We’ve worked in the same places these last three days in Gaborone, which has been a really good experience. I learned some names and can recognize all the faces of the 20 toddlers I helped take care of in the SOS Children’s Village Kindergarten/Preschool program. The Kindergarten consists of four classes, with about 15-20 children in each class. Ten of us went there and divided up among the classroom with some of the guys going to do work in the garden.
What I always love about working with children is that kids are pretty much the same everywhere, especially at the toddler stage. They play the same types of games (clapping, sitting, standing, running, yelling, and banging), sing the same type of songs, (“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep”, “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes”), and are fascinated by the same types of things (dirt sticks, bodily functions, and funny faces). Even though they speak only a handful of English words (“Teacher, Look!” being their favorite), and I speak absolutely no Steswana, we could communicate with the universal child language of laughter, tears, hugs, and pointed fingers.
The teacher I got to work with was excellent. Her name was Janet, and she could control 20 toddlers with simple phrases and cute songs in English. We she sings, “Everybody sit down, sit down, sit down, everybody sit down, just like me.” They sit. She really cares about each child in her class and even though taking care of 20 toddlers can be tiring, she never became cross with even the most rambunctious child. I was really impressed with her.
In fact, I was really impressed with the entire SOS village. The man in charge, suitably named Mr. Bigman, explained the operations of SOS and took us on a tour of the village the first day. The SOS village consists of 16 houses, the kindergarten, a clinic, administrative offices, a field for sports, and the garden. Approximately 12 children live in each of the houses under the supervision of a “house mother” and “assistant mother.” All the children come from recommendations from social workers. They are from severely dysfunctional homes, where they are either orphaned or the government agencies have decided their parents are unfit to supervise them.
At SOS these kids get a second chance to grow up into well-adjusted adults. The 16 houses are all painted a different bright color. Inside these cheery homes the housemothers develop relationships and care for the children who become brothers and sisters. They are fed well-balanced meals, get help with their schoolwork, and are even provided university education or training in a specific trade. For children from such desperate situations, SOS Children’s Village is an amazing source of hope. I am really glad that I got a chance to work with such an amazing organization and such beautiful children.
by Nicole Loveless