Yesterday, our first day at Vhutshilo Mountain School (VMS), was full of dichotomies. Sue-Ann, the founder and director of the school, picked us up at 6:45 am before she made her daily school transport run. We climbed into the back of her "bakkie" equivalent of a pickup truck, which was equipped with 2 long wooden benches replacing cushioned seat. A thin piece of foam lay on the floor between the benches to accommodate Tshavhu, a paralyzed 2nd grader as well as several 2 to 3 year olds. By the end of the run 13 young children had piled into the back of the truck along with 2 school teachers (plus Nancy) and off we went to meet the rest of the students at school. The morning was quite cold and although we listened to a cacophony of sniffling and coughing, not all were dressed for the the chill. Immediately we noticed that each child was eager to go to school...even the little girl who wore no shoes. All of the children are fed breakfast (a type of vitamin fortified porridge) and lunch (cooked tins of fish and rice)which may be the only nutritious food they get for the day.
While at school, the children split into 2 groups; an overwhelming (32) pre-schoolers, the youngest about 1 and a half years old and 19 first and second graders. While they have no textbooks, the children are eager to learn and the teachers work very hard to give them the basics. We were both able to assist the teachers with "crowd control" and "staying on task" as well as teaching the children a few finger play songs, alphabet lessons and math for the older children.
These children have very little but we were stuck by how loving and kind they were to each other. They appreciated everything including a hug or simply a smile. There is still so much more to share with you but the day was overwhelming and we must stop now. Tomorrow we will tell you about the woman's monthly HIV/AIDS support group we attended in the afternoon. The stories abound. Thanks for listening.
