Gary and Marnelle Helling - my gracious hosts for the duration, standing on their front stoop.
This is the MCM food center. Out of this building they provide 3,000+ meals per day to impoverished school children and various soup kitchen locations throughout Paarl. It is also the only place with large space for indoor painting, so it's where we are building the mural.
Our mural operation inside the warehouse-type area of the food center. The mural is 6' x 32' - it is a total of 4 boards long, so this is just half the length.
My local paint squad from left: Ursula, Leedien, me of course, and Carmen. All excellent workers!
In only three days, I have done and seen so many new things. Some are encouraging and some much more heartbreaking. This afternoon I, for the first time, held the hand of a child with HIV. It's an acronym we as Americans think we are familiar with, yet I realized I had never actually met someone living with the disease. Bowy House is an orphanage/temporary home for HIV positive children or kids who have lost their parents to AIDs. It's a fairly small place, housing just 15 children at a time, but such an important and needed service in a community where 20% of the population is HIV positive.
This is the MCM food center. Out of this building they provide 3,000+ meals per day to impoverished school children and various soup kitchen locations throughout Paarl. It is also the only place with large space for indoor painting, so it's where we are building the mural.
Our mural operation inside the warehouse-type area of the food center. The mural is 6' x 32' - it is a total of 4 boards long, so this is just half the length.
My local paint squad from left: Ursula, Leedien, me of course, and Carmen. All excellent workers!
In only three days, I have done and seen so many new things. Some are encouraging and some much more heartbreaking. This afternoon I, for the first time, held the hand of a child with HIV. It's an acronym we as Americans think we are familiar with, yet I realized I had never actually met someone living with the disease. Bowy House is an orphanage/temporary home for HIV positive children or kids who have lost their parents to AIDs. It's a fairly small place, housing just 15 children at a time, but such an important and needed service in a community where 20% of the population is HIV positive. This little guy was, hands down, the happiest baby I've ever met!
She fell asleep on me while we waited to feed them dinner.
South African's don't have a BBQ - they have a Braai (rhymes with FRY). Instead of using coal, they burn wood in the center bin until is becomes hot embers, which are then spread out under the grates for cooking. The sign above Gary's Braai is in the Afrikaans language and translates: "THIS IS MY BRAAI AND HERE I AM BOSS"
Can't argue that this is a grillin' mans dream come true!
We, of course, finished off our dinner with chocolate Buckeyes - fresh from OHIO!
She fell asleep on me while we waited to feed them dinner.
South African's don't have a BBQ - they have a Braai (rhymes with FRY). Instead of using coal, they burn wood in the center bin until is becomes hot embers, which are then spread out under the grates for cooking. The sign above Gary's Braai is in the Afrikaans language and translates: "THIS IS MY BRAAI AND HERE I AM BOSS"
Can't argue that this is a grillin' mans dream come true!
We, of course, finished off our dinner with chocolate Buckeyes - fresh from OHIO!
3 comments:
So what are you painting Hayley? I'm not sure I could do it, ok so I know I couldn't, but I'd be wanting to hold and take care of all the cute little kids rather than paint.
Can't wait to see and read more:o)
I'm loving the pics and hearing about how things are going! Love you too!
Haley you INSPIRE me! What an adventour you are having! Cant wait to read your posts throughout your journey and see the murals come to life. Cheers to you!!
Post a Comment