Tuesday, 30 April 2013
My Artwork:
I'm sat in the house waiting for the kids to go to sleep so I can go and now we've got new and improved internet that we can now use inside (sometimes it even works when it's raining!) I decided to edit the picture of the sunset we saw to what it should have looked like if it hadn't been so flipping cloudy! Here it is:
Praise and Worship.
Yesterday was one of the longest but best days of my year here I think. I started at 6 and when I got to the house, everyone was already up and getting dressed-although I missed waking them up, a task I quite enjoy! I went to room 3 to check both boys were doing something productive and not just standing in their PJ's beatboxing, only to find their was only one boy in there! I asked the child where his room-mate was and he happily told me the boy had gone home for the weekend. Now some of the children do go to a foster family or their volunteers on the weekends, but it's the same children every weekend and if it's a special event, we usually know by Thursday on the weekend plan and we pack their bag that night. It turns out it was a very last minute arrangement!
The rest of the day went pretty much as planned except for it was a Monday, so everything was a bit stressful. In the evening, we had 2 homework aunties coming as well as the church auntie AND it was the night of Praise and Worship: this is when all the children have to go to the activity hall and sing religious songs for an hour or so with all the church aunties and uncles. Because we had all these extra activities we had to run everything a little early so although we did allow the kinders outside but only in the small area outside the house. The house used to be the C.H.I.L.L.I unit so it is completely fenced off from the other houses and has it's own-slightly run down-playing area. We kept them in this area so we could call them into shower quickly and easily. There is a frame that used to hold swings and one of the children wanted to climb up it to sit on top. He jumped onto my back so I was giving him a piggy back, then clambered up to sit on my shoulders. Once there, he stood up so he could hoist himself up and sit atop the beam. Of course when the other kinders saw him up there, they all wanted to join in! I ended up being the climbing frame for 5 children, helping them up, then standing beneath them so they could drop down and land on something soft and squishy! After maybe 20 minutes of this, I suggested a new game. I explained we had to stand very still. Then we had to kneel down, then lie down. Then sleep! For some bizzare reason the 4 boys didn't want to play this game, instead they decided jumping on me was much more fun. I spent the next 10 minutes rolling around on the grass playing with them and trying to escape! I had so much fun :)
Today when I went to speak to the kid's social worker, I saw the head social worker and she said she'd been watching us play for most of the time and was amazed I could lift and support so many of them so often...my shoulders ached so much this morning though!
The rest of the day went pretty much as planned except for it was a Monday, so everything was a bit stressful. In the evening, we had 2 homework aunties coming as well as the church auntie AND it was the night of Praise and Worship: this is when all the children have to go to the activity hall and sing religious songs for an hour or so with all the church aunties and uncles. Because we had all these extra activities we had to run everything a little early so although we did allow the kinders outside but only in the small area outside the house. The house used to be the C.H.I.L.L.I unit so it is completely fenced off from the other houses and has it's own-slightly run down-playing area. We kept them in this area so we could call them into shower quickly and easily. There is a frame that used to hold swings and one of the children wanted to climb up it to sit on top. He jumped onto my back so I was giving him a piggy back, then clambered up to sit on my shoulders. Once there, he stood up so he could hoist himself up and sit atop the beam. Of course when the other kinders saw him up there, they all wanted to join in! I ended up being the climbing frame for 5 children, helping them up, then standing beneath them so they could drop down and land on something soft and squishy! After maybe 20 minutes of this, I suggested a new game. I explained we had to stand very still. Then we had to kneel down, then lie down. Then sleep! For some bizzare reason the 4 boys didn't want to play this game, instead they decided jumping on me was much more fun. I spent the next 10 minutes rolling around on the grass playing with them and trying to escape! I had so much fun :)
Today when I went to speak to the kid's social worker, I saw the head social worker and she said she'd been watching us play for most of the time and was amazed I could lift and support so many of them so often...my shoulders ached so much this morning though!
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Family Day.
Yesterday was family day at the Home so all the kids families could come and see them and we had a load of activities planned. The kids had organised some dances and a modelling show and then, as always, we did some boeresports.
In the evening, about 8 of us went to Signal Hill to watch the sunset. The veiw was breathtaking!
It was really cloudy! In some places you could see the cloud falling over the road. But when the cloud cleared for a few seconds, it was amazing. The whole of Cape Town was blanketed in cloud!
In the evening, about 8 of us went to Signal Hill to watch the sunset. The veiw was breathtaking!
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
IMPORTANT: NEW DOMAIN!
On the first of May I plan on changing the domain to: damsonincapetown.blogspot.com so if you find my blog through googling damsonsafricanvolunteering it may not come up, just to let you know :)
Monday, 22 April 2013
Final Decisions.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been going through the processes I would need to, to come back for another year and a half. I will return in February 2014 and plan to leave August 2015, so 18 months. I say 'plan to leave' because my manager has said it can be quite difficult as a senior volunteer because you're not entirely part of the group and everything will have changed, so I've agreed that I will definitely stay for 9 months so I'm here to help co-ordinate the annual change-over of volunteers (around July, August nearly all the volunteers leave to be replaced with new ones) and after that, she doesn't mind if I feel the need to leave before August 2015.
I've also been talking to her about where I'll work when I come back. I've been told I can work in the volunteer manager's office or in Stepping Stones-the house I've spent this year working in. After a lot of processing and debating I had decided to work in the office: I didn't think I could handle another year maybe more of working in Stepping Stones, it's one of (if not the) hardest houses to work in with the longest hours and the most challenging kids. Also working in the office would give me a whole new skill set and experience. I spoke about it with my manager and yet again she shot my little idea straight out of the sky! She had decided that (as long as I agreed) she wanted me working virtually everywhere. Ideally she would like me working some days in the office and some days in Stepping Stones as well as helping give training to volunteers. I think this is a wonderful idea as I've been having some discussions recently with my child-care worker and the kids social worker about what's going to happen when I leave. I'm currently the longest standing person to have worked in the house since it started, what with a change of CCWs and the fact that the other volunteer has moved onto night-shift. my CCW is very happy with the work I'm doing and has said that I'm not allowed to leave. She also wants to talk to my manager about having me full time in stepping stones when I return. The children's social worker is also frustrated I'm leaving, I was called to speak to her today and she said I have such a wonderful relationship with my kids and I've done so much in the house and changed so much she would also love to have me back in that house!
I realise this is a total self bragging post and I'm slightly ashamed of it, but I'm just so flipping proud of myself! I don't think I've put so much of myself into something before and I'm almost certain I've never done something so beneficial that didn't have me at the centre of it. My friend's mum said to me before I left, that my motto for the year HAS to be: "what can you do for me?". Sometimes I have to make the conscious effort to put myself first, to be utterly selfish. Otherwise, she said, I would go fully insane. But most of the time I think I get enough of a reward just from working in the house, I don't need to be so selfish. It's odd!
I've also been talking to her about where I'll work when I come back. I've been told I can work in the volunteer manager's office or in Stepping Stones-the house I've spent this year working in. After a lot of processing and debating I had decided to work in the office: I didn't think I could handle another year maybe more of working in Stepping Stones, it's one of (if not the) hardest houses to work in with the longest hours and the most challenging kids. Also working in the office would give me a whole new skill set and experience. I spoke about it with my manager and yet again she shot my little idea straight out of the sky! She had decided that (as long as I agreed) she wanted me working virtually everywhere. Ideally she would like me working some days in the office and some days in Stepping Stones as well as helping give training to volunteers. I think this is a wonderful idea as I've been having some discussions recently with my child-care worker and the kids social worker about what's going to happen when I leave. I'm currently the longest standing person to have worked in the house since it started, what with a change of CCWs and the fact that the other volunteer has moved onto night-shift. my CCW is very happy with the work I'm doing and has said that I'm not allowed to leave. She also wants to talk to my manager about having me full time in stepping stones when I return. The children's social worker is also frustrated I'm leaving, I was called to speak to her today and she said I have such a wonderful relationship with my kids and I've done so much in the house and changed so much she would also love to have me back in that house!
I realise this is a total self bragging post and I'm slightly ashamed of it, but I'm just so flipping proud of myself! I don't think I've put so much of myself into something before and I'm almost certain I've never done something so beneficial that didn't have me at the centre of it. My friend's mum said to me before I left, that my motto for the year HAS to be: "what can you do for me?". Sometimes I have to make the conscious effort to put myself first, to be utterly selfish. Otherwise, she said, I would go fully insane. But most of the time I think I get enough of a reward just from working in the house, I don't need to be so selfish. It's odd!
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Behaviour.
I want to do a post on children's behaviour and how events in their life can affect their behaviour. Also, what we try and do to help them. I should point out I have never had any education in child psychology or behaviour or anything like that, everything I say comes from experience.
On Tuesday, one of my girls (9 years old) had to go to court. I don't know why or what happened to her, I assume it's got something to do with the reason for why she's in the Home. This girl, lets call her Alice, can be a particularly difficult child. Her mood swings so much, I find it hard to keep up. Sometimes she hates me, then an hour later she's really friendly and wants me to read her a story. The days before she had to go to court were very hard for her I think. She seemed particularly angry at everything and everyone, the littlest thing would set her off into a screaming tantrum which was also unusual behaviour for her. Usually she would lash out at the other children or retreat to be on her own, but the few days before the court day, Alice's anger and frustrations seemed to be more directed towards herself. One particular incident occurred on Monday night. All the children shower every day after outside time (about 5/5.30) and in the younger houses, the volunteers stay in the bathroom with the kids to make sure the room is tidied, the kids don't take too long in the shower and that they actually wash. With soap. I'd hit the jackpot of showering the girls (there's only 5 girls and they shower relatively quickly with little input from me, whereas there are 7 boys who you basically have to wash yourself or resort to major bribery to make anything happen) and the first 4 went with no trouble. Alice had been fairly well behaved that day which I was slightly surprised about, the child-care worker on duty had warned me that morning about the court date so we had been expecting worse.
Alice didn't want to get into the shower, she wanted to carry on playing with one of the other girls who was already done. I persuaded her to hop in and wash really quickly, and the quicker she showered, the quicker she could carry on playing. I also explained to her, we had to be quick anyway because the shower was broken, the water wasn't going down the plug properly, so if she took too long she would flood the bathroom. She showered quickly, but decided she wanted to stand under the hot water for a little longer. I told her she was about to flood the bathroom and I asked her to turn off the water, and the tantrum we had been waiting for all day exploded. She jumped and kicked the water making it splash everywhere and left the water on so it was pouring out of the shower, over the towels I had laid down (just in case of spillages), through the bathroom and out of the door. In hindsight, I should have just taken my shoes off, rolled up my trousers and hopped in the shower and turned the water off myself. In the moment, this didn't occur to me and I didn't want to get wet. I ran down the corridor to get more towels to try and hold back the river streaming out the door. By the time I got back to the bathroom Alice was out of the shower and curled up in a towel, on the floor at the other end of the room, sobbing uncontrollably.
Only now, did the brilliant idea of actually doing something productive occur to me, so I flicked my shoes off and turned the shower off. I had been pretty angry and Alice that she hadn't listened to me and turned the shower off, but she looked so vulnerable all of a sudden, I just felt sorry for her. There seems to be two main ways of reacting to the kids when something like this happens. You can get stressed and shout at them, tell them off and make them clean the mess/fix the mistake on their own, or you can reassure the child, that they're not in huge amounts of trouble and help them clean/fix. When I write this, and probably when you read this, it is obvious you should do the second. But in the heat of the moment I'm sure everybody does the first sometimes. Especially when you've got 12 kids! This time, I had the sense to do the second. I started trying to push most of the water back into the bathroom with several sodden towels while she got dressed, then I went downstairs to tell the CCW what had happened and get the mop. I was told to make Alice clean it up. I had Alice mop the floor and soak up as much water as possible while I wrung all the towels out.
The next day, I was expecting really bad behaviour. I was expecting tears, tantrums and fights. What I got was the total opposite! She was really nice and beautifully behaved all day. She let me help her with her homework (something she has refused since the holidays 3 weeks ago) and she even put up with my halting Afrikaans and my need to stop every now and then to go and get a translation. We started a new card system in the house that day (green card for good behaviour, blue for disrupting routine means no playing outside and red for disrespect means early bedtime and yellow-I can't remember what for but it results in a removal or privileges) and she was one of the only children with a green card. She was so proud of herself, and I was so proud of her. When I said goodnight to her that evening, she wanted her usual hug but she also wanted a kiss, the first time since she arrived and I told her how proud of her I was and how magnificent her behaviour had been. I've never seen a bigger smile on anyone's face!
On Tuesday, one of my girls (9 years old) had to go to court. I don't know why or what happened to her, I assume it's got something to do with the reason for why she's in the Home. This girl, lets call her Alice, can be a particularly difficult child. Her mood swings so much, I find it hard to keep up. Sometimes she hates me, then an hour later she's really friendly and wants me to read her a story. The days before she had to go to court were very hard for her I think. She seemed particularly angry at everything and everyone, the littlest thing would set her off into a screaming tantrum which was also unusual behaviour for her. Usually she would lash out at the other children or retreat to be on her own, but the few days before the court day, Alice's anger and frustrations seemed to be more directed towards herself. One particular incident occurred on Monday night. All the children shower every day after outside time (about 5/5.30) and in the younger houses, the volunteers stay in the bathroom with the kids to make sure the room is tidied, the kids don't take too long in the shower and that they actually wash. With soap. I'd hit the jackpot of showering the girls (there's only 5 girls and they shower relatively quickly with little input from me, whereas there are 7 boys who you basically have to wash yourself or resort to major bribery to make anything happen) and the first 4 went with no trouble. Alice had been fairly well behaved that day which I was slightly surprised about, the child-care worker on duty had warned me that morning about the court date so we had been expecting worse.
Alice didn't want to get into the shower, she wanted to carry on playing with one of the other girls who was already done. I persuaded her to hop in and wash really quickly, and the quicker she showered, the quicker she could carry on playing. I also explained to her, we had to be quick anyway because the shower was broken, the water wasn't going down the plug properly, so if she took too long she would flood the bathroom. She showered quickly, but decided she wanted to stand under the hot water for a little longer. I told her she was about to flood the bathroom and I asked her to turn off the water, and the tantrum we had been waiting for all day exploded. She jumped and kicked the water making it splash everywhere and left the water on so it was pouring out of the shower, over the towels I had laid down (just in case of spillages), through the bathroom and out of the door. In hindsight, I should have just taken my shoes off, rolled up my trousers and hopped in the shower and turned the water off myself. In the moment, this didn't occur to me and I didn't want to get wet. I ran down the corridor to get more towels to try and hold back the river streaming out the door. By the time I got back to the bathroom Alice was out of the shower and curled up in a towel, on the floor at the other end of the room, sobbing uncontrollably.
Only now, did the brilliant idea of actually doing something productive occur to me, so I flicked my shoes off and turned the shower off. I had been pretty angry and Alice that she hadn't listened to me and turned the shower off, but she looked so vulnerable all of a sudden, I just felt sorry for her. There seems to be two main ways of reacting to the kids when something like this happens. You can get stressed and shout at them, tell them off and make them clean the mess/fix the mistake on their own, or you can reassure the child, that they're not in huge amounts of trouble and help them clean/fix. When I write this, and probably when you read this, it is obvious you should do the second. But in the heat of the moment I'm sure everybody does the first sometimes. Especially when you've got 12 kids! This time, I had the sense to do the second. I started trying to push most of the water back into the bathroom with several sodden towels while she got dressed, then I went downstairs to tell the CCW what had happened and get the mop. I was told to make Alice clean it up. I had Alice mop the floor and soak up as much water as possible while I wrung all the towels out.
The next day, I was expecting really bad behaviour. I was expecting tears, tantrums and fights. What I got was the total opposite! She was really nice and beautifully behaved all day. She let me help her with her homework (something she has refused since the holidays 3 weeks ago) and she even put up with my halting Afrikaans and my need to stop every now and then to go and get a translation. We started a new card system in the house that day (green card for good behaviour, blue for disrupting routine means no playing outside and red for disrespect means early bedtime and yellow-I can't remember what for but it results in a removal or privileges) and she was one of the only children with a green card. She was so proud of herself, and I was so proud of her. When I said goodnight to her that evening, she wanted her usual hug but she also wanted a kiss, the first time since she arrived and I told her how proud of her I was and how magnificent her behaviour had been. I've never seen a bigger smile on anyone's face!
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Change.
This is my 100th post! WOW!
OK, so the promised post...I don't think I can write it, I haven't the faintest what to say, and I half think I only find it so interesting/annoying because I watch it happen most days. So unless I find a good, interesting way of getting it down on paper, I think I'm going to leave it.
In other news, I've been stalking my little brother on twitter after my mum sent me a picture of him in his prom suit. HE LOOKS SO OLD! I cannot get over it, it looks like his whole face has changed shape! One of my brothers is 16 and the other turns 14 this June. The 16yo looks totally different to what I remember from when I left. The 13yo looks like he's gown. Considerably. I think I'm going to be the shortest person in the house when I get back-except for my mum, she tries to deny it, but we all know I'm taller than her.
My youngest brother told me he thought the landscape would have changed the most when I got back, and all my neighbourhood would look different. I still don't think that will have happened but I certainly wasn't expecting this much change in people! It's sort of scary!
OK, so the promised post...I don't think I can write it, I haven't the faintest what to say, and I half think I only find it so interesting/annoying because I watch it happen most days. So unless I find a good, interesting way of getting it down on paper, I think I'm going to leave it.
In other news, I've been stalking my little brother on twitter after my mum sent me a picture of him in his prom suit. HE LOOKS SO OLD! I cannot get over it, it looks like his whole face has changed shape! One of my brothers is 16 and the other turns 14 this June. The 16yo looks totally different to what I remember from when I left. The 13yo looks like he's gown. Considerably. I think I'm going to be the shortest person in the house when I get back-except for my mum, she tries to deny it, but we all know I'm taller than her.
My youngest brother told me he thought the landscape would have changed the most when I got back, and all my neighbourhood would look different. I still don't think that will have happened but I certainly wasn't expecting this much change in people! It's sort of scary!
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Patience!
Sorry for the lapse in posts, absolutely nothing has been happening! Sarah is back from her holiday with her parents which is nice.
I've been wanting to write a post for the last few days about the behaviour of some of the older girls around the babies. I just tried to write it, but I can't think of the right words to explain it, so give me some time and I'll try drafting it later or tomorrow.
I've been wanting to write a post for the last few days about the behaviour of some of the older girls around the babies. I just tried to write it, but I can't think of the right words to explain it, so give me some time and I'll try drafting it later or tomorrow.
Friday, 5 April 2013
Back to Fundraising!
So I've been speaking to my manager about staying here for another year, or rather coming back for a year. My original plan was to come back in August 2014 for a year but when I spoke to my manager, she wanted me back by February. The main reason being that a lot can change in a year. A lot will change in 6 months, but it will only be half the amount than in a year. When I come back I can also work in the same house I'm working in now, if I want to, although I might have to work a few weeks nightshift first. And because I'm not going with an organization, I think I will only need a minimum of 2500 pounds to get me out here-without traveling money or anything like that.
I am so excited! And now my fundraising can begin! So if anyone wants to sponsor me again, please send me an email at damsontregaskis@yahoo.co.za or leave a comment on any of my posts. I plan on holding several presentations around the Stockport area when I return so if you are interested, keep an eye out for those, I'll also be selling things at them as well to help with the funding!
I am so excited! And now my fundraising can begin! So if anyone wants to sponsor me again, please send me an email at damsontregaskis@yahoo.co.za or leave a comment on any of my posts. I plan on holding several presentations around the Stockport area when I return so if you are interested, keep an eye out for those, I'll also be selling things at them as well to help with the funding!
Monday, 1 April 2013
Not a lot has been happening of late, it's the holidays so most of the kids have gone home. Sarah's parents and boyfriend are here so she's on holiday with them and I have withdrawal symptoms from her :) (lonely, I am so lonely...)
The child-care worker that runs the drumming club inspected my drum the other day, he wanted a quick play to see what it was like and deemed it was better than his, he wanted to swap! He also mentioned painting it. I spoke to the guy who sold us them and he said to paint it with acrylic paint then coat it in a varnish to seal it. I plan on painting it pitch black with the grooves of the pattern a bright red, like Dennis the menace! Sarah suggested painting them with UV or glow in the dark paint so I'm working on that idea as well, I'll post pictures when I'm done!
I'm only working tomorrow and Wednesday of the week and a half holiday but tomorrow the kids are going on an outing to the coke-a-cola factory or something and I hope I get to go with. Volunteers either get to go on the outings or have to stay behind either with kids that aren't going or they don't have to work until the kids come back.
The child-care worker that runs the drumming club inspected my drum the other day, he wanted a quick play to see what it was like and deemed it was better than his, he wanted to swap! He also mentioned painting it. I spoke to the guy who sold us them and he said to paint it with acrylic paint then coat it in a varnish to seal it. I plan on painting it pitch black with the grooves of the pattern a bright red, like Dennis the menace! Sarah suggested painting them with UV or glow in the dark paint so I'm working on that idea as well, I'll post pictures when I'm done!
I'm only working tomorrow and Wednesday of the week and a half holiday but tomorrow the kids are going on an outing to the coke-a-cola factory or something and I hope I get to go with. Volunteers either get to go on the outings or have to stay behind either with kids that aren't going or they don't have to work until the kids come back.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)