I requested to eddie that we go and visited Siyandas mum, she also happens to own the cutest looking house in the village. She had something cooking in a cauldren over a fire outside her round hut. We had just caught her about to embark on another chore. Probably one of the worst in my opinion but one i was quite excited about seeing being done as id heard about it on my last visit to candu and the concept of which has and will never leave my mind. It was time to apply another coat of cow poo to the floor. I could see she had already per-selected her cow dung, it was laying on the floor next to a bucket of water. She had prepared the room by moving the two beds into the centre of the round hut and prepared herself by taking off her skirt and leaving just her underskirt on. On the floor on all fours she broke off some of the co dung, poured water on it, began kneeding it and before you know it's liquid poo. It's smeared into the floor then scooped away with the side of her hand leaving a thin wet layer behind and in a lovely rainbow shaped pattern.

*The above is an extract from my book 'Egg boxes are for insulation', a photographic book giving insight into how our brother and sisters live in South Africa and will be available for sale summer 2011*

TODAY

i just love the zulu's.

Just look at them praise God!

part 2 of the Afrikhono course

First of all you need to read my blog further down about the Afrikhono course.

Now the students have completed the course they need to learn how to sell their products in order to create sustainable self employment. Tuesday i took them into town with their products to teach them how to sell a) to the public b) to retail

6 out of 9 turned up (one reason they don't have a job in the first place), a few of them have real potential, a couple on the other hand didn't understand basic principles of selling i.e. smiling and making conversation with the customer.

Selling in the office of the stationary shop. The office ladies loved the retail escape away from their desks

conclusion: get inside the offices to sell

Selling to the customers who cant walk away in the food court

The students with their items

Selling to the BAT centre the earrings and cards on consignment: SCORE!

Next week they will experience selling on a market stall!

Food parcels

A new feeding scheme has been started over here. Once a month 200 orphans that have been identified by the local hospital will receive a food parcel enough to feed them for a whole month. Most of these kids look after themselves and their younger siblings and live in a small tin shack. They live in a valley, it took them 45 minutes to walk up the valley to come and get their food parcel. They then had to walk back down carrying the food parcel that some of them could hardly lift. We were warned not to go down there.

There was a girl named wendy, dressed as a boy, we thought she was a boy until we found out her name. She dresses like that because she is on her own and if she looks like a boy there is less chance of anything happening to her. Then we discovered that her mother is in hospital and she cant attend school because there is no-one to pay for it or supply her with the uniform and book. It costs £10 for school for the year!!! One of the volunteers here is sorting out getting her into school, but how many others are there that don't attend school because they don't have £10?!