2 Weeks in South Africa!

We are now approaching two weeks in South Africa.

We were overwhelmed by the open armed welcome the Tsholofelo Community provided, and it quickly felt like home. We have created lasting friendships and bonds which will continue to grow over the next two weeks. Over the first few days we visited many of the nearby settlement camps and we spoke with members of the community. We had opportunities to learn about the facilities these camps have; specifically the creches and the clinics. We spoke to the locals who told us about the struggles they face daily such as the lack of water, suitable toilets and electricity. It was disheartening to see the hard work that the local people do in the camps with limited Government support.

Preparation then took place to plan the youth development camp. We worked in partnership with four local South African volunteers - Ratanang, Omphentse, Lesego, and Botlhale. This was extremely beneficial as they work within the camps providing learning and development to the children who do not have access to education.

We started off the first week of camp with 12-14 year olds. Our aim was to provide opportunities for social and personal development. The 29 young people arrived on Sunday evening and there was a great atmosphere as everyone was really excited. Throughout the camp we planned games, lessons and ice breakers that focused on leadership, teamwork, communication and personal development. We introduced an activity whereby everyone had an anonymous friend for camp who carried out thoughtful actions in secret. The children loved it and all the actions were so kind and considerate. It was heartwarming to see the smile on their faces when they found out who their special friend was. On the last day, we introduced the children to rounders and they were all extremely competitive! The camp was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all involved, including the volunteers. The young people provided positive feedback and didn’t want to leave! They commented on how much they learned, the great friendships formed and how happy they were to meet all the volunteers.

On Sunday 2nd July we will welcome another group of young people aged 15-17 to run the youth development camp again, we are looking forward to another fun filled week!