How is William?

Last week I took Lethu for training to help William.

Lethu was found by William abandoned by his parents and William took him in and cared for him when he was only about 6 years old. Lethu is now 21 and a really intelligent young man although he never learnt to read or write. Lethu lives in the squatter community of Bonnievale and has no permanent job. When asked if he could do training to help William he was very eager to do it.

William was so happy to see us, especially also to see Ralph, who himself had to do a long time rehabilitation. Lethu stayed at the facility and slept in a bed next to William.

William can sit supported in a wheelchair. He can move the fingers of his left hand but he cannot use his left or right hand or arms. He can move his legs and when he is in the wheelchair he can move the chair with his feet. In bed he must be turned around every two hours and he needs help eating and drinking. He told me he cancelled his coffee in the evening because they (the staff) bring it, put it on the bedside table and he can smell it but there is no one to help him drink the coffee.....

The next day I went back there to visit the social welfare officer, the therapist and the doctor that are treating/helping William.

All of them were very impressed with Lethu and how quickly he learnt how to help William. It helps also a lot that William is very patient and also very reminding - telling Lethu every step he should do.

The social welfare officer explained that William will receive a wheelchair free of charge and he will receive a grant of R 1000.00 per month as well as a grant to pay a carer. R 350.00 per month. I was stunned - he needs full time care and R 350.00 is only a week's pay.

The therapist asked me about William's job when he comes back and for me it was heartbreaking to sit there and tell him that he has no job at the project at the moment. But I thought of the computer room and asked the therapist about possibilities to teach William to use a computer with his mouth. (William has never before used a computer and he told me the very next day that they already started on computer training.)

I saw his doctor, and told him about William's complaints that he is consistently cold. William is now on medication for the nerve endings in his feet and hands and he says he can sleep now a lot better. He also had to see the specialists at Tygerberg about his mandible and the problems he has talking, chewing and swallowing. He most probably will need another operation.

On Friday when I wanted to pick Lethu up again my car was broken into, and the ignition broken with, I think a srewdriver. I had to wait for police and mechanic and luckily my dear friend Edith took the volunteer to the airport and fetched Lethu. She has seen William and was surprised about how much better he is looking.

The damage to my car was such that Edith brought me home on Saturday and the car stayed behind in Cape Town for repairs.

Lethu told me that William really look forward to his first visit for a weekend to Bonnievale, the weekend of 10 June. That will still mean a lot of preparation, he is coming to stay with me/us and I still need to find a hospital bed and an extra small bed for Lethu to sleep on.

After the weekend he most probably will return to Cape Town until he finishes his rehab expected at the end of June.

Moin hier gruesst Lukas aus Hamburg!

Ich bin jetzt seit ca. zwei Wochen hier in Bonnievale und genauso so lange arbeite ich beim Projekt Bonniepeople auch schon mit. Eigentlich sind zwei Wochen nicht genug um sich voellig zu Hause zu fuehlen, aber in meinem Fall war das ein Selbstgaenger. Warum? Weil ich hier bei den van der Merwe's empfangen wurde wie zu Hause und das besonders schoene daran ist das es nicht nur mir so ergangen ist, sondern allen anderen Volunteeren der letzten  Jahre voraussichtlich auch. Diese Art ist fuer uns Volunteere einfach nur ansteckend und wir versuchen sie auch an die Kinder im Projekt weiterzuvermitteln. Wenn uns das gelingt haben wir meiner Meinung nach schon das Ziel unseres Aufenthalts hier erreicht, denn wenn diese Kinder warmherzig behandelt werden, erhalten sie etwas, was sie vielleicht von ihrem traurigen, fuer mich erschreckenden Alltag in den "Squatter Camp" ablenken kann. Es ist fuer mich jedes Mal wenn ich durch den "Squatter Camp" fahre ein Schock und ich wuenschte ich koennte wirklich dratisch etwas veraendern, doch wenn ich dann nach nur wenigen Hundert Metern zum Projekt zurueckkehre merke ich warum ich hier bin. Es sind die Kinder denen man taeglich mit unverhaeltnissmaessigen Kleinigkeiten eine Freude machen kann.
Diese Freude die ich den Kindern geben kann macht mir selbst Freude und wenn ich dann nach dem Projekt nach "Hause" komme, geht mein Tag freudig bei den van der Merwe's weiter..., also was will man mehr mein Aufenhalt in Bonnivale hat sich jetzt schon vollends gelohnt.   

Ein Tag am Projekt....

Heute musste Jurie bei den Wahlen helfen und darum haben Ebru und ich seinen Job als Fahrer fuer den Tag 'uebernommen'. Wir starteten um viertel nach 7 Richtung Squatter Camp und holten die aelteren Kinder, um Sie zur Schule zu bringen. Sie waren erst ueberrascht und wussten nicht dass wir Sie heute nach Happyvalley brachten aber nach kurzer Erklaerung sprangen Sie auch schon gleich in den Pick-up. Wir fuhren zur Schule und es waren mehr Leute als sonst auf den Strassen unterwegs. Spaeter erfuhren wir, dass heute der Tag war um das Geld fuer die Kinder abzuholen."Allpay" Jede Mutter machte sich natuerlich mit Ihren Kinder auf den Weg, da Sie das Geld dringend brauchen. Nachdem wir die Kinder abgesetzt hatten machten wir uns auf den Rueckweg und holten die kleineren Kinder  ab. Nach mehreren Runden hatten wir dann alle Kinder beisammen. Wir holten dann die Milch von der Cheese Factory, die wir jeden Tag (10 l) fuer die Kinder gesponsert bekommen. Darueber freuen Sich alle richtig, da die Milch sowohl fuer das Fruehstueck als auch fuer einen kleinen Drink am Nachmittag gebraucht werden kann. Vormittag werden auch gleich die Einkaeufe fuer das Mittagessen erledigt. Die Frauen kochen richtig lecker und es ist auch noch im afrikanischen Stil. Oft gibt es Chicken, Kartoffeln, Reis oder auch Spinat vom eigenen Garten. Vor dem Essen holten wir die Kinder von der Schule in Happy Valley  und brachten Sie nach Hause. Danach ging es nochmal zur Cheese Factory um die leeren Milchbehaelter fuer den naechsten Tag abzuliefern. Nachmittag halten die Kinder meistens noch ein Mittagsschlaefchen und nachdem Sie sich dann im Garten am Spielplatz oder auf dem Trampolin nochmal richtig austoben koennen ist der Tag im Project auch schon wieder zu Ende und die Kinder werden zurueck ins Camp gefahren. Somit geht auch fuer uns ein interessanter und schoener Tag zu Ende.

on a very wet and cold saturday...

Bronwyn and her family comes as volunteers to the project every second saturday. They have a programme where they split the group (sometimes up to 80 children) into smaller groups where they read a bible story, sing a song, play a bit, have something to eat and then return home.

Bronwyn asked if it was possible to use the facility at the project and of course I did not have any objections. They  already feel need for more space to work with the children so the new class room that is sponsored from Belgium to arrive in August will be also a benefit for them.

This Saturday it was pouring with rain and I wanted to introduce my volunteers: Sabrina, Lucas and Ebru(from Germany) to Bronwyn so we went to the project.

Bronwyn and her family had decided rather to make a big pot of soup and take it to the children as it was really no good weather to do anyting else.

 Oh, this orange smells so nice...

 Bronwyn on the far right, her mother holds the oranges.

 Jason and Lerato with their little sister, I forgot her name.

It was so nice to see children enjoying the soup.

So how was your day?

For me it started with a walk with my dogs at 06h00 because I knew I will not have time later in the day. Then I took the volunteer to the project and on the way there I drop the children at school. Before that I had to stop to pick up a farm worker that needed to go to Bonnievale and a little later I was stopped by a mother asking me to give her son his tie that he forgot....

At the project I showed Sabrina how good the Wendy House looks with new floor and walls being painted.

Izak is busy planting beetroot and spinach.

At 09h00 I have a meeting with Stacey our principal and we discuss various things especially the dancing course that Dance for All is starting with our "little ones" and Dina.... a 5 year old abused little girl.....What can we do for her ...Bonnievale has no Welfare officer, well today Dina did not come....so we will get to it tomorrow when she is there....

Kholeka brings me a bowl of porridge and I am ever so thankful because I left home without eating. Izak comes and alarms that Bianca is outside. 14 years old and her grandmother has put her out of her home, I take her to the police station and ask them to help Bianca because she will become a "problem"...Stacey later phoned to inform me that Bianca's grandmother will be admitted to hospital tomorrow - she has breast cancer. It turns out that the grandmother is a very caring person and that she is under a lot of stress because Bianca has a boyfriend and she comes back very late at night. I asked Stacey to follow up on the grandmother's hospitalisation and see if she or the children need some of our support.

On the farm Alida, our secretary and also Bookkeeper of the project discussed Budget for 2011/2012. I made lunch for the men and then the whole afternoon I was in the juice factory cutting pomegranates. Afterwards we also attended introduction course for food safety and I have to make plans how to get volunteer to the project tomorrow as I will be needed on the farm at 07h30.

My children left me some scraps to eat - enjoyed it thoroughly. Sabrina is already asleep - tomorrow she will be tickled pink with two young people from Germany to help her at the project.

Visit to William

Sunday Morning at 09h00 I picked William's children up in the squatter camp. On the way to the airport I realized I am missing my cellphone and realized I lost it in the squatter camp. Without a phone - what a crisis. I bought a cheap one at the airport so at least I can be contacted but alas with "rica" it took a full 24 hours before I could use the phone. Sabrina also missed her connection flight so we had to wait for 2 long hours in the airport. The children enjoyed every moment, they have never been to an airport. At 15h00 we saw William and I was so dissappointed because he looked excactly like he looked two weeks ago in Robertson. Lying flat on his back, the wound on the back of his head has not healed yet and he still has pain chewing and talking. We left him alone with the children until six and then picked them up to go for a sleep over with Edith in Milnerton. She volunteers at a childrens hospital in Milnerton.

Edith was our angel as she could visit William in hospital and also get him clothes that he needed.

On Monday we visited William again and surprise surprise! he was not in his bed. He was sitting in a wheelchair waiting for somebody to help him eat lunch. I was more than happy to help him eat. He can move the fingers of his left hand a little bit, but he cannot lift his arms. He can move his legs but cannot stand. We stayed with him until they had to put him back in bed at 14h00. The hospital where he is now is really doing great work, he said he could not wait for Tuesday because then they are going to do therapy in a warm pool and he likes that very much.

It will take a long time for him to get better and I do not think he will ever have full use back of his arms and hands - but lets hope and see what will happen.

William sends his regards and thanks to everybody that take care of him and of his children.