Over winter break, I traveled to Richmond, South Africa with Hope in South Africa. For the week I was there, I spent most of my time working at the community center with children. They were very enthusiastic about the crafts we had planned for them and the games we played. I was surprised how much was the same and how much was different. We played duck, duck, goose and soccer and enjoyed a few dance parties to Justin Bieber. During those times, it was like I was at any summer camp in the United States. At other times, it was a little different.
A few of the mornings I was there, I participated in Grassroot Soccer activities. These games were soccer based, but were meant to teach the children about HIV/AIDS prevention. Not quite what you would find at most camps I have been to. They taught very important messages in a fun way; you almost forgot you were supposed to be learning. I was surprised to be learning about health issues through a game after always learning about it in school. I soon learned it isn’t comfortable to talk about health issues in school, but the games make it a less taboo topic.
Each day, we watched the children eat at the soup kitchen that was part of the community center. One afternoon, we took the leftovers out to the squatters’ camp on the outskirts of town. We drove past tin shacks and children without shoes until we got to the middle of the camp. As we drove in, lots of children had started to run after our van. They knew what happened when the Americans came to visit. Two lines quickly formed behind our cars, one for the children, one for the adults. We handed out sandwiches, juice, and apples to as many children as we could. We didn’t get to the adult line. I didn’t realize it until I started talking to one of the South Africans who went with us, but the apples were very special to the children. Fresh fruits were not one of the things they got very often, so they were a special treat. I also learned that usually the children are served only after the adults are eaten. When the Americans came, it was different. We served the children first.
The last day we were in Richmond, we had the children decorate picture frames for their craft. When they were done, we took a picture of them holding their frame and immediately printed it so they had a photo to fill the frame. As we handed the photos back to the children, one little boy came running up to me so I could help him put the photo in his frame. It was hard to tell which he was more proud of: the frame he had decorated himself or the photo he had to put in it. Either way, I will never forget his smile as he proudly showed me his project.
There are so many more stories I could tell from my trip. I enjoyed each day and hope I can go back soon. We kept a blog while we were there with more stories about our crafts and activities at the community center. Read more at: http://hopeinsouthafrica-trips.blogspot.com/