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One thing which is a bit tricky is that living in Hout Bay as its difficult to get public transport into Cape Town and back, especially if you need to come back late. But that's in the nature of the project and most of the time there was no time to go into Cape Town anyway, we were so busy. What did you think of the programme / did your programme and destination meet your expectations? I thought the balance of the program was excellent, about one third school, one third sports and one third holiday. It is a lot less formal than I had expected but this is good: Kevin has got to know the kids and the school and how it works and he is able to direct the volunteers he has accordingly. Working with the kids in the classroom and on the pitch was a real pleasure. Cape Town and South Africa more generally (we did the Garden Route and after the project had finished I went to the Kruger) are fantastic places, no complaints there! Kevin made sure we always knew about good stuff to do in the spare time and often ferried us around. What was the most memorable moment of your trip? Any anecdotes? Watching the under-11's (our lean, mean motivated shanty-town kids) hammer the dumpy, over-privileged not-really-up-with-it white kids from the school down the road 11-1 was great to watch! As for the kids in the classroom, turning up on my last day to find out that some of them had bought me presents was very humbling and emotional, especially considering that they hardly have anything. Similarly, discovering one little girl had written me 5 pages of thank-you letters made me a bit weepy!
What advice could you offer to someone considering this project? Do it, but be prepared to get very attached to the kids. Leaving isn't easy. Also, be prepared for having to teach the class yourself if the teacher doesn't show up - they can't afford supply teachers. As far as the football goes, beware that these kids are very skilful on the ball, but completely disorganised! Comment from Real Gap: Chris was an excellent volunteer who got into the spirit of volunteering from the start. The project coordinator continues to tell us that many of the children still miss him and some Real Gap employees have heard about Chris' efforts from the children themselves. However, Chris did more than just give his time; he took with him over 70 football shirts as a donation to the children! As a result, the local newspaper wrote an article about him and he even featured in a match-day programme for his local team Macclesfield Town! However, the great thing about Chris is not just his efforts during his time at the project - it is his hard work he has put in since. He continues to raise money to make a difference to the children's lives and he has sent more kit since. Great work Chris, keep up the great work!  Cape Town Sports ProjectReturn to Africa Travel Stories |
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