Week 3

Everyone here in Bulembu is amazing! The kids are incredible. I have enjoyed working with them so much, especially the toddlers. At school the kids can be a bit of a handful at times, but that can be expected due to their pasts. They also can be some of the most fun and energetic kids to be around. During snack time and lunch time I sit with some of the younger kids and they love to hear about life back home as well as tell me all about their weekends, but I think that their favorite things are teaching me SiSwati words and playing soccer. Everyday they would beg me to get my notebook so that they could write down more words for me. The toddlers are so much fun to be around and love to sing. We taught them so many new songs from our childhoods. After a long day at the school or doing work projects, the toddlers would always bring a smile to my face and brighten my day, especially when they would yell “Jess-ee-kuh” when I got to their house after school. The Aunties are just as amazing as the children. They give up three weeks of each month to live full time with the children. Many of them leave their own children and families to work in Bulembu. They are such welcoming women and have such big hearts. They are doing amazing work with the children. Everyone else in Bulembu is also so welcoming and always say hello and stop whatever they are doing to talk to you when they see you. The whole community is working towards one goal, becoming self- sustainable in order to provide the necessary love and care to orphaned children so that they can lead long and successful lives. This one goal brings everyone in the community together, which you can see whenever you talk to or work with anyone from Bulemebu.