Before all the crew arrives, Leigh and I had the chance to stop by a prospective beneficiary for our 2014-ish trip. We visited the New World Foundation, which is in Lavender Hill, a Cape Town community where several of Leigh's relatives live. His grandparents lived just across the park from each other. He would walk from one grandmother's house to another while they both would watch to make sure he made it all right.
It was really special to visit this preschool and see this community. The children were wonderful. They were so happy and friendly. They sang songs for us, and you could see how proud they were to perform. It was so, so sweet.
This little boy stole my heart.
This year, we asked New World Foundation what some short-term needs could be met. The answer was so simple: toys. They have very limited resources, and they focus on educational needs. But problems arise because there are so few toys for about 100 students. They asked specifically for toy cars and some stuffed animals. This boy's reaction to one of the stuffed lions was the absolute best. What a difference something so small can make to a child.
The director, Juna, also took us on a tour of the school, which is
part of an umbrella social services group. They kind of partner with
other agencies to help families. It's wonderful. Juna used to teach with
Leigh's mom back when she taught in South Africa, so it was so cool to
meet someone with a history like that. Her school was tidy and
efficient. So lovely. The school had access to a lush, green soccer pitch right next door, but Juna told us the children couldn't play there because of the gang gunfire. It broke our hearts. But it was so good to see Juna and her colleagues working to give them a safe, loving place inside that school.
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