Going, Going... Going!

 

Building the garden (Warning: construction site)!

         

        One of the projects Dreamcatcher is working on is putting up a garden in the back of the office. It's been a long time coming but we finally started setting up the enclosure for all the vegetables and herbs we will grow. The idea behind the garden is not only to inspire healthy eating habits but also to teach self-sustainability and good marketing skills- as people create their own opportunities to grow economically. It was cool to watch the project come together and be reminded of how strong the Dreamcatcher volunteers and workers are when they come together- putting ideas into action! In the beginning, the backyard was a complete mess! There were bricks and trash everywhere, and definitely no space to grow a garden. My hope is to help start the garden before it's time for me to leave. I love gardening and it would be a perfect send-off to know I'll have my own little plants growing at my home away from home. 


Me and Anthea getting our ticket to the stage!
Kids practicing on stage for the first time!


        Saturday the kids and I got to practice the performance on a real stage! We ran through the whole thing, and the kids did so well paying attention and staying on track. I didn't realize how much I missed it- being on stage and dancing and singing. Of course, we had been doing those things before, but our rehearsal space was small and hard to battle with against harsh weather conditions like the rain.  Luckily the Dreamcatcher Theatre Club is filled with strong and resilient kids, we've had to deal with a lot of changes and Saturday proved just how much they had thrived through it all. They learned the dances fast and caught onto new things we went through in the rehearsal that they hadn't learned before- quickly implementing it and pressing the save button in their brains. My Dreamcatcher kids are amazing, and I'm so lucky to have them to be the original cast and crew of Oop Hok.  


At the beach... again!


        It was due time to take a break - and what better way to do it than by the beach? Don't get me wrong I love Melkhoutfontein- I never want to leave, and I'm going to be so sad when I have to go. On Sunday I went with Christene to Jonsfountein (which translates to little fountain in English). We went and had a fancy lunch with Anthea before heading off to our bed and breakfast at Little Rock, a hotel that was named by Anthea herself! We had a beautiful view of the sea right from the balcony of our room. Little Rock is known for its delicious Breakfasts and they did not disappoint. We ended up going for an afternoon, evening, and morning stroll down by the beach. We saw lots of crabs and hopped on loads of rocks. It was extremely lucky that we got such a nice place to stay because the areas are well known and it's so close to the holidays! 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Fun Day at the Beach and a Wild Ride?!

Image
       Me and the kids practicing our surfer moves.          This weekend, my new Dreamcatcher friends and I rode the waves at Stilbaais public beach! The first thing we did when all the kids got there was run to the rocks, we had to be careful as we walked through the slippery rocks but the trouble was worth it when we each got our loose stones and placed them back on the walls of the ancient fish traps. The walls that are standing are more than 3,000 years old! We decided to switch things up and attempted beach volleyball instead of playing soccer. It was a new game for most of the kids but they caught on quickly and we all had a blast.  Some of us were more interested in the sea shells than the water. We had to be careful in picking up the shells because they were perfect homes for hermit crabs! One of my favorite parts of the trip was jumping and crashing into the waves, and then letting them push us back to shore. There were lots of...
Read more

What it Means to be a Dreamcatcher

Image
                 This is me with my host family Marie and Leonard.           When I first got off the plane at George Airport I was taken to the beach in Stillbaai where we sat at a restaurant and I shared a sandwich with my Dreamcatcher mentor Anthea. Watching the giant waves, I immediately decided I'd love it here.  I am a Dreamcatcher. I became one the moment I was welcomed into my host parents: Marie and Lenard's home, and joined in on a soccer game going on just in front of our house. The purpose of a Dreamcatcher is to dispel bad dreams from your sleep, the object is a symbol of lighter times. It is hope that rises as new volunteers come into the village each week, month, and year. With that hope, the Dreamcatcher can create a desired dream, a dream for hot water, a dream for education to grow up through, a dream for a roof over your head and food to eat, a new door, or a painted mural.  ...
Read more

Going to the Sea to See what I can See of the Sea.

Image
            Dear Mom and Dad, It was March 13th, 2025 that the rain in Melkhoutfontein started. Usually, I am fond of the sound the water brings from the heavens but for too long the days became cold and grey. You could barely see past the frontier and needed to squint your eyes to protect them from the thick mist. Even in the office, one could not escape the cold. Mother, I can only share words of gratitude that you had reminded me to bring my raincoat and pestered me about adding warm clothes to my luggage. Though the days are dreary I have plenty of things to complete, that do involve being safe inside. Me and the other children fair just as well finding games to play. I have to remember when days are like this, even prolonged, that there will one day be sun again. It is quite odd bundling in my jacket and sweatpants, accessorizing with a beanie on my head when just yesterday I basked in the sun. Mother you would laugh if only there were such thing ...
Read more