Inspirational and Joyful Children
As an English literature student, I thought that writing a blog about my time in South Africa would be easy, but after struggling with words in the very first sentence, I realised that there’s no way that I can communicate my time here well enough merely by paper and pen. The experience has simply been amazing and has changed my outlook on a number of things in life.
As a quiet home bird, booking my flight to South Africa was a huge step, but soon after walking into Journey’s End, my fears were alleviated. Greeted by Coordinator Beth with a cup of tea and a biscuit (us English folk appreciate just how important that is), faced with the smiling faces of current and new volunteers, I felt immediately welcomed, wanted and at home.
After a day of training, I just wanted to get stuck in there and experience the project for myself. No amount of training could have prepared me for the craziness of the children at Ikhayalethemba! Their smiling faces and ‘teacher teacher’ chants made me love them all instantly and I was excited to get to know them all during the next two weeks. I was delighted to be assigned to the special needs group; I knew it would be a challenge, but the warmth of Leah soon made feel at ease as she grabbed my arm, pointed at me with one hand on her hip and started speaking to me in her unique language.
When my two weeks at Ikhayalethemba came to an end, I was saddened but I was ready and excited by the thought of a new challenge at ACJ primary school and my two weeks there have also been an unforgettable experience. The students’ eagerness to learn is so different to what I was used to within a British classroom, and it left me trying so hard to help them learn in any way I could. The smile on their faces when I congratulated them for a good piece of work or a correct answer was priceless and seeing them improve a little bit each day was extremely rewarding. The dynamic within the classroom was so different to that within Ikhayalethemba, but the two projects had many things in common: they both left me with unforgettable memories, they both involved inspirational and joyful children, and they both helped to confirm to me that I want to spend my life with and surrounded by children.
All I have left to say is a big thank you to all the staff for making this month so special and for their continued support and effort into making the projects unforgettable. The time they put in to helping the children is medal worthy! If you are reading this with even a slight interest in joining one of these projects, then DO IT! – you’ll never regret it.
Bethan Schofield – Ikhayalethemba and Teaching Volunteer
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