I help out at a school in Diepsloot Township every Monday morning. We teach the third graders extra English, so that they can manage their school better. In South Africa, the children are taught in their native language (zulu, pedi, xhosa or another of the official languages) their first school years but by third grade the tuition language changes to English. This is often a struggle also for the teacher, because the children do not master English.
Diepsloot Township is an extremely poor area in northern Johannesburg with an estimate of 350.000 to 600.000 inhabitants, nobody really knows the exact figure. Unemployment is high and most people live in shacks made of corrugated iron and scrap wood. Many areas lack electricity, running water and sewage. All this means that crime thrives and life is very hard for many children. "Only the toughest will survive," a friend of mine said recently.
The zoo-trip was for many of the children their first time outside the township. In a country famous for its safari and wild animals, they saw lions, hippos, rhinos and elephants for the first time. It was a joy to see their excitement. We divided the 100 children into smaller groups, I took care of 11 wild boys together with a friend.
After running around the zoo trying to see as many animals as possible, we treated the children to a picnic lunch. They were all so hungry, as many had left home without breakfast, but nevertheless they all saved some of the food to bring home to show their parents.
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| Boys from my "red team" as I called our group. |
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| Girls are enjoying their soft drinks. |
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