We awoke early today to get ready to complete more work on our group projects. The picnic table group had to build one table, sand and varnish a few other tables, whilst the painting group had to put extra coats on the walls, and the gazebo team had to build a second gazebo.
We left our accommodations at 6:30am to start, all groups had a bit of a slow start before the momentum kicked in. The paint group had to put up with the interesting smells of the bathroom while they worked, and the picnic table group had to all work together to help stop the ‘Porky’ the pig from scratching its face and getting hair on the freshly varnished tables. The gazebo team had a few equipment issues with their drills, which slowed them down, and the footing pole for their second gazebo began to shift overnight due to high winds and a 2am rainstorm. This meant they had to make some minor strategical adjustments. Today was a true test of our patience, flexibility, and problem solving abilities. Resilience carried each group and allowed them to reach their targets.
Eventually, around 10:30, all the groups had a delicious morning tea/early lunch. Afterward, we visited Port Alfred to have a rewarding milkshake from Wimpy’s, buying treats from a local supermarket, and shopping for TV’s to donate to give to JJ Haven. After completing these errands, we headed off for a ‘special surprise’ from Mr. Osborne, Miss Erasmus, and Mr. Thomas. The ‘special surprise’ was a drive out to Kikuyu Lodge where we went for a swim in a very cold pool with a spectacular view. After our dip we were treated to a selection of treats by Harry Fourie (the owner/operator of the reserve), which included a milk tart, cheesecake and an assortment of soda beverages.
The walls on the inside of the lodge were lined with stuffed animals, which included an elephant, and a rhino (which was sadly fake). The overall experience was great and provided us with a nice break from the hard work at JJ Haven. We thanked Harry for his hospitality as we left and then travelled back to JJ.
After finishing the last bit of work for the day and playing with the children, we took the remaining donations we had left and walked down the hill to the children’s home. We entered their dining area with the bags of donations and presented it them to our JJ Haven family. Alex Stevenson and Alex Avern-Taplin gave a speech about how thankful we were for letting us stay in their homes, and how we would always remember and love the kids for the rest of our lives. Molly gave a wonderful speech and the children sung for us to show their appreciation. We left and had the most delicious dinner in the girls house (prepared by the wonderful women of JJ Haven). Afterward, we had quite an emotional de-brief.
Today was a very important day in the tour, not only was it one of the last days we would get to work on our projects for the kids, it also provided all tour members with a break from the hard work that we had been doing over the last 3 days. It also was the final day that we get to see a lot of the kids at JJ Haven. Tomorrow, we will be leaving while many of them are still at school, so it was quite emotional for all of us. Even though it was a sad time, it was also an amazing opportunity to show our appreciation for the kids with gifts such as soccer boots, toys and new clothes. So in short, today was an emotional, but very fulfilling day.
-Connor Sproule and Steven Booth