Wednesday, 20.6.19

Today, we went to Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary with the children. I had already been there in the first week, so I already knew it a bit. The children were all very excited! Almost all of them had never seen a real lion or tiger before. I found that very astonishing, considering that they grow up next to these animals. Today, we had a slightly safer bus to drive to the sanctuary. Even one with seat belts ;-).

We were then guided through the park by a guide and the children listened to him very attentively and asked many questions. It was very nice to see how interested they are in these animals! We had half an orange and fruit juice as a snack before heading back to the center. In the afternoon, it started raining heavily again. Therefore, all the children had to eat at the same time, as the other half couldn't wait outside in the rain. So it was very crowded in the dining room! After that, we played many board games and drew on the chalkboard with water. Today, I played a lot with a six-year-old girl named Nika (maybe spelled a bit differently). It was very interesting to see the difference between her and the other six-year-olds. She spoke very good English, while the others only spoke Afrikaans with me. She also knew the numbers much better and played dominoes independently. You can really notice the difference in how the children are supported at home. Back at the marketplace, I met Angelo. He is from Naples and has a small takeaway pizzeria at the marketplace. Barely knowing each other for 5 minutes, he wanted to fill me up with rose wine, gave me a pizza, and showered me with compliments. Once an Italian, always an Italian...