Hey,
since my last entry is quite a while back and did not turn out particularly explicit I will now tell a little more intense.
It's almost a half year ago that I moved into the Alta du Toit Centre and I feel I still very much (if not better). However, in the near future, some things ändern.Zum one is next week, Lili's last. She will then fly to make a trip to Namibia via Johannesburg and then back to Germany.
Unfortunately I will not be here next week, but in Cape Town because there all the volunteers have come together to take SA to date on the progress of their work and discuss problems encountered evt (and some fun have J). As such, I am looking forward to it containing only real shame that I now the last time with Lili can not work together. It's odd that she goes now that we have shared so much together.
the August I will spend in September alone and is then (according to my information booth), a new volunteer.
early September, I have two weeks' leave which I will spend time with two friends from Germany (to which I am madly !!!!!!!!) .... And hopefully I'll see even a few whales ....
is otherwise not much has happened lately.
We hold a lot of work.
Fortunately, my range of tasks in the near future is somewhat expanded. Ina heads ( occupational therapy) they said would fill too much time to spend out forms and would like to have more time to spend with clients intensively. Why should I help maintain a table if it is progress. This makes sense because I am from morning to evening together with the clients, while Ina 3x a week since the morning. We also want to divide more clearly when he who takes care of the working groups. Ina has an assistant and Lili and I had the feeling sometimes take their work away. They (the assistant) but has never said anything, she was only sometimes (in our view ) tune. Sometimes she was there and worked, sometimes not. There was just no good communication, because we are used to address problems, but did not know whether that was so appropriate and whom we should respond.
Fortunately, Ina the "problem" a few days more or less raised by itself and tells us that such person (assistant) actually prefer working in nursing Währe and happy is that we However, since according to the contract they must participate in work therapy. This is all rather complex and in any case I feel that this is dealt with problems differently than we do. Another
Theme is criticism. When we come here to propose something really always "ohh jaaa that's great!" And what I've learned is that then, just to be not so great as it is celebrated (but what erfa until long after ; hrt). Now, if someone says to me that he will brood over my idea well I'm always on the first.
far as I know I have not written about it that I noticed in the very first days as an incredible number of children and young people there are here. Another volunteer told me that the average age in Germany 40 and in South Africa to 23 is. It is amazing how the atmosphere influences. I think especially as a young man I enjoy the total.
Winter: It's just the dead of winter here in South Africa and all around are complaining on, while we had the last days of real sunshine and only about 20 - 25 ° C. I LOVE this weather. This is only one that sucks, it's so cold in the houses inside and you constantly running around in a sweater and when you walk out the door you can peel back the 10 layers of clothing from his body.
Today has been raining for a change (but then really doll). What I totally beautiful find is that after such a downpour, when the whole thick Smogschichten are gone, the mountains can clearly see.
So much for the weather ....
After the Midstay next week, Katrina, Laura and I join the ladies race in Stellenbosch (10 km). Is not a half marathon but I'm working
My piano lessons are going well, I'm beginning now to play with two hands. My teacher is very fussy with many things but somehow I like them. And it gives me a totally fun. It's like I'm still learning reading off operations.
Thanks to my dear mother, we have yes wool and embroidery thread and knitting this wonderful book and I can already get all the tricks of the trade. We already start to decorate the dolls with beads, this is not really necessary but it's just totally fun to let off steam in this regard creative.
The dolls I can not say something in total.
There is a project aimed at young people and children, which deals with sexual violence at home and also in general goes. As far as I know will clarify therapists or teachers in schools, etc and on about it. In the end, each participant receives one of these dolls as a symbol of individuality every human being. The dolls are knitted by volunteers but also to the example of women had to prostitute themselves.
Our dolls will go on this project. However, the clients are at the moment still so crazy about it that we constantly have to be careful that there will be no less. Actually it was planned that each client wants to gets a doll and then the rest we keep in our example, but David has already stolen from the office of the Third ... ...
is also sweet that she was so excited about these dolls and carry them walk in their pockets :-)
Sun
Riekie has given us homework. We have to make a presentation about our project. I did that on Lili done together even if they will not be there, because we have worked with. I will ask my copy information sheets here in the blog. However in English, I have no desire now to translate this all again: - /
addition, we made a photo album (the clients to get Lili's departure on Friday) and I will work one of the boxes of the clients take in which I put a few of our products for demonstration purposes.
What the project is about:
The Alta du Toit Aftercare is a Center that focuses on the needs of adults with intellectual disability, who may be multidisabled.
The Center offers various services to more than 230 adults of all ages.
My work at the project:
I assist in the hostel named “Tosnini” which is for lower functioning adults with intellectual disability. I found my place and my duties in the therapeutic activity program.
General duties
- Supervision (if Caregivers have a meeting)
- Lending a hand at breakfast à buttering breads and so on
Duties during the therapeutic activity programme
- assisting clients who needs help on a 1:1 basis
- make sure that everybody has something to do
- finnishing the products (gift bags)
- Creating new activities
- Helping to make the room more comfortable
- Knitting with the clients (dolls)
- Giving a report about the development of a client
People at the project:
o Clients:
§ Daycare
§ Residents
· Lower functioning: Tosnini
· Higher functioning: Kleinbegin
o Management:
§ Annetjie, in charge of the volunteers
§ Mr. Gordon, Chef
§ Administrative staff
o Sisters: in charge of medical care of the clients, you can also go to them if you have a problem and their office is at the entrance by Tosnini
o Caregivers:
§ work in a shift system with long and short weeks
§ sometimes there are students for a week to get some practice
§ nightshift staff
o Occupational Therapists:
§ Ina, she comes 3 times a week but there are more O.T.s in other areas of the center
§ Sometimes O.T. students help as well
Difficulties and problems encountered at the project:
- medical incidents that happened or special medical needs that clients have have not been explained sufficiently
o for example epilepsy or aggressive behaviour
- bad communication with kitchen staff
- lack of motivation of caregivers ( moods )
- curiosity of certain caregivers
- in the beginning problems with the language as everything is Afrikaans
Difficulties and problems the project itself faces:
- money
- especially in the therapeutic program à inconsequent behaviour to the clients
List with suggestions for future volunteers:
- What to bring:
o Warm water bottler for winter time
o Extra work – clothes, for example a tracksuit, comfortable clothes that can get dirty
o Personal entertainment stuff like books, games
o Wool rests, knitting needles, old puzzles ( 50-300 pieces ) that can be used at work
- Working and living conditions:
o Working times: 7.45 – 17.00
o No shift times, Monday to Friday, weekends off
o Single-bedrooms with own bathroom
o Good food from the kitchen but the eating times are early ( 8.00, 11.40, 16.30 ) and the portions are sometimes not that big
§ Microwave, kettle and fridge in the room to keep some own food
o TV and DVD-Player are available in the work area
- Pleasant and positive aspects about the project:
o The people, especially clients, are lovely, funny, outgoing and very individual
o Nice contact persons that are very open and helpful
o Everybody is concerned about our wellbeing
o Self dependant work and possibility to show own initiative
o Good opportunities to learn Afrikaans
o Cultural variety of the people
- Mental and psychological challenges:
o You need a lot of patience and strong nerves with the clients but we haven´t really had any problems
- Practical difficulties:
o Transport
o Food, as supper is already at 16.30 you get hungry again in the evening and need to get some more food yourself, but there is only the Pick ´n Pay that can get expansive after a while
- How to overcome these difficulties:
o Rent a car for a while but talk to AFS about it first because it´s actually not allowed
o Take mini-busses but never after sunset
o Buy some food for yourself, starve or visit Riekie J
- How to approach staff at the project:
o Open, talkative, ignore the staff´s moods, don´t take things personal, be curious, but not too much
o Talk to Betty ( by Kleinbegin ), she is a very friendly and interesting person
- Other useful information:
o Up the hill in Welgemoed there´s a post-office, Woolworths ( good but expensive food ), petrol station, pharmacy, Steers and Debonairs Pizza ( fast food places ) and another Pick ´n Pay
o Down the Road in Boston there´s the other Pick ´n Pay and a good video rental ( Vee´s Video )
o Minibusses: to Cape Town: take a minibus from the Pick ´n Pay Welgemoed or stop one just outside the front gate, go to the Bellville taxi-rank with it ( just ask the driver if the taxi is going to Bellville as you get in ), and then change into a minibus going to Cape Town ( if you can´t find it, people will always help you ), depending on traffic it can take you between 45min and 2hrs, it costs around 15-20rand (ask other people on the bus for the price, somebody does usually collect the money, so try to have change on you)
o Clubs:
§ Gringo´s Cantina: is a very cheap pub around the corner (Karaoke on Saturdays! ), you will find it next to the Pick ´n Pay
§ Edward Street Bellville: nice clubs and bars, but you need to wear nice shoes to get into some places
§ All over Cape Town you find nice places to go out, for example on Long Street, Obs, etc.
o Other nice places:
§ Grand West Casino: there´s an ice rink where you can go ice-skating
§ Shopping Malls nearby:
· Tygervalley: big shopping mall, cinema, lots of restaurants
· Willowbridge: shopping centre opposite Tygervalley, nice atmosphere, nice restaurants, big fruit market, Barnyard Theatre
· Parow Centre: cheap cinema ( 15Rand ), lots of shops
§ Do a trip to the West Coast, for example Paternoster is a beautiful place
§ Northumberland Road: factory outlets (cheap clothes, shoes and cheese J
- AND: Go running, there are nice running tracks in the area and otherwise have the African food will make you fat
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