Week 5

On Monday we had a birthday party at Injabulo for Nelsiwe's (one of the teachers) niece Ellenah. All the kids didn't seem very happy that she was getting all the attention but they got cake and sweets so I think that made up for it! Ellenah loved it though and we took a lot of photos.

We helped Aunty Vinah collect water at soup kitchen from a river which she normally does by foot and with a wheelbarrow. It was really fun and it also really gave us an insight into how the people in this community live. Aunty Vinah was as usual full of jokes.

That night the hostel had a Matrics Leaving Dinner to say goodbye to the last year which was mental and such a good laugh. At the end everyone was dancing but they dance quite differently than back home so we probably looked like complete idiots. It made it pretty entertaining though. I wish I could dance like them haha. I've decided I'm going to learn.

Me and some of the Aunties at Hostel <3

Me and Rachael

We have now set up a Swazi bank account which took about 2 hours but there was good banter there so it was alright. Soup Kitchen on Friday was really enjoyable. Helped Aunty Vinah collect water again from the river while Rachael stayed at soup kitchen to serve the food because we wouldn't of had enough time to do both. Started a water fight with one of the kids haha and also got Aunty Vinah to promise me to teach me Siswati songs and how to cook on an open fire. We had a power cut friday night for a couple of hours so I had to shower in the dark and try find my way around my room. Thankfully it came back on though before we had to go to bed. Nothing else really happened that night except a massive bug thing flew on my face and didn't come off until I properly flicked it. I was freaking out it was like the size of my face!

On Saturday we went to Mantenga Nature Reserve for the day. It was beautiful! We decided to go up north somewhere because in Big Bend it gets VERY hot and it's colder up where Mantenga is. However it just so happened that it was a record temperature of 40 degrees celsius. Still it was definitely hotter in Big Bend so at least it was a little cooler... There was a cultural village nearby which was pretty cool and we saw traditional dances which was amazing to see. We also got our fortunes told by the witch doctor there which was unreal. It was definitely an experience! Quite close to the village were the Mantenga Falls. It was like paradise. We went swimming in the river right  next to the waterfalls and it was heaven. I am definitely going back there. The water was quite cold as well so it cooled us down quite nicely. When we arrived at the falls there was music and it looked like they were filming some people singing. We thought it might be for an advert or something but I later asked and they were apparently filming a music video for the number one gospel choir in South Africa!

When we eventually got back to the hostel, a lot later than we had thought, we went straight to the swimming pool because they were having a pool party for the matrix (last year of school). It was a good way to get to know people better and a lot of pictures were taken. We got out when it was getting pretty cold and went inside. We then spontaneously decided to go to the country club with one of the teachers because he was on his way. There were a few of the other teachers there and we had a few drinks and danced a bit then went home. Overall it was a really good day and night!


Recently the kids at Injabulo go mental over suncream! The other day I had to put some on and they were all laughing at me haha. There were only 2 children at this point and I chased them around trying to put suncream on them. Then more of the children came in the classroom so then I had a plan. I told one of the kids to close the door so I didn't have to face 80 children, then I told them to stand in a line and then I put suncream on their faces like army paint. It was the cutest thing! A couple of days after that I took out the suncream from my bag not even thinking and they all came running wanting it on their faces again and they were all shouting 'teacher! teacher!' and trying to get to me. It was hectic so I was like 'Okay Okay stand in a line!' Then I pretended that I was going to put the suncream into my hand then I ran away and they all started chasing me. Was so funny. Nothing else is really happening or happened except that I think I'm putting on weight from all the jam and peanut butter sandwiches I eat that are leftover from when we make the kids their lunch haha. Ah well.

Kids chasing me, love them to bits

1 Month Already

It's been a month already... say whaaaat! It's gone so quickly it's quite scary. We've both settled in really well now especially with our projects. At the beginning I thought doing the Soup Kitchen was the best out of the three but now, although all 3 projects are amazing, I think I love Injabulo Preschool the most. I think it's because it's our school and we've connected with the kids really well. I even miss the children over the weekend! Also it was the hardest project at the start so now, because it's a lot of fun instead of hard work, I feel like we've made a breakthrough with this project.

Me and a very few of the Injabulo kids

Mayenziwe

We received some amazing news the other day that one of the previous volunteers has told me that her Guides has decided to donate money for fresh fruit to give to the Soup Kitchen!!! Cannot express enough how grateful everyone will be and how much this will mean to them that someone so far away would want to help them.

Moriah Centre is also going really well! There is THE cutest child in the planet there and I can't help pick her up all the time. We're getting on really well with the teachers as well.

I'm really enjoying taking the public kombi to Injabulo as well as they are always quite entertaining, especially at the kombi station at a place called Matata. We've gotten to know a few of the people who are stationed there and it's always a laugh. We have learned some SiSwati as well and everyone is always trying to teach us more but still can only have a very simple conversation including how to say hi, how are you, I'm fine thanks, bye and thank you. We are still learning and when we start speaking in SiSwati they always seem to think we know more and say something we have no idea what so then they start laughing. The other day I walked to the post office to get my first parcel from my parents (wooh) and I heard someone shout "Fikile! Fikile!" ( my SiSwati name)  and I turned around and it was a woman from the market we made friends with the other week haha. That was the first time someone has called me by that name! Made me smile so much.

This last weekend we decided to go to Manzini, the closest city us, to visit our reps Richard and Kathy. We had to go at about six in the evening by kombi because we had to go to soup kitchen before. Even though it was getting dark we felt so safe. After having an enjoyable ride in a spacious kombi, we got transferred to a much smaller and packed one about half way. During the first kombi ride I decided to share out the sweets we were eating to everyone which was pretty funny. When the first kombi stopped, we didn't know we had to transfer to another kombi so we were just sitting at the back of it by ourselves for ages until the kombi conductor was like 'come on girls let's go'. Although the second kombi wasn't as comfortable it was still quite entertaining.

We finally got to Manzini and Richard picked us up and drove us back to his place where a delicious meal was awaiting us ( a good change from hostel food). That night I managed to skype my parents! It was really nice to see them again and hear about all their news but thankfully it didn't make me homesick. I was planning on skyping my friends as well but couldn't get through to them which was annoying because I would have loved to speak to them having not seen them for a whole month. On Saturday we went to do a bit of shopping and then after that Richard and Kathy took us to a cultural village for lunch. There were really nice shops there which sold their speciality candles and other traditional crafts.

The next day we went to Hlane Game Reserve which was amazing!! Their four-wheeled drive wasn't working so we could only go to the reception bit which was next to a waterhole. They warned us before we went that sometimes you see something sometimes you just weren't lucky so I didn't have high hopes. However, when we arrived there were about 11 rhinos, maybe more, laying next to the water in the heat and also 3 hippos in the water!! It was amazing to be so close to these huge animals. We went to lunch to a place where the Thompsons used to live and on the way we saw 3 giraffes near the road! The whole day we were willing for an elephant to come to the waterhole but never did. We had to leave about half 3 so by that time we had given up hope that we'd see one. However, on the way back we kept our eyes on the trees in the Game Reserve and funnily enough in the far distance we could just about see an elephant! I've never seen an elephant before so I got so excited even though you could barely see it. It was still there. I loved spending time with the Thompsons and seeing Manzini and can't wait for next month to do it again.