Today started with a few of the group members going for an early jog around the neighborhood. Once they returned from their jog, everyone was ready for the day. We had a debrief session with Pastor Dennis John during breakfast. During the debrief, Pastor Dennis John went over important information about the history of Bottlebrush, relevant political issues in South Africa, and what to expect when arriving at the site.  

Our first stop at Bottlebrush was at the daycare center where we met sixteen children ranging from ages 4-7. Upon arriving we received shy responses from the children, but after a few minutes of interaction we felt the warm-hearted smiles from the kids. At the daycare we looked around and noticed the limitations of the facility in comparison to well-equipped kindergarten classrooms in the U.S. We knew we were going to renovate the facility, but after getting a true picture of the deteriorating conditions we decided to make this project our priority for the first two days. We want to help create a happier environment for learning.   

The next stop for the group was visiting Brooklyn Heights Primary School. We met with the deputy principal, Mr. K. Govender. He then debriefed us about the school. We learned that there are 792 students in grades R (readiness) to 7^th grade. From grades 3 to 7 there is an average of forty to forty five students in a classroom. There are only two computers in the school, which are only in staff offices. We took a small tour of the school. The bathrooms have barred gates with a few humble stalls. The school has an overview of shacks in the Bottlebrush settlement. After the tour, we split into two groups and visited seventh grade classrooms and introduced ourselves to the students.

After finishing up at Brooklyn Heights, we left to purchase painting supplies.

Back at the daycare we prepared the facility to begin our process of renovation. While preparing the walls for painting, the children of Bottlebrush hung out with playful curiosity and sang beautiful songs. We continued our painting and towards the end of our day a bunch of us went out to jump rope with the kids.   

Overall, the day was an eye opener for the entire group. We went into the day thinking we were going to save the world by spending a few days at the daycare but quickly realized the project is much greater!  We are providing a small piece of comfort with the improvements to the facility and we must continue to work to develop a long-term plan to support the settlement.


Looking forward to tomorrow…