Kodumela Day Three ~ We'll Meet Again

The last day began with a visit to Mamokaile School where we were greeted by a fully costumed drum majorette. For those on their second visit to the school this wasn’t quite so surprising, or surreal, as on the first visit in 2007 and it was good to see how much they had improved their performance. Once we were all seated the children went through their programme of recitals, songs and dances – from the little tots in the reception class counting from one to twenty in English to the oldest students doing modern and traditional dance routines.

We toured some of the classrooms and were thrilled to see that since we were last at the school a water supply has been installed which means they are now able to cultivate a garden so they can cook the food they grow for lunch for the kids. There are some orphans at the school so they help out in the garden after school in return for taking produce home to feed themselves. To meet the staff and children of Mamokaile, visit www.mamokaileschool.blogspot.com

After the school we visited the Lafata Project, affectionately known to us as “the beadwork ladies”. When we last visited them they had one bare room and not much else but, by virtue of their own hard work, they now have a four room building where they make beadwork jewellery and accessories, wall hangings and table covers and clay pots, they also bake scones, run a chicken/egg business and feed orphans and vulnerable children once a day. They are now fully independent of project funding and have made the most spectacular success out of nothing at all. There is more information about Lafata at www.lafataprojects.blogspot.com

From there it was a quick (but gorgeous) lunch before visiting 22 year old Mokgadi who cares for her younger siblings and her 2 year old daughter. She has two rooms built as separate dwellings with an open “kitchen” in the yard and a patch of garden where she is growing tomatoes, spinach, chillies and beetroot. When we visited she was fetching water from a nearby stream to irrigate her crops and boil for drinking but since then a stand pipe has been installed in her yard. She has gone back to school and has ambitions to study sociology and we all came away with the impression that she will realise her dreams because she is a very determined young lady.

All too soon it was time to say farewell but it was easier to leave this time than last because we know we’ll be back!

Visit the photo gallery to see pictures of our time in Kodumela.