I wasn't able to get to a place with wifi yesterday so these will be posts from Wednesday and today, Thursday.
Yesterday:
So today I helped with the "soup kitchen" we do here every Wednesday to feed the people in the township. Instead of leaving feeling proud and accomplished I left mad and annoyed. This was my first time doing the soup kitchen and my only expectation was that there would be a line of people with bowls and hunger. When we pulled up there was a group of maybe 30-40 people (adults and children) gathered. There were 5 of us giving out the soup and bread including one of the staff members that helps run our organization. We set up outside in front of one of the day cares that we volunteer at. The township people were fine. They asked for extra soup like any hungry person would and everyone was able to be fed. But the volunteers, including the staff members were very impatient with the people and rushed them along as if we had somewhere else to get to. I was dishing from one pot and one other girl was dishing from another next to me. The other people were giving out the bread at the end of the table. There was no line. Instead people gathered around the table and handed us bowl after bowl. This may make me sound a little self righteous but I am very good at estimating portions and guessing how much can be given until we run out. So I knew how much could be given. Long story short, the girl who was supposed to be dishing from her pot continuously told me to not give soup to certain people and not give as much. And when she ran out of soup BEFORE me, she reached into my pot to give soup to people I had already helped.
I know I can't expect people to be a certain way and think and operate a certain way, but I don't get why someone would volunteer to help people they don't have any respect for...? And then as we were driving home the staff member talked about how the adults choose to live in the situation they are in and should be ashamed and she talked about how stupid they are for having so many children and not being able to support them. I was annoyed by this point.
I totally understand that as an adult you have the choice to change your circumstances. But with that said the people in the townships are products of a corrupt system that dropped then into these "townships" and refused to give any form of assistance. The staff member spoke of the people having the choice to have so many children and not do anything with their lives. I understand that too, but if you were raised by a teen mother, or for some no mother at all, weren't allowed to go to a school because you couldn't afford it and weren't given a chance to grow and develop in a positive environment you would end up doing what you see happening around you? I know I don't know everything about the SA government and the people of the townships but as a teacher in the preschool I'm able to see the children there and compare them to the children that I see walking the streets as we drive through the township.
If someone feels I'm over thinking it or just didn't get what the staff member was saying, by all means comment. Please!
Other than today everything in the classroom has been the same. I was left alone with 28 children two days in a row but it wasn't that bad (the right children's songs can work magic). Today I found out the teacher who I was starting to like smokes and drinks. I don't think I told you guys that she's 7 months pregnant. Yea, that's a whole other blog.
I'm for sure being challenged here and I know I've matured since being here. I missed a few blogs because I've been so sick, but I feel so much better now. I just needed cold medicine and sleep. My 3 day safari was amazing!! I faced so many fears that weekend! Most of my pictures are on Facebook but I'm going to post some on here too. That's about everything so I'll post again some time this weekend.
Today:
Me and Kristen both have favorites in our classroom and today was her favorite's (Dean) birthday! We really want to take Dean and my favorite, Lorenzo to the aquarium one weekend but we'll have to ask the school's principal and the boy's parents of course. I want to take them so bad. Dean is the little brother of 7 children and Lorenzo was adopted by an older lady because his mother abandoned him, so we know they have rarely if ever been able to experience something like that.
