The morning after Easter we got up early to make 70 sandwiches and last-minute toy runs before we left with Michael to the Emasithandane orphanage in Nyanga Township. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, but we were well received when we got there, greeted immediately by hugging children. The orphanage houses and feeds 34 kids, ranging from 6 months old to about 17 years, and the entire property is only about the size of my flat in Cape Town. It was started by a woman we call Mama, who simply started taking in children one by one until she reached what she thought was full capacity. The government insists that she can only adequately house 5 children in such a space, and instead of providing more funding to expand or move to a better location, they are threatening to cut support all-together (I’m unclear just how much this is, but I know it’s not enough). After a short tour of the house, we were told that some of the smaller kids sleep 5 to a bed, and the bigger girls sleep wherever they can fit, like underneath the kitchen table. In spite of all this, with the help of other women in the community and a few reliable volunteers like Michael, Emasithandane is able to properly feed, clothe 34 children and keep happy and healthy. They get along wonderfully and the older kids watch out for the younger ones, and it’s remarkable to see how little they need to stay content.
A few of my friends had been volunteering on the weekends after meeting Michael, and I’d heard many stories about how starved the children are for attention. The few toys that they had were worn out, and Mama insisted that any donations that my friends or others brought had to be sorted through and fairly distributed according to need unless there was something for everybody. With this in mind, my parents used their connections to get things donated, like backpacks from the Salvation Army, and kids’ meal toys from McDonalds. My mom also used her excellent bargain hunting skills to find age-appropriate toys for everyone, like jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, playing cards, coloring books, nail polish, a soccer ball, and a basketball. When we got there, everyone got something new to play with and we kicked off a very fun and successful Easter party, giving Mama and the community ladies a much deserved break (although they were still busy doing laundry and cooking up a storm in the back).
The little kids loved to be picked up, but it was difficult at times to play with them because of the language barrier (my !Xhosa is pretty rusty). Some of the older kids spoke English but were shy to use it. Everyone was fascinated by Zach’s hair, and they all liked to play with cameras and have their pictures taken. The older boys mostly kept to themselves and played a game involving a soccer ball and a basket, where they divided themselves into teams named after political parties. Standing in a wide circle around the basket, anyone who kicked the soccer ball in got to kick someone out of the circle, and the last remaining political party wins.
he liked mom
everyone with Mama
Speaking of political parties, with the presidential election coming up on the 22nd, we saw a parade of Zuma supporters singing and marching down the street past the orphanage – there’s a lot of energy surrounding this election, what a great time to be in South Africa! What blows my mind is how much support there is for Zuma, considering all of the controversy surrounding him, but it’s pretty much accepted that he’ll win. There’s a lot of activism on campus, and just yesterday the student president of the ANC (who has been all over the papers recently for his quick mouth) spoke on upper campus and drew a huge crowd. There was also a huge DA bus that went through campus, blaring music from its loudspeakers above shouting students on board its second deck. There’s a lot at stake, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens next Wednesday. I’ll keep you updated!
Love,
Emily
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