3rd Term 2012

Things are going a little better with the Rays of Hope Guide Company.   One reason is that I now have two helpers, Bongikele and Nelly.   Bongi lives in Berea at the Christchurch Shelter.   We tried the taxi route.   At the beginning of one meeting  I got an SMS from her saying she had taken the taxi to Alex and was now waiting for the local taxi to fill up before it would leave.   An hour later, near the end of the Guide meeting she sent a message again saying she was still waiting.   I had to tell her to go home again.

Nelly is studying in Pretoria and can't always get away on Friday afternoons.   During the holidays I met them both at Park Station and we investigated the Gautrain as an alternative transport option.   It would work well for Bongi.   She can walk to Park station from the shelter, catch the Gautrain to Marlboro and then walk to Ikhya Lomusa.   It is about R15 more expensive than the taxi per week but I have a sponsor for Bongi and I don't mind paying in the difference.

The girls relate much better to young black women and the behaviour has improved.   They are also getting the idea of the law and promise and are becoming real Guides.

We have three new Guides, two who are not part of the child headed households programme.   When they can both come, Nelly and Bongi act as patrol leaders, setting an example to the girls of how things should work.

Today we had another cookout at Trefoil Park.   We made omlettes in zip-lock-sandwich bags, a technique I learned at an international camp in Canada.   Although the top of the plastic bags melted a bit on an open fire, we could cut the bottoms off and the omlettes were delicious.   We cooked lunch using a hot box.
                                        
                                         Omlettes on bread

                     
                                             Making dampers.   Not everybody's was successful
                                           One fell in the fire and two were too runny to cook.

                               Then the girls learned to make a tripod.

                                                  And tried it out

By 1.30 the chicken and rice had cooked really well in the hot box

and everybody was hungry

After tidying up, including scrubbing black pots, the girls got a lovely surprise.   Rays of Hope had been given a sweet hamper and we shared out the goodies much to everybody's delight.

Next week the Guides are going to be performing at the Candlelight Club which is organised by the Region once a year to invite pensioners from varius old age homes for a tea and entertainment.   Rays of Hope Guides are going to be the entertainment.   Here's hoping all the arrangements go well.