Post by Shatora Blackwell
It all started when we was at the community center in Siyathuthuka helping kids who were orphans. We gave them peanut butter sandwiches, oranges, chips, juice and of course de-worming pills. It felt great being there and knowing that my effort in helping was to a great cause. We played games, did face painting, made paper airplanes, and took amazing pictures. Everything around me was inspiring. You seen upside down faces turn into big smiles as they were leaving to go home. After our awesome party we had, it was time to do my homestay with my family.
Lynne, Minesha, and I gathered around Martin and started making our way to the van. We entered the van and we were jammed packed. As we are leaving from the community center, I got nervous and my hands started to sweat. I’m getting closer and closer to the home I’m staying at. First, we drop off Khaleel, Deshawn and Silo (the person they are staying with). I say my goodbye’s to them and off we go to drop us off. I’m at the home were I’m staying. The person I’m staying with was a volunteer at the community center. Her name was Emalina and I was staying with her daughter Ntokiozo. She was a teenager just like me but, she was a year older than me. When we arrived at the house, we took our things and unpacked them and made things comfortable until it was time to go to bed. Our phone had luckily ran out of minutes so unfortunately we walked around looking for minutes for our Vodacom phone. On our journey walking to the store we ran unto Ntokoizo’s teacher. She introduced us to him and he asked all kinds of questions about America. After, our nice little conversation we left and went back on our journey. Since the Americans were in town, Ntokoizo friend Mefumene wanted to stay the night with us. Her mother told her “Yes” after she had begged her for five minutes. We returned to the house and ate the snacks that we had. Ntokoizo played music for us and I realized that I love that song. I started getting up and started dancing. She liked the way I danced but, she told me that she couldn’t dance. I got tired and sat down. We watched Martin (an old sitcom) for a while and next thing I know we were knocked out. When we woke up I started cleaning up my area and we noticed they were cleaning there entire house. It wasn’t a big house so cleaning their house took about 20 minutes. It was a two bedroom house with a kitchen and pantry. The bathroom was outside and was shared by others around. Picking up my last dirty item we ask them is there anything else that needs to be done. They wanted us to go get water with them. We walked to a path and I notice it was a little river. I grabbed the bucket and took a little can and filled the buckets up with water. On the way back I tried to push the wagon that the buckets of water were in, I was successful but, halfway I got kind of tired and gave out. I couldn’t believe they go through all this work to get water that’s not even water to drink, they have a faucet in the house that has clean water. After, the adventure of getting water it was almost time for me to go. I called Khaleel and Deshawn and they came and talked to us until it was time for us to be picked up. On our way to the van my friend Ntokoizo tells me she doesn’t want me to leave and that she wants me to stay. I felt so sad. So that’s my journey.