We started the day at the Sandra Lee Centre. We helped their pre-school aged orphans make
memory boxes with supplies we brought from the US provided by my Denver
alternative high school students for their community service project (thanks
CLA!!). They loved the rhinestone
stickers and sparkly paper! When they
were finished, we told them that they should put things inside that reminded
them of their families and things they’ve acquired along the way in their short
lifetimes…but instead they decided to hoard little scraps of paper and pieces
of garbage. Okay!
The finished products modeled by 2 year old Thandka.
Afterward, we went to the primary school to pick up the
Kunene and Maziya orphans for an afternoon of watercoloring. It turns out we arrived about an hour
early. No problem for Liz and Andee!!
Liz had racing contests in the hot Swazi sun and Andee made up leaping and skipping
games with the kids. Pros with the kids. Sydney and I rested our tired and sweaty
bones under a tree. Hey! We’ve been here
for a LONG time and these kids on a daily basis are exhausting… Just as I was trying to close my eyes and
enjoy the warm breeze and giggling children, I feel tugging on my hair. 10 girls decided to create a “salon” for me
and proceeded to braid, twist, and knot my hair into dreadlocks. (Sorry Kim…next time you see me, you will
have your hands full!!)
Finally the school bell rings and our kids come out from
their classrooms. We drive them to their
homestead up the mountain and as soon as we pull out the watercolors, the
children are speechless. They silently
paint pictures with determined precision.
I told Liz to play some tunes on her iPod to break up the silence and
sounds of the neighbor’s chickens and goats.
The kids painted countless pictures until it was dark and we had to
leave. We left all of the watercolor
paper and paint with them and promised to see them at school on Thursday. Although they were painting in secretive
silence for the last number of hours, when we were leaving they were ready to
show us their masterpieces. Mazwi painted a big bus (he wants to be a
kombi driver). Philo painted a large
heart that said “I love you. You are special to me”. (AHHHHHH, what a
sweetie). Fisiwe painted her name over
and over…and over. Nomile painted a car,
a house, and a tree. And two others were too shy to share but I am
sure they were beautiful… They also painted Give Hope, Fight Poverty "Siyabonga" Thank you cards that are on sale 5 for $10.
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