Grand Circle (GC) administers a non-profit social benefit organization into which the company puts a portion of every booking fee they collect. The funds are then used to help meet the various needs of the local areas visited by GC. Travelers with GC are also provided the opportunity to participate in these efforts with cash donations, buying needed supplies, and/or doing hands on volunteer work while in the area.
The Fontein Social Care Center is one of their projects. It serves poverty level children with educational instruction, health monitoring, and nutritious meals. The center serves about 400 children daily with 3 meals per day. They basic diet consist of primarily grits and beans with some meat periodically.
Here is how our visit went today. First, many of the group brought supplies from home to take to the center. Money was also collected and given to the tour director for the purchase of fruits, vegetables, meat, and other supplies. So our first stop on the way to the center was at a local market.
We went through a traditional medicine building to look at the local remedies. It was interesting.
We then went to the food section of the market. It was so fascinating to see how Jonathan, our tour director, interacted with the vendors and bartered for the best price on the fruits and vegetables he wanted to purchase for the center.
There was some money left from what had been donated so Jonathan took us to a regular supermarket to buy some more supplies.
Jonathan is in the blue vest.
We then proceeded to the center to deliver the supplies and spend some time with the children. It is estimated that approximately 15 - 18 % of the children are HIV positive and up to 50% are orphans because their parents have died of HIV or are too poor to take care of them.
We unloaded the bus and carried the supplies up to the center. The children were so excited to see us and swarmed around us as we carried in the supplies. They would run up and hug your leg or reach up and warned to be held and given a big hug. It was the most moving experience I have had in a long time.
I made some special little friends.
This little fella just hugged me and wanted to hang on.
We then gathered in a room where the kids sang a couple of songs for us. We sang You Are My Sunshine for them. Yes, I had tears in my eyes looking out at the smiling faces knowing that many of them would not live to see their 8th - 10th birthday.
We then did some volunteer work preparing the fruit we had brought, some helped them wash their hands, and some served the porridge and helped them to the tables. I worked in the kitchen area cutting up fruit and vegetables.
After the children ate they were responsible for taking their plates and utensils to a basin with water and rinsing them off. They then handed them to a lady in the kitchen.
After eating they went out to the playground.
As we were leaving they all ran to the fence to wave good bye. It was a sight and an experience I will always remember.
The rest of the day seems kind of insignificant but we went to a craft and candle center to have lunch.
The man on the left was carving sculptures and the man on the right was painting them. Yes, I bought a giraffe from them.
These are the burgers that some of us ordered. Quarter pounders they were not!
Tomorrow we travel to back into South Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment