Our mission team is hard at work making a difference—on Wednesday, April 10th, we collaborated with the Silozwe community members to support the rebuilding of a home.
The roof had collapsed, and it was no longer a safe place for the owner to reside. Due to the generosity of those who contributed, we were able to resource the building materials for the new dwelling!
When we arrived, the team got to work retrieving water and bricks, while the other team members and community members started working on plastering the walls and floor. Mud and water made up the plaster, and the flooring consisted of mud, water, and cow dung! (The cow dung creates an extremely durable, hardened surface that resembles ceramic when it dries.) We also enjoyed helping create some artwork on the home’s walls.
When the dwelling was finished, we knew we had to fill it with some supplies! We gifted pots, blankets, and food rations. We received many thanks for our work as it was greatly appreciated by the recipient and the broader community. We ate lunch in the park before making the challenging vertical trek up to see the local Silozwe cave paintings. Once we made it to the top, we quite enjoyed the breathtaking views and were shown the amazing cave paintings that have lasted over many generations and tell stories of the local bushmen from the area.
On Thursday, April 11th, we spent the day supporting the Magdala School community.
Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the teacher in charge and the counselor from the community. They gave us a tour around the school grounds, as we all were able to appreciate and look back on the work that has been completed over the last six years of coming out to support this community.
This year, we helped prepare the soil for planting vegetables and fruit trees, as well as installing an irrigation system to water the garden. This garden will help garner some sustainable income for the school. We also gifted some gardening tools for them to continue the care and maintenance. When we finished, we went to Rhodes National Park for lunch by the lake.
Afterward, we hiked up to what is called the Top of the World View in the park. This is where the graves of Patrick Coghlan, some past military men, and Cecil John Rhodes, after whom the park is named, are located. Our guide Howard shared some history about them and what they have all contributed to the area.
It was quite a nice way to end the day learning more about the past history and enjoying the amazing views from the top.
