James & Matt in Cape Town, South Africa: All Work No Play….

We have had an amazing second week in Cape Town. We’ve had three computer teaching classes this week and the improvement is becoming apparent in all the students. They’ve become far more independent with the exercises and are completing them a great deal faster. The commitment they’re showing is wonderful and we’re honoured to be part of such a great programme.

We have spent time in the office at Ikaya Labuntu this week trying to help the team become more efficient with the aid of computers. It was such a joy to see that we could make a difference and to see Mama Nobuntu’s beaming smile as we taught her computer basics and set up her own personal email account. Later on in the week we created a brochure for the shelter, which will hopefully achieve an increase in donations and general recognition.

As well as seeing the children that we saw last week, we also got the opportunity to spend time with the younger children aged 1-3 years old. We had so much fun with all the children and had the privilege of donating knitted hats, made by Shelley and friends, to the children to keep them warm during the winter. The children are constantly smiling at the crèche; it really is making a positive impact on their lives and seeing the kids is something we’re going to miss hugely.

During our free time the fun hasn’t stopped. During the weekdays we visited Robben Island, Ratanga Junction theme park, went go karting, went to a hilarious comedy night on Long Street and have finally experienced a traditional Braai (a BBQ to us). We also went paragliding which was an amazing experience and the view we saw of Camp’s Bay was stunning. On Friday night we went to Mariam’s daughter’s engagement party with Ronel, it was fascinating to witness the works of a culture we are pretty alien to so we were anxious at first, however we ended up having a great night and would like to thank Mariam and all her family for inviting us and making us feel so welcome.

 

We have been so fortunate in all the activities we’ve been able to experience in Cape Town and we can’t thank the team enough for making this possible. We can’t wait to make the most of our last week and will be extremely sad to leave this place!