Wednesday 17 June 2009 - 2

Yesterday was our animal day! Elephant riding, cat watching (and cheetah stroking!) and monkey (Josh!) spotting. Most of the game reserves are elsewhere in South Africa so we were at sanctuarys and the like but still had a fine day. We also ate many South African speciality foods for lunch, none of which we can remember the names of!

Sinethemba was bathed in sun again today. The usual agenda was interspersed with Hena and Lesley going out to meet a local gang of older teenagers within the township. They also visited a creche caring for fifty pre-school children from local family groups and then went to get a reference from a high school to allow Rushaad to play in this weekends soccer trials. The school initially refused but Les and Hena's persuasive manner finally broke down the South African walls of bureaucracy. He's playing!

Finally they introduced ECM's five outcomes to the filing structure in place at the centre.

I taught numeracy/ literacy to a class of Sinethemba's finest. Bevan, my star pupil :-) cannot manage either discipline and at eleven years has not attended school. My efforts didn't advance him any but he has the most engaging smile, dances like George Sampson and plays football like Mese...which will he find most useful as a child in the township?!

Fat cakes for lunch - flour, yeast, salt and water deep fried! Basically doughnuts without the sugar...

The afternoon was filled with a HIV Awareness Class based around a game of soccer that had to be seen to be believed! Afterwards a question and answer session saw children as young as nine asking Elgin about issues ranging from abstention from sex to HIV tests: the cultural norm in South Africa but so far removed from what we might do in England.

We continue to enjoy each day...and thanks once more for your comments and mails.

Best wishes

Hena, Gary and Lesley

Devotion ( so join in with this repeating chant in English and Xhosa )

For the days of our lives

For the days of our lives

For the days of our lives

Oh yes I thank you Lord for the days of my life

Baba siyaku bonba

Baba siyaku bonga

Baba siyaku bonga

Tsukwine zoku phila kwam

We are together

We are family

We are here for one another