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While I was there we started a new tradition during Volunteer House Fridays called bubble bath finishes. After the toddlers got in their brand new swimsuits donated by Lieveke's father's company and splashed about for a few hours in the pool, ate lunch that we had prepared for them, and then we were serenaded by the toddlers; they call got bubble bath. It was generally 3 to a bath. I never seen happier kids splashing about in warm bubble bath water. Water was every where. We believe we were able to scrub them down a bit more than what they normally get. It was nice to see the kids faces clean and clear. We all had so much fun doing it that it continued after that successful first time. I think some of the little ones preferred the bath over the pool. No matter what all of them loved their new bathing suits and had each of their names written inside of their suit. At 1pm,we would get them back to the orphanage for their naps.

At 1pm everyday, the seven toddlers are put down to nap post the tooth brushing session and foot/hand washing that takes place on the picnic tables. I caught Wandlie not napping during nap time. Wandlie, who's cognitively handicapped, did not attend his special needs school because he need to be home for his vaccination shots.
Wandlie can't speak. He's 4 years old. He often looks out to space, but every so often you hope he connects with you even if it is for a brief second. His only way to express himself is by crying, banging, or biting. He's a lot for the Aunties to handle so he was often locked up in the toddlers room. Several previous volunteers, Gunther, Pamela, and Tessa realized this needed this situation to be fixed. Gunther and Tessa found a specialized school for handicap kids and a handful of volunteers pooled their donations together to put Wandlie in this special school for the year.

1. before the toddlers head to their nap, they all have to have their teeth brushed and hands and feet washed. Here in front row is Andishwa, Sbonga (center), and Unati holding up the rear.
2. two of the older girls hanging out in the front entrance of Agape
3. Peaceful walking toward me. She's put away her school uniform and is ready to join the other two girls.
4. Nasici hams it up w/ Mbali (who's holding the spoon).
5. Mbali - the girl of girls. what a singer! Mbali loves anything that is sparkly and pink.

6. Playground set currently on Agape grounds. It will be replaced once the new buildings are constructed. Two volunteers put their money together to buy this amazing playground set for the kids. It's made out of wood.
7. In the school Agape school bus w/ Babamuchali in order to pick up the older kids from school.

Well, as you can see I made a 3 year old pal at Agape and I miss her dearly. In my previous posts, I often wrote about my little tour guide through Agape's tomato garden and to the various handfuls of toiletas throughout the greater Durban area. She's a mischevious one and at times incredibly camera shy. She's a little thing, but when ever you carry her she helped as much as you could to hang on tight. She made me laugh every day and made me realize that everyting can be fixed with a "plaster" (band-aid) even if you don't have a visible boo boo.

1. sbonga at the volunteers' house
2. sbonga eating morning porridge w/ mbali
3. sbonga at the beach w/ her new bikini that was donated by a volunteers's father's company
4. sbonga playing mischeviously w/ the green balloon in her hand while having one of the smaller twins observing
5. sbonga walking by the eating area.

Hi everyone,

Sorry it's taken me so long to get photos up. I will be sending more throughout the week.
The first set are of the agape grounds and the twins: unati + andishwa.

1. Unati is the one being held by Diana
2. Andishwa is sticking her tongue out.
3. Agape's outside entrance
4. Agape's poorly constructed new building (white) and the yellow building used to be the old kitchen and the kids bathrooms. the kids still use the bathroom.
5. Another perspective of the grounds: white trailer (foreground) is pamela's house (who runs agape and lives there with her son), the ruins of a new building taken down because it was so badly constructed, yellow building - last stanging building w/ bathrooms to be replaced, new buildings that are being reworked as we speak.
6. the twins walking to the bathroom
7. the grounds
8. the mattresses being aired out in the morning

Hello everyone!

Yesterday, Tessa, our volunteer coordinator (who's Dutch and Indonesian) took 4 of us to visit the other projects in the Durban area. We first drove an hour and 1/2 to Bobbi Bear + the Tree Clinic. Both were started by a fireball of a white Zimbabwean woman named Jackie Branfield. She's a tornado and a true inspiration. She certainly does not lack any courage and will tell you exactly how it is.
As you can see, Jackie really made an impact on us all. Bobbi Bear is a rescue center for sexually abused children - generally from the ages of 4-6 years old. 80% of the children coming to Bobbi Bear are HIV postive. The rescue center is situated in a hidden location amongst the largest sugarcane fields in the Durban region. So it's beatufiul.

One of the 10 year old girls had a rough day. Her name is Naledy. Usually, Naledy is full of spunk, bright faced, and very mindful of others, but her mood yesterday was really off. She wouldn't speak to anyone. Finally some of the older girls told us that a gift from Naledy's mother had suddenly disappeared. It was a beautiful bottle of perfume that one of the Aunties had stored away so Naledy wouldn't lose it.
Naledy's story is pretty sad. At a very young age, her father ran away and left her mother and her. Her mother brought her to Agape because she is HIV positive and in the final stages of AIDS. There is no other family for Naledy to go to. Naledy has only been at the orphanage for a year, and for each holiday she visits her mother at the public hospital. On her last trip, Naledy cut her time short because her mother's condition had severly worsened.

Andishwa and Unati - the 4 year old twins - are not identical and very sweet. They alternate in crying and I can never figure out why one is crying. All of sudden one of them bursts out in huge crocdile tears. The other shortly follows.
Andishwa is the little girl in the photo w/ me. The only successful photo post that I've had so far. I had a really sweet photo of them holding hands and going to the toilet together.

Well, we all survived our 12 hour adventure on Saturday with just 30 kids and no aunties. There was no sharks at the beach, no one got swung in the head w/ a mini golf club, we survived our first time experience with encountering escalators, and successfully gorged ourselves on KFC. It was an all around blissful day but I can easily say that us - the volunteers - were wiped out. Possibly the kids as well.
At 6am we woke up and made 80 sandwhiches and 5 litters of diluted orange drink for the kids. By 8am we rolled into Agape, piled the 30 kids and us - 6 volunteers - into the agape bus. The bus's legal maximum holds 22 people, but that didn't stop us. We then drove for an hour to Durban, which was the first time I saw it.

sorry guys the photo part of this blog is not going to happen. obviously the images didn't come up whole.
have a great day! miss you all.
love,
a

My apologies for my ramblings yesterday. There is so much to tell and I feel like I am racing against the clock here at the Internet cafe to get my blog posted along with the photos. I have failed numerous times with the photos...so you might not see another photo until I get home. Sorry about that.

Hello Everyone,
I have arrived safely and been immediately at work at the orphanage. I thought I would have more availability to the internet but that's not the case. I will probably post twice a week.

Good morning everyone,

I am getting ready to leave today and I still have a lot to get together. Hopefully, that will all happen soon. That would be ideal. Well, I want to thank you all for your unwavering support and love. I will keep you posted on my adventure as often as I can.

Enjoy May and I will see you all very soon!

cheers,
a

It's my first post and I am officially starting my count down to Agape project in Waterfall, South Africa. I am extremely excited to meet the children and return to Africa.
Thank you for making your donations and helping the children at Agape in South Africa! I hope when you have a chance to check in and read my posts while I am there.
cheers,
a.