tools for cutting grass -a machete - very effective albeit a bit primitive
Ephraim and Petrus at Ehlanzeni, having cleared the way into the school
The JCB clearing land at Sithembakye ready for new houseIn about 3 weeks 140 football fans from the UK will descend on this area for Lionsraw Special Project to South Africa 2010. They will make the most of enjoying the World Cup but in between the Durban matches they will be giving something back to the community out here.
There'll be several soccer camps running around the Valley and also 4 building projects. The foundations team for these projects is here now and ready to start! Over the past month or so, the team here already have been getting things ready for them.
One of the projects is to build a new house for the Children's home at Sithembakuye. There are about 12 kids sleeping on bunk beds in one small room at the moment and they desperately need more space. The JCB came a few weeks' ago to clear some more land ready for the foundation digging. It was one of the hottest days of recent weeks and everyone was completely covered in red dust by the end of it. Still, it was very exciting for the kids to watch a digger in action!
Another project is to put a roof onto a primary school building in the valley in Ehlanzeni. There's an existing building structure which needs finishing to provide a school for Grades R-2 within walking distance of most of the kids's homes. At present some of the children take the long hike up the mountain to the primary school where I work, others cram into a community hall with one teacher and a lot of kids! In order to start work there, the high grasses and weeds needed to be removed first of all and we asked the local parents and community to help out with this. It didn't take 2 of them long to cut down the grasses that surrounded the building and that project is now all ready to go as soon as the team gets here in June.
I'll be writing more about these projects as they happen, and about the soccer camps. I'll be helping out the team by taking photos so there'll be much to report on! It's only 21 days now till kick-off....
