Settling into Beautiful Gate has been a lot of fun, and I can’t believe we’ve completed three weeks of work already! Last Tuesday I met Susan and Aaltje who are from Holland, and they will be interning with the social department as well. It has been a lot of fun getting to know them and learning about their life in the Netherlands. It is interesting to observe how we can all work together, despite the fact that we are dealing with language barriers and coming from different cultural backgrounds. After the discussion we have been having in Marita’s class, I have found it very interesting to witness the privilege I have regarding language. Here I am in South Africa working at Beautiful Gate, and our common ground of communication is English. I think it just further proves how privileged we are that I can go half way across the world and still speak my first language and be respected because I can speak so well.
Recently I have actually adjusted my schedule for what I will be doing at Beautiful Gate, and although I have been learning a lot I will no longer be going to the clinic on Mondays. Yandi decided that she wanted Susan, Aaltje, and I to be more involved with the children of Beautiful Gate. On Monday afternoons we will be having a group of ten kids join us for different activities and lessons. I really look forward to this because I think it will be an awesome learning experience, and a really fun way to make a difference in these children’s lives. I also think this will be a great balance with the house visits on Tuesdays and Wednesdays because I can then have a better background of the children who’s houses I will visit, and what they come from. I look forward to seeing the ways Susan, Aaltje and I can come together to teach these children working with the resources we have and the schooling experiences we individually had. Still loving South Africa!
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