A busy week

This has been one of our busiest weeks to date.

The week at Ikhaya had lots of ups and downs. The usual classes we have went ok but the kids are starting to wind down now as it's the end of their school year. Some of the kids have already left for the Eastern Cape where they go to visit family for Christmas. Thursday was a bit of a hectic day after some Football training with the guys and Bram (a volunteer from the Netherlands) we were on our way home when we heard a scream and and looked up to see smoke pouring out of one of the township houses. Realizing that the place was on fire Nay called the fire brigade (who despite being 500 yards down the road took 20+ minutes to arrive) while I joined about a dozen men from the township in trying to bring the fire under control. This was no easy task as we only had some small garden hoses and an array of buckets and containers that were filled with water. After 15 minutes and a few brave men who pulled a flaming bed and mattress out of the house whilst it was still alight we managed to put the fire out. The devastation wrought in such a small space of time was shocking. The entire back bedroom was gutted along and most of the remaining things in the house were covered in smoke and water. Extraordinarily there were no major injuries just a lot of people coughing up smoke. It was only after the fire had been put out and I was standing in the house burnt out house that I noticed the pictures on the mantle piece were of one of the kids from Ikhaya.

The kids warming up to pull some moves 

Friday was a stark contrast of Thursday as we went round to the house to see if there was anything else that we could do. When we arrived at just after noon. we found about 18-20 people from the community all helping to clear the house. All the furniture had been removed, the windows were being replaced, the damaged wall in the back bedroom had been taken back and was being rebuilt and the joists in the ceiling that were damaged were being replaced. I was amazed at how much work was already being done and by how much the community had rallied round the family. There was little we could do to help at the time but we were able to get some supplies for the renovation (paint, brushes, turps and food for the busy workers). The day got progressively better from then on and we had a break from the Ikhaya program and had a fun day with the kids. Later that evening we took 10 of the grade 6-8 kids to the Shoreline church youth group where they had a RnB and Break dancing demonstration on. As always I had to pull a few moves and show them that despite being 30 I still had it, plus I learnt a few more moves.

Nay at the rhodes memorial

Mark, Rob and Nicky at Cape Point

Bedingfield concert

Boulders Beach

 The Weekend was good and we spent some time chilling on Saturday morning before going to a Braai to watch the rugby with a few friends. To lose by a point was a pain so I had to console my self by tucking into some braaied Snoek (fish). Sunday we took a road trip with Rob and Nicky and went around the Cape peninsular. We started by having a drive around Cape Town university and the Rhodes memorial before having brunch in Kalk bay and heading down to Boulders beach were we saw penguins. We then went onto Cape Point were we saw lots of Baboons and climbed up a steep hill to get a great view. We then had a late lunch at Chapmans peak before heading off to see Daniel Bedingfield in an open air concert at Kirstenbocsh. 

Until next time...................