First days back to school
Wow, Mondays are tough! The kids are all fired up and have forgotten their discipline entirely... Paints and glue however is always fun, and I brought out the bubbles today as well! One-on-one time afternoon was cancelled, as the kids weren't there at the centre, so I had a great chat with Vicky, the inspirational founder of True North, before cracking on with making a score of notice boards and then sorting books in the Pearson literacy room whilst my PearsonGAF fellows continued the hot work of renovation!
In the evening we had the second of three 'review' discussions about the Pearson GAF, our ideas on Cultural responsibility programs and what we'd like to see happen back home, followed by some intense sharing from the facilitator, Leon, our host Aslam, and our colleague from the SA office, Claudia, about their experiences living through Apartheid. Few dry eyes remained by the end...
Tuesday, however, was even more chaotic! Only one teacher in the creche most of the morning, so we were run ragged trying to maintain order alone. My admiration for the women at our creche, and the other creches, and teachers in general grows with every day here! Our principle, Portia, is amazing - how she does it, I'll never know. In the afternoon I was unleashed on an inside wall of the renovation project to sketch a mural for people to start painting tomorrow - Noah's Arc 1-10 is a go!. (And UK-based Hannah Mills was leading Team A-Z Zoo on the reverse side of the wall.) Awesome - always wanted to do my own wall mural...
The skills I've been called on to utilise here have been quite varied - and as well as contributing to something so very worthwhile, you will also come away from this trip with a greater appreciation of all the things you as an indvidual can offer others. So I have critiqued and discussed poetry, I have painted and built, I have sketched a mural, made noticeboards, categorised books, offered head massages for wearied fellows, as well as a crash course in class management, teaching, entertaining and the like. There's been singing, storytelling, consoling, supporting... I also learned the important life skill - never haggle with an HR rep!
Tonight we relax with a free evening, no reflection time after last night's, with the girls from True North hopefully joining us hoping for another evening of guitar and song from the fellows.