I have 2 weeks left at Fikelela before I do a scuba-diving course. After I (hopefully) pass the course, I will be volunteering at another place for a new 5 weeks. This place is called St. George’s Home for Girls. Last week on Thursday, Ed and Heather took me to go see what it looks like.

St. George’s Home is located in a place called Wynberg (20 minutes from Cape Town). Initially I was going to stay at a backpackers/youth hostel close by and take the train to the Home, but because the trains aren’t too safe, Ed and Heather have found a family where I will be staying. I will be meeting the family some time this week!

St. George’s Home is a boarding school type of project. Children might just live there during the week and go back to their families over the weekend. Other children stay there all the time. The children are not usually orphans, but are rather taken away from their family, usually because of drugs or alcohol problems.

 The children who live there are aged 4-18 years old. My tasks at St. George’s Home will be to help some of the older children with their homework, to play with the smaller ones, help put them to sleep – and just help around in general.

A proper teenage rooms with posters above the bed

The smaller ones playing with dolls

I’ve really created strong bonds at Fikelela and I would want to stay there forever, but at the same time I think it will be good to see something different and gain yet another experience.

After the visit to St. George’s Home, Heather and Ed took Alex and I to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, that I had visited about 3 weeks earlier.

Some of the volunteers with bags of toys and games for the children

This time, we actually got to go into the wards and see all the children and the rooms they were in! It was heartbreaking to see some of the children, but oh my – I had really found my place. If I ever turn out to be a doctor, that would definitely be a place I could see myself working. I might actually get a chance to volunteer there the last week before my family comes down to join me for Christmas. Volunteers at the hospital entertain and play with the children, and seemed like a great volunteer program – I’ll keep you updated on this!