As we are now halfway into our expedition, we already have so many incredible experiences to reflect on.
Arrival at Mlindzini Primary School
Firstly, we travelled up to the community which we would be spending the next 5 days with.
Initially, we got stuck into the building side of the project. This meant we were taking off topsoil, mixing a lot of cement, carrying breeze blocks and then making a fool of ourselves in front of the local parents and builders! However, those who weren’t building introduced themselves to the different classes and taught lessons such: Maths, Expressive arts, PE and some even made their own lesson plans and got the kids to make a profile of themselves.
Community Involvement
As we got more involved with the community, the much anticipated football match between AGC and Mlindzini Primary school. Unfortunately, but not to our surprise, we did lose quite embarrassingly, we will put it down to the altitude… However, on a positive note, some of the girls got involved in cooking the children’s meals they get for their lunch, they cooked pap and beans while getting to know the local ladies.
Building a Pre-School
Towards the end of our ‘first coming’ the building shot up, all of the frames for the roof were assembled and fitted to the structure of the grade 0 class room. We were amazed by the efficiency of the locals and the builders and how quickly the block work was done.
A Change in Attitude
At the end of the project, we all agreed on how experiencing the way of life in the rural parts of Eswatini has changed our perspectives on the things we have at home and the way we live. It highlighted how easy we have all have it at home.
On our final evening in the project, the teachers cooked us an amazing meal which included, chicken which lived on the school grounds, pap, spinach and a gravy which was incredible.
The Future
We look forward to the rest of our expedition and doing the safaris, zipline and coming back to the community for our “second coming”. Here we hope to see the final stages of the building, experiencing more of the culture up there and watching the clear night sky!
Written by Morgan
