After School Program

In the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Department we started an after school program for the children receiving case management services from DAM, as well as the children of the neighborhood.  Our first day was August 23^rd.  We had planned for the children, set up the room, and were scheduled to have the program available starting at 2 p.m. and running until 4 p.m.  After school services were identified as a need by the OVC workers when I first came to Soweto and we had been talking about starting a program since our kids’ week in July.  This type of program implementation seemed to directly fit into the reason for my presence.  In my position with the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) I am called to accompany ELCSA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa) Central Diocese and DAM in their mission, not to take control and implement what I think people need.  I could use my skills and gifts to help implement a program identified as a need by the local workers who have experience with this community.  So August 23^rd came, and we had no children attend until just before 4 p.m.  Two children came and we explained the program and encouraged them to return.  I have to say this start was demoralizing.  I began to question whether the program was really needed, or if I had seen an opportunity to do something so forced implementation of a program.  This experience was humbling, and called me to reexamine how I operate out of my culture and whether this fit with the context I am in.  This certainly wasn’t the start with a bang that I had hoped for.  My coworkers assured me that things start small and the program would grow.

Over the coming weeks we did grow.  First we grew from 2 children on the first day to 3 on the second, and continued to almost double each week.  We now have 40 to 50 children attend regularly.  Initially we discussed having only children registered in our OVC department attend.  But the reality is we cannot turn a child away if they are hungry in the physical, emotional, or spiritual sense.  One of the benefits of the program is keeping the children off the streets.  We try to have positive activities for them to do, including art and sports.  Our resources for food are limited, but we have been able to feed all the children up to this point, and by God’s grace we will continue to do so.  As time has passed we have a core group of kids who attend regularly and others who pop in and out, but we have had over 130 children attend along the way.  I feel fortunate to spend time with these amazing kids.

Playing ball

My office, queue to practice computer skills!

Waiting patiently for lunch by the kitchen