WHAT'S HAPPENING IN KNYSNA, a Diary of News and Events related to our Projects
The on-going
stories from Pauline Visser, Travellers Volunteer Liaison, Administrator
and Chief Looker-After of all things in Knysna!
Travellers volunteers in their droves have been and still are helping the
local township communities in many different ways - they have really
made a difference! For them and for future volunteers, here are some
little tit-bits about what's happening in Knysna.
Dorothy Broster Chidren's Home , Knysna
March 2008
Just a happy story!
"Poppie" (Rolishia Lamini, 'Poppie' means 'little doll'
in Afrikaans)
In 2007 Travellers volunteers Sarah-Jane Green and
Elizabeth Elster were volunteers in Knysna, and spent many afternoons at the
Dorothy Broster Children's Home. They fell in love with Poppie, her little
sister, Geraldine and baby brother, Tabang.
Sarah-Jane has made it her project to sponsor Poppie's
school fees at Knysna Primary School for the rest of her schooling, and Liz will
take over Geraldine's fees when she starts school in Grade 'R' in 2009.
As she had had no formal pre-school training, Poppie struggled a bit in Grade
1 last year, and as a result her teacher has decided that she should repeat
Grade 1. She is much more settled this year and coping better too, gaining
confidence all the time.
Poppie has this year started ballet lessons with a
private teacher, Sidwell Roman, who is a professionally trained ballet dancer,
and has been running a ballet school for children of all ages for many years.
He is very kindly sponsoring Poppie's lessons. Sidwell
organises wonderful shows every second year, which are well attended, so
hopefully Poppie will be part of the next production!
Knysna 26th February 2008
The efforts of our volunteers are always rewarded,
particularly in the case of little Luvuyo (nickname Siya) who you can see
pictured on the right.
Siya was involved in a playground accident in December
which caused him to suffer a stroke. He was left unable to speak, his vision
severely impaired, and partial paralysis caused him to loose the use of his
right arm.
Before his accident, Siya was a bright and happy child
who would always seized the opportunity to be centre of attention. He excelled
at school and loved to play soccer with his friends and the way his eyes now
light up when given a ball hides the frustration he deals with every day.
Sarah Davies is one volunteer who particularly bonded
with Siya, and, after dropping the other volunteers off at Chris Nissen and
Tembelitsha we go to Siya’s house to collect him for school. Siya is so happy
to see us approaching and though he only attends school for an hour and a half a
day and cannot take part in the normal lessons, he loves to walk around the
classrooms with Sarah and play with the soccer ball as much as his disability
allows. The time she spends with Siya has made such a difference to his days
and Sarah will never forget how important this time is both to Siya and to
herself.
TEMBELITSHA SCHOOL, Knysna
10th November 2007
Hi All,
After a sticky start yesterday, when the staff room was taken over by Health
Department eye tests and things, we have at last started painting the Tembalitsha staff room. The new colour is similar to the present one, just a
bit brighter and happier. It is really in need of a fresh coat of paint.
Colin
and Wesley are there to help, and Becky Higginson and Kirsty Lomas are really
excited to be part of the project. They have a 'free' day, as their teacher is
away until Monday.
All the
teachers we come across are really excited too, and can't wait to see their new,
smart staff room! Even Victoria, the cleaning lady, is there boots and all
scrubbing the little abandoned kitchen, which we will paint too.
The
pale green curtains are washed, and are about to go to Dynamics for a 'tint' to
navy blue - all in keeping with the school colours. Once the basic coat is dry,
we will get stuck in drawing and painting African designs on the big windowless
wall, and then organise the furniture, kitchen etc.
Tembelitsha School, Knysna
18th October 2007
At last our carefully painted 'Music and Drama room' has
been christened!
To add to the occasion, over the past couple of months all the broken windows in
the school have been repaired by the Department of Education, which is really
great.
I attended Nicole's recorder lesson at Tembelitsha yesterday, and was so
impressed with her! She was so sweet and patient with the children. By the end
of the lesson she had them all playing 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' (well, the first
two lines!) quite well together. They are hoping to play
at assembly on Monday, and after just 4 or 5 lessons, that will be quite an
achievement!!
The children have given themselves the very ambitious name of "The Ghetto Girls
Group of Stars"!
Both Temba Bella and Mimi Grootboom looked on, and are both keen to learn the
recorder too. Once we can get Temba to play this song on the piano, we will have
the beginnings of an orchestra! The Music Department at Tembelitsha has been
born!!! Pretty exciting stuff.
Newton Street Volunteer
House, Knysna
News that is not entirely project related but still
without a doubt worth mentioning is Pretty, our 'home executive', who is the unsung
hero of Newton Street! She willingly, energetically and happily keeps order in
the Volunteer house, and never complains!
She is a true star!
Tembelitsha School, Knysna,
21st & 22nd September 2007
A little bit of news from Knysna ...
On Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd
September Tembelitsha celebrated its 10th Birthday with dancing, singing, lots
of speeches, nail and face-painting for the children, food stalls which included
a braai (barbecue!). The volunteers helped out with the nail and face-painting
and organised a game called 'Guess the Teddy's name'
IKAMALETHU CRECHE,
Khayalethu, Knysna,
19th September 2007
Ikamalethu Creche is run by Gladys and her sister, Maud, in
a small wooden building in the Khayalethu township in Knysna. They look after
between 40 and 50 small children, aged 3 – 5 years, in a very small space.
Gladys has taken every opportunity to attend training sessions, and she is a
very organised person, and all the children are beautifully behaved and
obedient.
On the way to the Orphanage one day, we noticed this small building with little
chairs and tables outside in the tiny garden, and decided to see if we could
lend a hand. Some time ago Travellers purchased a jungle gym/swing, and this has
at last found a good home!
Our present 5 volunteers, Kim, Emily, Tess, Karina and Claire spent Monday
putting the jungle gym/swing together (the kit came with no instructions or
pictures!) and did an amazing job. On Tuesday holes were dug (willingly done by
David, a gardener), cement poured in and the four ‘legs’ of the swing firmly
bolted into the concrete.
Today, Wednesday, these energetic volunteers painted the outside of the
building, which has brightened the appearance up no end. Gladys and the children
are thrilled!
They are planning to line the inside of the wooden walls with board soon, and we
have promised to come and paint the inside walls after that.
A small article and photograph appeared in the Knysna/Plett Herald today, and
all in all the volunteers are very happy and satisfied with this project, and
feel they have done something very worthwhile!
Knysna News : 16th Aug 2007
At last we have managed to co-ordinate taking Flo
Hannaford, a local piano and singing teacher, to Tembelitsha for a first
piano lesson with Temba Bella, one of the teachers at Tembelitsha. The plan
is to teach the teacher to teach the children, which could take some time!
They have a wonderful piano, which has been dormant for a couple of years.
Flo also hopes to get a choir together, and give them some tuition too.
Last Monday saw the christening of the new speakers and microphone donated
by Travellers; Temba Bella did the honours, and started Assembly using the
microphone, and after a few volume adjustments, children lined up to say
poems and read for the rest of the school. A small group of students was
selected to help set up the equipment every Monday for Assembly.
After school various animals wander around the grounds looking for scraps
and crumbs, and these chaps eventuallly made it up the steps, after slipping
and sliding now and again! They found their way into the new garden area,
when the fence was not quite complete and are really happy the teachers want
to grow vegetables just for them!
The last photograph of is Anna Visciano handing a cheque for 600 Dollars to
Bill at a tea party in the office, as a donation towards fencing for
Tembelitsha! Left to right are Laurie, Emily, Karina, Kim, Jennifer, Tess
and Anna with Bill in the middle.
.
+44 01903 502595
