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Project: South Africa Wild Coast Schools
Volunteer: Helen Johnson
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What was the highlight of your stay?
The friendly faces and excited people who were just dying to help. After an extremely long and tiring journey, it was great to talk to someone and listen to their passion for the project I was about to embark on.
These are in no particular order, but I would say…
Firstly, meeting such fantastic people who I know I shall never forget. I felt like I had known them all my life. Just walking down the street was an experience in itself: Every single person I passed would greet me with a smile and “Molo sissi”.
Secondly, all the adventures I went on that I know can only be experienced once in lifetime. |
All the beautiful animals I saw, the Transkei tour, cliff jumping, riding an elephant (which I shall never do again unless paid, due to the extreme pain I felt the next day), climbing up and down Table Mountain, shark cage diving, playing with lion cubs and the continuous partying at the hostel!
Thirdly, having the opportunity to teach such beautiful kids who had so much energy and desire to learn. Even in the short space of a month, I felt I had created a strong bond with each one of them that I already miss.
There were challenging times such as language barriers, but passing through them was unbelievably rewarding. Seeing a look of understanding on their faces made me feel proud!
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I would have to say that the lack of understanding of English from some of the students and my lack of understanding Xhosa was particularly challenging. However, some of the kids, especially Phinda the Head Girl, helped us out by explaining the objectives of a lesson to the rest of the class. Team work all the way!
What did you think of the Project?
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I was told exactly what I was doing from the word ‘go'. A pack was given, explaining the timetable for the following few days, and once this was covered we had a long meeting discussing the school where numerous questions were answered. From then on everything was an understandable and repetitive structure of teaching.
The orientation we were given gave us enough time to relax, gather our bearings, and most importantly we had a gradual introduction to the schools before a full week of teaching! Learning Xhosa was also an invaluable experience that we certainly benefited from! |
Did you have enough support?
For the majority of the project, we had Mike as our overseer. He was unbelievably friendly and would jump in at any time if he knew we needed help. Sean then took over for the last week and continued with the overseeing. It was great to know that at any time we could turn to them for help. I personally found that their passion for the project made me value my experience even more.
After a hard days work of teaching (which was actually very relaxed) there was a wonderful meal prepared to fill us up. The staff was unbelievably friendly and helpful around the house. They made me feel right at home!
My whole weekend trip to Cape Town was organised within the space of about 2 days, so that when we went, everything was booked and paid for. It was fantastic organisation and I am very grateful! If we wanted to go somewhere, it was a done thing: Transport, food, guide etc!
What was the accommodation like?
The accommodation was certainly not what I expected; it exceeded my expectations. The cottage for the first two nights was brilliant in that we were all together thus allowing everyone to get to know one another immediately. Furthermore the house across the river was perfect. It allowed separation from the main hostel, meaning that at least minimal exercise was achieved when we wanted to check our e-mail, but there was still the opportunity to discover life on the other side. Off course we were close enough to visit the bar! |
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Any extra comments?
Just a quick note to extend huge thanks on my behalf. I'm so happy I came out to Africa and experienced everything I did. It was a whole different yet surreal world that I now know I will definitely return to! Thank you to every single person; you made my experience all that more enjoyable. I don't think I have ever worked my stomach muscles so hard, laughing continuously! I just wish my friends and family could share my joy and understand what I'm talking about!
Take care all and hopefully see you soon.
 Further information on the South Africa Wildcoast Schools Programme
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