16/10/13
Work has been very complicated and unpredictable recently, that's why I haven't spoken of it. It has been difficult to collect my thoughts when work itself is scattered.
The first few weeks of work are unpredictable for everyone. No one has a proper routine and the main priority is that the work is covered; not who is covering it.
Eventually, things tighten and shift plans are organised.
Everyone was given a structured shift plan for the following eight weeks, a specific house to work in and a great opportunity to build relationships with the children under their care in that house. Everyone that is, except me, Rachael and Anna. Our fourth partner, Niamh, is on night shift for the next eight weeks, a tough but interesting area of work.
I have mixed feelings about not having a structured shift plan. Here are the negative's and positive's:
Negative
- It's difficult to build a relationship with the children and child care workers when you are constantly changing shifts.
- It's unpredictable work - sometime's I don't know i'm working until two hourse before hand.
- The latter comes with it's own problems. The intitial problem is difficulty arranging dayshifts, it's imporssible if I don't know i'm working.
Positive
- Constantly changing areas of work has a l\silver lining. I am privileged to experience so many areas. It broaden my horizons on the constant effort and with that, the pressure that goes into running the home.
- Flexibility. I enjoy the range of work and varied hours, it keeps things interesting.
- I've worked in almost every house. Although I may not know the children closely yet, it's nice that they recognize me as their friend and their "Auntie".
Today I finally received a plan. It may be a little complicated and literally all over the place...but it's a plan! I can finally relax and enjoy knowing when I need to work and when I can chill out. I know where I will be working until the end of October. I will be doing a lot of work for the fundraising department - helping to organize and/or work at events. I will also be working in Stepping Stones, a house for the younger boys. At the end of the month I will work nightshift.
The past week I have worked in House 11 with 9-14 year old boys and House 5, where the teenage girls live. There was a moment in House 11 yesterday that I will certainly never forget...the moment I first set eyes on a Black Widow Spider.
It was asleep underneath the outside table, happy in it's web-nest with it's two unborn babies by it's side...until the boys started poking at the web with sticks.
Oblivious to my constant leave it alone pleads, they proded and poked until the spider fell down, leaving it's babies behind it. At this point I welled up but contained myself. Besides the facts - Spider, Black Widow, Spider, Death, Spider - it was still a mother going through trauma without her babies.
It ran around in a panic for a few minutes and then thankfully dodged the stomping feet and hid in the crack of a wall. I've been thinking about it all day.
I really hope it finds it's way back to it's babies and the kids forget it exists. Good luck spidey.
Sometimes the kids behaviour towaeds animals can be shocking. I know the projection of violence could have a thousand reasons of encouragement so I try to handle every situation carefully. One of the boys I was working with had been taken to school that morning but didn't make it to the classroom door. Instead, him and his friends decided to patrol the grounds to seek out snakes, which they would then murder and burn out.
I am extremely careful with animals. I literally couldn't hurt a fly. In fact, I couldn't count the amount of times i've saved a fly from the paddling pool or a fly trap. As scared as I may be of spiders, I also couldn't kill one. I even flicked a top-sided cockroach over yesterday so it cold scurry away and live happily. Last week a butterfly was struggling on it's back, I helped turn it over and it sat on my arm for a few minutes before flying away.
It is so important that children learn to be kid to animals, it teaches them gentle kindness and how to care for a soul other than their own.
I feel so privileged to help with the therapeutic horse riding every week, seeing the bond between the children and horses first hand is amazing. At the beginning, the girls would squeel and hide behind my back if a horse approached us. By the end, they would freely and gently stroke the horses neck, letting it sniff them without a second thought.
Helping with the horse riding is incredible for other reasons, including the journey to the farm. The drive passes Klipheuwel, the township that I will soon have the opportunity to work in. The farm itself is stunning. The tin shack stables and dusty orange roads feel very beautifully typical for an African farm.
My second out of work activity is drumming. Not drumming where you can create a beat from the numerous sounds a drum kit offers you...creating a beat from the numerous sounds YOU can offer a single drum. A huge, beautiful, magical African drum. I'm going to buy my own when I can afford one. I feel like I have found my place within the drumming group, it's incredible. The group memebers are from Durbanville and beyond. Some have the experience of 20 years thrown into their passion.
Sometimes when we are playing - thirty drums beating at the same time - it is so easy to start day dreaming. The amazing thing is, your hands keep moving. It's like you are in some wild trance.
I'm also going to start helping with the drum circle for the children.
Thank you for reading this far, I'm very lucky the internet cafe is so close but it's a little expensive and I'm working a lot, so it's nice to update you on everything all at once - when I have the chance.
Now for the much shorter, second half of this blog...
HIKING TABLE MOUNTAIN!
The heat was absolutely ridiculous. It was SO HOT! South Africans would "pfft" and say "this is cool, wait until we reach summer" to which we would complain. The hike itself was nice but I'm not going to lie, me and Rachael got half way and turned back. BAD IDEA! The time consuming, difficult walk back to the bottom proved we might as well have continued in the right direction. We got the cable cart to the top, where the views were simply wonderful. We WILL hike table mountain to the top, when the cooler temperatures come around next year. Here are some photo's from the trip, enjoy!
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