We think it would have been simpler to be here in term time, when volunteers typically turn up at Beth Uriel from 3-9 pm to help with homework and study time, ensuring the guys have dinner and showers, too, at the required times. As it is, the whole regular timetable has been thrown up in the air because of the summer/Christmas holidays and it's unclear what we can most usefully help with other than one-to-one contact and driving their beaten up combi and bakkie (minibus and covered pick up truck, in which the boys sit on crates in the back). Two other volunteers, Tim and Patrick, who are gap year students from Germany and have been here for a few months, have been working together on putting on a holiday programme to keep everyone busy and entertained.
The main aim is to find places that are willing to give free or discounted entry to the B.U. crowd. They've done a great job. So far we have had a free lunch at a restaurant by the beach at Camps Bay (on the Atlantic), a free trip to the Aquarium & the Planetarium in Cape Town, not to mention free use of wetsuits & surf boards at Muizenberg (the most fun).
We took a group of boys to their church, Friends First United, on Sunday evening which was quite an experience - a 5 piece rock/pop band performed a very long song (20 minutes at least) about being in love with Jesus, then an enthusiatic & unremittingly cheerful pastor delivered a 50 minute presentation on the story of David & Goliath. He seemed to relish the gore of the story! The approach seems to work since the place was full, mainly of young people. Then there was free cake & coffee for 1st time visitors to the church - we're thinking of doing a tour of all the churches.
We tried to help out at B.U's market stall for their screen-printed Makasi goods on Sunday during the day. They usually go to Greenpoint Stadium where there is a huge market with 100s of stalls - every one of which we visited, in the baking sun, in our search for "our stall" - but they had cancelled going at the last moment without our knowledge!
Our next venture is to help the boys sign up for library cards & e-mail accounts - that's our responsibility entirely - we'll let you know how it goes...............
Apart from that we have been playing table tennis & sharing a few meals. Generally, they rely on free food being donated (from supermarkets, for instance, giving stock that's past it's sell by date) but it has all been good so far, with plenty of bread, fruit & yoghurt on offer.
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