Day 13: Happy Mandela Day!

Today I celebrated Nelson Mandela Day by volunteering at a community center in one of the largest townships in Cape Town. The event was organized by students and was quite impressive. The idea is that on Mandela Day you should volunteer 67 minutes of your time to serve others in honor of the 67 years that Mr. Mandela spent doing that very thing. So, at 10:20 this morning I boarded a bus to one of the poorest neighborhoods I have ever seen. 

I had heard the stories, but seeing it in person was a different thing altogether. I was texting Mark from the bus and once he learned where I was going (unaccompanied) he flipped out a little bit. 

I promised Mark that I would not leave the group, I would not wander off and I would not try to teach financial literacy to the residents. 

Then it was time to get to work. The students had arranged six different activities from which the volunteers could choose. Even though it was fairly chilly, I chose gardening. The plan was to section off part of the play area for a small flower garden using donated materials. First though, we had to pull all of the grass and weeds BY HAND!  Fortunately, the kids were eager to help. 

With about 10-15 kids and volunteers working on a fairly small plot, we had the weeds cleared in no time. Then, it was time to add topsoil to the sand so that the flowers would have a fighting chance. After that, we worked in compost and fertilizer -- all with our bare hands!!

It's amazing how quickly 67 minutes goes by. By the time I had finished with the fertilizer, the bus was pulling up to take us back to campus and collect the next group. My student leader, James (in the back on the left in the blue t-shirt), said that I could spend the day there, but I needed to get back and do some work (and beat the rain). So, I said my goodbyes and climbed back on the bus with the rest of the students. 

What an amazing experience. James tells me that he is there three days each week. I'm thinking I might join him once or twice while I'm here. Those kids were no different than my kids or any others that I see every day at home. Unfortunately, they have a much tougher life. I thought about all of these things on the ride back to campus. I watched a man herd goats near the freeway and counted my blessings once again. Thank you Mr. Mandela for all that you did for South Africa and reminding me of how very blessed I am.