I have been
doing my activist project at an orphanage called Heaven’s Nest along with
Maria, Emily, Paige, and Kayla. We have
been spending our Friday afternoons there with the kids. The kids range from age 3 to age 7 and they
have all been put under Heaven’s Nest care by The State Department of Social
Services because of neglect or abuse. In
some instances, you can see the neglect physically. One of the littlest girls has awful blisters
on her skin from negligent care of her eczema.
It is such a shame to see such happy children put through so much so
early in life.
I recently
received an email from the house manager of Heaven’s Nest, Wendy, stating that
they were robbed right after our last visit on Friday. Someone stole the motor for their front gate
around 1am. It made me cringe to think
about this organization being put under yet another burden. Heaven’s Nest struggles to even supply bread
or milk for their kids each week. A new
motor is nowhere in their budget, although it is necessary for the kid’s
safety. For anyone reading, please think
about donating to this cause. This is an
amazing outlet for children who need a roof under their head, food and water,
and simply some attention and care. Our fundraising
page is https://www.youcaring.com/heaven-s-nest-child-care-and-recreation-centre-536314#goto-fundraiser-details. Anything you could offer would be more than
appreciated or simply sharing the message will help in our efforts.
On to a slightly
more uplifting note, I have been serving as a well-versed Cape Town tour guide
over this past week. I am so happy to
welcome my friend Kate to this amazing country of rich culture and beautiful
sights. It has been a great experience
to see her excitement as we travel around, and it has given me a second round
of first-time excitement for this magical place.
On Monday, I
went to work and let Kate catch on some much-needed rest and get a little more
settled in after the weekend we had.
Yesterday, she joined me at Surplus People Project and at our workshop
in Atlantis. SPP was there to instruct
local farmers how to prepare their soil optimally for planting. Agriculture is nothing I have ever put much
thought into, so the workshop was very informative for myself as well. After the workshop, Kate and I tried to
squeeze in an evening full of exploring.
We went out to a region called Table View and witnessed an impressive
display of wind surfing at Bloubergstrand Beach. The name of this region is quite fitting, as
the views of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, and Lion’s Head are crystal clear
from the beach. On our way back home, we
had yet another Uber driver experience worth sharing. The man driving us home was a little old man
who was originally from Durban, South Africa.
On his arrival to Cape Town many years ago, he wrote a book about his very
ambitious adventures. He had actually
climbed Table Mountain 68 times in a matter of 72 days. His name is Ebol if anyone is interested in
purchasing his novel. Like I said,
always make conversation with your Uber driver!
That same
night we set out for a sunset boat ride with a few others. What an experience it was! I grew up with my father always boating and
teaching me about boats, so this was the experience I enjoyed most this
week. We got on board the vessel and
immediately wrapped up in oversized windbreakers. Good thing we did because the waves were more
than happy to come up and drench us every couple of minutes. It has been a pretty jammed pack week here in
Cape Town. I still have got to put Kate
onto a minibus taxi before she leaves. I
will definitely share her reaction when we find the time. Looking forward to Jo Burg next week and the
opportunity to explore even more of South Africa. Until then!
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