I am a volunteer at Siphila Sonke and the kids changed my life!

Moving to Grabouw has been an eye-opener and a heart-wrencher all at the same time.  

The beauty and majesty of the mountainous scenery is offset by the visible swathes of aching poverty, vast levels of unemployment and overwhelming (or so it seems to me) needs evident all around. I am so grateful that a band of stalwarts rolled up their proverbial sleeves many years ago to form an outreach that has grown, stuttered, realigned and today is Siphila Sonke!

At the end of each month a mini army of mobilizers take much-needed food parcels to beneficiaries who are between applying for a SASSA grant and receiving it. We’re grateful to the many who assist with donations, home visits, unravelling the tortuous rigours of grant administration and then caring, loving and praying for the needy.  

It’s humbling.

But that’s not my part of the deal. I am a teaching volunteer for the Kid’s Club; effervescent spunky kids who attack life with gusto!  No feeling sorry for yourself here - simply an appetite for all that life offers. We have three standard rules in our Maths and English classrooms;

• Jy moenie slaan nie  (Don’t hit!)

• Jy moet nie skree nie (Don’t scream), and

• You must speak English!!!

Last week as they were happily completing work in their books, Sam began to quietly sing and the others one by one joined in.  I asked them to practice and I would film them the following week – take a look at what they came up with!

#welivetogether