Diary

Monday
We have 2 new volunteers this week;Hilda has worked for 22 years in a kindergarden and has been out here to an orphanage before (Agape).Tamara is a professional photographer.For 2 weeks ,she will be building up portfolios of each child for a charity called Photos for Orphans.Back in Holland,schoolchildren will assemble the photos into albums.Each orphan will then receive their individual album of shots of themselves.Without any personal mementoes at all,these are treasured and help to give back some of the self-esteem that has been drained out of them by their traumas.
Tuesday.
H.andT. joined us to go to Julia’s.Firstly,there were the usual hugs and twirls,and some football.Then each child settled down to make a card for Tia’s birthday,all except Nxolisi (12).The informal atmosphere allows ourselves and the kids to intermingle and move around loosely.This leads to many interesting situations.Sinazo,who last week looked on whileYonela (7) and his sister,Ntanbizanele (11),completed the 4 small jigsaws,now sat with Hilda and completed 2 herself.Nxolisi,who has worried and perplexed us  with his arrogance,unwillingness to do anything and general unpredictability,really came round today.Martijn had spent some time with him and Yonela-they share great acrobatical ability-and then Noxlisi finally allowed Tamara to photogragh him.He wanted me to take him for a spin in the car.I said I would if he first made a card for Tia.At first he would not,but then agreed so long as I helped him.Nobody else but Yonela was allowed in the room.Carefully, he edged the card.He wanted me to write it.What do you want to write,I asked.’’Auntie Tia,I love you with all my heart’’,he said.I wrote it on a piece of paper and he copied it.He got his spin in the car,even though he mischieviously tried to get me lost!Today,Masixole was 17.He is a very quiet boy,,affected by his past.He seems much loved by all of them.So after everyone had some of the cake and pop that we had bought,they all enthusiastically joined in ,in singing Happy Birthday to him.
Wednesday.
At 11.30,we left for Florence’s.It takes about half an hour to drive to the township.On the way,the road runs along the oceanside for a stretch.I always glance over in the hope of seeing a whale.Everybody seems to have seen them already!.Well today,I spotted one,not far out.(Martijn joked that I could go home now!)
The first thing I noticed at Florence’s was that they had extended the vegetable garden,sowing some carrots.The girls were busy cleaning and tidying.We went to pick up the others, who were waiting at Maureen’s and,somehow,all crowded into the small room to start on the pancakes.The well-controlled eagerrness was only briefly loosened when there was a sudden rush on the crisps.Gone in a twinkle!It was becoming obvious that this was proving to be an emotional day for M.andM.These kids have become truly a part of their lives.They will never be forgotten.For each of the 3 homes,they had made a collage of photos,which they all pressed forward to see,chuckling with glee.The eldest from each home read out a card from their family,thanking M.andM. for what they have done for hem and stressing how they would be missed.It was touching;amusing too,as they gainfully overcame their embarrassment.Here were 3 families,not all related by blood,but just as strongly bonded by circumstance.Two to three years ago,they were all part of a group of 32 ,living in a single,small room,in a slum,with just one mattress.At 2am.,on a cold morning,the owner of the room,drunk at the time,kicked them out onto the street.That is when Tia heard about them.She came out of retirement,vowing to see to their welfare.So it was natural that today,a day before her 72nd birthday,these kids wanted to show their love for her.All the cards they have been making ,were given to her, and the eldest 3 again spoke up.A special moment indeed.
Then for the jellies and cakes and outside for games!We tried to hold a competition between the three families,a mixture of egg (stone) and spoon and a sack race.Flagrant cheating brought great delight! After the race,I noticed Sinazo,who always seems to be looking on wistfully,stood alone.I went over and she held me tight.Then she broke off.and grabbed a sack.She wanted me to help her to have a go.It was so pleasant ro hear hear her giggling as I bounced her thin frame along in the voluminous sack,with Yonela,always such a willing chappie,competing with us.Each of us will have had many,such special moments today.More importantly,there were 24 kids who had had an afternoon to remember.
Thursday
While M.andM. went to Florence’s ,Tamara ,Hilda and I went to Maureen’s.As soon as we entered,the younger ones came running to us with open arms.It is a dilemma,at times,where to draw the line,in that some are at an age when they want to appear more adult.Little Yonela amused me the other day.I gave him a handshake,for fun.Afterwards,I  spied him doing the same with the other volunteers !I was so glad to see both Spiewe (13) and Simpiewe (14) there today.We couldn’t play football in the rain,but they love playing Fingerboard,which we had brought with us.Later,they upturned 2 small tables,to use as drums,and they sang some rap.They would like to practice their singingand then play it back on a cassette.I shall lok for a microphone for them this week.Luxolo (4) was very clingy today.He just  wanted to be held and held and held.this was the first day for T.and H. at Maureen’s,but they amused the younger ones for hours and practiced learning skills with them.
When we got home,there to meet us was our final,new volunteer,Lammargien,She is a team leader,working with people that have behavioural problems.I am going to be working with a bunch of professionals next week!
 
Ndoqa
En route to the township,I had noticed a rough tent/shelter on waste ground.So this week,when we had with us in the car,Simpiewe,a delightful young Xhosa man,who will take over the 4th,house when it is ready,I took the opportunity to ask him what it was.He explained that all the young men in the township,being all of the Xhosa tribe,had to subject themselves to this at the age of 18,in order to become men,and be treated as men.Two weeks prior,and for one week after,they only sip liquids,in order to thicken their blood.Then they are roughly circumcised.Painted in white clay,with only a white blanket for protection,the said individual bears (in the sense of carries) his affected parts to the ‘’bush’ for one month.Somebody takes food,but throws it from afar.If they cannot catch it,tough!Be a man!
I asked Simpiewe what happens to an 18 yr. old who chooses not to go with through with it?To reply,he used the example of a man who so chose,and went off to Johannesburg.Now back,he was pushing for an 18 yr.old relation to succumb to the knife.He was told he would also need to,which he did.(I do not know whether force was used).The man was 75 years old!
What a relief that I do not have to wait 16 years fearing this outcome!
 
Friday.
Today was a free day as tomorrow we will be holding the clothes sale.As it  was also the last day for Martijn,Marloes and Marco,5 of us paid for a boat trip to spot whales and dolphins.As we sped out of the harbour,the sea was calm,the light exquisite.Soon we were seeing gannets and cormorants.I have never seen the sea look like it did this day.It moved with a mercury-like motion,reluctant to move,the colour a translucent blue.It looked unnatural.Something was spotted!As we drew near,small penguins,looking no bigger than gannets in the water,became the first of many we were to see.Moving on,all eyes were glued for the unmistakeable bulk of a whale.Well-known marine enthusiast,Lloyd Edwards,our skipper for the day,was up above,scanning the sea.``Over to starboard. I think we have ourselves one!’’Approaching carefully, we were all awestruck by the sight of 2 females with their 2 month old calves.Huge humpbacks!Cutting the engine to a minimum,we could hear their blasts of air before diving,the whooshing of water displaced by their huge shapes.15-20 times we were treated to the sight of that gigantic tail, slapping the air.The only other noise,that of cameras taking shot after shot.4 cameras took about 600 shots!For an hour,we followed their movements,before reluctantly pulling away to hop to the island colony of African penguins.There are 20,000 on a steeply sided rock.These are very small penguins,no more than 2 kilo.The boat was able to get right in,metres away from them.They watched us in serried ranks,like spectators on football terraces.Heading back,clouds had formed.The sea had turned grey.The show was over.What a spectacle it had been!
This was always,ultimately,going to be a sad day.Tomorrow we lose three fellow volunteers,three friends.Too easily,we could see and sense the inner turmoil they were feeling, anticipating  their imminemt departure.Hopefully,they can find relief in knowing the tremendous good they have done,which will continue.They will be missed.
To them,and to you,
Best wishes,
Eric.
 
  Photos 
 1 Outside Florence''s.
 2 Yonela,Simpiewe,Nantambi,Bonke.
 3 Fingerboard with Spiewe and Luxolo.
 4 Luxolo just held and held on...
 5 Clothes sale.
 6 Approaching the humpbacks.
 7 Getting nearer.

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