March Already!?!

Time is going super, super fast now! I mean, we're almost half way through March already. I suppose it just goes to show how much fun I'm having and how much I have to do every single week. Anyway, lots to tell you about so lets get started!

I now have a class of 34 children at Injabulo, and that's the way it will stay now (I hope!). Although having such a large number of 3,4 and 5 year olds it has been manageable so far. With the fantastic help of Teacher Nelsiwe and Aunty Thembeka, Robyn and I have both had assistance in our classes every single day which makes teaching so much easier. Due to a lack of space in my class, Nelsiwe and I split the class and do two different activities at the same time, and then switch about. It works really well and means, even though there is such a large class size, the children are getting more attention in their smaller groups. We're now up to the letter 's', so s...s...SNAKE! They can all count to, at least, ten. They know the colours blue, red, yellow and green. And they can recognise and draw a circle. AND they can write 'A' and 'a'. Ahhhh, after a slow start to teaching here, everything has really picked up and we're making real progress! As for their English speaking ability, I can really see an improvement. If I ask 'What is your name?' then can reply 'My name is...'. If I tell them to make a line, I just get a chorus of 'MAKE A LINE!' as they all tell each other to get in line!

There has been lots of creativity work going on as well, with monkey masks and hand painting to make a class tree (the hands being the leaves). It does take a lot of organisation though to have 34 children making masks or using paint, but we've managed! I seem to have adopted many names from the Leopards class. From Aunty, to teacher, to madam! And the kids now seem to have taken to hanging around the class window during break times just chating to me and reciting off everything they know in English so far, which is actually really cute! So, yea, Injabulo is going really, really well and I love my class to pieces!

Teacher Nelsiwe and the Lizards Class (minus a few)

A couple of weeks ago I had a phone call from Matata Spar, who were phoning to say they had a donation for us! It seems we are now on first term names with Matata which is always good. “Hello”, “Hello, who is this?” “Em, Hannah” (I had no idea whose call it was I had missed). “Ahh, Hannah, how are you?” “Fine thanks. And you?” “I am fine thank you. Could you please come pick up your donation from Matata?” “Em, yea, sure. Thank you.” So anyway, we popped into Matat after Injabulo only to find they had donated 100kg of Maize meal and 40 bags of 1kg soup!!! So unexpected, but absolutely amazing! Half of it went to Soup Kitchen and the other half to Injabulo. So for the past couple of weeks both projects have had lovely tasting food! At Soup Kitchen we gave the Maize meal to Aunty Vina, who cooked some of it each time we came. Then we would add the soup the stew we make at hostel. All this made for some lovely tasting meals for everyone at Soup Kitchen which was really good. Recently they have been getting a proper meal, with stew, rice, pap, vegetables and lots of bread! Happy, happy days!

And at Injabulo their snack time meal has tasted a bit better with the addition of chicken flavoured soup to their usually very bland tasting pap or samp and beans.

At the Moriah Centre everything is running smoothly as per usual. It is a lovely break to teach there, with my class of 11 children instead of 34! I get a lot of my teaching ideas for Injabulo from Moriah Centre, using Aunty Liz's amazing lesson plans! Here, everything is kept so simple and yet they learn so much in such a short space of time. Recently, lesson plans have involved a lot of food. From me smearing chocolate pudding over Sanele's face and then allowing them all to try some, to giving the each 5c so they could all buy a cake from me. Food seems to be a good way to help them learn! It's always lovely to arrive Moriah in the morning, as my class all run to me, shouting 'Aunty Hannah' and give me a big hug. And working with Aunty Agnes is just amazing. She is the SiSwati teacher who I work with in the Leopards class. She is amazing with the kids and we have a great time teaching them together and singing and dancing most days! The kids are so enthusiastic as well. Whenever them are completing an activity they are constantly shouting 'Buga Aunty!' ('Look Aunty') so that you can see what they have done so far.

Zusakhe from The Moriah Centre Leopards Class

Funny story from Soup Kitchen is from the time Robyn and I managed to lock the keys to the truck inside the truck while we were at Soup Kitchen! It was an absolute disaster, with both our phones and money inside with the keys, and so we had no way of getting in contact with anyone, and we were half an hours drive away from Big Bend. We tried everything to get inside, with the help of all the kids as well, but there just seemed to be no way. Aunty Vina called a mechanic that she knew, and she told us he was 'just coming', but in Africa that doesn't mean any time soon. We had resigned ourselves to the fact we would have to break a window and face the brunt of Richard when we got back. However, as we were serving out the food, Aunty Vina's husband started to stick a metal pole between the window and door frame, trying to unlock the door that way. He tried for a while but it didn't seem to be working, and then it began to rain, and pretty much the situation was not good. BUT THEN Aunty Vina suddenly shouted 'VULA' (open) and I turned round to see that the door had been opened! I have never been so thankful in all my life, constantly thank Aunty Vina's husband. And so we drove away from Soup Kitchen (eventually), with no broken windows and nothing to tell of our tale of getting the keys locked in the truck. Was definitely a close call though!

The other weekend we took a lovely trip to the Royal Swazi Spa, Hotel and Country Club, which was very posh! Celma (the hostel mother, and our adopted mother while here) was playing bowls there and she invited us to come with her for the day. It was in Ezulwini Valley, and so it was nice to get out of Big Bend for a little while. The place was a little piece of 5 star paradise in Swaziland (even though all of Swaziland is paradise obviously!) We didn't actually play bowls but have said we will next time there is a game going  on. Considering I've lived right next to a bowling club for about 12 years, I can't believe it's taken coming to Swaziland to give it a shot!

Every Sunday, we now also go to church with Celma, and some other people we know in the village. The church is at the Moriah Centre and so many of the teachers go as well and it's nice to go and spend time there with everyone, although I still don't think I am a believer. Then on a Sunday evening we will have supper with Celma at her house, which makes a lovely change from hostel food!

Anyway, I think that's all that's been happening in Swaziland so far. Lots of things happening in the next couple of  weeks (or months actually) but they can all wait for my next blog!