I love travelling and for year 11 i spent the year raising money to go on a 3 week trip to Namibia in South Africa. within these 3 weeks i travelled, went to a safari and volunteered at a deprived school for a week where we helped build a playground and more games for the school. They loved their new swings, slide, pretend car and playground activities.
I knew living conditions were going to be bad but i was in shock more that the family conditions are worse. With poverty so bad the parents have no jobs to provide for their family, therefore they travelled to the city leaving their children to provide for themselves. Therefore kids were left for over a week with their sibling of 10 looking after their 5 other siblings for a week who were as young as 2.
I visited inside where they live where each hut was as small as a toilet cubicle. One bed filled with loads of blankets. Yes, they all slept in one bed, all 5 kids. It stank and was so damp from the broken cardboard as a door to protect them at night. At first the kids were trying to hide it by saying you cant come in but once they checked they allowed us in. What they were checking was if there auntie wasn't drinking, drunk at 4pm.
Children were walking around with no shoes on all day with glass smashed everyone due to the alcoholic problem they have in their town. Kids were shouted away from the local food shop due to them eating or stealing food to help their starving tummy’s. We bought crisps one day and a few crumbs were left on the floor. Then and there the kids came up licking the floor for any last bit of food. On the last night, we were meant to be celebrating the kids talents and instead a accident outside the school where a drunk driver collided into a family car out-broke. I children in the car died instantly. In the town the rang a bell every-time there was a death in the town as it was a big problem.
Yet the children were so lovely and just were so excited to see us. They were so fascinated by cameras, photography and filming, i thought them a bit about it. They had not had a visitor in 16 years.
i was touched by this experience. My video was shown in assembly to document our experience with the company we went with. Today, me and my mum regally hold charity events at our house to raise money for things like toilets and sanctuary towels.
