Public Holidays, Painting, and New Friends

 Nearly a month after laying primer down on the façade of the Hope Centre in Westlake, South Africa blessed us with another pair of public holidays on which we could get back to work! I know it might seem a bit over-the-top for us wanting to go on project when the rest of the country is taking the day off, but I think I speak for everyone in saying we couldn’t wait to start painting!

Over the Easter weekend, it was just the volunteers and field staff from Fish Hoek in on the fun; however, this time, we invited our office staff along as well. The response was great! We had five office staff members tag along, bringing our total number of helpers to 12.

Upon arriving at Hope Centre, we briefly decided what we wanted on the inside wall of the classroom and on the façade, and then split up and got to work. With so many lovely people on hand, we nearly finished in a leisurely four hours. Instead of a boring brown wall, the children can now look at a beautiful mural of children holding hands in a field. Not only does this make the site more attractive from the outside, but the children can also gain a greater sense of pride when they pass their school each day. On the inside, we painted numbers, letters, and a few basic colours, which our volunteers can use in lessons on daily basis.

In all, it was not only a productive public holiday, but a fun one! We got to hang out with the friends we have made across our varied times in Fish Hoek, and got to make new friends with the office staff.

Arden Lowndes – Medical & Construction Coordinator

Public Holidays, Painting, and New Friends