were finding the confidence to finally speak out against GBV . However , it was equally upsetting to see and hear that GBV is so common .
There was one person who I felt needed some special attention in Mabetshe . There was a young girl , aged 6 , who had never been to school . Her name is Isiplhie . Whenever I saw her , she would always say molo ( which means ‘ hello ’ in English ) and asked how I was in English , even though she couldn ’ t fully comprehend my reply . However , her sweet smile was enough for me to know that she was doing okay . For me , it was sad knowing that she was missing out on something so important - free education ! Sadly , she wasn ’ t allowed to go to school because her grandparents refused . They lied and told the school ’ s Principle that they didn ’ t have any children living at their address . When I spoke to my Host Mamma about this , I made it my mission to get Isiphile into school . After some lengthy conversations with her grandparents , they finally agreed to send her to school . Initially , they were worried that they wouldn ’ t be able to afford the school fees ; however , we reassured them that Isiphile ’ s education would be free , including her uniform , which was donated by the community .
This experience was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions because of all the good and bad that I witnessed during my time there ; it was also a very special visit as we helped a lot of people during our stay . We are so lucky to have the luxuries of the western lifestyle . Seeing at first hand how difficult life is for the less fortunate makes you realise that we do take things for granted in the UK . One example , was watching my host brothers playing with the most basic of objects like making a football out of bread bags : seriously a genius idea ! Eventually , we did buy footballs for them to play with !
In our spare time we visited the local community Centre , which also had a preschool . We taught the children Basic English when we had the chance and kept them entertained as they had very few resources . They were a handful at times but if you love kids like me , then you can handle it ! We wanted to give something back to the school as a way of saying thank you as they let us use their facilities for different occasions , so we redecorated their preschool , it looked wonderful and to see the teachers and children ’ s faces was just priceless - they loved it so much . The local community was also extremely grateful .
Overall , it ’ s hard to describe my whole experience , as it was something completely out of my comfort zone in a country I ’ d never visited before , and in an area so
Isiplhie , aged 6
deprived of basic amenities , which we take for granted . I definitely recommend this to the youths , as it will change your perspective on life in general and to embrace a different culture and lifestyle so different to ours . You must also go there with an open mind to fully appreciate the customs and way of living .
Thanks to ICS , I was able to experience this memorable opportunity with so many wonderful volunteers , community leaders and the locals . I only had to raise £ 800 towards the trip as it was paid for by ICS . This has developed me , as a person in ways I never imagined would be possible .
As Nelson Mandela once said , “ Education is the most poweful weapon which you can use to save the world ”.
“ education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to save the world .”
vol . 41 | Prajapati Sandesh 2016 35