Better than I what I expected. The beauty that surrounded me in South Africa took my breath away when I had awoken to my first sunrise. The sight of the mountains, the sound of the waves, as the wind blows passing through me I can sense the reality that I was officially standing in Muizenberg, South Africa.
My first week in the crèches of Vryground, I went in fearing that I would not be easily accepted seeing as I am an outsider then I come to find that I had actually nothing to worry about. I was greeted with nothing but hospitality from excitement, to hugs, to openness, to laughter. I am given the opportunity to explore another world that I had never truly known of its existence and I hope to share my knowledge with the teachers and children, but also to gain a new set of knowledge that will help me grow into a more cultivated human being.
Children will be children wherever they are in the world. They are full of life, energy and an indescribable spirit that when nurtured they can become an imperative part of our future. This here is exactly what I have so far seen through observing the children and teachers. Although my two crèches (Rainbow and Nourish) are extremely packed with a high student to teacher ratio in a smaller than average learning space, the teacher’s still manage to acknowledge every child giving them each a moment in their day to be heard and seen. Regardless of what background they come from, they show up to the crèches with their spirits high and ready for their day knowing they are arriving into a safe space.
-Phouthavady Minakhom
EDvance 2019 Summer South Africa Service Program 