Blog Post #3
This past week of our program was bittersweet. While in Kranshoek, we spent our week days waking up early for community service followed by evenings connecting with our families. We planned and executed multiple projects at various locations within the small community we resided in. We also were without electricity for a short while!
In a journal entry, Alex shared “Today was day two without power. While it is obviously not ideal, I think this is a great experience that brought me much closer to my host cousins, all of the extended family, and even closer to my immediate host family. Not having access to the TV or our phones has made us closer and led us to have very deep and long conversations. While I hope to get power soon, being without power in a foreign country for a few days is a very interesting experience and one that I don’t think I will ever forget”.
As the week wrapped up, the power returned and our group had perfected their skit performance for the weekend celebration. Families spent their entire day preparing and everyone was dressed in their best!
Josephine reflected, “As my homestay draws to a close, I’m realizing how much I’m going to miss spending time with my host family, eating their wonderful food, and learning about their culture and Kranshoek. I’m glad we’re leaving our mark with our murals and drawings at the primary school, which hopefully will be fun for the little kids to look at and play with”.
With tears and loving farewells, our group set off through five provinces (Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, and Kwazulu Natal) to arrive in the Drakensburg Mountains! Time for some much needed rest and recuperation!
The team on Nelson Mandela Day, supporting a local community member by painting the inside of her house!
Maddie, Josephine, Sam, Meghan and Hannah with their finalized Smurf inspired whimsical scene
Kency, Payton, their South African group leader Vusi, Destiny and Leslie after proudly completing a brand new hopscotch through Grade R!
Christian, Group Leader Laura, Aria, Alex, Lauren and Jahdeem with the Kranshoek Primary Logo!
Our farewell banner to our Homestay community! With Love – EIL 2018 ?
