Day 5 – Brett Archibald inspirational talk, K College alum Paul Tshele Q&A, Baphumelele Children’s Home, Gold’s Restaurant
This morning we started our day by receiving a life changing story from Brett Archibald, a motivational speaker from South Africa. Brett shared a horrific story of how he survived after being thrown overboard a boat and treading water for 28 hours. Hearing his experience influenced a new and positive mindset for any obstacle we may face in our life. It was a truly incredible story. After this, we were able to learn about a Kalamazoo College alum, Paul Tshele, who is originally from Zimbabwe and came to America to study political science and philosophy. He explained that after graduating from K, he applied to law school at the University of Cape Town. We were given the chance to ask questions and learn about the challenges he experienced in his life, as well as the ways he has grown from such a diverse education.
As we’ve traveled to South Africa, it has been amazing to observe the diversity of languages here. There are locals that speak in multiple native tongues, and there are also tourists from all over the world speaking French, German, English, and more. However, there is one aspect of language that is universal: joy. Today at the Baphumelele Children’s Home, everyone was able to communicate through the language of joy. We started this day with some lunch from KFC. This meal was significant to the children because the kids normally never got to indulge in such a luxury. The next few hours was a free-for-all as we got to do hand-clapping games, parachutes, give piggy back rides, and play with soccer balls with the kids. These activities allowed us to build stronger connections with the kids and learn more about their lives. In between the fun and games, we were lead on a tour by Frank, our travel agent. We got to look into the kids’ bedrooms and kitchens, and on some walls there was even a schedule posted that gave us a glimpse of what their daily life was like. One part of the tour that struck many athletes was seeing the hospitals where infants that had been born with AIDS were kept. It was heartbreaking to hear that the infants kept here would soon end up dying to the illness they were born with. It opened our eyes to the severity of the AIDS crisis in Africa and how desperate many regions are for proper medical care. Talking one on one with some of the children was eye-opening and inspirational. To hear their struggle and outlook on life was both heartbreaking and moving. Later, we gave the gifts we brought from home to each child we were given, which was a great experience to meet and understand why we came to Africa in the first place: to not only impact the lives of others, but also of our own. . It was also so enjoyable to let the children share aspects of their culture with us. For example, some of the young girls were braiding people’s hair, and teaching us songs in their native tongues–little things that are an enormous part of their culture that we will never forget. When the long day of fun and festivities had come to a close, the children blew us away with a handful of pre-rehearsed songs. Hearing their angelic little voices was heartwarming, as some of them would stand on their toes or dance around as they sang. They ended by singing the national anthem of South Africa, which helped us sense the pride they had in their country. Finally, it was time for the hardest part of the afternoon: goodbyes.
Leaving was one of the most emotionally draining parts of this trip because of the incredible connections made. It was difficult to hear the children say that they were used to people like us coming and going, and only made our hearts churn for them more. However, we boarded the bus with each and every one of those children on our hearts and on our minds. We are so grateful to Miss Rosie Mashale for inviting us into this sanctuary to form bonds with the children. They impacted our lives just as much as we hopefully impacted theirs. Dinner was fantastic at Gold’s Restaurant where we had a traditional South African meal, complete with entertainment and face paint.
Looking forward to tomorrow!
Grace and Syd
Please consider donating to the Baphumelele Children’s Home. These children are incredible and a small amount of money can go a long way to help them.