Some reflections from Ellen

• On our first day, Sharron told us about a little boy in the hospital with meningitis.  Has he recovered and is he back with his friends at Kwasa?
• Before our “walkabout” in Vukuzenzele, Sharron (with Sese as interpreter) introduced us to a young widow who told us how much Kwasa means to her and her children.  She was very shy and didn’t want to show us her shack.
• Conditions in Vukuzenzele were no better than when we visited 2.5 years ago.  There are still just five or six common taps to provide water for the 15,000 residents.  There is no sewer system.  There is no electricity, so most cook with propane.  Some have generators.
• The new wing at Kwasa, made possible by a grant from the Comis Foundation, is wonderful.  It houses the library (where the older children do their homework when they come after school), rest rooms, and a kitchen.  Dan put his carpentry skills to good use one day, putting up doors on several stalls in the rest rooms.
• I spent a lot of time in Gill’s class of 30 six year olds (“The Frogs”).  In the morning when the bowls of porridge were handed out, each child had to state the color of the bowl and say “thank you.”  Not one had to be prompted or reminded what to say.  They came back for second helpings until all the porridge was gone.  They ate without uttering a sound, so intent were they on their food. 
• Some highlights from our visit to Strubenvale Primary School:  Lisa’s talk during the Assembly, telling the children (Grades 1-3) about the importance of our gifts and how we use them; visiting the classrooms of Given and Tshepiso; and seeing the computer lab (they learn Power Point in Grade 3!).
• The condition of the 30 year old Kwasa school bus was very sad.  The driver has to use a wrench to open the door to let the children in and out because the handle broke.  Sharron said it would cost 300 rand to repair the handle, about $30.  The bus broke down toward the end of the week, so many children (especially the younger ones) couldn’t get to Kwasa.  I wonder how long it took to get it running again?  It’s an amazing sight, watching 32 small children pile into that old VW bus!
• Our accommodations may not have been luxurious, but how fortunate we were to be able to shower at the end of a hot, dusty day at Kwasa or on the road.  It made me appreciate what the older Kwasa children have to do to look so scrubbed in their Strubenvale Primary School uniforms.
• During the soccer match, I chatted with Allen Barton, principal at Strubenvale.  I was curious about the religious content of the Assembly we attended, since Strubenvale is a public school.  He said he has been able to keep the hymns and prayers because 98.4% of the parents said they wanted them.  The school has no Muslim students, the Hindus didn’t object, and the 7th Day Adventists decided that their children would join the Assembly in time for the awards and announcements.
• Rev. Lynn Coull took us to see other parts of the Diocese of the Highveld.  In Rooikoppen informal settlement, I was one of four or five from our group who visited a woman who is caring for her 14 year old granddaughter who has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair.  Lynn brought several bags of groceries for her.  The girl’s mother died and her father abused her, so the girl and her 11 year old brother came to live with their “Granny.”  Like many of the shacks we visited, it had just two rooms, but the kitchen was more spacious than most.  It was immaculate and the stainless steel pots were perfectly arranged on a shelf.
• Shukuma Primary School is a township school for children of Rooikoppen.  We visited the kindergarten (“Grade R”) class.  The children had no tables, chairs, or books.  The weather was very warm, yet many of the children were wearing sweaters.  What a contrast to Kwasa, where the children have so much more.
• Kopanang, a women’s cooperative that produces embroidery and beadwork, has grown tremendously since we visited it in February 2004.  It was a joy to see it thriving! 

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