| South Africa was one of the most amazing things I
have ever done in my life! As most people would be, I was
apprehensive before I went, but at the same time really excited. I
was going half way round the world to work with young people who
were not as fortunate as myself. After several phone calls and
emails back and forth with Travellers, my trip was planned, flights
booked and bags packed! I was going to Knysna in the Garden Route to
teach in the township. I had planned lots of different activities to
cover in my classes and had a variety of materials with me to show
the students. Meeting the other volunteers
Once I arrived, it was time to meet the 12 other volunteers who were
staying at the same house in Newton Street. Everyone seemed really
friendly and they all had little bits of advice. It was great to sit
out in the sun and have lunch. I was even lucky enough to meet the
monkeys who visit from time to time to steel oranges off the tree.
After the short break a couple of volunteers took me down town to
the infamous Pick 'n' Pay! That evening the volunteers from the
other house came up for their tea. Luckily there weren't many
staying in the other house so not too many names to remember.
I started my placement at Percy Mdala High School
on the Wednesday and it was an interesting day. I was working in the
school with three other Travellers Worldwide volunteers; Mel, Luke
and Claire. I met all the staff, who are nothing like teachers in
the UK, mainly because they will get up and sing at any opportunity!
I followed Luke around his classes just to get a feel for the school
and how it worked. He was also teaching Drama as part of Arts and
Culture. It was a bit manic in the classes, as the pupils make a lot
of noise! So if you are ever preparing a lesson, you must remember
that at least half the class will be spent keeping them quiet!
First visit to the orphanage
After school I had my first visit to the orphanage, which was again
a really interesting experience. It was really heart-breaking to see
the babies and children with no parents or families, but at the same
it is so great that they have a group of great people to look after
them. The fabulous Travellers Worldwide volunteers would brighten up
the dullest day! I have never been in a group with so many different
and big characters!
We spent a couple of hours and the orphanage and
played with the kids. The girls had their hair styled, and the
children got hold of wet wipes, so they were coming up to us and
getting us to wipe their faces and hands.As weeks went by, I started working on basic
drama skills with my pupils, as they really had very little previous
practical experience. So it was a case of going back to the basics
and starting from scratch. I had to keep things simple so that the
pupils could take in the material, and also had them up writing on
the board and trying to encourage class discussion, but eventually
it would end up in a racket!
When covering practical work, or when groups were
rehearsing, we would go outside. It was nice to get out of my dull
classroom, but trying to keep control is just as much fun outside!
The pupils are all really lovely. Some are cheeky, and some are very
quiet, but one thing is for sure....if you offer them a chance to
dance, then they will be up on their feet in seconds. No two classes
are the same.
Volunteering at the soup kitchen
The soup kitchen was another highlight of the week. A group of
volunteers would go up on a Tuesday and Thursday after school and
help dish out food and play with the children. Benjy who runs the
Oupad Soup Kitchen is a great guy who gives up a lot of his own time
to get food for the children. It is advisable to wear older clothes
that you don't mind getting dirty at the soup kitchen, as staying
clean is not an option!
The children are guaranteed to climb all over you
and they especially like to sit or stand on your shoulders, and just
pull your head round in the direction they want it to go. Although
the children run circles round you, they have a lot of respect for
Benjy and it is quite a thing to see, when they all line up for
their soup. They stand in order of height with the smallest at the
front and they all pray. It is such a great thing to go and work
with, and I would say your trip isn't complete if you don't go.
The best thing about my placement was the day my
pupils create a short piece of drama on teenage pregnancy. It was
fascinating to watch, as the pupils worked together and two of the
girls made up a short song about the daughters pregnancy. The child
would sing to her mother and the mother would reply. It was a great
breakthrough! It restored my faith that what I was doing was getting
through to them.
Exploring South Africa
Whilst in South Africa I got to go on some pretty amazing trips,
from riding elephants to seeing whales and dolphins to canoeing up
Knysna river. We often visited the Friday market just outside the
town and had some really tasty food. We had a trip to Plett one
weekend, and went sunbathing and swimming in the sea! Trips and
activities are generally quite cheap and you can hire a car or get a
taxi to take you. As far as going out in Knysna, a Friday is the
best night and we usually ended up in Zanzibar. We had some fun
nights out and it was great to relax and have fun after a busy week
at school.
I learnt a lot about myself whilst in Africa and
have certainly grown up a lot! I have made some great friends. There
were a mix of ages and types of people, but I think that's what
makes the placement so fantastic. I would recommend this placement
to somebody who has passion and is willing to go for it! You get out
what you put in to the placement. If you go in with enthusiasm it
will just encourage your students even more! |
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