In Cape town, we met Lorna and Marty.  They help kids who often live in difficult conditions, and sometimes provide food and toys for them.  After we met them, we had breakfast with them, and then went to their storage room where all of the products that they give the kids are kept.  We helped organize a lot of their toys, cardboard, and recycling.

The Store Room

During the week, we went to several homes with the kids they were helping. These homes are called Educares.  We enjoyed meeting and spending time with all of the kids. Each house had a vegetable system which grew lettuce and plants to feed the kids.  Marty and Lorna  helped each center put them together.  It’s a new system they’re trying and it’s going really well.  They can use the veggies to feed their families as well as sell to neighbors.

Lorna checking progress on the veggies

All of the kids in every house were very young.  We handed out treats school projects to the little kids, and when we left the homes, the kids would all wave.  But when we entered the houses, all of of the kids would lift their thumbs up and rub it up against our thumbs, and say “sharp”.  It meant either, “How are you?” or “Hi!” or “Have a good day!”  It was their type of greeting.  Everyone in South Africa, even the kids in schools greeted us with “Sharp”.

“Sharps” or snapping fingers, with the kids

There were also two adults named Julius and Irene.  They took care of kids that had HIV/Aids.  Julius and Irene took care of 23 kids!  Their meal every single day, was peanut butter and jelly.  But sometimes, they had different meals.  We went to their house and Mikayla and Kathryn helped the girls make necklaces, while Ryan and I helped the boys make wooden clip airplanes that we painted.

Cape town was really fun, and I really hope I can go there again.  I love Africa!!