Let’s Get the Smurf On and Roll

I woke up this morning way before my alarm clock with a SLIGHT coughing attack, as I have been recovering from the flu (thanks to my darling sister) for a week now. Yet, my energy was booming and I was ready for what the day had install for us. After our yummy eggs on toast breakfast we headed over to the nursery school (which is about a 1 km from the house and did I mention it was a scorching 32 degrees) not expecting to find many students as the holidays began last Friday. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find four eager little kiddies ready to learn the alphabet along with their teacher. As this was my first time experiencing the classroom, I was more than happy to sit in and listen to them shouting out the letters as the teacher pointed to them and oh were they so proud when they got the animal matching the letter right.

This one little girl that I found a bit shy when I arrived at the school glowed gorgeously and had a smile from ear to ear when she got the question right. It was a beautiful moment and I was in my element. Thereafter we sang a few songs with an abundance of enthusiasm and the only one I recognised and could sing along with was “If you happy and you know it clap your hands” with all the gestures. I felt a tad old as I would like to think I didn’t finish school or nursery school “thhhaaat lonnnggg ago”, but anyhoo at least I remembered one song.

So the children in the nursery school are learning in English and forming the foundation so a lot of effort has been placed into the curriculum and working with the locals who volunteer to teach. I was very grateful to have had the chance to see all this in action. I only had a small amount of time with them before us volunteers had to put our thinking caps on and plan the painting of the second nursery classroom and the layout of all the educational elements we need to paint. These include the alphabet, shapes, colours, numbers, the body and creative drawings that the kiddies can relate to.

Lifuwu Village

We spent most of the morning planning and getting all the materials ready and soon after lunch we headed back to the nursery and began preparing the paint. We had a bucket of white paint that we had to mix with a blue tint and a stick – true African style…Nevertheless after heaps of stirring and spilling we got it right and ended up with a light Smurf blue and began rolling away.

It took us about two hours to paint the entire nursery, including some help from a young little boy who just wanted to be in the environment and wow was he eager in painting. It was quite refreshing especially when he started singing a song that I have no idea where it comes from but it added a touch of playfulness to the room. My experience painting, however, seeing as it is one of my fortes (mmm don’t think so) included moving around on my knees, rolling the paint in all different methods and kind of getting on with it only for me to realise after a while that I ended up splattering paint everywhere and ended up looking like a Smurf myself.

It really was a magical day of blue and I enjoyed it with all my heart. This is the kind of picture I had when planning on coming here involving playing with the kiddies as well as calling on a creative streak for the new nursery. The other two volunteers and I had the entire day to spend together and got on really well. In saying that I feel we all connect in some way, have a passion for the cause, enjoy the company of little kiddies and the next 3.5 weeks are going to be really fun and interesting.

So let me move along to the shower and try save whatever material is left of my clothes and be off. 

Before and After

Until next time let’s get the Smurf on and roll...