Volunteering in the Big Green E Machine!

Inside the Big Green eMachine

This week has been an exciting week for the Big Green E Machine. We are now running off solar power! In addition, the Big Green E Machine is up and running with educational computer games. This week we are working with the younger learners at both Chintsa East School and Bulugha Farm School, focusing on letter recognition.  The learners absolutely LOVE going for lessons in the Big Green. One of our volunteer groups contributed headphones so the kids can even learn with sound. The kids were so thrilled when they put their headphones on...you should've seen their faces! All of them came out of the Big Green with huge smiles.

The new solar panels which now power the Big Green!

Nici teaching in the lab

Our learners hard at work :)

Naomi

ISV Impact Volunteers - Round up Group 4!

Group 4 of our fabulous Winter Season of impact volunteers left Chintsa around 2 weeks ago - their work on the Chintsa Sports Field was awesome! The fencing of the volleyball & netball courts is completed and they even added a genius entrance to stop goats getting into the court! Check out their work in the slideshow below...

ISV Impact Volunteers - Round up Group 3!

Group 3 of the Winter seasons impact volunteer groups left South Africa a few weeks ago having worked like troopers on improving the Chintsa Sports Field facilities. From fencing to digging trenches and building seating area's this awesome group of volunteers did us proud. Check out their work in the slideshow below!

Diary of a Volunteer in South Africa



5/2/12

First day of school!  And it actually is as exciting as a first day of school when I was a kid.  Today we went to the Bulugha school and helped with the preschool class.  Learning the names will be quite the task, let alone pronouncing them correctly, but that’s the goal.  Xhosa is the language spoke by most.  Xhosa incorporates all types of tongue clicking that has so far been lost on me.  I can only imagine it’s a skill you are born with.  My hope is to master it enough so as not to be laughed at by the time I leave. 

The schoolroom is probably an 8x8 ft. room at best.  But there are 30 kids that couldn’t be happier to be there.  It’s amazing how quickly they latch on to you.  “Miss! Miss! Miss!” is quite endearing.  We taught them the letter “C” today.  Played outside (sharks and minnows – if anything is a universal game, it’s that), colored and sang songs.  All while overlooking a field of zebras. 

Conservation Volunteers get up Close and Personal with a Rhino

It's been an incredible week for our conservation volunteer Marco who's been with VA32 for the last month - not only did the conservation team re-locate two buffalos but they also darted a fully grown Rhino!

Marco & the conservation volunteer team with the rhino

ISV Impact Volunteers - Round up Group 2!

Group 2 of our Winter season ISV left Chintsa at the end of last week. Check out our slideshow of the volunteers at work! They successfully transported the volleyball field from the lower level of the Sports Centre field to the upper level, where it will sit next to the new netball field.

Chintsa Sports Field development...

Exciting times for our local sports facility as there was another addition; that being our new volleyball court.  With the help of our ever enthusiastic and energetic ISV volunteers this was made possible in only a short time.  The beach volleyball court has been a massive magnet for the young kids as they hang out in the sand when we're not playing, and are rather bemused when we do have a full  game!!  With the help of our VA sports programme we intend to teach and train the kids to enjoy this "new" game and hopefully eventually grow some serious talent.  It's been a huge effort from all involved and a massive thanks to all who contributed.

Denver