As many of you probably know by now, part of our coursework is taking on an activist project. Since we arrived in January I have been contemplating what type of project I wanted to partake in. At first I was going to volunteer at TEARS with some of the other people from our group, but that didn’t work out. So I began to think what else I was interested in doing. I decided that I wanted to focus on children since my internship does not allow for any interaction with them. There were a few orphanages that I discovered but soon realized would be difficult to get to by public transportation. Finally, I found a day care center for children with HIV/AIDS called Etafeni located in Nyanga. I was not sure how to get to this location either, but decided to call and see what would be feasible. I spoke to a nice man who told me that, at least for the first day, he would be able to pick me up in Rondebosch and bring me to the day care. I was so excited. I would finally be able to work with children and donate some of my free time to a good cause. I told my roommate Jill about it, knowing that she had yet to find a place, and she jumped on the chance, for she too was not working with children on a regular basis. Last Friday was the day. We eagerly waited on the sidewalk ready to see what was awaiting us.
Once we arrived we were given a tour of the facilities and told about the various programs that they are involved in. The building was almost majestic compared to its surroundings. It was amazing to see and hear about the great things they were doing in the township. They were actually making a difference in their community and the lives of those who lived there. I was already feeling good about being a part of this organization and I hadn’t even done anything. After meeting some of the faculty we were led to the actual day care where the children were. As we walked closer to the building we could hear little voices singing. Once we entered the room the children turned to look at us but continued their harmonious activity. The kids were between two years old and five years old. They were at the stage where all they want is attention. It was play time and they all wanted to give me their toys. One boy tried to teach me a game similar to our bubblegum game. He, like the rest of the kids, spoke Xhosa and was attempting to teach me how to properly say the words. I was failing miserably and all the kids laughed. I am pretty sure that if I could have understood what they were saying I would have heard myself being made fun of. This made me laugh with them. How ridiculous I must have looked. But it was fun being accepted so wholeheartedly.
Now it was time for recess. One little girl wanted to be carried outside so I picked her up. Next thing I knew I was surrounded by ten other children who all wanted to be carried. I picked up another little girl who was closest to me and proceeded to walk outside. For anyone who has never carried two children at once, let me tell you, it’s not easy. Once outside I was relieved to have my arms back now that everyone wanted to play. Most of the girls had hula-hoops and were showing me all of their moves. Someone would say “Sista” to get my attention and right as I would look over someone else would be calling me. Soon it became a chorus of “Sistas”. After standing for a while Jill and I decided to sit on some steps to watch the children play. Before our bodies even touched the cement we were bombarded by little girls wanting to sit on our laps. Those who didn’t make it in time to get a good seat resorted to playing with our hair. There must have been at least five people playing with my hair at one time. Often they would poke me in the eye while trying to grab every strand. I found it very interesting how enthralled they were. Every now and then Jill and I would glance at each other to make sure we were still breathing. Even though this may sound terrible it was actually a lot of fun. The children found such strange things fun and it was quite heartening to see their little faces light up.
It was now time for lunch and it was amazing the transformation from playtime to lunch time. As soon as they walked through the door they were silent and sat down in their respective seats. They quietly ate the sandwiches and juice provided to them seeming content the whole time. I could tell they were winding down and sure enough it was nap time. Since the children left after their naps we were told that we could leave whenever we wanted. We found the man that had given us a ride there to inquire whether or not he would be able to give us a ride home. Graciously he ensured us that it would be no problem. We climbed into his white Toyota and heading back towards Rondebosch. We thanked him and began to walk home, talking about the children the entire way. We were both amazed how loving and accepting they were of new people. There was no judging, no fear, only happiness. It was a truly great experience that I look forward to repeating as the weeks go on.
