Lifeskills

This week I was working in the Lifeskills class, the only class in the Enrichment Centre I hadn't worked with yet. The Lifeskills class holds the oldest group of teenagers (I think the oldest is 18) and the aim is to help them become as independent as possible. This is achieved through weekly work placements at the Garden Centre, running their own popcorn business within the school and getting them to help with chores around the classroom. What I personally loved about working with the lifeskills children is that all of them are given the opportunity to learn the basic skills required for any person who wants to live independently and I think it's fantastic that they're given the same chance as everyone else.

One of the difficult things about working with classes in the Enrichment Centre, especially in Lifeskills, is that all the children suffer from different disabilities which affect them in different ways. In Lifeskills the main aim is to increase their independence and prepare them for the outside world but some of the children will always require a little bit of assistance.

One boy, for example, suffers from epilepsy and is unable to communicate effectively with the people around him. He understands when you ask him to do something but will usually only communicate in Sepedi, a common language in South Africa. This does mean that I now know the Sepedi word for 'orange' which is Lamunu... and how to say some other basic phrases like 'hello' (Dumela), 'how are you' (O kae?) and 'I'm fine' (Ke gona). Like many of the children in the Enrichment Centre he also responds well to music and if you start singing the South African National Anthem he will take the lead and sing all four verses right to the end.

On the other end of the spectrum there is a boy in the Lifeskills class who suffers from autism but is extremely capable of doing his own work. Like many people who suffer from autism however, he doesn't fully understand how to interact socially which could prove a problem when he leaves Mitchell House. So while with one child we're focusing on a whole range of skills, with another we're just focusing on social interaction.

On Thursday we celebrated one the boy's 16th birthday by going to Ten Pin Bowling. We started of the afternoon by handing out cake and crisps while one of the other boys gave a birthday speech. The speech started of really well but then started to go down hill when he started talking about "how annoying the birthday boy could sometimes be.." At that point we quickly interjected, thanked him for his speech and gave him a piece of cake to stop him talking. When we had all finished eating we headed over to the bowling alley and got into teams, mentally preparing ourselves with team pep talks... The funniest part of the whole day was when one of the boys (the one who suffers from epilepsy) confidently walked up to the alley and just dropped his bowling ball. The ball then crept down the isle at a snails pace but somehow still managed to knock all the pins over... When the screen came up with a massive 'STRIKE!' he just turned a round, smiled and sat back down again. What a technique!

In other news, last weekend I took part in the Polokwane Walk for Cancer which was held in the city stadium. We went along with one of the teachers and spent a few hours walking laps of the running track and occasionally stopping for a cinnamon pancake... Overall it was a great evening and it was fantastic for us to get involved with something so special.

On Monday I will be back in the Mainstream classes with all of the little Grade 00s. At Aftercare yesterday I asked one of the boys if he was excited to have me back in his class and he replied with, "You don't have to come to my class, just come to my home so we can play Power Rangers." I said that the offer was extremely tempting, but that my lack of Power Ranger knowledge would let me down so how about I just help him out in class on Monday. He replied, "Fine. But don't forget your laser gun."

Polokwane Walk for Cancer

Polokwane Walk for Cancer

Swaziland

Hello Everyone!

We've just arrived back in Polokwane after spending a fantastic week in Swaziland. For the duration of our stay we lived with the Project Trust Swaziland volunteers and we couldn't have asked for better hosts. Jade, Izzy, Joe and Tom  made us feel right at home and even introduced us to parts of their project. Unfortunately we didn't have time to travel to Mozambique, but we've already planned to spend a week there during the Easter holidays.

Last Thursday evening we were dropped off in Manzini (the city where the PT volunteers live) and were instantly met by a very excited Jade, who led us back to their accommodation. It's the first time we've all seen each other since arrival so it was really interesting to hear how they're settling in. They also introduced us to this game called '30 Seconds' which is very similar to 'Articulate' so we had quite a few competitive games over the course of the week...

On Friday the girls took us to one of their projects, Mccorkindale's Children's Home. Two of the children had their birthdays so we brought along a cake and played some party games (musical statues and toilet tag). It still amazes me how friendly the children in Africa are. The moment we arrived they ran up to us and gave us the biggest hugs. It was so heartwarming to be shown such kindness from children that have so little. When we were leaving the kids piled into and onto the van and wouldn't get out until we reached the gate. Even then we had to double check for stowaways in the back...

On Saturday we visited Manzini market which is the biggest market in Swaziland. It was amazing to see all the different handmade crafts like hair clasps made from coconut shell. After looking around the market we drove to Swazi Candles, a very small workshop where they hand make wonderfully colourful candles. You had the opportunity to watch a couple of men making some candles and they'd sometimes mold the warm wax into the shapes of various animals. The workshop was situated on the outskirts of Manzini and it was great to get away from the hectic town centre. It was a very picturesque setting - a little wooden hut surrounded by trees - so we decided to stay there for lunch.

A couple of days later we had a girls day out. Myself, Zoe, Kathryn, Jade and Izzy drove to Mantenga Falls, a waterfall that's also near a cultural village. We spent the morning swimming around the waterfall and it was great to jump into the cool water after spending so long in the sun. At one point Zoe shouted, "I just saw something under the water!!"  and in response we both scrambled onto a nearby rock... After agreeing that it was probably no more than a stick, we jumped back in. But when we arrived back at the hostel and mentioned to the other volunteers that we went swimming at the falls, they responded with, "You did what?! You do know there are crocodiles in there?" That was definitely the most exciting thing that happened during our stay, even though it was unintentional.

After spending some time at the waterfall we went to see the cultural village which was very interesting. We were taken on a guided tour of the village, which was built to replicate a traditional Swazi homestead. The guide led us round all the different huts, showing us where the boys slept, where the girls slept and where the elders slept. We were told that the men of the village always went first when exiting the huts to check for danger and protect the women. At that point in the tour all the women nodded with approval. He also explained that if the village came under attack, the prettiest village girl would step out of the hut and act as a distraction. Usually, he said, the attacker would then just give up and ask for her hand in marriage. Overlooking the village was a huge cliff that the Swazi people call Execution Rock. If anyone in the village committed a crime they would be taken up there and pushed off the edge. An easy solution, but not very pleasant. The guide then reassured us that they don't practice that form of punishment anymore.

Overall it was a fantastic week and we got to experience so many new things. The planning of it was very last minute, but in the end it worked out surprisingly smoothly. On Monday we start work again and I'll be working with the oldest group in the Enrichment Centre which I'm really looking forward to. After spending two weeks away from the children you begin to really miss them... I'm only a month in so I can't imagine what the goodbyes will be like in August!

Swaziland here we come!

On the way to Swazi Candles

Swazi Candles

Swazi Candles

Candle Maker

Mantenga Falls

Swazi Dancers

Traditional Swazi Grass Hut

Goodbye Meal

Sunset on our last night

Senior Class

This week was our final week before the holidays and I spent it in the Senior Class. Compared to the Junior Class it was a very relaxed atmosphere with nobody trying to escape from the classroom and no biting!

The children in the Senior Class are aged 10 - 14 and suffer from a range of disabilities. There is a girl with Down's syndrome, a boy with cerebral palsy, a couple of children with autism and a couple with brain damage. This means that each child has different needs to the next, so you constantly have to adapt your communication techniques depending on who you're interacting with. The boy with cerebral palsy for example could be your average eleven year old, but he is unable to join the mainstream because of his fragile physical state. He is extremely socially aware and you can have a very nice conversation with him. He actually shares the same birthday as me and when I told him it was all he talked about for the next couple of days. We planned our joint birthday party which is going to be an 'Underwater theme' and gave everyone different creatures to dress up as...

Earlier in the week I was chosen to help the Enrichment Centre children at the swimming gala which was a lot of fun. The kids had to swim one length of the pool while holding a float with us helping alongside them. The boy I was helping suffers from autism so he was a good swimmer but I don't think he fully understood the meaning of a 'swimming' race because when we reached the shallow end of the pool he just stood up and started to run... We did manage to get him to start swimming again but I think he was just very determined to win the chocolate bar.

There was also an 'International Day' festival at the school. It hosted stalls from all around the world that allowed you to try different foods - some nicer than others. When we investigated the South Africa stall we discovered some dried worms and I tried one because I said to myself before coming to South Africa that I would try something interesting. I wouldn't recommend them for taste...

Last night I had a very nice Skype call with my family. It's the first time I've properly spoken to them in a month so it was great to see them all (cousins included). To my immense joy our cat was also included in the Skype call and I think some people got a bit offended when they compared my reaction to seeing them with my reaction to seeing him. But never the less, I obviously love and miss you all and it was lovely to see you all again. And Tom - if you manage to do well in your upcoming prelims I will get you a very cool Christmas gift.  

Apart from that it's been quite a quiet week with everybody getting ready to leave for the holidays. As I mentioned before we're planning to go to Swaziland but are still trying to figure out some cheap transport. At the moment the only thing we can find is a bus that costs over a hundred pounds and we're debating whether it's worth spending that amount of money on transport for just five days away. But we definitely want to go somewhere so if we can't find a cheaper way then we'll go for it. I think we'd rather spend a lot of money and see something than not see anything new.

So I don't know where I'll be next Sunday but if I'm here I will write another blog post. If not then you'll hear from me in two weeks time with some travelling stories!

The Worms

Trying the Worms...

The Grade 00 Concert - A Great Success!

Concert Light Duty

The Enrichment Centre

This week has been a tough one. I've had to adjust my working techniques for the children in the Enrichment Centre because they're so different from the mainstream classes. It's almost been like starting at the beginning again - trying to find out the most effective ways to communicate and interact with these children who suffer from a range of disabilities.

I was placed with the Junior class, which is regarded as the most challenging class in the whole school. After just one week I can confirm that statement to be beyond true... The kids in the class are mostly autistic and two of the boys suffer from it quite severely. They have been given the name 'runners' because they constantly try and escape the classroom and it's quite a workout trying to catch them!

But what's interesting about working with these children is that you slowly begin to recognise their characteristics. Most of the children are non verbal but you gradually notice their small signals to tell you what they want. I've decided to list the children in the Junior class (using initials) with a little bit more information about them individually. That will then hopefully give you a better idea of the classroom environment.

• K.M - By far the most challenging child in the class and suffers from severe autism. He has a tendency to bite and scratch extremely hard to get attention (I have the bite marks to prove it!) Also a very sweet boy who responds very well to music and dancing. He will constantly try and escape the classroom, so your rugby player mode has to be engaged at all times.  
• T.C - Also autistic. He loves water and it's very hard to get him away from the water tray at break time without getting absolutely soaked. If he starts to get agitated in class he will jump up and down and press your hand firmly against his chin. Apparently some children with autism respond well to firm pressure - explaining Khumo's love for biting.
• O.P - Autistic but very socially capable. He only started talking two years ago but since then has developed an amazing vocabulary and is by far the most talkative in the class.
• T.A- Nobody is certain what she suffers from but she is extremely small for her age, is non verbal and can't walk. She responds very well to music and will rock backwards and forwards to the music while making loud noises. Because she is unable to look after herself you have to feed her, change her nappies and protect her from the more wild children in the class.
• H.R - Suffers from mild autism. He is actually included in some of the mainstream classes throughout the week to improve his social skills. Loves food. We made small cheesecakes on Wednesday during cooking and I've never seen a happier child.
• H.D - Also autistic and non verbal. She has a massive crush on O.P which is very funny to observe. During class time she will slowly walk over to him and just stand their smiling. O.P gets very embarrassed and uncomfortable so he runs away which results in a game of 'catch' round the classroom.
• E.M - Suffers from autism but is also auditory defensive which means he hates low, loud sounds. If an aeroplane flies over the school he will cover his ears and start screaming so you have to try and calm him down. 

So as you can imagine it's been a very tiring week. But it has also been extremely enjoyable and very interesting. Working in the Enrichment Centre is so different to working in the mainstream school, but I can foresee that over the next few months I will begin to understand each child individually. For me, it's going to be extremely rewarding being able to help them improve speech, mobility or behaviour and seeing how they develop over the next year.

Besides work in the Enrichment Centre a lot has been going on... The Grade 00 have their concert on Tuesday which is going to be amazing. The boys do a dance number to the song 'Grease Lightning' and the girls dance to 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'. It's very difficult trying to control dozens of five year olds who want to be included in every song, but luckily that's not my problem - I'm working the stage lights. Zoe and I have also volunteered to paint the bookcases in the library during our spare time. We're thinking of painting a dragon along the longer bookcase and a woodland scene on the larger one. I think it'll be a nice, relaxing project to do on a Friday afternoon. 

We also, somehow, managed to obtain weekend jobs while buying some frozen yoghurt at the shopping mall. The lady at the counter offered us a job with flexible working hours and we thought it would be a good way of earning some extra travelling money. So we may work there on Saturdays and some days during the holidays. Alongside this, Doug (our hostel manager) has asked us to supervise the 5am swimming training on some mornings... We responded with "Yes, of course" but then proceeded to go to our rooms and weep. 

After all this work we decided to do something nice at the weekend, so on Saturday we visited the Springtime Festival in Polokwane with one of the teachers, Jenny. It was a lovely experience being able to immerse yourself in the South African culture and we saw some beautiful works of art and jewellery. We also visited the Debegeni Waterfalls which were absolutely breath-taking and would be a great place to visit on really hot days. Driving out of the car park we almost ran over a snake which turned out to be one of the most poisonous tree snakes in South Africa. Jenny told us that if it bit you, you'd have 24 hours to live. We kept our distance...

Next week is our last week before the holiday and our travelling plans are finally coming together. The volunteers in Swaziland have offered free accommodation so we'll visit them for about five days. After that we plan to travel on to Mozambique for a couple of days where we might try out the reef diving. Overall it looks like it's going to be a thoroughly enjoyable time and I can't wait to start packing! 

I am aware that this has been a very long post, but I want to leave you with one last thing. Tayo one of the Grade 00 boys came up to me in aftercare and incorporated a very funny joke into our conversation. I was amazed that such a small child could be so witty. Our conversation went like this:

"Hi Tayo!"

"Hello Miss Anna"

"How's the concert practice going? Do you know what you're wearing yet?"

"Miss Anna, I tried looking for some camouflage trousers... but I couldn't find any."

He then laughed at his joke for the next ten minutes. 

Polokwane Spring Festival

Group photo in front of the Debegeni Falls

Viewing point at the falls

The Deadly Snake

'Steve'

Roller coaster Ride

The past week has definitely had it's ups and downs. 

At the start of this week there was a terrible accident outside the school and sadly a pedestrian got killed. What made the incident worse was that some of the children from school witnessed the man being hit. They came into school quite traumatised so we had to take extra care of them on Monday. I also had my first session of 'Grade 7 prep' after school which was ... challenging. Only afterwards when I entered the staff room did I realise how much the teachers fear that class. And rightly so! For 45 minutes you have to persuade fifteen year olds to do their homework in silence. And they just do not listen, it's very tough - probably the hardest 45 minutes I've experienced so far at Mitchell House.

Tuesday and Wednesday were much better than the emotionally challenging Monday. It's amazing how much the kids can cheer you up at Aftercare with their dancing and singing. On Tuesday I accompanied the Grade 00 class to P.E which turned out to be hilarious. There was one little boy called Langa who would not stop picking his nose and whenever the coach saw him picking he'd say, "LANGA! Stop digging for diamonds!!" During the P.E lesson they tried hurdles (very small ones obviously), but one boy just couldn't master them. It was extremely funny watching him tackle them. He'd run up very fast to each hurdle, then stop in front of it and step over it. That lesson made my day!

Sadly on Friday one of my partners, Michelle, went home after battling homesickness for the past two weeks. We will miss her but also think it was the right decision. It does mean that Zoe, Kathryn and myself will have an extra load of work but I'm sure we can handle it.

Now onto the weekend... And what a weekend it was! Saturday wasn't too exciting, we just did our washing. But today was absolutely fantastic because we went on a safari and a lion tour. During the safari we got the opportunity to get close to some amazing animals but nothing could prepare us for what was going to happen next... 

The tour guide led us to the lion and cheetah enclosure and said, "Come in!" We followed him in a bit hesitantly, but then he proved to us that the cheetah and lions were quite tame. We even got to stroke the cheetah and hold some of the lion cubs! The lion cubs were so sweet but very smelly. And they had such big bellies. 

Overall it's been a very intense week, but the good points have definitely outweighed the bad. Tomorrow I finally start work with the junior class in the Enrichment centre. Most of the children are autistic and it will be interesting to learn how to deal with their different needs. I also have the Grade 7 class tomorrow... Wish me luck!

Hello (or Domela) Everyone,

I've settled in very nicely to Mitchell House since arriving last Monday. On arrival we were taken on a tour of the school and the Enrichment Centre so we could get our bearings. It was quite an overwhelming experience - meeting all the staff and being taken into classrooms, but everyone was so welcoming. Our pictures had been stuck up all over the school so that the children could learn our names before our arrival. While we were walking around the school they'd shout "WELCOME ANNA, MICHELLE, KATHRYN AND ZOE". I can honestly say I have never had such a warm introduction to a place.

The following day we were all given our classroom placements for the next two weeks. After that we are going to be starting the rotation of work placements around the school and Enrichment Centre. I was placed in the mainstream school with the Grade 00 (P1s). I have now been working in the class for a week and am loving it. The children are so funny and such fantastic characters. One thing I have learnt from the previous week is: don't trust cuteness. Children aren't stupid, and they will try and manipulate you! From watching the other teachers I've learnt to be a bit stricter with the children. It's not a nice feeling having to raise your voice to a five year old at times, but if you don't have respect then you're not going to get anywhere...

The children here have so much love to give. On my first day they were running up to me and giving me the biggest hugs. By the second day when I walked into class they all ran over and started shouting: "Miss Anna, Miss Anna!! Morning Miss Anna!!" . There is one boy in particular called Lechlabile who is extremely funny. He doesn't even reach up to my hip and yet he manages to cause so much chaos. Walking to lunch is always an event because he's so slow. And it's only because his legs are so short.

Apart from working in the classroom I also have to look after the children in Aftercare (after school club).  There's usually about 40 of them so it's a massive task getting them all registered. It's actually quite an intimidating experience because you're being swarmed on by dozens of five year olds, all shouting their names so they can be registered first. But after that you just sit in the playground and deal with fallouts and bashed limbs. For five hours. It's a long time but it's never dull. You're forever sticking on plasters and dealing with crying children. Some of the kids even offer to give you shoulder massages which is fantastic! And they're not bad at it either.

After our first week of work we decided that at the weekend we would like to see more of Polokwane and its surrounding area. So today (Saturday) we took part in the school hike up the highest mountain in Limpopo. The day was made even more special because we were joined by Lee - the first South African woman to ever conquer Everest. It was a huge privilege to have her walking along side us and the kids and once we reached the top she handed out South African flags to everyone. It was a great experience and a huge achievement for some of the children to get to the top.

At the summit of Iron Crown - the highest mountain in Limpopo

The view from the top of Iron Crown

A group photo with Lee 

Arrival in South Africa

After an emotional goodbye at the departure gate last Tuesday, I was finally on my way to South Africa. Even though months of preparation had led me to this moment I still found myself crying all the way through customs until I came across some other emotional Project Trust Volunteers. I won't bore you with the travelling details, but I did spend two hours sleeping on the floor in Doha airport. The tiring experience however was made much easier by my newly purchased cuddly toy lion (Winston), that I had bought earlier that evening. Every traveller needs a comforting companion.

We arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday afternoon and after collecting our bags, we were taken to Backpackers Ritz - a youth hostel on the outskirts of the city. We have been staying in the Ritz since arrival just to get some extra days of training in before Monday, when we all set off to our individual projects.

As part of the training we volunteered in the Johannesburg Children's Memorial Hospital on Thursday and Friday, helping out with various tasks. Myself and three other volunteers were placed in an architectural project in the hospital and we had to construct an emergency exit plan. Quite a responsibility! But it was good fun and by the end of the two days we handed in our finished sketches. Even though we were only working in the hospital for two days, it was a really good way to slowly introduce us to the difference between British and South African culture. One of the things I noticed was how outgoing all the children were. Our project didn't deal directly with the children, but if we passed any of them in the hospital corridors they would run up to us and hold our hands, smiling. I have also discovered that South African weather is not what I expected. On Friday it was two degrees... I think that's the only time Scotland has ever been warmer than South Africa.

Spending five days in Johannesburg has been an eye opener for what's ahead. The experience of working in the Children's Hospital has made me even more excited for working with the children in Mitchelle House, Polokwane. There have been times over the last few days however when I just wish we could get to Polokwane straight away, mainly so I can unpack. At the moment my suitcase is beside my bed and looks like a bomb has gone off inside it. I'm dreading having to repack.

But at 9am on Monday a bus will be taking us to our new home. The next blog post will be after my first week of work. Can't wait!

Winston the lion

My first South African Sunset

The SA Group in Johannesburg