This year instead of our usual Christmas party, which is normally full of great food, an excess of alcohol, bad hangover and headache the next day, we decided to do something completely different................
We decided instead of patting ourselves on the back for a hard years work, we would take the time and funds and rather assist those less fortunate than ourselves. We found a project that is being run in Langa called "Project Playground",
they had a hall that was in great need of a coat of paint and a good clean, so that was where we headed to on this beautiful day in November. I have never in my life been into a township, scared, afraid, warned all these years that these are not places for "white" people. On arrival we were greeted by a putrid smell only to find out that
this is the sewerage farm down the road and we would have to survive the smell for the whole day, not even thinking that this is what these people have to live with day in and day out, in retrospect my selfishness makes me more than a little ashamed. So we started off by adorning ourselves with crisp white clean overalls
and taking pic's and laughing at the fun we where going to have. We started with our painting this was all we came here to do right........
WRONG very quickly we tickled the interest of 5 tiny kids,
peeking round the corners and checking out what we were doing to "Their" hall. They appeared filthy, snotty nosed, and with broken and ill fitting clothing. But then you realise it does not matter what they look or smell like they are only children and this was certainly not their choice to be born into these circumstances. Quickly they discovered the hidden lollipops, wow how easy to put a smile on their little faces, ofcourse we all started taking pic's of them and they just loved it to see their faces on the screen of the phone. They clamboured over each other to get into the pic's, and slowly but surely they started to come out of their shells and then I think a few of us realised why we were actually here, to enrich their lives just a tiny bit. Little did I know how much they would enrich mine in just a few short hours.
Soon even I was running around playing soccer and swinging them around, getting so dizzy I thought I might faint, but the joy they showed me kept me going. Later I was to find out that these 5 kids could not attend the school because their Mothers who work would not pay R200 a term for them to attend even though they are working, when offered to do some cleaning work I lieu of payment they also refused, so these kids are just left to their own devices, what chance do they really have in life????? I also found out that the one Mother who has a few kids, starved one of the children eash day purely out of spite, my heart broke, who could do that to their own child? Even though none of these 5 childred spoke english (maybe a word here and there), we soon found our own way of communicating with signs, touching and smiling, this might just be the best language in the world.
We also had a bit of our own fun, when members of the community gave us drum and dance lessons,
let's just say that my rhythm leaves much to be desired, but again doing something out of my comfort zone brought great delight. By now we were all starving and normally at a Christmas lunch we would have the most expensive meal, but today boerie rolls were the order of the day. Ofcourse, being the selfish people that we sometimes are we all helped ourselves to a roll and filled it with sausage and lots of tomato sauce and mustard, just as I took my first bite I saw out the corner of my eye the 5 little faces, for once I set my food down as did some of the others and we made them rolls and gave the red and green coldrink.
This may be the only full meal they have today, again what a pleasure to see the thanks in their eyes and the smiles on their faces.
After lunch, we got down to doing the second coat,
and once school was out a couple more children appeared, inquisitive to see what all these strange people were doing.
Again lollipops, rolls and red cooldrink where warmly welcomed by each and every one of them.
Later one of the gentlemen who helps run the project came over to thank us and said "You do not know how much this means, you doing this for nothing", to which we responded that we were not doing it for nothing, maybe monetarily for nothing but certainly we were gaining a lot from the experience. This man was a convicted murderer who has turned his life around and now tries to help the youngsters in the community, there certainly are some good stories to be heard.
It also astounded me that most of the people that are helping out with this project are foreigners, why would we South Africans not be the ones to help our own? Questions I have never thought of before, today was certainly an eye opener.
As the day came to an end it was bitter sweet, seeing a fresh new hall and knowing the joy it will bring the kids, but also knowing some of their stories and where they have to return to tonight brought a tear or two to my eyes. This certainly was the best Christmas function I have been to in my life and shows what a couple of people can do in just one day.
Now, aching body and tucked into my crisp white sheets in my comfy warm bed, the smell of Langa still hanging heavily on my my mind, I wonder where the 5 little faces are tonight and hope and pray that they are safe
