Nonto Primary - Nelson Mandela Day - 16th July 2012

On a frightfully cold Monday, 21 brave volunteers, who cared more about helping others then getting frostbite, headed out to Nonto Primary school for Nelson Mandela day to help paint, hoe, shovel and rake to make the school a little bit nicer for the children who went there!

It was though - SERIOUSLY FRIKKIN' COLD!!

We all grabbed tools and set to work! Ten of us went to garden and the rest went to paint!
We gardeners cleared a dump site to make a vegetable patch for the kids for school dinners.
We put effort into it, no forking around!

I felt like a pimp the way I worked my Hoe!

 Backwards and forwards we went, clearing rubbish and rubble I found coke cans so old they'd not been made in decades! Archaeologists would have wept!

There was a fire for plant debris. I show this fire because, small and innocent as it looked, we all ended up smelling of burnt hay by the end of the day!

There was a photographer there to get publicity shots. Bet his pics aren't nearly as interesting as mine!
* Professional competitiveness*

 We managed to clear a large chunk of land! Made me wish we could have started planting already!

 While my fork and hoe destroyed rocks and bottles and cans from the 1500's with reckless glee, it was fascinating to see what sort of items held up against all the abuse. Wonder if it still works...

The painters were also hard at work adding a bit of colour and pizazz to the kids playing ground. Those of us in the garden moved around a lot so we didn't feel the cold so badly. I fear the painters weren't so lucky.
Oh dude, you missed a spot over ........................................there...............

The cold, the hard work and the final warmth of the bus and we headed back to Discovery, tired and beat.
Job well done crew!!!

Discvery Paints the Hospital Yellow - April 2012

Off went the Discovery volunteers to Chris Hani Baragwaneth hospital to paint the halls and corridors! This was the biggest group that I'd ever been in and everyone seemed keen for some nice, mid-week physical labour!

 When we got to the hospital we had a bit of a time finding the entrance to the place and the bus driver got to practice his reversing skills in full! I managed to get this shot on the second time we drove round!

Inside the hospital we were taken to the area set up for us to paint, given a basic lecture on painting and the joys there of, and then set loose with trays of paint, rollers and brushes!

 This was my brush, in the burning bright yellow that was to become part of my clothing, hands and hair. 

Yellow incidentally, is scientifically proven to make people feel happier and more joyful. I know slathering that stuff on the walls there perked my mood right up! (admittedly I was already cheerful and would have been happy slathering pea green onto the walls, but I like to think the yellow added a certain dimension of pizzazz!)

 Paint, paint, paint!

 We finished in record speed! So fast in fact that in an hour's time - POOF, instant glowy yellow walls! That’s Discovery employees for you, we know all about knuckling down and getting a job done!  We toured the hospital a bit then reluctantly went back to work. (Hey we might be hard workers but we’re human beings as well!)

But the end product looked lovely and it was wonderful to know that we had all contributed to making a place of wellness just that much more so!

Discovery - Orlando Children's Home visit - 3 December 2011

Saturday Morning, bright and early, saw us Discovery volunteers heading off for an exciting journey to the Orlando Children's home to spread some good cheer, tons of fun, and present giving!! Would you like to join me on a virtual trip?

Let's go!!!

In the bus and ready to ride! Meet our event coordinator, Linda! We could tell exactly how hard the bus driver was braking by how far she flew each time he did! 

Soweto - It has it's own vibe going! The houses are mostly low cost and informal but even so the residents still seem to be house proud and each one has it's own unique touch!

The outside of the home. It doesn't give away much does it? What will we find inside?

All the volunteers took as many packages of presents, sports goods and cupcakes down to the reception area as they could carry. Those bags are heavier then they look! You feel like some rippling Santa's helper by the time you reach the bottom! Check these biceps Rudolph!

Presents dropped off, we go skittering down to the field to set up everything for the kids!

We're a bit nervous. You can't wait to dive in but at the same time you worry you'll do something doff or make a kid cry or end up hogging the hoola hoops! How should we break the ice?

Why by playing with toys of course!! Once we start, it doesn't take long for the kids to cop on and happily join in, showing us how it's REALLY DONE!!

Everyone starts to meld and the awkwardness vanishes as quickly as it came!

We all discover the child inside ourselves!

And kids of all ages get stuck right in! There's nothing they're not willing to try! Too small? Says you!!

Wow! Got some moves there!! I'll try that um... later....

Then it's present time! The best part for some! What’d we get? What’d we get? Oh? Only the kids got presents? So lucky!! Can I see what you got?

In the end everyone had a wonderful time, children and adults alike, and we all went off with some new and special memories of all the little friends we'd made! Could you think of a better way to spend a few free hours on a Saturday?