 |
| The volunteers teaching Khula Nomathiya Creche about oral hygiene with a special game they created! |
Read on to find out more about how
the month of May progressed!
Crèche
We had some great teachers this month on
our community project, who came up with great resources and ideas for the lessons
at Simunye, Khula Nomathiya and Inkanyezi. One favourite was using a bucket to
demonstrate how objects sink and float during their water lesson. Another was
using a big cardboard mouth with stuck-on “plaque” to demonstrate oral hygiene.
The volunteers also continued with their lessons on animals, transport,
colours, numbers, letters and shapes, revising and building on what past
volunteers have taught.
On one special day, the volunteers brought
a video camera to catch their morning in action at Simunye Creche. They
documented their entire day and put together a “Day in the Life” video to show
other volunteers what it’s like to volunteer in St Lucia.
Sadly, we are
finished our two month stint at Simunye Creche, but we’re ending on a positive
note. By the end of May the principal, Sbe, was leading all the lessons and
songs, making us confident that our training and lessons have paid off for the
entire crèche!
 |
| Joey and Zakhele working on the support group stall. |
Support
Groups
It was a very productive month for both of
our Support Groups, as we began the stall at the side of the main road for the
Khula ladies to sell their crafts at, while the Ezwenelisha garden has begun
being cultivated.
The stall will hopefully be finished next month, and will
provide the ladies with a place to sell their crafts and perhaps some
vegetables from their gardens on the main road.
The onion, spinach, carrots,
pumpkin and beetroot from the Ezwenelisha garden will soon be split between the
growing members.
The support groups had some great
discussions about constipation, oral hygiene, clean water and the parts of the
body. Medical volunteer Jayna even created body parts and coloured organs so
the members could see exactly where their organs are situated in their bodies.
The groups were thrilled, with some members even taking notes to improve their
knowledge!
 |
| Some of the members watching as the plane flies over the LifeLine building and support group. |
Some special events and changes also
happened this month, with a local friend flying his plane over the Ezwenelisha
Support Group, which absolutely thrilled the Gogos and other members.
With the
cold weather coming in we’ve also begun bringing tea to the support groups
instead of juice, which was a welcome change by all. The month has also given
way to a number of new members at each support group, including some very
lively members in Khula and some caregivers in Ezwenelisha.
10
Families
This
month John, Christopher and Ms. Njokweni all received a gift of a chest of
drawers that were donated by past volunteers from the container. All three of
them were delighted with their new piece of furniture, so much so that John
could not actually believe we were giving it to him and didn’t quite understand
when we did not load it back in the car when we were leaving!
Skinny Lady in Khula and her neighbours also
received banana trees to help promote subsistence farming in the community.
It’s also a great way for Skinny Lady to use her newfound energy. And the Dube
Family, who are no longer on EPap, also received a garden, which will be
completed next month.
Unfortunately
our ten families’ project is seeing the people involved losing weight
unfortunately due to having the flu. However volunteers are now sitting with
the families and explaining ways in which the people can avoid flu symptoms
over the winter.
 |
| Medical volunteers Marieke and Stef cleaning a wound on "Little Burn Boy" whose burn has turned into a sore. |
Home
Based Care
It was a sad month for our volunteers on
Home Based Care, as Pendukile’s sister, a longstanding patient of ours, passed
away after spending a few weeks at the hospital. Her family was very
appreciative of what the volunteers and African Impact had done over the months
we cared for her and the large wound on her neck.
However, due to complications
at the hospital she passed away. At the beginning of May, volunteers headed to
the funeral to pay our respects, and we brought many of the Khula Support Group
ladies along with us.
New patient Lady Smiley also passed away due to
complications from her TB medication – her CD4 count was below 10 when she was
put on the daily treatment and it proved too much for her to handle.
Despite these setbacks, the volunteers had
a very productive month, cleaning old wounds like that of a small kid at
crèche, whose burn from last year has developed into a nasty-looking sore. Volunteers
also continue to tend to Bheki, whose Karposi’s Sarcoma continues to spread but
he remains in good spirits. Gogo Breast Cancer and her husband are doing well,
as are some of our other regular patients such as Gogo High BP, George Ntuli
and Gun Shot Guy.
Afterschool
Club
The arrival of new volunteer coordinator
Carla this month has injected some incredible dance moves into both our Khula and Ezwenelisha Afterschool Clubs. Bringing
along speakers and her iPod filled with dancing tunes, the volunteers have been
learning routines at night to prepare for teaching at Afterschool Club.
A particular
favourite of the kids is ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’ from Hairspray and in
addition, the kids at Ezwenelisha will teach the volunteers a dance before the
volunteers begin their choreographed routines. Fun is had by all as the kids and
the volunteers who both want to dance the routines over and over again – even
asking to stay late!
At Khula Afterschool Club we are
encountering some setbacks as the kids are eating at 3 o’clock and then begin
going home – a little too early for our liking! Despite this, we have been
tending to the garden after they leave or trying to persuade them with some
dancing.
This worked closer to the end of the month as Carla’s speakers and the
volunteer’s dance routines proved too exciting to pass up. We’re optimistic
that as the kids notice we’re doing more after their meal they’ll stick around
to participate.
Refurbishments
It was a productive month for some of our
building projects, as the volunteers got their hands dirty making the sign for Inkanyezi Creche, moving shelves in the container and beginning refurbishments on the jungle gym at Simunye Creche.
Mama Gumede was thrilled with her new sign, which
was erected near the end of the month after a few weeks of sanding, painting,
drilling and decorating (which even included glitter!).
Extras
- At the beginning of the month, we held a three-course dinner at Reef and Dune to fundraise for the building of Inkanyezi Creche. A great success, we rained over R4500 for the Happy Africa Foundation and the creche’s construction.
- This month, we taught HIV education to groups that were put together by the teachers at Khula Nomathiya Creche – a great way to liaise with the community. Over 20 people have attended the courses at the crèche and across the street at the Induna’s church.
- The volunteers participated in some great trips this month, including a great trip to Mozambique that included some incredible dolphin swims. They also went on a new tour – climbing Ghost Mountain - and took in the breathtaking views after interacting with the elephants at Bayete.
- Always excited to create more social events for the volunteers, this month we started a Scavenger Hunt around the town of St Lucia, with volunteers taking creative pictures from their clues and voting on whose were best. It is sure to become a frequent evening event for the volunteers!
