Ntshongweni Primary School

I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count. 

It's wonderful living like Jack Dawson from the movie Titantic.
Thursday, January 19th we were asked to volunteer at the local primary school - who knew we would spend the day helping out and having a wonderful time.  We were working outside on the stage.

Katelyn Hiett, Ginger Taff, Evelyn Mitschke & Julia Wehrenberg beginning to sort through the many boxes of books.

Silly ole Zeal

 This building is for the upper grades 4th -7th.

This part of the building for the lower grades. K - 3rd.

greeting the children.

Recess.... notice no playground or balls or anything else to play with.  Except the tree to climb.

The school was actually once part of the Catholic school but they donated the building and land to the township.  The old church and several crosses are still here.

Ntshongweni mountain and the row of houses you see are the homes under our care that house the orphans.

The drinking fountain... drinking water out of a tin cup.

Typical classroom.  Wow, a real chalk board.

No clue how many students are in each class...

This was the saddest of all sad.  Our creche has a grade R which is Kindergarten.  Our fee is 100 Rand a month; about $12.50. We noticed our a drop in our attendance.  We opened this make-shift door to this 8 foot wide 'room' with some children we recognize.  The grade R is free here but they there is 46 children, no playground, no teaching supplies.  So very sad.

The Grade R students bring their own dish and get a scoop of beans for lunch.  We serve a better meal, served at tables and wash our dishes. 

The drinking fountain.

View from the building to the stage where we were working.

Katelyn Hiett and I.  Folks say I look happy in my pictures.  I am happy here.  

Some of their school work.

The Catholics kept part of their land and have their own private (and very good) school.  One of the nuns. 

The older grades building.

We sorted and had to number a million books. The books were for the teachers. The students do not get boks to work out of / learn out of. 

Clover is a company which makes dairy products.

All the school age children wear uniforms to school.  You can tell which school a children attends by the uniform. These girls are eating the treats they just bought from the women.

These women set up shop and sell food items to the students.

The security guard who sits in the cute, little building at the entrance to the Catholic and public school.  The schools have a fence around it.

Pastor Thwala (L) joined us just before we left.  Just another day of serving the Lord by helping out at this school.

It is very beautiful here in Ntshongweni Village.