So Sad to Leave.......
31 May 2008 at 00:10
I am writing this final update now that I am back home. I returned home almost a week ago and have had time to reflect on my experience - a process which I believe will last a lifetime.
I had been so busy preparing for my trip and my time in SA that I wasn't prepared for saying goodbye.....the hardest part. A month spent working at the project is just a drop in the ocean but it was more than enough time to grow attached to the wonderful children that I met and to appreciate the amazing work which is being carried out by the Umthombo Team.
I was fortunate enough to see a few children escape street life and secure a place of safety in a shelter so I have been able to return home knowing that some of the children I met are safe but it is impossible not to constantly wonder about the hundreds of other children and what will become of them.....cold and hungry, debilitated by glue, TB, HIV, raped, stabbed, knocked down, beaten by police, dehumanised by the public.....These are...
Hopes and Dreams
13 May 2008 at 20:41
So many of the children I have met are just such an inspiration. Despite the circumstances they find themselves in they are holding on to their hopes for a better future.
I am so delighted to hear them talk of their future careers with dreams of becoming doctors, dentists, pilots, teachers, social workers and journalists.
One 14 year old boy told me that he plans "to stay focused on his goals to make sure he achieves success".
It is just incredible to hear such positivity. I cannot imagine that I would ever have been able to make a statement like that at 14 years old!
Many of the kids I have met are incredibly intelligent and articulate and they all display such strength and resilience. I can only hope that they find a life away from the streets to pursue their dreams and do not succumb to the dangers of street life.
Townships
13 May 2008 at 20:30
I visited several Townships today to help deliver food parcels. I've seen the conditions many times on television from the comfort of my own home however to walk around them yourself and witness first hand the living conditions is a completely different story - so far removed from my own life which I can now only describe as complete and utter luxury.
There are hundreds upon hundreds of 'houses' crammed together and built from I suppose whatever material is available. People are walking with their buckets to get water from the outdoor water supply and of course not all 'houses' have electricity. It's hard to believe that only a few miles away in central Durban there are big shopping centres just like back home.
I am welcomed with open arms into all of the homes which we visit. Although my knowledge of Zulu extends to about a dozen words only, this does not stop me from understanding the friendly welcome I receive everywhere!
It is the poor living conditions and...
Out on the Streets
12 May 2008 at 21:42
My second week has been spent working on the ambulance/mobile health clinic. As well as having a paramedic there are also a couple of outreach workers on board. The team drive around the streets looking for children who need medical help, identifying children who are new on the streets, connecting with the children they already have a relationship with in order to try and get them off the streets and generally offering support and advice.
Nothing can really prepare you for your first trip out on to the streets and your first encounter with a group of children that you find. It is every bit as heartbreaking as you would expect it to be and so much worse.
Children as young as 10 years old, dressed in whatever clothes they can find, some sniffing glue to escape the reality of street life. They of course all greet you with a smile but the look in their eyes tells a different story. You could just weep for these kids. But what good would that do? All you can do is be with...
First Week
12 May 2008 at 20:54
Unfortunately I have only been able to work for 2 days on my first week due to public holiday days here in Durban. During this time however many things have happened which have had such an impact on me that even if I were to return home now (which I won't be!!)life can never quite be the same again.
I have been working out of the Drop In Centre run by Umthombo. This is a place of safety for children living on the streets where they can come to get fed, showered, clothed and chat to staff. It is of course quite shocking to see the centre for the first time. There are a number of kids sleeping on the grass from the night before, still wrapped in their dirty blankets. I watched as others folded up their blankets for the next night and stored them in a wheelie bin. Other kids are working hard sweeping the ground clean, cleaning out the toilets and emptying the bins.
What is even more shocking is the thought of the other kids that have not spent the night here but out on the...
Name: Susan Connolly
Volunteered at Umthombo from 28 April 2008 to 24 May 2008.
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