On Monday afternoon Miss John and Mr Hopkin's group visited POP3 in the Malmesbury area.
The POP centers offer a safe place for young people to gather, whether to play, socialise or do homework. They are given a hot meal and an opportunity to shower, as these simple things that we take for granted are not guaranteed when the children return home. By providing an environment that is both supportive and fun, the centers aim to keep the children within their boundaries and therefore out of mischief.
More established POP centers like this are used to having groups to visit. We received a warm welcome and were soon making friends.
After a beautiful breakfast cooked by Auntie Ena and the ladies in the kitchen, we gathered in the barn to meet Ingrid Lestrade, a director of the Goedgedacht trust. She formally welcomed us to the farm and introduced us to some of her partners in crime who would be working alongside us that week; Anna, Maria, Edlynne, Ryan, Sophie and Raylene to name just a few.
Ingrid gave us an overview of how and why the trust was formed. We learned a little about Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and the devastating affect it had, not only on the lives of individuals, but on the wider community. Ingrid explained that the POP (Path out of Poverty) scheme was borne out of a desire to break the poverty cycle, equipping young people with both the skills and confidence to play an active and valuable role in their communities. Some of the youth workers we met that morning were graduates of the system, adding resonance to Ingrid's message that change takes time, but can be achieved no matter the odds.
A founding principle on the trust is that of ARK; that we change the world with one Random Act of Kindness at a time. We were challenged to imagine how our world might look if we were all a little kinder, a little more considerate, a little more helpful.
Another key feature of life of the trust is music, and we were soon on our feet attempting to find some rhythm.
There is no shortage of fun on the trust, and Ryan introduced us to the shark attack game. Miss John was the first victim, singing 'Mi welais Jac y Do' as her forefeit. The peg game soon also got into full swing, causing all of us to eye each other with suspicion.
Next we headed for the climate change path, where we learnt how the trust seeks to minimise its impact on the environment. From recycling kitchen waste to create gas, to compost toilets, to solar panels and crop rotation, eco principles were clearly at heart of everyday life on the farm.
After a break for scones and coffee, it was time to get down to work. Half of the group stayed to make compost whilst the others headed down to the nursery to help feed the babies.
Having worked up an appetite, it was time for lunch before our first visit to the POP centers, and a chance to see the work of the trust in action.
We left the airport to meet our driver Andre, and with Hoppo's dulcet tones on the microphone we were treated to facts, trivia and half truths as we drove around Cape Town.
Mist stopped our ascent of Table Mountain so we headed to Signal Hill to get a panoramic view of Cape Town through the cloud.
Mist did not deter the paragliders....
... although it did take the edge off of the Kodak Moment photo point!
Undeterred, everyone was eager to capture the moment.
The breeze soon began to get the better of us, and before long it was time to head to Camps Bay for lunch.The plush surroundings stood in very stark contrast to the shanty towns we had seen on the drive in. We quickly came to realise that Cape Town is a city with many faces.
We had some free time for lunch, and were quick to discover the bargain gastronomic delights on offer.
Fed and watered, we burnt off some energy on the beach before boarding the bus for the journey towards Malmesbury and the trust.
