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| Read a blog exclusively about our World AIDS Day celebrations here. |
Creche
Throughout November, volunteers were
teaching at Snenhlahla Crèche, the last crèche in our rotation which now means
that each crèche in Khula Village has received 12 weeks of lessons prepared by
African Impact volunteers and staff.
Midway through the month, volunteers
implemented a new style of teaching that will be put into place next year at
all the crèches where we teach. This new idea involves dividing the children
into groups and having a volunteer at each “station.” Volunteers prepared a
seven minute activity for each station and when that time was up the children
would move onto the next station. This means that the learners are in smaller
groups which will make it easier for them to learn. Smaller groups of learners
also allow volunteers to give each one more individual attention and it helps
hold the learner’s concentration, making for a more interactive morning at
crèche.
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| Mama Gumede cuts the graduation cake! |
Afterschool
Club
As the holidays grew nearer the children at
Khula Afterschool Club were fewer, however when time allowed us we would do
arts and crafts, puzzles and even a spot of dancing with the kids.
At Ezwenelisha Afterschool Club, since the
children live on the school grounds we were never short of children to
entertain. Although some were sitting exams, plenty remained to play football,
read stories, make name badges, and more.
On December 5, Sofie and Nokwethemba
attended the Monzi Primary School Graduation for Grade R and Grade 7. The theme
of the day was ‘My Life, My Future’, and Business Manager Sofie gave a small
HIV Education lesson. Together with the police speaking about crime and drugs,
and one of the nurses from Ezwenelisha Clinic speaking about healthy living,
among other speakers, the entire day gave great advice to the graduates about
taking responsibility for their lives.
Adult
Literacy Club
A rewarding way to spend our last week on
project was giving the ladies from our Ezwenelisha ALC class their
certificates. The ladies were awarded certificates for completing 8 weeks of
English lessons with us. It was decided that they would not have to sit a test
but that the current course was to generate excitement and interest for next year
and our current students are keen to return to continue to learn English with
us into 2013. Next year we hope to follow the New Headway books which make
learning and teaching English very simple.
Medical
Volunteers celebrated World Diabetes Day
(14th November) at Khula clinic by preparing and presenting an
informative speech on the condition. Volunteers Niels and Elsbeth spoke to the
patients that were waiting to be seen and held an open question and answer session
for the people who still had questions afterwards. They also distributed
information leaflets to everyone that were double sided – one side English and
the other side isiZulu. To complete their morning, volunteers
joined Ezwenelisha Support Group at Yoga instructor David’s house where they
continued to discuss diabetes and enjoyed juice and biscuits while sitting
around the pool.
As the end of the year drew to a close
medical volunteers and Nokwethemba began seeing and preparing patients with necessary
supplies and clinic runs for over Christmas.
Our home based care folder that was
‘reviewed’ by past volunteers in October was further improved as volunteers
Jenni and Niels created a ‘Red, Orange and Green Light’ system. This will tell
future volunteers whether a particular patient needs to be seen once, twice, or
three times a month.
To keep past medical volunteers updated on
your patients here are how some of them are doing:
Big Mama – Big Mama been in great spirits
when we have gone to visit her over the past six weeks. She looked a lot
brighter and in less pain than when we have visited her in the past. Volunteers
also spent time with her suggesting small exercises that she can complete every
day as she is very keen to lose weight.
Gogo Breast Cancer – unfortunately Gogo
Breast Cancer’s wound is still weeping. Volunteers cleaned and redressed the
wound and have given her extra bandages so she can keep her wound clean over
the Christmas holidays.
George - is out of hospital and back at home.
Bheki - Becky’s Karposi’s Sarcoma has now spread to cover the whole
of his left leg. The sores are no longer oozing which is a good thing however
he does still feel pain in the joints at his toes. Volunteers left Bheki with
painkillers and Savlon wash in order to keep the sores from becoming infected
again.
Garbage
Pick-Up
Lots of people are still interested in
participating in our Garbage Pick-Up project, which has flourished over the
past four months. This project, which started in August, finished last week and
has had over 100 people from Khula involved in picking up trash around the
community.
Still a favourite amongst volunteers and
staff, it is always nice to see the difference we are making – which is evident
when volunteers must load 20 bags of garbage into the cars to be brought to the
dump.
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| One of our patients receiving her Bronze Certificate. |
With crèches coming to a close for
Christmas and Afterschool clubs starting to get quiet the volunteers have had a
very active few weeks with lots of building projects. Volunteers continued to
make bricks for the next stage at Inkanyezi Crèche. Some mornings (which have
longer project hours) volunteers made over 50 bricks and in the afternoons over
30.
Volunteers have also completed making gardens
for each of our 10 Families. As part of our 10 Families programme, those
involved who have gained over 10% of their original body weight and show
improved energy levels and positive living receive a garden from African
Impact. We are proud to tell you that everyone on our 10 Families programme has
reached this stage.
Another garden that the volunteers have
tended to is our AMREF garden. Volunteers over the past four weeks have all had
a hand in weeding the garden. Volunteers collected onions, carrots, chillies
and tomatoes that were then delivered to our Home Based Care patients. Now the
garden has been cleared they planted peanuts and beans as we are coming into
the summer months these crops need little water to flourish.
Other
news
Volunteers have been jam packing their
weekends to make the most of their time here. One weekend all the volunteers
and staff headed through iSimangaliso Wetland Park where they had a very
successful game drive seeing buffalo, kudu, warthog, water buck, hippo and
rhino before they reached Cape Vidal beach where some volunteers went surfing
while others sunbathed, read a book and prepared for an afternoon braai. This
is always a favourite among volunteers as after a busy week it is nice to have
some down time.
Another exciting tour that our November
volunteers were lucky to go on was the Leopard Mountain Bush Walk. This tour
took the place of Ghost Mountain because it is now too hot to hike the
mountain. On their walk volunteers got caught between two rhinos and a lone
buffalo. This lengthened the suggested time of their walk (as you can imagine!)
having to dodge these extremely dangerous animals but volunteers said it was
one of the most exciting things that they have ever done!
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