Today, July 18, is Nelson Mandela's birthday and the country celebrates this holiday by doing community service. Everyone is encouraged to go out and do something to make this country of Mandela a better place. It doesn't matter what you do, just something to help the community. I'll be interested to ask at breakfast to see if the people that run this hostel disguising as a B and B are doing. Mandela's casts a strong shadow still here, he is revered by everyone. It is blustery and windy and rainy today here in Cape Town. Marilyn Votaw, founder and head of Tremendous Hearts, met me at the B and B and drove me out to see the projects I missed when I was stuck in Amsterdam. First we went to Khayelitsha Township again to see Sibongile Project. This seems to be their most successful project. It is a series of 4 homes for severely disabled children, most with cerebral palsy and a creche (day care center) for the severely disabled children. The day care has about 15 children. We visited it first and it was heart wrenching to see the children, even as they were in good positions, some propped up in homemade standing chairs, some propped with sand bags on pads on the ground, and half lying on pads on the ground. The place was clean, full of bright art work on the walls and as we arrived, one teacher was singing a wonderful African song. The children seemed happy and aware and while their plight tore up heart, I was happy they were being cared for so well. Tremendous Hearts volunteer Becky, a physical therapist, has worked here for two years. That she is trusted and respected by the caregivers and children was very clear. She has helped develop the procedures that have helped the children so much, yet the African women who work here clearly know they are in charge. It was a success of the Tremendous Hearts model for development. We went through two of their four care houses,where 15 or so children live, cared for 24/7. I had never seen children so severely disabled and was very touched by their interaction with us. Too bad we didn't have candy for them, that was what they wanted. Bright smiles from them are like smiles from God.
After having a bite of eat at the Learning to Earn restuarant, we headed out the opposite direction to Paarl, near Steinbosch in the shadow of the Drachenberg muntains. We headed to Mbekweni, to see the famous go go soup kitchen. There was only one of the ive go goes there. Marthat had come to meet me. It was a big day because they just had gotten a new propane stove much bigger than what they had. They talked about their dreams (Marilyn, Joye (her mother the volunteer there and Martha) of moving to the Catholic Devleopment site nearby and have two containers. The soup kitchen that feeds 150 children per day is in a container, like those used on container ships. I'll never look at a container the same way again. I was happy to see the site, but without the go gos there and the children, it was just a turquoise blue contaner. I am deeply touched by these projects, but can't see what I could dod to help there. So much of the volunteer work involves social welfare skills or fund raising skills. Marilkyn and I spoke about what drew me, what I could do and she arranged a meeting for me with Robert Steiner, pastor of the Rodebosch church. I look forward to meeting him tomorrow afternoon and then I head home. I am tired and ready to be home.
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