A home visit!

I was given the opportunity to attend two home visits to ex-Thembelihle children…both of whom I had never worked with, but it was still a privilege to attend. Both children lived in the same village and we came with food and clothes donations - I managed to carry a huge sack of Pap on my head through the village, only having to catch it twice as it slid off my head! Everyone found it very amusing seeing a white girl using the traditional African luggage transport method – doh!

The first stop was to a teenage boy who was actually at school when we visited. We arrived at his rondavel which he shares with his Grandfather and dropped off the goods. Unfortunately his Grandfather is extremely frail and bed bound. Although he was only speaking isiXhosa, I could tell that he was either in pain or struggling a lot. The rondavel was very simple and had only one old bed raised on bricks. There was one small table against the wall with only a couple of pots and pans for cooking/washing, and an old rug on the floor. It was such an eye-opener to see what these rondavels are like on the inside and to meet the people who live in them, as I have only seen one before on a village tour organised by a backpackers hostel… It was such a privilege to meet his grandfather, and I only wish I could have met the boy too. He is apparently doing extremely well at school and has won a trophy and numerous certificates for his improvement, effort and achievements! We all here at Thembelihle are extremely proud of him and are hoping to continue to be able to support him and his grandfather in the future!

The second visit was to a teenage girl about a 10 minute walk through the village. She had been back to Thembelihle during the week to visit us, and we were able to provide her and her father who she lives with, with food donations, and also her new born baby with powdered food and other goods.

It’s so nice to meet children outside of the Thembelihle environment and see how South African’s really live and how much Thembelihle has helped them. I am extremely proud of both children and the way they are much more grown up and mature than many people their age back home in the UK…a real eye-opener!

Some sad news...

It’s always hard saying goodbye to children when they are discharged from Thembelihle. When I look back to the beginning of December when a large number of children left, I realise how far I have come and how many children I have worked with over the last 9 months. So many faces have come and gone and the Thembelihle family continues to change. I remember all of their smiling faces and all of the little quirky things each of them did that made them individual and special. It’s always strange and I often wonder how the children get on when they leave. In March one girl returned on a week visit during her school holidays. It was great to see how her English has improved and how her dreams and goals are keeping her strong and motivated and how grown up she now is…she gave us a helping hand at the home and was much more mature than she was before Christmas!!! I had a catch up with her and found out that she was doing really well at school and was really enjoying it, despite the 3 hour walk there and 3 hour walk back each day! Sometimes though, I guess it is just inevitable that things don’t always go right. Thembelihle was saddened this week with the news of the death of one of our children who was discharged back in December. A horrific death that no one would ever deserve and a story which highlights many of the dangers across South Africa…

Please keep your thoughts and prayers with her family.