One week down.

Its been over one week since I have started volunteering is South Africa & Im already sad to think I only have 4 in a half more weeks to go. It is so amazing here and the kids are amazing. It is defiantly such a different culture here, but all the kids are so full of passion and enthusiasm. At home kids take Physical Education for granted. You always have the kids who sit out and say no to everything. But here, we go to a class room to go get the kids and you literally can here them from the other side of the school. The kids don't even know you but they rush at you and hug you. The kids get 30-40 mins of Sports class A WEEK! The class means so much to them. With the younger kids they literally run and crawl across rooms full of desk to hug us and cheer.

We teach the kids on the "sports field" which is a slab of cement with enough room for two net ball courts. The classes we teach is from anything from 20 kids to 50 kids in a class. There is all so no one really having punishment or watching if kids leave class. I can have random kids running in and out of my class trying to steal the ball away from me and the other kids. Or they go up and start fights. And no I do not mean verbal, I see about 11 fights a day. The worst part only few teachers break them up. Boys will literally go up and punch girls in the face and girls will try and fight them back. I try and beak them up as soon as I see it, but barley any of the teachers do. It shows the different culture because it sounds sad but some of these kids knowing how to fight can save their life in certain situations that can happen. Its all very confusing Im still trying to work out what I should do about the whole thing.

Here kids don't get pushed up to the next grade, if they don't pass the test they do not go up. So we have kids who are 16 in grade 7 because they cant past the test to get to Secondary school. So you will have 11 year olds with 16 year olds in one class, and that's just havoc.

The language barrier is a problem sometimes. Depends on the kids, the attitudes and if the teacher is there. If the teacher is there the kids usually behave a lot better. But in a week and about 22 classes a week I have had 6 teachers actually come out. 3 participated. But the class is lucky if a teacher shows up at all. There are no substitutes here. Kids can be in school all day with no teacher and they can just wander around freely. The kids who don't have a teacher in the classroom usually are the ones who do not listen. But all the kids are so talented in so many ways, the boys are very big on soccer here & the girls love net ball.

Teaching is going okay, some days are rough some are easier but thats the same as at home. The kids are starting to remember my name, and i wish i could say the same but I cant pronounce any of their names. But I recognize a lot of the kids. Most the kids call me rhi-hanna. I kept trying to teach them but this way they remember my name. One of the girls who comes up to me every day to say hi gave me a card last week, in it asked " could you be my mother in law" most of the girls are shocked that I dont have any kids yet and that I am not married. I laughed at first, but then i realized they were serious and it shocked me that they thought that.

Right now we are teaching soccer, last week was skills this week its games. The games have been going so well so far. We figured out the best way to get the kids listening and warmed up and ready to play in a shorter amount of time so far. Which was my main concern, because last week the kids had about minutes at each station so that means 20 minutes was getting everyone to listen and warm up.

But that is all for now, I will try and start writing post every few days now. Ill update how my last weekend went tomorrow and Ill put some pictures soon.

Love & Rocket Ships