Tembaletu...

is a school in Gugulethu. It is not any school. It is the only school for students with physical and intellectual disabilities. Tembaletu means "Our hope". We visited Tembaletu on Friday. We went there to do some things that absolutely needed to be done. It is difficult for this school to obtain all of the resources necessary for the regular "upkeep" schools elsewhere take for granted.

Some of us worked in the yard cutting grass while some of us worked in the classroom with the students. First, we met all of the students in the dining room and the choir welcomed us with a beautiful set of about three songs.

After the assembly, we dispersed to work in our respective areas. I went to the skills room to paint with some of the students. I sat with three boys, two were fifteen and one was seventeen. They were kinda shy but I could tell they appreciated the fact that we were there to support their school. I asked them what football team they support, two said the Sundowns from Pretoria, the other one said the Pirates from Jo' burg.

The principal said that on days that it rains, certain students are not able to come to class because it has rained so much that the roads were so bad the transport could not arrive. Also, the conditions outside their shacks become worse when it rains.

It was very inspiring to see all of the energy these kids have. They were so determined to learn and make the most of their situations. One things we all noticed was how all of the kids helped each other. Some of the students needed help walking or were in wheelchairs; the other students took it upon themselves to help those that needed it. Why aren't more people that nice?

It made me angry to think about how easy the things were that we did made the kids so happy. More could be done to help this school. It is already a great thing, why not make it better?

Not only do most of these students deal with issues associated with extreme poverty, they have to deal with going to school in a country where sometimes, regular schools have difficulty operating at a high standard. So, they are bombarded with not being provided with sufficient resources at a school where resources are needed most.

On a lighter note, one particular student really made me smile and happy. I noticed her in the choir even before I met her. Her name was Zymbini (sp?). She was very pretty and sang very well. When I was in one of the classes, she came in and introduced herself. She was so full of energy and happy to meet someone new. She asked if I had a camera so we could take a picture together. I gladly grabbed my camera and we took a picture together. After the picture, Zymbini asked if I knew Rihanna, the R and B artist from the states. I told her that I knew who she was but did not know her personally. She wanted me to tell her that she should come to South Africa for a concert. She was so excited about Rihanna. Her and Rihanna even share the same birthdate. Zymbinin brightened my day. It brought me back to reality to know that, again, something we take for granted is something that is so valued here. Amazing.

All in all, Visiting Tembaletu was one of my favorite days during our stay in Gugs.

Much love. Peace.

Thanks for reading.

JB