Author Archives: Steph E

Blast Off!!

Last week was kids camp, and we had the pleasure of taking 50 kids to the beach for camp! This year the theme was outer space. We have been planning this camp for the past 3 months, praying, putting together the programme, preparing crafts and games, finding donations… so it was so exciting to finallyContinue reading “Blast Off!!”

100 Paper hearts, answering emails, and other ordinary amazing things

So, I thought I should tell you what I do with my life, when all the awesome people I work with are in Sweetwaters teaching Life Skills and being, well, awesome. (Read about the Life Skills program over at the iThemba blog). Networking and Program support means I write a lot, I plan a lot,Continue reading “100 Paper hearts, answering emails, and other ordinary amazing things”

I’m proud of You

Sometimes encouragement comes from the most unlikely of places. I probably would have shooed him away. He was drunk. Not drunk enough to be aggresive, just drunk enough to be honest. He decided to join in on Sizwe’s Life Group last Friday. He had seen my car (and the car of the Restoration Hope team),Continue reading “I’m proud of You”

Farther Together

When we have a team visiting us, it means I get to go be involved with every aspect of iThemba’s work for a few days. This week, that meant I visited running club for the first time since I got over my mono (glandular fever). I have posted about running club in the past, butContinue reading “Farther Together”

The Real Customers

Here’s a really great, really short video about how good intentions are not enough when it comes to assisting those in need. The gap between the kind intentions of the US and the actual needs in Africa is very large. A lot of times someone in the West comes up with a GREAT idea thatContinue reading “The Real Customers”

Let’s Play! The Importance of Early Childhood Education

David and I are reading “The Social Animal” by David Brooks at the moment. The first few chapters of the story (that is filled with social science research) confirms again and again the importance of early childhood stimulation for brain development. Asidlale (“Let’s Play” in isiZulu) is a programme iThemba started in order to equip earlyContinue reading “Let’s Play! The Importance of Early Childhood Education”

Art Shows and Running Clubs

In Sweetwaters there are no organized after-school activities for children or teens. The schools do not have sports teams that compete against each other, and there are no after-school cultural activities. Here’s two cool after-school clubs that iThemba has been involved with lately. These after-school clubs not only keep kids off the street and doingContinue reading “Art Shows and Running Clubs”

Spider-web Relationships

  I heard a description in college about three different ways of viewing the world: The Western way is atomic. It breaks things down into the tiniest parts and analyzes them. Our great big world is made of minuscule atoms, of individuals. The Eastern way is oceanic. It views everything as one whole. Every littleContinue reading “Spider-web Relationships”

Guest Post: Have I made a difference?

  We’ve loved having Anna with us! Here’s her reflection on her time with us. It is almost time for me to go home, which means I have been a volunteer at iThemba Projects for about four months. My biggest fear these days relates to trying to answer the question, “Anna, did you make aContinue reading “Guest Post: Have I made a difference?”