INSPIRATION

I went to a listen to a motivational speaker the other day. He actually calls himself an international speaker these days because he is traveling all over the worlds giving talks about mind power and how positive thoughts can change your life. I guess he said a few good things worth keeping in mind but nothing really revolutionary, nothing that hasn´t been said before. And still people pay a fortune to go and listen to his talks ( I am happy I didn´t have to pay for it!).

Sitting there, waiting and expecting for him to say something out of this world, something amazingly motivating that would have an impact on my future path in life, it suddenly became so obvious to me what a extraordinary inspirational atmosphere PPG/PoW provide. Because the so called “professional” talk I am attending was nothing in comparison what I experience at the center.  I couldn´t help smiling satisfying to myself when I realized how fortunate I am to have found my own unique source of motivation and inspiration. Luckily I am not alone in my finding. Hundreds of kids discovered and understood the value of this precious jewel long before me. More precisely, since two years ago! Which brings me to wish PPG a:

 HAPPY (belated) TWO YEARS ANNIVERSARY!! :-D  

No wonder the organization has grown from a few kids to 300 kids in such short period of time. Just like me they couldn´t stay away from nor keep quiet to their friends about the positive energy, the genuine smiles from caring people (not some guy on a stage who thinks he is the world´s savior) and true friends, the goal oriented focus and hard work, success stories, the determination and dedication to make change  - elements which jointly make up this incredible encouraging and inspirational environment. Of course I noticed and was hugely affected by this remarkable vibe already on my very first day in Langa but with some distance to it and with the motivational speech as a kind of reference it became so clear what an impact it has on me and all people who are in contact with PPG (because I know I am not only talking for myself!:-)).

Again, I am so happy to have spent a little time at the center. In the amazing spirit of Project Playground I have once again been reminded that anything is possible. A lesson that I know that all kids have learnt from the day that they became a participant of PPG. And it is with that philosophy in mind that we are going to continue our way through life. THANK YOU ALL at PPG for that crucial motivating insight! Hope to see you again soon!  Lots of

 

GABRIELLA CENTRE

The Gabriella centre. A centre for physically and mentally challenged children. That´s Yolanda´s home for the next month. Located in the outskirts of Cape Town it´s a place in the midst of beautiful scenery and the centre itself can only be described in all the superlatives that exist. To give you an idea of what this “palace” looks like I have posted some pictures for you to be amazed by!

 There couldn´t be a better place for Yolanda to try and recover and hopefully gain new energy to keep on fighting for her survival. Her stay here will mean she is no longer exposed to water leakage or penetration of the freezing wintery wind that Cape Town is experiencing at the moment. She will stay warm and will be under professional supervision 24/7. With 20 other children of various ages, of which 10 of them are residents and the other ten day care children, she will have many new friends always in her closeness. And on top of that, her mother will spend as much time as possible by her side.

Like everyone else who knows this lovable girl, I hope from the bottom of my heart that her stay here will do her good. And that when she will be leaving in a month once again is the smiling and glowing Yolanda that we know her as. I am already waiting eagerly for the first update we will get in the beginning of next week!

A SHORT RETURN

It is not easy to stay away from something that you feel a strong affection to, something which feels like a family and something which you are longing back to more or less every day. That´s why I find myself in Cape Town and at Project Playground again! J Although it is only for a short visit this time I thought it was better than no visit at all.

It is been five months since I was last here but during the first incredibly delightful minutes at the center it feels as if it was yesterday. Same faces, same friendliness, same warmth. And it felt like coming home. This confirms, like many times before, that when there is a solid and hearty bond between people time and geography have no negative impact on the connection you feel towards each other. That was an wonderful insight!

After the first minutes I do realized I had been away for a while. Play on Wheels have made a tremendous progress in many various aspects. First of all, two new adorable participants have joined the division. And they seem to enjoy it to the fullest and constantly have a smile on their face.

Thanks to the very skilled and engaged occupational therapist who was employed by the time I left the participants have made a tremendous progress from a therapeutic and developmental viewpoint. The room is now filled with toys and other equipment, acquired to help the participants to develop both mentally and physically. One of them who couldn´t walk without assistance is now walking quite a distance independently. Another one who had a problem using her hand is now using it without even reflecting that it was an effort before. The same girl can now also create complete sentences as opposed to the random words she earlier used to express herself verbally. These are only a few examples of the fantastic progress that they have done during these past months.

The improvement in terms of structure and organization is also notable. With time the daily routines have now settled, which seem to have had a positive effect on the staff. They now radiate a calmness and confidence that didn´t exist to the same extent in the beginning. Which is perfectly understandable. And with a stronger confidence, improved knowledge and skills and a continuous remarkable team spirit they seems to be, if possible, even more passionate about their job.

 The only extremely sad news is that one of the participants has a severe health condition. Thanks to generous funding she will be admitted to a center for disabled later this week which will be her new home for the coming month. Great news in this time of terrible anxiety. We can only make a prayer to whatever we believe in that it will help her to will stay with us for some time more.

Apart from this concern, I am sooooooo happy to be back and the warm welcome I received almost made me teary eyed -  out of joy! J This is really turning in to feel like a second home to me.

A LOVE STORY

I have been home for a few weeks now. The day when I left Cape Town and Project Playground/Play on Wheels was a tear filled day. I normally don´t like goodbyes but this farewell was worse than ever. I didn´t expect myself to react that way. Although goodbyes are sometimes difficult I usually manage to pull it together. This time I failed completely. I guess it says a lot about how emotionally engaged I have become in the organization. It has taken me almost until today to reprogram my mind from Play on Wheels and to find a focus on my reality in Sweden. The strong emotional connection persists though. It is something that I hope never will go away. But I have realized that the geographical distance and the fact (and sadness) of not being involved in the work on a daily basis anymore has given me another perspective of my experience with Play on Wheels. The last couple of days when I have had some time to reflect about the time I spent in this amazing environment I have come to a conclusion; it is comparable to an intense and passionate LOVE STORY. I will explain how.

Every day when I woke up Play on Wheels is the first I thought about. Every night before I fell asleep it was the last thing on my mind. Every day when I came out and met the participants and the team a smile spread on my face. A smile that stayed on my face as long as I had them in my surrounding and spent time with them. And every day when they left I wished for the moment when they would come back and I would see them again. They gave me a lot of affection. They made me feel important. They gave me a lot of joy. And I gave them my heart. I tried my best to show them that and I hope they felt it. It has been an experience that took me by storm, made me live life to the fullest and made me truly enjoy every day. My world was more or less Play on Wheels.

Just like when you meet someone special, fall crazy in love and wish that every moment, every second in that person´s company could last forever. That´s exactly how I felt.

I want to THANK the Play on Wheels team; Portia, Xoliswa, Hazel, Fundi, Malenda, Ntombi and Manini for accepting me as a sister and as a team member. It has been fantastic to get to know you all!

I want to THANK the participants; Yolanda, Lusindiso, Siphe, Mbali, Unathi and Babsi for filling my heart with happiness. You are the most lovable persons!

Of course I want to give a huge THANK YOU to the Project Playground staff and kids. Although I didn´t work as close with you as with Play on Wheels we belong to the same organization, we are colleagues, a team, a unity. A great deal of my wonderful experience with Project Playground is thanks to you.. It wouldn´t have been the same without you  I am so grateful that I got to meet you and to have so many memorable moments from the time we spent together.

THANK you, Lina, for being an administrative support and for a great week together!

Last but definitely not least, A MILLION HEARTY THANKS, to Frida and Sofia, who gave me the opportunity to experience all this and let me be part of something amazing. You both know who much I admire what you have created and the incredible hard work that you do every day, no matter if it is a week day or weekend, no matter if it is 2 pm or 2 am. That is called dedication and you are living examples of what that word means.

I will never forget you and I hope from the bottom of my heart that we will all meet again.

PARTICIPANTS PART 6 – THE LAST PART: THE FOUNDER OF PLAY ON WHEELS

I realized some time ago that I should have begun the section about the participants by introducing you to the young lady who I am now about to present. WHY? Because she is the seed that created the beautiful and vivid Play on Wheels flower that exists today. When Frida and Sofia met her for the first time she made them come up with the idea of also involving children with disabilities in Project Playground. Because one of the articles of the UN convention, upon which part of the constitution of Project Playground is founded, says: “That state Parties shall recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities…” This includes ALL children.

So here we are today, thanks to this adorable girl. A girl with profound cerebral palsy which has resulted in impaired vision and hearing, no speech and the need of medical devices for breathing and eating (trache and tube respectively).  Due to her health condition she was given a life expectancy at birth of five years. This year the same girl turns ten years old. Amazing! There can´t be a more obvious proof of her incredible inner strength. She was definitely born a fighter – a character which is also demonstrated by her almost constant good mood. She gets especially excited and happy in the company of other people and loves the attention she receives. Then she can smile forever! A warm, wonderful smile. I am so happy that she proved the doctor estimating her life length, wrong and decided to keep on fighting for a life. If not, I would never have had a chance to meet her and to spend time with her - something which I have appreciated a lot and never would have liked to be without. She is one of the persons I have met in life who has taught me what it is to be strong. I am very grateful for that. She is a super girl!

PARTICIPANTS PART 5: THE DANCER

He might be blind, with no speech and profound celebral palsy, BUT this Mr. can move! As soon as the music turns on or when there are people singing he can no longer sit still in his wheelchair. His arms are moving like the wings of a bird and he smiles an never before. Music is genuine happiness for him. And the joy he shows is spread to everyone around him.

Even though he can´t neither talk nor see he makes a lot of efforts in trying to communicate. By sounds and movements he seems determined to let the world know what is on his mind. It is impressive to witness the willpower he still possesses to make himself understood. With such a mindset, in combination with correct therapy and stimulation, I am convinced that he has good conditions to make a lot of progress.

PARTICIPANTS PART 4: THE SOCIAL GIRL

The fourth participant is a girl with mild celebral palsy. What fascinates me most about this girl is that I have never seen her in a bad mood. As soon as you greet her, talk to her and look at her she smiles and laughs, She loves the attention. She loves being around people and to socialize. Sometimes she almost screams out of excitement of being in a social context. At the same time you can see a tendency of envy in her eyes when she is not sitting among the other in the group.  Or when she doesn´t get the same attention as someone else. Knowing her background her behavior is beyond understandable. Since 2005 she has not been been interacting with other people or children. She has only been lying on a bed in her house with no social stimulation. No wonder she is craving the company of other human beings. And also amazing that she is not more reserved and timid after such a long time of isolation.

In her case, the greatest stimulation and life changing factor that Play on Wheels so far has offered her is most probably the opportunity of being among people. Something that most of us take for granted. And something that is crucial for us as human beings. And by time, she has a huge potential to grow tremendously as a person and develop both mentally and physically. I am looking forward to see that progress.

PARTICIPANTS PART 3: AKA LADY GAGA

A singer and a dancer. That is how I would describe the next participant that I want to present to you.  Her nickname therefore came very naturally to us. We call her “Lady Gaga”. In the beginning her musical interest wasn´t very obvious though. It was hidden behind a surface of swear words, anger and ignorance. Hitting people was her normal way of expressing herself. But then something happened. Her true personality was revealed. And she showed us a happy, smiling and cheerful side of herself that love listening and making movements to music. I do believe that she will be on stage one day performing! From being a quite naughty girl she is has turned in to a charming little doll who I just want to hug as soon as I see her.

And she has become very talkactive! Mostly mumbling and not really making herself understood. But sometimes she manages to pronounce understandable words and short sentences.  With the progress I know she will make at Play on Wheels I wouldn´t be surprised if she will be able to tell the team a story soon. Or sing a song!

PARTICIPANTS PART 2: THE BUSY CLOCK WATCHER

The second participant I will introduce to you in my serial story about the Play on Wheels participants is a young lady with Down Syndrome. It is a girl with a strong personality! The most apparent characteristics so far are her stubbornness and determination. She is girl who knows what she wants and what she doesn´t want. And there is no one who is able to convince her to do something against her will. Everything is on her condition, she wants to be the one in control. Which is great! It means that it is difficult to take advantage of her, which is unfortunately quite common among people with Down Syndrome. It also means that it is quite difficult to introduce new ideas or activities to her. Unfortunately I believe the reason behind this behavior is based on a severe under stimulation during a long period of time. As a result she lacks the self-esteem necessary to try new activities and get to know new people. Being a center figure and receiving a lot of attention is probably not what she is used to either, which is expressed as shyness. With the encouragement and empowerment provided by Play on Wheels I know for sure that I will see a more outgoing and open minded person next time I am in South Africa. I have already noticed some changes from her first day at the center and last week I even made her play tennis with me. A huge progress from her side. And guess what, she really enjoyed it! :-)

Although she might not be interested in some of the activities that we try to motivate her to engage in, she is very fond of speaking on her cell phone! It doesn´t matter that it is pretended. She is very often busy talking on the phone and keeps the phone close to her at all times. She doesn´t want to miss any important calls.

She is also very particular about the time. She knows exactly when she is supposed to be fetched in the mornings to come to the center. And she is quick to tell the staff when the day is over. By pointing at the non existing watch at her wrist she reminds every one about the time. She is the clock watcher of Play on Wheels. And she is very disappointed when the driver is running late. It is not very “African” to care about being on time, but you should also remember that she is a very special young lady - in a positive sense.  

DHL DAY

On Friday Project Playground held a special event for DHL!

DHL is one of the major partners of Project Playground. For them to get a better understanding of what they are supporting they were invited to Langa to meet the amazing kids and staff members and to experience the hard work, the various activities offered and the wonderful atmosphere  at the center.  With fantastic showcases from the dance and vocal groups, debate team, BMX extreme biking class and photography class they were blown away! Although I have seen these kids practice and perform before I am always surprised about how brilliant they are. I get goose bumps all over my body when watching them. I do believe DHL is a very proud sponsor of Project Playground. And they should be.

The Play on Wheels participants were of course also invited to the event. And they seemed to love it! Especially the dance and the vocal part of the program. They were singing and dancing in their own way. And laughing a lot! I become completely warm at heart to see that they are enjoying themselves. They need it more than anyone else.

It was also a day when the kids involved in Project Playground for the first time met with the Play on Wheels participants. To integrate these two divisions is part of Project Playground´s vision. Today the first step was taken towards an accomplishment of that goal.  

A DAY OF UNITY

Today has been a great day and a public holiday - South Africa was celebrating human rights day. At Project Playground/Play on Wheels we acknowledged the day with a workshop which was focused on UNITY. Although Play on Wheels is a division of Project Playground and hence a part of the organization, there has until now been a “us and them”-feeling between the two groups. The objective of today´s gathering was to create a feeling of togetherness and make everyone understand that we are ONE team – ONE unit. The organization would not be the same if one of the staff members was missing – each and every one of them is extremely important in order for the operation to survive. Not to forget that every one of them is also a unique person – with his or her own strengths and weaknesses. But in a group one person´s weakness is uplifted by another person´s strengths resulting in a strong and harmonized team. All for one, one for all. From today I do believe that the fundamental strength of Project Playground will be based on a feeling of unity.

 The day ended with a soccer game – Santos versus Golden Arrow. Without actually taking notice of it before the game I suddenly realized at some point during the match that today´s theme of a unity coincidentally – or somehow maybe consciously – was brought all the way to the stand. We were a group, represented by both Project Playground and Play on Wheels AND one of the participants from Play on Wheels. And we were having an amazing time- together, as a smaller unity of Project Playground. The feeling of “us and them” was completely vanished. Obviously the workshop earlier today made a great impact on our perceptions of each other. But I would also give some credit of this wonderful communion to the soccer. I am not a soccer fan, but I have to admit that it is a sport that creates a genuine sense of togetherness. In addition to manage to join Project Playground and Play on Wheels in a very organic way, our group had all of a sudden grown to include the people sitting next to us. They were children from another race, with another color, speaking another language. But just like in the perfect unity our differences implied fantastic assets rather than obstacles. Together we had more fun than we would have had without each other. But I would probably never had met this kids if it wasn´t for the soccer.

To sum up this day, I have more than any time before understood the power of unity. Many thanks to Project Playground/Play on Wheels and to Santos/Golden Arrow for this enlightenment!

PARTICIPANTS - PART 1: THE STANDUP COMEDIAN

In the coming blog posts I will be introducing you to our lovely participants a little further. They are all amazing characters and I would therefore like you to briefly “get to know” the person behind the faces you see on the pictures.

The first one out to be presented is an extremely charming and funny gentleman with Down Syndrome. As the gentleman he is, he always wears a tie. Every day. He would never forget to put it on. To me, it says a lot about how unique he is.

He lightens up our days. He is usually in a very good mood, smiling and laughing. His smile itself makes you smile. His laughter make you laugh. Whatever he does – from eating a banana to playing tennis or wearing his sunglasses- is pure entertainment. His gestures and mimics are unbeatable. He is our own standup comedian. Without even knowing it. And without saying a word. Because due to his condition he has hardly any speech.

Friendly and generous are two of his other positive qualities. When you look into his eyes - the mirror of the soul - you see a person who would never harm an ant. And as soon as he has something, he shares it with others.

Physical exercise is not his strongest side though. There is not much that can make him leave the chair he is sitting on. And in a running race I do believe even a tortoise would beat him. Seeing him play tennis the other day therefore made me very proud of him.

All in all, he is one of the most ADORABLE persons I have ever met.  I love him.

VARIOUS STIMULATIONS

Today we had the privileged of welcoming a special Swedish guest to the center. His name is Per Fransson and he is a Professor in Psychology at Umeå University. Being in Cape Town for holidays he was kind enough to take time and come to the center to facilitate a workshop for us. For the very first time all staff members of Project Playground, which since one month and four days ago also includes Play on Wheels, were gathered in the same room at the same time. It is quite a crowd!

It was a very interesting session about stress factors for children and ”Maskrosbarn” – children who survive and cope well as adults despite the presence of many stressing elements during their childhood.  Topics that is highly associated and applicable on the children that are enrolled in Project Playground and Play on Wheels. No wonder the staff became incredibly engaged and enthusiastic. The discussions and comments never wanted to end. In their role as staff members of Project Playground I believe that the central take- home message from today´s workshop is to understand  – and always remember - that they are one of the most important supportive persons  - and perhaps THE most important supporter – in the children´s lives. By being as inspirational, caring, attentive and empowering as they already are, they will all have a great positive impact on the future of the kids who participate in Project Playground/Play on Wheels. As I have said before, this crew consists of a group of heroes.

Later today the Play on Wheel staff and two of the Play on Wheels participants went to a talent show for physically disabled people. It was surprisingly entertaining and the room was filled with a wonderful vibe. The contestants danced, sang and read poems. And after a while we all danced and sang to the music!  I think our participants enjoyed it as much as the staff did. The working week couldn´t have ended any better. I hope the music and dancing inspired our participants to conitune dancing also during the weekend!

TWO GREAT TEAMS MEET

On Friday the Project Playground/Play on Wheels team based in Sweden arrived in Cape Town. For the majority of the PoW staff (including me!) it was the first time to meet with them and everyone was very excited! As always when the PoW team is gathered an amazingly friendly and positive spirit is spread throughout the premises and this day was not an exception. In addition to the lovely vibe that greeted the Swedish team, the staff had also  prepared a delicious breakfast to make our special visitors feel especially welcomed. There is no doubt the Swedish team got a wonderful first personal impression on Play on Wheels. And there was no doubt how much the PoW staff enjoyed and appreciated to meet with their Swedish counterpart. It was the day when to great teams got together!

LANGA - SUN

The township where Project Playground/Play on Wheels operates is called Langa and is the oldest township in Cape Town. To give you an understanding of this area I am going to take you on a virtual township tour.

Firstly, like everything else in this country, the color association is an important part of any description, also of a township. Langa is a black township. Most of the people come from the Xhosa tribe, originating from Eastern Cape, a province east of Cape Town.  Consequently, the township was given a Xhosa name. In Xhosa Langa means  “Sun”.

The township is like a town itself, with a clinic, police station, small shops, schools, petrol station etc. With regards to the living standards there are both high – middle – and low class areas, the former two being called the “ Beverly Hills” areas J  – from a township point of view. However, the majority of the people live in underprivileged, deprived low class areas, in informal houses – consisting of shacks, containers and very basic, bad constructed one bedroom houses. Not being bigger than a few square meters these “houses” normally accommodate a whole family PLthe space for each person is basically none! In addition, there is no running water or toilets inside. Shared toilets are placed here and there, fresh water for washing and drinking is collected from a common water collecting centers.

Moreover, the unemployment is extremely high. Some try to make their living by selling drinks and snacks. Others are working as maids and domestic workers. For these people it´s a daily struggle to get food on the table. Other dreadful issues faced on a daily basis are the horrible, disgusting reality of domestic violence, crimes, drug abuse and rapes.

All of our participants in Play on Wheels live in this environment.

However, despite the problems people are experiencing you are usually met with smiling faces and a friendly attitude. Music is playing from the shacks and children enjoy themselves with self- made instruments. A joke is never far away.

Maybe that is why they choose to name their township “Sun”.