom's, Donna's, and Mary's faces as there is every Tuesday and Thursday on mine.  They didn't even get in the classroom before they were picking kids up and giving them hugs.  It was adorable to see them attacked and how happy the ladies were to be with these toddlers.  After we finally got in the classroom, we put our bags down and the Zulu teachers sang some of the Zulu and English songs we sing every morning.  My mom was especially excited to hear head, shoulders, knees, and toes as well as "if you are happy and you know it."  We also tried to have small group story time with the books my mom brought ("If you give a moose a muffin," "If you give a mouse a cookie," and "If you give a pig a pancake) but my toddlers never have circle/story time so it was little chaotic to say the least. Since the sitting, story time was a disaster, we decided to take the kids outside on the pavement to do their "tag circle" game but instead it ended up being just a few kids running around inside the circle and a few of them dancing in the middle.   After songs were sung and prayers were finished, the craziness of breakfast began but the ladies were amazing and stepped right in to help feed the kids who needed help and disciple the ones who were stealing food or making an unnecessary mess.  After breakfast we had to change the kids into their 1000 Hills shirts and name tags for the "party" a sponsor was giving that day. At some point in the morning, there were two tiny babies that were brought in to be taken care of by two girls from England who were volunteering in our room for the month of July.  One of them was a premature twin whose brother died at birth and whose mother was in the hospital because of a hemorrhage.  The other baby had fetal alcohol syndrome and was just dropped of to the center on Tuesday morning because his mother had died of alcohol abuse and the grandfather couldn't take care of him.  Mary instantly fell in love with this baby and held him for most of the morning while the kids played outside on the playground.  She even mentioned adopting him but didn't think her husband would be too happy if she came home from South Africa with a two week old baby!  After the room was cleaned up, we set up tables for Play Dough, puzzles, and other activities like building blocks and Mr. Potato head.  All of the kids wanted to play with the homemade Play Dough so we split it up into a couple of different tables.  Donna had a tough table of kids that included Figi's nephew Minehle who is always a trouble makers.  Since the three of them didn't know Zulu, it was hard to communicate with the kids and discipline them but luckily I was able to walk around the room and yell at the kids that were misbehaving.  The activities went really well, besides a few troublemakers, and my mom had great success with one little girl Reabetsoe who is usually really quiet and always has her fingers in her mouth.  Unfortunately the activities were interrupted when the sponsors came in and gave the kids marshmallows and then called them to the pavement for cake and juice 30 minutes before they were supposed to eat lunch.  It was annoying to have this interruption but the ladies still got a good amount of time interacting with the toddlers before it was time for lunch.  The lunch/nap routine was a little messed up because of the party and because the ladies wanted to spend a little more time with the kids before we had to leave.  The Zulu teachers didn't do much all day but it was probably because there were three extra adults in the classroom who jumped right in to interacting with the kids and helping them in any way that they could.  After the kids ate lunch, we scarfed down some samp, beans, and rice before we had to leave for the airport.  


As you can see, the short time the ladies spent here was packed full of activities and people to meet.  Even though we were all exhausted at the end of it, I wouldn't do anything differently and I don't think the three of them would either.  During their time with me, they were able to see Durban and do touristy things as well as experiencing the Zulu culture and my service sites, which I think was the most important part.  Looking back on their visit, I feel incredibly blessed that they were able to help out at all of my service sites and experience first hand what I do each day.  I was so happy to share the joys of my experience with them and to show them first hand why I love South Africa and the people so much.  As I drove them to the airport, I told them that this is the type of trip and experience that will be life changing and memorable for a long time.  They probably won't realize the effect each experience and person had on their life and their personal emotions until a few weeks from now when they are back in the States and living out their everyday routine.  I am so thankful for them helping in every way possible and for them keeping an open mind and heart to everyone they met.  Their time in Cape Town and on the safari is a well deserved rest and time for relaxation.  I am excited for them to come back on Friday and hear about all of their adventures! Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures here or on my mom's Facebook sometime soon! I can't thank you enough Mom, Mary, and Donna for visiting me and experiencing South Africa with me and my roommates.  I love you all and are so blessed to know that South Africa has left a place in your heart like it has been in mine all this time!


South African Fact: The Zulu mothers name their babies according to the emotion they are feeling when they are giving birth.  Most of the time they are positive names and feelings like Sipho ("gift") and Siyabonga ("we thank you") but some are negative like Xolisile ("we are sorry).

AV blog post

Sorry for the delay in blog posting everyone. Things have been crazy busy.  Below is the post I wrote for the AV blog to hold you over until my next one which will be coming sometime this week.  Enjoy!

For the past five months of living in South Africa, I have found many differences between living in the United States and here.  In the United States, we drive on the right hand side of the road and the driver sits on the right side of the car; in South Africa it is completely opposite.  On the side of the road here you will find monkeys, instead of squirrels.  These differences are apparent to anyone who comes here, but a less obvious difference is the discrepancy in beliefs about child rearing.  It is common knowledge for most Americans that between the ages of 0 to 5 years old, children's brains are like sponges.  This is a crucial stage in a child's life where they to learn how to speak, interact, and explore at that young age.  Since serving at 1000 Hills Community Helpers in the toddler room, I have learned that the Zulu women believe that you should not interact with any child until they are of school age and their baby teeth have fallen out.  This statement has baffled me and may be a cultural difference I will never fully understand.  On my first day my co-worker Julie showed me the toddler room and explained to me these Zulu beliefs in child rearing.  Since we agreed that child development at this young age is essential, she asked me to help explain to the Zulu teachers in my classroom how to interact with the children through the use of puzzles, games, drawings, and other activities.  At first, I was hesitant to step in and restructure the entire classroom for fear that I would be overtaking the role of Fikile, the main teacher, and the other Zulu women in the classroom who have been there for years.  The language barrier prevented me from clearly communicating my task in a way that helped the teachers realize the importance of interacting with the toddlers without potentially offending their cultural beliefs. 

On a typical day there is a two hour time period used for singing songs, playing with puzzles and other educational toys, and playing outside.  While I would prefer to have each teacher sit at a table with 4-5 toddlers and do a specific activity, the Zulu teachers would prefer to let the kids play on the veranda with little toys or run around on the playground while they sit and talk amongst themselves.  It is frustrating for me to see this passive behavior, or their indifference to the children hitting each other with toys, but then I remember the cultural differences and how they are not educated to be teachers.  Many of them are working at the center because it pays well and they need the money to support their families.  Their main focus is not on the toddlers’ development but on making sure there is food on the table and clothes for their children to wear.  What right do I have to come into their classroom with my American education and restructure their routine?  The challenge comes in finding a balance between my ideas on child development and the inborn cultural beliefs of the Zulus.  It is completely natural for me to sit on floor with the kids or help them down the slide, but for the Zulu teachers this is not the norm.  

It has not been easy balancing my thoughts and actions as a volunteer with the Zulu culture of education, but my communication with the teachers has been more open and they have started to see the importance of structured activities.  Whether it is their joking about me being the main teacher or looking to me for the next song to sing, the Zulu teachers and I have established a mutual respect for each other and our mission to help these precious toddlers.  The smiles on their faces and the energy they have every day is what inspires me to push for a structured environment.  I truly believe that these children are the future of South Africa and deserve to have someone who pays attention to them and cares about their development.  At home, these toddlers may not have enough food to eat or clean clothes to wear, but at school those worries should be put on hold so they so they can be happy little smiling toddlers who hold the future of this country in their hands.  

Akhona: the love of my life

                                                       

As you have seen in past blogs, there is a little boy at 1000 Hills whose name is Akhona.  As soon as I saw him the first day, I thought he looked exactly like Shrek's babies from the movie and everyone who has seen him in person has agreed.  Akhona is this adorable little toddler who just turned 2 in April and loves every part of being at 1000 Hills.  He can be sweat and innocent one minute but then very aggressive the next.  Akhona is the sweatest thing you will ever see when he is napping with his butt up in the air but is a trouble maker when he doesn't understand the concept of sharing and hits other kids in order to get his way.  He is one of the smallest kids in the class but also one of the most active.  Akhona is always running around with the twins Kwanele and Anele and trying to steal toys from all the girls which then makes them cry.  He rarely pays attention and participates during song time but always feeds himself both breakfast and lunch while making a huge mess over himself, the table, and everywhere else around him.  He tries to eat the Play Dough but loves everything about the playground.  In February, he was scared to go down the slide or sit on the swings but now he runs around with all of the kids in our class and the older kids flying down the slide and pushing kids off the swing so he can have a turn.  Akhona is always the biggest entertainment of the classroom.  One of my favorite memories of him is when I made name tags for all of the kids so I could know their names.  The first day we put them on all of the kids, Akhona was the only one who tried to take his off as soon as it was put on his shirt.  We even tried to put it on his shoulder which he still found a way to take it off.  Our last resort was to put it on the back of his shirt so he couldn't reach it and this became the ongoing joke between the teachers and I whenever we used the name tags. 

Going down the side

So happy!

Akhona is a great kid in so many ways but his family story is not.  Akhona’s dad usually is the one who brings him to the center and drops him off in the mornings and picks him up in the afternoon.  I always smile when I see Akhona’s dad walking up with him in his arms.  Usually our exchange is just a “Sawubona Unjani? Ngiyaphila” (hello, how are you, I’m fine) before he leaves and Akhona is off playing with the other kids.  My first impression of him was that he was nice and responsible for bringing him every day.  A month or so in, Dawn told me that Akhona does not have a mom and it is only his dad that he is taking care of him.  This is when I became known as Akhona’s “mom” both by the teachers in the Toddler room and Akhona himself.  One day when I came late to work, the kids were out on the porch when I walked up and Akhona comes right up to me with a toy and says “Ma!” and holds it up.  It was so cute to hear and I instantly gave him a kiss on the cheek and a big smile.  I would love to be his "mom" and give him a great life but I know that can't happen so I just need to give him as much love as possible whenever I see him.  All these toddlers want is love and attention and when they don't get it, they can sometimes get aggressive and hostile towards each other and the teachers.  There have been days when Akhona is really aggressive with both me and the other kids.  He has hit and scratched me a couple of times and even bit one of the other kids.  This behavior can be connected with being a toddler but I also think it has a lot to do with his family situation and the fighting he sees at home.  It is sad to see how aggressive he can get towards other people when he doesn't understand what he is doing or the consequences of his actions.  Another sad part about Akhona's life is how dirty he is when he comes to school.  He is usually always in the same clothes that consist of an old pair of green sweatpants and a sweatshirt with some tshirt underneath.  One day in April, Akhona came to school really dirty both with clothes and in his nappie (diaper).  Fikile brought him over to me and showed me how dirty he was.  She then gave him a bath and gave him some of the uniform clothes to wear for the day.  I asked her to talk to his dad when he picked him up in the afternoon.  My question was about the policy the community center had for situations like this.  Who should I tell or what should I do?  That afternoon I told Dawn about him coming to school dirty and she said that the center has extra clothes to give these types of kids but unfortunately, I don't know if Akhona ever got these clothes.

The messiest eater in class

Akhona's runny nose

       
Recently, Akhona has been absent from school without anyone really knowing why.  Two weeks ago, I found out that Akhona's dad doesn't have a job therefore he doesn't have money to pay for school or food.  I was so sad when I found this out and wanted to help in anyway.  I prayed that his dad would find a job and he could come back to school.  My prayers were answered last Tuesday when I was sitting on the floor playing with some of the others kids when I heard one of the teachers say "Janine, Akhona" in their broken English.  I looked up to see him walking towards me which made me smile from ear to ear.  I immediately picked him up and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  Unfortunately, the story now takes a turn for the worse.  On Thursday of last week, I found out that Akhona's dad lives with Akhona's "step mom" (which could just be a girlfriend but I will probably never know).  A couple of months ago, Akhona's dad hit the "step mom" and was given a court date but he didn't show up for it so the police came to their house on Wednesday night and arrested him.  Since that happened, Akhona wasn't in school on Thursday.  Fikile didn't know where Akhona was currently and I was extremely worried about him.  Dawn called the police and had Fikile talk to them and tell them what she knew.  Fikile said that she knows where the family lives and was going to go over there this weekend to talk to them.  If she found Akhona, she was going to bring him to her house and get in touch with Dawn.  When I went to 1000 Hills on Tuesday, I learned that Akhona is living with his grandmother in Hammersdale which is near Inchanga and is most likely not coming back to the community center, according to Fikile.  I was very sad to hear this for selfish reasons because I love Akhona so much and want him learn and grow but I am glad he is safe.  Today I tried to get a contact number for his grandmother so I can go visit him and give him some Play Dough if he isn't coming back to school.  The numbers were both disconnected but Fikile knows where the grandmother stays so we are going to go to the house on Tuesday to see him.  Hopefully someone there speaks English so I can either find a way for him to come back to school or be able to make monthly visits to see him.

                                     


                                      

The moment I met Akhona I fell in love with him and wanted to have him as my own.  I was inspired by the care I thought he was getting from his father but I am now at a crossroads of what to do knowing the situation.  People and children move around all the time in these communities and most of the time the children stay within the family if the parents aren't around.  I am glad that Akhona has a grandmother to take care of him but I worry about the well being of both him and the Gogo (Zulu for grandmother).  I fear that his Gogo will be overwhelmed with how rambunctious and active he is that she will have to find another living situation for him.  I pray that this is not the case.  I also hope that there is a way for him to come back to class because I feel a strong calling towards this little bundle of joy to help him learn and grow at the community center.  From the times he feel asleep on me to the trying to eat the Play Dough, from him stealing my water bottle from the closet and struggling to carry it all the way out to the main room without getting caught to crawling under the table to get more food, from picking him up over my head and having him giggle to him refusing to sleep at nap time and having to be moved to his own mattress, I will always love and remember the times I have had with him.  Until I see him again either at his house or back at 1000 Hills, I will pray for him and love him with every bit of my heart.  I promise to keep you all updated on my little baby Akhona but please say a prayer for him, his family, and all the other children of South Africa.     


South African/American Fact: This past week and this current week, there are two groups of students here to volunteer. The first is a group of Villanova Nurses and the second is a group of seniors from Malvern  Prep High school.  We are excited to have them here and share the joy of South Africa with them.  

Sihle

People always tell you that you shouldn't pick favorites but sometimes you just have to.  Sihle is one of my favorite boys at St. Theresa's home in East Durban.  He is the only boy in Cottage 3 that always has homework no matter what.  Sometimes it is Afrikaans, maths, history, or Life Orientation which usually involves cutting out pictures of food or words from magazines and pasting them on a piece of paper.  Sihle is  13 years old and is in grade 6 in school.  He is very smart for his age and always likes doing homework, unless he is sick or not feeling well.  Homework time is from 3-4pm at St. Theresa's and most of the boys say they are done by the time I get there at 3:30pm but Sihle always has homework he is still working on.  One Monday in February, the Auntie who works in my cottage said that Sihle told her that he didn't have any homework but then when I came in he said he needed help.  I was flattered that he wanted me to help him with his homework even if it is simple things like cutting out pictures or looking up Afrikaans words in the dictionary to find their English meaning.  

Sihle is always dedicated to his homework and speaks English very well.  Most of the Theresa's boys speak very good English and usually that means they speak English at home.  Sihle's home story is one of the few that I know from the boys in my cottage.  St. Theresa's is a home for boys who are either orphaned or don't have family members that can take care of them.  Some of the boys come right to St. Theresa's but others, like Sihle, have been to other homes before.  On Monday of this week, I talked to Sihle about what he did this weekend and he said he didn't go home because there were too many people at the house.  When I asked him what that meant, he said that someone died in the parish that him and his family go to and his whole family was at a funeral service.  I asked him who his family included and he said his mom, his grandfather, his uncles, and his aunts.  He said that when someone in their church parish dies that everyone knows, they bring everyone somewhere to have a service and celebration of the person's life which could be as long as a couple days.  Sihle didn't seem too sad about not going home because most of the boys don't go home besides holidays.  It's hard to talk to these boys about their family lives because I don't want to step on their toes by asking but I do want them to be able to talk to me.  Since I always help Sihle with homework, it is easier to ease into questions about the weekend or family as opposed to the other kids that I don't regularly help in the afternoons.  

The favorite thing I help Sihle with and is unique to just him is helping with his spelling words on Thursdays.  Every Friday, Sihle has a spelling test so Thursday afternoons I quiz him on the words to make sure he knows them.  There are about 45 words per week and vary in difficultly depending on where they are in the term.  Since Sihle speaks English very well, his spelling is quite good as well.  Each Thursday we start with the first column and I read him each word from his exercise book and he writes down the word on a piece of scrap paper.  After the column is finished, I mark the words and he studies them before I test him again.  We usually repeat this process twice in order for him to get 100% or maybe just 1-2 wrong.  We repeat the same process for the second column and then we do one final test with all of the words.  It is great to see him get so excited when he gets all the words correct and is confident in himself.  When he gets one wrong, he can be pretty hard on himself but I encourage him to write the word out a couple of times and focus on the difficult ones more than the easier ones.  Right before I leave to go home,  I wish him good luck and he tells me that he is going to look them over one more time when he is in bed before he goes to sleep.  Since I have been helping him, he has been doing really well on his spelling tests and only getting 2-3 wrong per test.  I told him my goal for him is to get at least one 100% this term and he is excited about the challenge.  Sihle told me that he has to write in cursive and in pen and his teacher is strick about their writing so he has to make sure it is legable.  One week he forgot his exercise book at home and had to write the test on a single piece of paper.  He told me this wasn't allowed and the teacher gave him a naught (0%) because he didn't write the words in his exercise book! I told him that this was ridiculous and would never happen in the States but I encouraged him to remember his exercise book every Friday so this didn't happen again.  He hasn't forgot it since!

Sihle is a dedicated and extremely motivated learner who I know will be successful in life.  He has talked about becoming a teacher when he grows up and I think he would be great! Sihle is strongest in Maths and English but does well in every other subject.  I look forward to working with him at St. Theresa's and helping him continue to learn and grow through out the year.  I pray that each of the boys at St. Theresa's Home will be successful and happy throughout their whole life and they will be confident in who they are and know what they can achieve in the future.

South African Fact: St. Theresa's was started in 1925 by the Augustinian Sisters and houses about 80 boys ranging in age from 4 to 19 years old.

The Joy of Play Dough

When I was growing up, my mom was a preschool teacher and had a million of creative ideas for teaching and interacting with children.  So when she heard that I was going to be working with toddlers, she was thrilled and ready to send me materials and great ideas.  One of the things she sent me was 8 little containers of Play Dough in all different colors.  The first time I brought them to 1000 Hills was quite the adventure.  The teachers and the kids were both very curious about what the play dough was and what you did with it.  We had to tell the kids numerous times "Do not eat it!" in Zulu.  I started by taking only a couple of kids at a time, sitting them down at the table, and giving them each a small piece of colored Play Dough.  Whatever the color we were using for the day was, I had the children repeat it in English and Zulu so they could recognize the color.  I had a piece for myself so I was able to show them how to roll it in their hands into long pieces or "hot dogs" and roll them into balls using the table.  I also showed them how to squish the balls down to flatten them out.  After the kids explored the play dough with their own hands for some time, I gave them some tools like cutters, rolling pins, and shape cut outs.  I showed them each how to do use the tools which some of them understood but the shape cut outs were a hard concept.  When I was working with the kids, some of the teachers I work with came over and asked what it was.  I told them it was Play Dough from America and I showed them what you could do with it.  They were instantly amazed by it and over the next few weeks, each of them played with it a little bit and made shapes with the cut outs. 

Squishing the Play Dough

Twin brothers Kwanele and Anele using the cutter and roller

Noluthando and Amahle exploring the shape makers

They love the Play Dough!

Tholakele is so excited to show me her creation

Over past month, I have spent an hour each Tuesday and Thursday making sure all 45 of our 2 year olds got a chance to play with the Play Dough and explore the amazing talents the clay has.  Some kids have been more active than others with but all seem to enjoy its wonders.  Akhona tries to eat it, Lindo makes things and then tries to tell me what they are in Zulu.  Some kids look at their hands and are curious why little pieces get stuck behind on their fingers and others refuse to put it back in the container and want to take it wherever they go.  Play Dough is a fabulous invention that is know a favorite of South Africans and Americans.  I hope to use it more throughout the year and make some of my own with the recipe my mom gave me.  It has been great to see what joy Play Dough has brought to both Zulu women and children at the 1000 Hills Community Center in South Africa.  

A big shout out to my mom for sending over the Play Dough!!! Thanks from me and the 1000 Hills Toddlers


South African Fact (1000 Hills): Since there is an excessive need for help and support in Inchanga, the director of 1000 Hills Community Center is opening a new location that has one classroom and a small clinic.  This will help serve more people in the community and help the 1000 Hills Community Center grow and spread its wings.

Our first South African roadtrip

For some reason South Africa seems to have many public holidays that allow us to have a little break from work.  This past week there was one on Friday and then on Tuesday which made for a great long weekend.  The four of us decided to use this time off to go on a little adventure along the coast of South Africa.  Originally we were going to drive to Cape Town which would of been about a 24 hour straight drive with no stops but then we rationally thought about it and figured out that we would be driving more than we would actually be in Cape Town so decided it wasn't worth it.  Instead we chose a couple of spots along the coast that we wanted to go to and planned a mini road trip.  So around 4:30am Friday morning, we all jumped in our red rental car and started our journey.  Originally we thought 24 was the age to rent a car so I was going to do most of the driving but we were wrong and Matt was able to sign on as a second driver for the trip.  It was a short hour and 40 minutes drive to our first stop of the Oribi Gorge.  Here we saw gorgeous views of the gorge and did a little hiking through some rock formations.  There was also a suspension bridge that you can walk across that was pretty high up and a little scary when a gust of wind came but still fun.  Then we were able to pay a cheap R40 to drive our car through a small game reserve where we saw warthogs, zebra, gnu, ostrich, and springbok which was very exciting.  I tricked my roommates because I thought I saw an elephant but it was really just a fat zebra in the distance.  Needless to say they weren't happy with my false animal spotting and are holding that as a point against me when we go on a real safari in September.  After hanging out there for a couple of hours, we continued our drive to Coffee Bay which was about 5.5 hours on very windy and bumpy roads.  The part of the road closest to Coffee Bay had some really bad patches of road with massive potholes that luckily didn't damage our rental car.  Coffee Bay is a cute little town with no main road, some hostels, and a small beach.  Some of our friends told us it was a cool place which it was but we didn't really know what to do or where to stay so I would most likely go back with people who know the area so we can really experience it.  We stayed at Sugarloaf Backpackers and had our own private hut to sleep in which was really nice.  We definitely overpaid for dinner and breakfast because we didn't know that there was going to be a self service kitchen for us to use but you live and you learn right? Saturday morning we got up and took a walk to the beach to check it out and climb on some rocks.  The view was beautiful and very peaceful to sit and mediate for a little bit before heading to our next stop.

Suspension Bridge

One of the views at the gorge

Our hut at Sugerlof

Beach at Coffee Bay

After we checked out from the hostel, we drove approximately 9 hours to Jeffrey's Bay which is a bigger, well known surfer and beach town.  Luckily we only made one wrong turn and the roads weren't full of potholes so the drive wasn't too bad overall.  In Jeffrey's Bay, we stayed at Jeffrey's Bay Backpackers where we had our own room with two sets of bunk beds.  The place was pretty simple and the owner was great and helpful throughout our whole time there. Sunday morning we got up, had breakfast and spent the day on the beach which was gorgeous and great weather.  Kellie, Kevin, and I walked down the beach to trip and find the surf competition the owner of the backpackers told us about.  I ended up walking ahead of them collecting shells and thinking about all the conversations I have had with people walking along the beach.  This was another nice moment for me to think about the beach and how spiritual the beach and ocean are in my life.  After tanning out for a little bit, we found the surf competition which was a junior amateur competition which ended up being pretty boring because there wasn't many waves.  At night we went back to the hostel, got pizza for dinner, and then hung out at the hostel bar for a little bit to talk to the owner who has kids that live in Chicago and California.  It was interesting to talk to him about differences and similarities between South Africa and the United States.  Staying at the backpackers made me appreciate how diverse people are and how big and small the world is.  To be at a backpackers in South Africa whose owner has kids in the States was a pretty cool connection that made me appreciate where I am right now in my life and know that I am happy with my place.

Jeffrey's Bay Beach

Sunrise at Jeffrey's Bay

Monday morning Kevin and I got up and went to the beach to watch the sunrise which was absolutely gorgeous.  It was a great way to start the day and take pictures of the sky.  I have always enjoyed watching and taking pictures of sunrises and sunsets because they are so natural and beautiful yet I can be reflective and embrace the beginning and end of that particular day.  After this great start to the day, we packed up and drove to Storm's River which was about an hour and 40 minutes away to the world's highest bungy (SA way of spelling bungee).  Kevin, Kellie and Matt all jumped off of it but I didn't because I hate the idea of being tied to my feet and jumping off something head first.  We will be going skydiving at some point this year which I will definitely do but bungee jumping is not my cup of tea.  While they jumped, I was up in a lookout with a lady whose husband of 16 days was jumping as part of their honeymoon trip.  She was a nervous wreck but I enjoyed her company and talking pictures of my roommates jumping.  All of them did it and had a blast.  After they jumped, we got on the road and drove all the way home.  


The trip was very fun and relaxing overall and a great weekend with the roommates.  It was definitely a lot of driving but luckily with four iPods and great company, the trip was a success.  


South African Fact: Gnu is similar to the antelope and buffalo.