As I read the first five words of my journal entry, I thought, "can any day at a Swazi carepoint really be regular"? No, not really. Every day is a new day filled with brand new hugs and snuggles and familiar songs sung fresh. Here's what I wrote a little over a year ago in my favorite country in the whole, wide, big world --- Swaziland.Friday, September 24, 2010
Last "regular" day at carepoint as tomorrow is a big party for the kids.
Highlights of the day:
*Noah's Ark Bible story
*Taught preschool children an animal game
*Preschoolers colored pictures
*Mealie meal pap and beans were tried by Jim, Kelly, Danielle, and Mike
*Some of the older kids put on a dram re-enacting when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery
*Older kids decorated paddle balls
*Went on two home visits with Xolani, Anna, and Jim. First one was with Sandra Carmichael's sponsored child.
Her gogo [grandmother] had gone to a funeral and her parents have been gone since May to work in Johannesburg so we visited with her, an older brother, and an aunt. Special care had been given to the fruit trees around the homestead.
*The second home visit was to one of our sponsored children, Banele Dlamine's [Our church youth group is actually her official sponsor]. It was a long, long walk but well worth it. Her homestead was about 20 minutes walk from the carepoint up on the top of a big hill. The homestead was very simple but clean.
We had a very friendly, relaxed visit with Banele, her mother, her father, her older sister, and her sister's baby. All of us sat on mats except for the [father] who was sitting on a rock. Banele's parents seemed old. I would guess her mother is in her 50's and the father in his 60's.
Banele took me inside the building where they all sleep. There was a double bed and a twin bed. It was all kept up very, very neatly. Banele was very proud and stretched out on the bed with a happy smile.
*We had to walk quick, quick back to the carepoint where our van was waiting to leave. In our absence, the gogos [grandmothers] and makes [mothers] had gotten their gifts (aprons, scarves, shirts) and the school age children received their backpacks and school supplies.
*This evening [our team] ate at Ramblas again with Elliott, Zwakele, and Dennis. We also saw Julie and [and her daughter] Ellie there as they were leaving the Pick-N-Pay grocery store.
*After supper, we organized supplies for tomorrow and all the things we will leave for Kriek for the carepoint to use in the future.
Tomorrow is the end-of-the-week party at the carepoint.
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