South Africa
Door: Daniel Geurts
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Daniël
12 Februari 2016 | Zuid-Afrika, Genadendal
Last Saturday we arrived in Genadendal. The flight was not too bad, but it took very long and I could not sleep that well. When we landed all the boys and girls from their school were waiting for us, and together with them we drover to our hostel.
The Sunday (day 1) we went to the point where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic ocean met: "Cape Agulhas". We swum there and we ate something in a restaurant/cafe.
On day 2 we went to school with our 'buddies'. My buddy is very nice and also tells something about himself, instead of some other buddies who did not really talk. The lessons were pretty boring, because we did not get any attention at all from the teachers. However the children in the school were excited to see us and they found us very interesting.
On day 3 we went to schools in the slums of Cape Town where 'Rio' had a football-program to teach children about life. Half of the time he teaches them about eating healthy, to stay away from drugs and alcohol, how to participate in society, etc. The second half of the lesson he goes outside with the children to play football. We could join one lesson (on 2 different schools), in which Rio told about staying healthy and fit. He gives this lesson on more than 5 school, which is very repetitive. Still he could get the attention of the children every time and get across his message. In the afternoon we went to safe hub, another football organisation in the slums. This was very nice, we played football and the owners told us about the purpose of the organisation and the norms and values, which they teach the children.
On day 4 we went to school again. The lessons were boring again and I slept in 2 of the 6. After the lessons we had a sporting program, which Freek organised, this was nice. My buddy liked it too. In the afternoon I went to my buddy's home. He lived in a very small house together with his grandma and little sister. His 2 older sisters lived in cape town with his parents, and his grandpa lived in a village 45 minutes driving away. All to make money. His older brother is studying in Cape Town. We walked in the nature and had a small pick-nick kind of thing.
On day 5 we went to the table mountain. It looked super cool. We also ate something there. After we were there we ate something in a mall near Cape Town. We went to a restaurant named Quay Four I had a salad and water. In the evening we went to a school party, but this was not very nice for us to attend, as the differences in culture made it uncomfortable for us. Especially for the girls.
On friday we went to social services in the morning. I went tot MoM, an organization which helps handicapped people to get the best out of themselves. They are gathering every afternoon from monday to thursday to make products out of normal objects. Like glasses from glass bottles. We made decorations for valentines day. After this we went to the schools to look for a group which we could teach on thursday. Our school was close because it was in Genadendal. We chose a nice group to teach and we talked to the children and the teacher. After this I worked on my blog.
The day after we went to Dyer Island, the home of many seals. We went there on a boat an had a chance to 'sea' the seals, dolphins and penguins. It was very cold and some people even felt seasick. When we got back at the building of the boat trip organization, we got some soup and bread (which I couldn't eat). Before dinner we went to Hermanus, there was a market where we could buy some souvenirs. For dinner we went out to eat, which was very fun. I had chicken.
On sunday we went to Waterfront, from there we took a boat to Robbeneiland. The most of the time is sat inside as it was very cold. When I went outside, to the front side, I saw a whale.
On Robbeneiland we got a bus tour, which was nice and the guide was funny. At the prison, where Mandela was locked up as well, we got a tour too. This one was very boring however, which was a shame. The guide of this tour looked and sounded like he did not really enjoy the guiding of the tour. He was not understandable because he talked too soft and his English was not that good. We could see the cell of Mandela and other parts of the prison, but this was not that exciting, as the guide was not that nice to listen too. Back in Waterfront, we went to the centre of Cape Town, where we could eat something.
On monday we went to our social services again. However, I HAD to go to another social services this time for 'unknown' and untold reasons. Instead of going to MoM I went to the gaarkeuken with Eva (S) and our buddies. This was very fun tho and I enjoyed myself. We had to help a few ladies to make a meal for the people in Genadendal, who can't afford it themselves. This of course is a very generous act, especially because they did it with their own money. In the evening we had a braai with our buddies, all taken care of by the one and only Joey. This was pretty fun as most buddies were nice to talk to.
Tuesday we went on a safari, which was disappointing as it was almost like a zoo. The animals we saw were lions, zebras, rhinos, antelopes, elephants and more. In the evening we ate the rest of the food from the braai on monday. The only special thing about this day was that we could sleep longer in the morning, we had to leave at 9.30, which meant sleeping till 9.00. This was a very, very nice change, with a normal time to wake up, being 6.30. In the afternoon I went to a small park. The people of Genadendal called this place the pear tree.
Wednesday we went to Cape Point. When we arrived we could hike to the top of a cliff. On the top was a lighthouse, which we could not enter unfortunately. The hike to the top was more than an hour, but the view was amazing! When we got back to the vans, we drove to a little villages near the ocean where we could visit a market or swim with penguins. In the evening we had dinner in a restaurant in the same villages.
Thursday morning, the first thing we did was al go to our primary school and teach to the group we chose. We gave education about typical dutch food to children around the age of 9. They could taste the food and were very excited about it all, it was a nice experience. We also went outside with them to play a tagging game. In the afternoon I did not do much, but I did pack a big part of my stuff already. In the evening we ate bobotie, a typical South African meal.
The last day. In the morning we went to the Emile Weder school, where they had an assembly, because a boy which went to that school, died earlier that week. Therefore the assembly was dedicated to him for a big part, but also to us. A few buddies had something to say to us and about us to the whole school, also they thanked us. After this we had to come to the front one by one (with our buddies, so really 2 by 2). After this we said goodbye and drove to Waterfront in Cape Town once again, and for the last time. We could walk around there for a bit and buy something if we still had money left to spend. Then, finally, we drove to the airport. The flight was not that bad as we could watch movies or sleep. When I came back in The Netherlands it was nice to see my family again. I said everyone goodbye, some not good enough it noticed afterwards (as I kind of 'missed' some of the people being around me constantly), and then I went home.
The Sunday (day 1) we went to the point where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic ocean met: "Cape Agulhas". We swum there and we ate something in a restaurant/cafe.
On day 2 we went to school with our 'buddies'. My buddy is very nice and also tells something about himself, instead of some other buddies who did not really talk. The lessons were pretty boring, because we did not get any attention at all from the teachers. However the children in the school were excited to see us and they found us very interesting.
On day 3 we went to schools in the slums of Cape Town where 'Rio' had a football-program to teach children about life. Half of the time he teaches them about eating healthy, to stay away from drugs and alcohol, how to participate in society, etc. The second half of the lesson he goes outside with the children to play football. We could join one lesson (on 2 different schools), in which Rio told about staying healthy and fit. He gives this lesson on more than 5 school, which is very repetitive. Still he could get the attention of the children every time and get across his message. In the afternoon we went to safe hub, another football organisation in the slums. This was very nice, we played football and the owners told us about the purpose of the organisation and the norms and values, which they teach the children.
On day 4 we went to school again. The lessons were boring again and I slept in 2 of the 6. After the lessons we had a sporting program, which Freek organised, this was nice. My buddy liked it too. In the afternoon I went to my buddy's home. He lived in a very small house together with his grandma and little sister. His 2 older sisters lived in cape town with his parents, and his grandpa lived in a village 45 minutes driving away. All to make money. His older brother is studying in Cape Town. We walked in the nature and had a small pick-nick kind of thing.
On day 5 we went to the table mountain. It looked super cool. We also ate something there. After we were there we ate something in a mall near Cape Town. We went to a restaurant named Quay Four I had a salad and water. In the evening we went to a school party, but this was not very nice for us to attend, as the differences in culture made it uncomfortable for us. Especially for the girls.
On friday we went to social services in the morning. I went tot MoM, an organization which helps handicapped people to get the best out of themselves. They are gathering every afternoon from monday to thursday to make products out of normal objects. Like glasses from glass bottles. We made decorations for valentines day. After this we went to the schools to look for a group which we could teach on thursday. Our school was close because it was in Genadendal. We chose a nice group to teach and we talked to the children and the teacher. After this I worked on my blog.
The day after we went to Dyer Island, the home of many seals. We went there on a boat an had a chance to 'sea' the seals, dolphins and penguins. It was very cold and some people even felt seasick. When we got back at the building of the boat trip organization, we got some soup and bread (which I couldn't eat). Before dinner we went to Hermanus, there was a market where we could buy some souvenirs. For dinner we went out to eat, which was very fun. I had chicken.
On sunday we went to Waterfront, from there we took a boat to Robbeneiland. The most of the time is sat inside as it was very cold. When I went outside, to the front side, I saw a whale.
On Robbeneiland we got a bus tour, which was nice and the guide was funny. At the prison, where Mandela was locked up as well, we got a tour too. This one was very boring however, which was a shame. The guide of this tour looked and sounded like he did not really enjoy the guiding of the tour. He was not understandable because he talked too soft and his English was not that good. We could see the cell of Mandela and other parts of the prison, but this was not that exciting, as the guide was not that nice to listen too. Back in Waterfront, we went to the centre of Cape Town, where we could eat something.
On monday we went to our social services again. However, I HAD to go to another social services this time for 'unknown' and untold reasons. Instead of going to MoM I went to the gaarkeuken with Eva (S) and our buddies. This was very fun tho and I enjoyed myself. We had to help a few ladies to make a meal for the people in Genadendal, who can't afford it themselves. This of course is a very generous act, especially because they did it with their own money. In the evening we had a braai with our buddies, all taken care of by the one and only Joey. This was pretty fun as most buddies were nice to talk to.
Tuesday we went on a safari, which was disappointing as it was almost like a zoo. The animals we saw were lions, zebras, rhinos, antelopes, elephants and more. In the evening we ate the rest of the food from the braai on monday. The only special thing about this day was that we could sleep longer in the morning, we had to leave at 9.30, which meant sleeping till 9.00. This was a very, very nice change, with a normal time to wake up, being 6.30. In the afternoon I went to a small park. The people of Genadendal called this place the pear tree.
Wednesday we went to Cape Point. When we arrived we could hike to the top of a cliff. On the top was a lighthouse, which we could not enter unfortunately. The hike to the top was more than an hour, but the view was amazing! When we got back to the vans, we drove to a little villages near the ocean where we could visit a market or swim with penguins. In the evening we had dinner in a restaurant in the same villages.
Thursday morning, the first thing we did was al go to our primary school and teach to the group we chose. We gave education about typical dutch food to children around the age of 9. They could taste the food and were very excited about it all, it was a nice experience. We also went outside with them to play a tagging game. In the afternoon I did not do much, but I did pack a big part of my stuff already. In the evening we ate bobotie, a typical South African meal.
The last day. In the morning we went to the Emile Weder school, where they had an assembly, because a boy which went to that school, died earlier that week. Therefore the assembly was dedicated to him for a big part, but also to us. A few buddies had something to say to us and about us to the whole school, also they thanked us. After this we had to come to the front one by one (with our buddies, so really 2 by 2). After this we said goodbye and drove to Waterfront in Cape Town once again, and for the last time. We could walk around there for a bit and buy something if we still had money left to spend. Then, finally, we drove to the airport. The flight was not that bad as we could watch movies or sleep. When I came back in The Netherlands it was nice to see my family again. I said everyone goodbye, some not good enough it noticed afterwards (as I kind of 'missed' some of the people being around me constantly), and then I went home.
Reageer op dit reisverslag
Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
