Five days in Kruger was a great way to break the ice. Being away from wifi and electricity, with no time for makeup or hair straightening, and sitting in an open safari car on a 48 degree day meant we definitely bonded!
Seeing the animals was a surreal experience. Giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, white rhinos, black rhinos, cheetahs, leopards, lions, impalas, chameleons, vultures, eagles, hyenas, wild dogs and hippos kept us entertained and cameras well-used.
A lot of us went into the program not knowing anyone. It was funny to see most of us lived within a few suburbs of each other, but met on the other side of the world!
Volunteering jobs started in our second week. The 17 of us split into two groups, one doing construction work and the other sports development for the local kids.
The constructors replaced an old wire fence around a preschool, in time for the new school year. Though physically challenging, we finished the fence by the end of the week with all fingers still in tact. The sports group ran drills and activities for about 20 kids each day. The highlight was definitely coaching swimming lessons and seeing their confidence in the water improve in just a short time. We’ve also been holding curriculum workshops to create classroom activities in preparation for working in the preschools.
A particularly confronting moment of the trip so far was visiting the children’s ward at a local hospital. It was overwhelming to see gorgeous young kids so ill, especially comparing their basic facilities to ours back home. The parents and carers seemed surprised for to see us and the kids a bit wary. However, giving them small presents and something to smile about made the trip worth it.
We’ve also found some comforts from home. The supermarket down the road is well-stocked with milo and Weetbix, in addition to the local Swazi ‘ligusha’ and ‘umbhidvo’. We’ve had a group family trip to the movies – for the hefty ticket price of $4 – and had Will Smith grace us with his Nigerian accent and medical lingo in Concussion.
Of course, a few hiccups were bound to occur. All of us Aussies have the same black haviannas, and in a dorm of six people much confusion arises. More major ones (lost luggage, missed flights and sore throats) were taken in good humour with help from others in the group.
The All Out Africa staff have been the backbone of the trip. Bongani, Mpho, Tjengisa, Sarah, Roland and Michael (to name only a few) have bent over backwards to make our stay comfortable, safe, worthwhile and fun.
This was my first time staying in backpacker accommodation. Not once have I felt unsafe, it’s secure and there are lots of people, always someone new to talk to! The Lidwala Lodge staff Phumie, Ndumiso, Nonhlanhla, and Phetsile are so friendly and always up for a laugh.
It’s been an interesting two weeks. The question many of us are thinking is how to make a lasting difference while we are here. Though putting up a wire fence or teaching soccer drills is not going to cure aids/enhance education attendance/solve gender inequality/fix broken families, the changes we make are subtle but steady; for the local community and us as individuals.
After all, ‘The way a mouse eats an elephant is one bite at a time’.
A blog by Devna Luthra
Five days in Kruger was a great way to break the ice. Being away from wifi and electricity, with no time for makeup or hair straightening, and sitting in an open safari car on a 48 degree day meant we definitely bonded!
Seeing the animals was a surreal experience. Giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, white rhinos, black rhinos, cheetahs, leopards, lions, impalas, chameleons, vultures, eagles, hyenas, wild dogs and hippos kept us entertained and cameras well-used.
A lot of us went into the program not knowing anyone. It was funny to see most of us lived within a few suburbs of each other, but met on the other side of the world!
Volunteering jobs started in our second week. The 17 of us split into two groups, one doing construction work and the other sports development for the local kids.
The constructors replaced an old wire fence around a preschool, in time for the new school year. Though physically challenging, we finished the fence by the end of the week with all fingers still in tact. The sports group ran drills and activities for about 20 kids each day. The highlight was definitely coaching swimming lessons and seeing their confidence in the water improve in just a short time. We’ve also been holding curriculum workshops to create classroom activities in preparation for working in the preschools.
A particularly confronting moment of the trip so far was visiting the children’s ward at a local hospital. It was overwhelming to see gorgeous young kids so ill, especially comparing their basic facilities to ours back home. The parents and carers seemed surprised for to see us and the kids a bit wary. However, giving them small presents and something to smile about made the trip worth it.
We’ve also found some comforts from home. The supermarket down the road is well-stocked with milo and Weetbix, in addition to the local Swazi ‘ligusha’ and ‘umbhidvo’. We’ve had a group family trip to the movies – for the hefty ticket price of $4 – and had Will Smith grace us with his Nigerian accent and medical lingo in Concussion.
Of course, a few hiccups were bound to occur. All of us Aussies have the same black haviannas, and in a dorm of six people much confusion arises. More major ones (lost luggage, missed flights and sore throats) were taken in good humour with help from others in the group.
The All Out Africa staff have been the backbone of the trip. Bongani, Mpho, Tjengisa, Sarah, Roland and Michael (to name only a few) have bent over backwards to make our stay comfortable, safe, worthwhile and fun.
This was my first time staying in backpacker accommodation. Not once have I felt unsafe, it’s secure and there are lots of people, always someone new to talk to! The Lidwala Lodge staff Phumie, Ndumiso, Nonhlanhla, and Phetsile are so friendly and always up for a laugh.
It’s been an interesting two weeks. The question many of us are thinking is how to make a lasting difference while we are here. Though putting up a wire fence or teaching soccer drills is not going to cure aids/enhance education attendance/solve gender inequality/fix broken families, the changes we make are subtle but steady; for the local community and us as individuals.
After all, ‘The way a mouse eats an elephant is one bite at a time’.
A blog by Devna Luthra