Smiling kids. Plates of food. Fun activities. All of these things paint the well-known picture of the After School Programs that we help facilitate in Clau Clau and Embonisweni. But providing a place where children feel safe, receive a nutritious meal, and have space to learn and grow starts long before they set foot in the care centers. A lesser known fact is that there are hours of preparation that go into every single program. It starts with a group of dedicated women, a lot of prayer, and a grey Condor.
In Clau Clau, After School Programs are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
In Embonisweni, programs are held on Tuesday and Thursday.
One of the first steps is making sure that we have all the needed supplies. Food is a large part of the programs, but it doesn’t fall from the sky. Lennon, one of our staff, does a procurement trip to White River on Monday and to Nelspruit on Tuesday. Some items, such as vegetables and occasionally meat, are donated by local stores, and the other items are purchased from the funds given towards the After School Program. This food is then loaded into “The Grey Condor” and delivered to the care centers where the programs are held.
In both Embonisweni and Clau Clau, there is a group of women who are dedicated to loving and serving the children in their communities. These ladies come to the care center early in the morning to begin preparing the food.
In Embonisweni, Vusile stirs the pap that will later be served with beans and veggies. This is started first thing in the morning, even though the kids won’t arrive until school gets out for the day.
Investing in these women who lead the programs is just as important as investing in the children who come. At least once a week in both communities, we do “Tea Time.” This time of encouragement seeks to pour into these ladies who freely give so much of themselves. It’s also a time to pray for the program and the kids that will be coming.
The After School Programs are so much more than just a feeding program. We believe it’s important to also provide opportunities for growth and development. All activities and lesson plans have to be prepared ahead of time so that they are ready to go once the kids arrive.
The kids begin arriving around 2:30, and Bukiwe takes attendance at the Clau Clau program. Having records of the kids who come to each program is important to keep things running smoothly long-term.
After checking in, it’s play time! When you put a lot of kids and some energetic volunteers in one place, games and activities generate themselves. Even on the hottest of days, soccer is a popular sport.
The first planned activity is a large group time. This includes songs, a Bible lesson, and perhaps a skit, if we have a team who is visiting.
After all the children gather together, there’s an activity for a specific age group. These are rotated every week so that each group gets a turn.
These activities are a highlight of the program as it’s planned to be age specific and focus on skills that are helpful for that group. For the younger children, it may be a motor-skill activity, coloring pages, or a simple craft, whereas for the older ones, interactive games and hands-on activities are popular.
Meanwhile, the other age groups take turns washing up and getting in line for food. After playing hard, you also have to take some time to scrub the dirt off your hands!
Often times, our short-term volunteers help with serving food. These amazing people are great at jumping in and helping wherever is needed.
Serving meals is a well-known part of the program, but it takes hours of prep to get there!
Lots of chatter and laughter can be heard as the kids sit with their friends for a meal. It’s important to provide a safe environment where they can build social skills by having healthy interaction with each other, adults, and volunteers from other countries and cultures.
Once they have finished their food, the kids help out by rinsing off their plate before bringing it to be washed.
Before heading home after a long day, there’s still clean-up to do. Doris works on washing the pile of dishes that has quickly accumulated. Washing dishes, cleaning floors, and putting supplies away are all a part of the day’s work.
The After School Program doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work for each program to run smoothly. It takes a team of women who are committed to investing in the children of their communities. It takes businesses generously giving of their resources to help provide food. It takes people from around the world linking arms with these programs financially and through prayer. It takes the energy and excitement of short-term volunteers and teams. And yet every part of the process is worth it, because it’s an opportunity to build hope and home, showing God’s love in tangible ways.
We are so thankful for everyone who partners with us to make these programs possible. From the ladies who run the programs, to our short term volunteers, to the local businesses who donate food, to those who give financially, to those who faithfully join us in prayer – all of you are so very vital in building HOPE and HOME for these precious kids. Thank you for investing in the next generation of world-changers!
photography & captions by Rebekah Ness
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Man of the world, Mzwandile, or Swazi as we like to call him, is a vital part of the Ten Thousand Homes team. A keen explorer, Swazi’s time with Ten Thousand Homes has seen him venture across Africa’s heart in far flung expeditions to Mozambique, Swaziland, Malawi, Uganda, and Kenya. As well as a life changing journey to India.
Further to his role, Swazi is an exercise enthusiast whose brute physical power has attained mythic status in TTH folklore. Built like a teenage bison, Swazi undertakes a grueling regime in order to ensure he remains in peak condition. Do not be mistaken, though.
Jen Price
USA
Jen is the doting wife of TTH czar, Jeremy. She is the Cleopatra to his Anthony, the omega to his alpha, the ocean breeze to his desert heat. A Jack of all trades, Jen has her fingers in many pies across the TTH campus. As well as providing spiritual guidance to our often wayward female contingent, Jen is an events guru. She is the brains behind TTH’s thriving social scene and has planned numerous evenings of raucous entertainment. The Valentine’s banquet, Colour Party, and Easter masquerade would not have come to fruition without Jen’s expertise. In addition to her stoic organizational talents, Jen also dabbles in more expressive pursuits. Following a chance meeting with Michael Jackson on a teenage jaunt to Disneyworld, she became enthralled by the art of dance. Now an accomplished break-dancer, Jen wows the TTH family with an ensemble of gravity defying moves at both dance parties and during times of worship.
Jeremy Price
USA
Hewn from the most rustic Texan oak, Jeremy is one of Ten Thousand Homes’ founding fathers. He is part of the fabric of our organisation and has played a key role in the conception and development of the TTH family. Jeremy was there on that most momentous of days nearly ten years ago when we erected our first home in a destitute South African slum. In his spare time ‘Jezza’ can often be found with a guitar in his hands and a melody on his lips. A skilled singer songwriter, his recent polemic ‘From The Woods’ is a chilling work capable of rendering the most cold blooded listener a quivering, foetal wreck. A must for any lover of the arts.
Sam Thabethe
White River, South Africa
Builder, leader, legend…… Local lad, Sam, is the heartbeat of the Ten Thousand Homes maintenance team. Whether new construction, regular maintaining of the grounds, or emergency plumbing issues, Sam is is on the frontlines in the war to protect the campus.
Following a chance meeting, Sam landed himself a temporary gardening role at TTH. It wasn’t long before Sam was promoted to a full-time position in our grounds team.
Sam’s stupendous building abilities and relentless work ethic are matched only by the size of his heart. He is passionate about giving back to the communities from whose loins he was birthed. In addition to leading the grounds team, Sam is the spearhead of an initiative that seeks to provide sanitary towels, stationery, and uniforms for downtrodden female students in local high schools.
Joel Thorman
White River, South Africa
Not long after visiting South Africa to build a home with TTH, Joel knew that he would be returning. In 2020, this Englishman left behind the shores of his homeland and set off into the unknown, ready to take on the adventure before him. He arrived in South Africa armed with an arsenal of power tools and the skills of a master craftsman, joining the Ten Thousand Homes team as the property manager. His eye for detail and keen sense of creativity has brought construction and development projects to life on the campus and in nearby communities.
Adventure, mixed with a healthy dose of English tea, courses through his veins. He can often be spotted charging through the dense bush with his faithful dog at his heels or scaling the side of the largest boulder in sight.
Rebekah Thorman
White River, South Africa
Hailing from Iowa, USA, Rebekah first came to South Africa in 2013 to participate as a student in a uVillage training program. She returned to the corn fields and started a photography and creative design business but felt the pulling back to Africa. In 2017, Rebekah, along with her 2,148 books (maybe not that many but enough to fill a small library), joined Ten Thousand Homes staff as our “pretty maker.” She is the face behind the beautiful content that we publish. Rebekah also exercises her pretty making by bringing her green thumb and all around goodness to the everyday life of the community.
Coming from a large family, Rebekah loves to entertain. Walking into her house, however, you might think you took a wrong turn to the jungle. Never fear. The love of plants is strong with this one. At least you know, while feasting on her delicious home baked foods, no one at the party will run out of oxygen.
