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Published: October 12th 2006
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Brewing African Beer for the Happy Rest, Kayamandi
Not quite Jennings Real Ale...but surely worth a visit from the GLC RAS!!!!! Mdeba is my host uncle! He's also a very witty tour guide and invited us to tag along at the back when he was doing a tour of Kayamandi yesterday...it was supposed to start at 10.30 and had told the school we were to be a bit late coming in, but taking into consideration 'African time' it didn't kick off until nearly 11.30. But it was worth it. Learned lots about the place we're staying, and saw a few more darker, and also some lighter, sides to where I'm living. Also gave us an opportunity to take some pics of the township as ordinarily I don't wander around with my camera. Stellenbosch was originally whites only and Kayamandi housed only black men who came into the city to work without their wives and children (Mdebe was one of them). As time went on families started flooding in, building the shacks to house themselves. Mdeba is a wonderful character to talk to. He knows nearing everybody in Kayamandi (thousands of people) and has done some wonderful things to help the place, especially the children. As we wander round he buys sweets and drinks to hand out to some of the children who
Coca Cola territory
I wasn't aware that Coca Cola give a free sign to every business address. Any shop, shack etc that carries on a business, however small or unrelated, apply so they can have a new swanky sign outside. And I thought they'd perhaps been giving donations to the area...nope just free advertising. look most deprived, shaking hands with all of them. They all call out after him and he has something to say to all. He and his wife were responsible for setting up the only few creches in Kayamandi with the help from donations to stop kids hanging around in the day. They also have three adopted children in their house whom thay have taken in after their parents died.
Had a difficult struggle with my conscience in the week. Popped into the creche on the way home, but it was slighlty earlier than usual and the little ones had only just eaten and had gone all day before their daily clean. There was food everywhere and as the doors had been closed to stop them escaping, the stench was unbearable for me. They'd already caught sight of us and ran over to play and have cuddles, touch our faces etc, and I really struggled. I wanted to give them some love, but found it really difficult because the smell was so bad.
Anyways...had the most wonderful and surreal evening yesterday. Went to watch a play...it was in Afrikaans so I had anticipated that I would not understand a
Ikaya Primary School
Although the resources are slim, the building itself is decent word, but my host sis Enathi speaks fluent Afrikaans and I thought she'd enjoy it. It was at the Ikaya Trust Centre, a centre inside the township funded from abroad that does heaps for the community, holds dancing lessons, drumming, has a library, creche, researches into tourism etc. The atmosphere was great as we watched in a mini- amphitheatre out in the open. The play was the most graphic and disturbing that I have ever seen, based on a true story about a 9month old baby from the Northern Cape that was raped until she died. One of the guys that was producing the play sat behind a few of us volunteers who obviously couldn't understand and whispered a translation for us in English...I think this made it even more horrific to watch and listen.
On a lighter note, once the play was finished the kids who I thought might be a little disturbed had barely been affected and were just keen to get onto the stage and do some dancing and drumming...they get so into it its lovely to watch.
I ate chicken foot yesterday...OK it was the smallest mouthful I could have taken, but I did
Transport
This little one was obviously playing 'mummy'..she's copied the mothers in Kayamandi who carry their children on their backs wrapped in a towel by doing the same with her teddy!! try it. Enathi uncurled the silver foil in her hand and revealed what I at first thought was a baby lizard. She assured me it was chicken foot (not sure if that made it much better), told me which bit I could eat and I went for it. Surprisingly good...tasted just like eating chicken skin, obviously not much meat on there.
School is going OK. I have come to realise that the volunteers before me have done lots of great things for the school and I think I was unfortunate to start at a time when things were so quiet and the volunteers so demotivated. Found a heap of English and computer exercises that someone had printed out and we have made use of them this week. Also started speaking to a kid who'd been having extra English classes with a previous volunteer and we invited her and her mates back after school today to carry on where they left off. So lots of positive stuff to work with.
Heading back to Cape Town tomorrow for the weekend. I'm booked in for an African drumming lesson tomorrow night...!!
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