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Published: September 14th 2007
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Photo courtesy of Melanie Dear Friends, Family, and Readers,
This week has been interesting with the introduction of new volunteers. Yet, I will never share the same closeness as we had with the first group. We did not have to suffer through the two days of orientation with these people. We did not make the same discoveries together when exploring Cape Town. We did not experience the simultaneous culture shock. At least, I have the other three 12-week volunteers who began the program when I did. We can support each other when frustrated. These new volunteers often can’t seem to take care of themselves. But this blog is not about them.
I have been classified as the “House Father” by the director. It gives me a sense of belonging as much as it does responsibility. I know the names of all the staff. Malinga (the driver) and I share a close bond. After placements on Monday we were all driven back home for lunch which is prepared for us by the cooks. As you might be able to imagine, feeding 25+ people is no easy task but they are fully willing and able to take care of us. Sometimes, we have to remember to take care of them, especially in the evenings. We have everything from different curries (Cape Malay) to your basic hotdogs and always salad. The cooks usually wait around to serve us dinner around half past six but recently we have been asking them to leave early. We have not only been suggesting that they make their way home because they have been at the house all day but because it will get too late for their own safety. It is never a good idea to be traveling around at night whether you are a local or not.
All the food which is prepared and the leftovers which we then have are donated to local institutions. Malinga and I made a trip in the afternoon to a retirement home. It didn’t seem too different from any other place where our volunteers could be spending much of their time in Cape Town. After we dropped off the food contained in three plastic tubs, he leans over to me in the car and says in his very common Malinga fashion, “Do you want to go to the fishpond?” I agree even though I don’t really know what exactly I agreed to. We end up going to a local grocery store which has a classic claw machine with watches inside. This is the fishpond. We are fishing for watches at 2 rand a pop. This is definitely being integrated into a society when you are making trips to the local fishpond, I assume. Today, for example, I went to the grocery store with the cooks who are two younger women. I don’t know if they have had volunteers in the past accompany them to the store before but we had a fun time together. They probably were also happy to have me come along so that I could help carry the multiple gallons of juice consumed by the group on a daily basis.
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Today, I accompanied a fellow volunteer who is at a local crèche in the oldest township in Cape Town. It has children between the ages of 9 months to 6 years old. I had wanted to try working with some children during my stay here because that is what most people seem to be doing and it seems like the classic Africa experience. I didn’t know what to expect and I was told not to have any expectations other than that everything I saw was normal and occurred everyday.
The building is a small cinder block rectangle about 20x50ft On a slower day like today, there were only 65 children in this one room. I spent most of the morning with the babies who are free to roam about as the older ones where outside in the small courtyard. The courtyard is about the area where someone would park two cars but this doesn’t slow them down. I think the staff of three manages amazingly with the number of children and the limited amount of space they actually have to operate in. The daily routine consists of playing with the children, giving them breakfast of mush, letting them play, singing songs, and doing something educational. After lunch they all lay down for a two hour nap during which time our van usually comes to collect us.
It is hard to distinguish whether or not my presence could actually make a difference in the crèche. On the surface of things, having a volunteer will always be needed if simply as an extra pair of hands; two volunteers are even better. When we get to feed the babies, it is one of the most beautiful things I think I have ever done. These little guys and gals are made to sit in little chairs until we call them up as we are also sitting at their level. They come wobbling up and hold onto our knees and we spoon mush into their little mouths. Some won’t take their eyes off of you. Others are so enthralled at what is going on around them, they simply open up their mouths as we put food in them. Sometimes the babies forget they are even eating.
On a deeper level of being at a crèche, some of them started calling me “dada.” I am the only male at this placement. This is probably a huge impact for these little kids to have any kind of interaction with a male figure. There are too many stories of kids not knowing their fathers in South Africa (or biological parents for that matter) and being raised in a household where a male child feels he must take on the responsibilities that a father would. Sometimes even at the age of 5 years old. If I can act as a male role model for both the girls and boys, perhaps I can influence them in some kind of a positive way. I do not know if I can but I do plan on being there for the rest of my stay here at least two days a week. Children are sponges at these young ages. I guess I will play with them and feed them. I have also done some one-on-one with a couple already too. We will just have to wait and see.
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arturo v
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thats really cool.
i really admire you for what you're doing over there noah.