Till Friday 27th March 2009 - I quickly felt part of the existing Kids in Parks team, mucking in with all the duties required to run a successful programme.
Kids in Parks is an annual initiative sponsored by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), the Department of Education (DoE), SANParks and Pick n' Pay. This programme allowing 5000 previously disadvantaged children to stay in a National Park, many of which have not visited a National Park before. Ten SANParks each invite ten schools with a group of 50 children to stay two nights, three days. All costs including food, accommodation and transport is provided.
Monday morning, we set off early in our special Kids in Parks bus, collecting a total of 42 children from two schools, one in nearby Struisbaai and the other in Arniston.
The programme of activities being set for each day, but fairly flexible, determined by weather and timing constraints. After settling into the dormitories, we start by separating the children into three groups, the Ostriches, the Blue Cranes and the Fish Eagles. Each group, then participate in activities on wetlands, the water cycle and cultural heritage.
With Bassiers' (Bus Driver) R&B CD blasting and the children singing and clapping along, we are back on the bus. Passing the salt pan and farmed fynbos, we journey to Brandfontein, a local beach, where the kids go on a scavenger hunt for shells etc. Many making horns out of dried kelp, which is long seaweed that roots in the bed of the ocean and grows up in what looks like rubber piping with seaweed as we know it floating on the surface - it dries hollow - not exactly musical, but noisy none the less.
All their findings are put in the middle of a circle and Alliston (Agulhas People & Conservation Officer) discusses what they have found. Walking down the beach, I find myself embraced by one of the children, under the cover of the Kids in Parks baseball cap, I am unable to determine their gender! With children on both side I asks their names, my cling on being Richard (see cheeky chappy buried in sand - although don't be fooled by that smile, I had to wrestle with him later, to break up a fight).
Returning back to base, it was time for canoeing on the river! Not feeling overly confident with my canoeing skills I took three little ones on the Chumani, I quickly found this was to my detriment. The smaller children not wanting to paddle, I was left doing all the hard work!
Unfortunately not the best behaved group, they forfeit watching 7 de Laan - the worst soapie I have possibly seen. Hell, with hindsight we should have made the little demons endure it!
After tea of chicken potjiek and rice, Simone, pronounced Sim-on-a (Volunteer), and I came into our own as the Entertainment Staff! Starting with a Wetlands DVD, Snakes and Ladders and then the all important dancing! These kids can move - and my street cred was increased 100% when I had opportunity to shake my boody!
The children are given three meals a day, breakfast and evening meal being prepared and cooked by Auntie Katrina, at the ripe old age of 76!
Day two of the programme after buttering over ten loaves for breakfast and sarnies, is spent in Agulhas itself, again splitting the children into smaller groups, they are taken up the Lighthouse, into its museum. To the caves previously inhabited by the Khoikhoi people, a short distance from the Lighthouse. Then in two straightish lines - myself and Simone as leaders, we frog march them to the most southern point of South Africa, where the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean meet (see group photo), where we entertainment the bemused tourists by singing the South African National Anthem.
Today I have gained a new cling on, Deslene, she is as quiet as a mouse, yet on the way to the harbour to swim, proudly announces that she is going to show me how to handstand under water. (see photo).
After a lot of splashing as opposed to swimming, we are on our way back to base, listening to the same six songs from the morning! The children going wild for an Afrikaans song - Koekie Loekie, which is about a girl called Koekie, who has it going on! All the boys love her and all the girls were envious of her. A very cheesey and extremely addictive tuney tune!
Free time before tea, I have a gang of children around me, very interested in my diary notes of the day. Soon I find they are even more interested in my hair, must be the colour and texture as I have Edwina using me as a glorified 'Girls World', seriously I think the GHDs are redundant.
Wednesday - no rest for the wicked - drop off the two school groups and pick up two others! This time from St Pauls, a Catholic school and the other from Elim, where Allistons' Wife works as a Teacher and will be joining us. 52 kids in total.
And the same activities begin, yet with each group, brings new characters. Peter helps me with my box of tricks for the water cycle, he asks me questions about myself and England, and announces 'I like her' to his Teacher. Although very young, it is obvious he is in touch with his feminine side and tells me he likes me because I am pretty, sensitive and nice. If only he was 20 years older!
The next day with two new cling ons, we travel to Agulhas and proceed with the same programme - lighthouse etc etc, although we do manage to include a trip to Sandsberg, which gives us a birds eye view across all the Park. Today, I brave the cold waters at the harbour to swim with the children, me not wanting to get my hair wet! As if that was going to happen - the children taking great glee splashing me! Soon I have Shane (pronounced Shanay) climbing on my back, a welcome distraction for I am frozen!
With salt water hair, I change discreetly on the beach and sit myself on the bus. Within no time I have a new team of Nicky Clarkes, three in all, pulling at my hair all gabbling above me in Afrikaans. when they have finished my hair feels like silk, although I look like Anne of Green Gables with a sweeping curtain fringe! Attractive! Although I didn't have the heart to change it.
During tea, not realising Auntie Katrina speaks English - I am taken aback when she swipes the tea towel out of my hand demanding 'No, you work too hard!' Simone joins in the banter, saying I should come with a remote control, so she can press the stop button! They do have a valid point - I feel like a Duracell Bunny!
The night was spent dancing with Mickey, a dot of a girl, but what a groover. Sat on my hip, as we mess about doing the tango, she places a little kiss on my cheek - I could have cried. And cried I did as I waved them off the following morning!
Travelling back to my accommodation in Agulhas, I decide I cannot be bothered to cook and will head to Angelo's for pizza for one! Unexpectedly Samantha, Section Ranger arrives home after spending all week on a course, she decides to join me. All in all, we had a very pleasant evening.
Thursday 9 April 2009 - Suffering from what feels like vertigo, I pick up my bright and shiny red Corsa hire car and head into the metropolis that is Upington. Finding a little man to look over my parked car - I head to Checkers to buy provisions for the weekend, including three bars of essential Cadburys chocolate for my isolated Scottish friend.
