City Chicks 4 Charity
When: 9_10_10 Where: : Sekgweng Intermediate School, Thabazimbi, South Africa Why: Learn more about the ways in which we can help improve the lives of the students In life there few experiences that are so moving that they can stay with you forever. For one City Chick that moment came on Friday, 9_10_10 in a small farming town in South Africa. We set out mid-morning down the dirt road to Sekgweng Intermediate School. This facility educates 160 students, grades 1 through 12 in 6 classrooms. Grade levels are often grouped together in order to accommodate the lack of educators and space. Students that live within 2 miles walk to and from daily, while those students, 80 in total, who would have to travel further or who may have been left orphaned are housed on campus in a tight dormitory that is chaperoned by the 5 or so teachers who also live on property. The meals are subsidized by the government and prepared in metal pots over a fire pit that the students collect wood for daily. The land, dorms and schoolhouse have all been donated by an English woman who owns the property across the road. The recent additions of running water and the nearly completed kitchen style building has been made possible by a neighboring hunting camp’s solicitation of donations from former guests, who like us, were fortunate to spend time with these amazing kids. From the moment we arrived, the shared excitement and emotion were overwhelming. Children dressed in yellow and black uniforms greeted the car and walked us to the Principal/ math teacher’s office where we learned about the schools conditions and shared school supplies that we had brought over from America. We then visited the classrooms and talked to the kids about their favorite subjects, what they wanted to be when they grew up, what the US was like and even who the cutest boy in the school was! The younger students don’t really know English yet but we were able to engage them by taking digital photos and watching them revel in the joy of seeing their photos on the playback screen. The day’s events were concluded by the entire student body performing the South African national anthem and some traditional tribal singing and dancing. Moved to tears, it took me some time to gain composer enough to share the news with the faculty that both City Chicks and the school where my mom had been the principal were planning to get involved with the school’s educational efforts. Thanks to your continued support, CC4C will be able to make periodical donations to improve conditions. The school plans to update us on its progress throughout the year as a token of their appreciation. Although this moment was my personal experience, the lasting good that will come from it will stay with these students forever thanks to all of you!
