SMILES AND PICTURES – POWERFUL TOOLS FOR EXPRESSION

Another wonderful day at Play on Wheels has passed. It has been a busy day with massage, walking exercises, painting, practicing the difficult task of tooth brushing, making and playing with the dough and exploring the surroundings by a long walk in the lovely sun. No wonder all of them almost fell asleep in the afternoon! Although they are not able to express themselves verbally you can tell by their smiles how they enjoy the activities and the constant attention they get from the staff. A smile does say more than a thousand words!

The same is true for photos. This time I have therefore I have put more emphasis into visualize and mediate my experiences, feelings and delight through the lens of the camera . Enjoy!

PLAY ON WHEELS IN ACTION

At 10 am the participants arrived to the center. At the same time a mixed feeling of warmth, excitement and joy arose inside of me. To see them all gathered at the premises of Project Playground/Play on Wheels felt almost surrealistic. And yet so fantastic!

The staff had prepared the room very nicely with mattresses, blankets and a small box and toothbrush for each participant. A table for play was set up and puzzles, beads and books placed on it for them to have a variety of activities to choose from. Without the help from a home makeover TV show or other interior design experts, the amazing PoW- team has managed to turn a dull, almost unfurnished room into a space filled with a friendly and colorful ambience. A lot more can be done though. But Rome wasn´t built in a day and nor did we have the expectations that everything will be in place from the very beginning. However, we could not have asked for a better start!

It means a lot to them to just get out of bed or outside their door for a few hours, spend time in another environment and have the opportunity to socialize with other people. Since they are not used to these kind of experiences, these “activities” imply a lot of stimulation themselves. An indication on how important the program is to them was shown by one of the participants the other day as she expressed a lot of disappointment when being fetched late in the morning.  Pointing at her non-existing watch on her wrist and shaking her head was an obvious gesture for not accepting to be late. She eagerly wanted to come to the center and get the most out of the day. That is probably one of the most positive responses you can get.

It was also amazing to see the enthusiasm with which some of the participants engaged in the play activities. And how content they looked. That made my day. And I feel fortunate to know that I will have the opportunity to experience many more of those days.

BACK IN BUSINESS!

I ended my last posting by telling you that I would come back to Cape Town and to Project Playground/Play on Wheels one day. In my mind that day was not in a far away future but I still didn’t  dare to put too much hope to such an idea. Therefore I am thrilled, and still a little surprised, to realize that the day of my return was already yesterday!

 What I first thought was the end of a wonderful experience turned out to be only a two weeks break. And I am indescribably happy to be back and to meet the team again!  I have missed the work and the people every single day that I have been away. The truth is, I was never ready to leave. I had just begun the work. It felt as if I had a lot of unfinished business and loose threads to follow up on.  To return this soon gives me the opportunity to continue where I left off. It also gives me a chance to experience Play on Wheels in action, something I have been longing to see since I first started assisting in the start up of the program.

Last Monday was the opening day of the new division. A milestone for Project Playground. As sad as I was to not be part of that special happening as excited I am to soon meet all the participants at the center and see them engage in the activities which the program is offering them.

Even though the Play on Wheels is now officially open the workload has not lessened. It is as hectic as usual,  my “To-do list” is once again filled with tasks and I love it! Because I know  that it is work which matters a lot. It is conducted for important purposes. And it is part of our strive to make a change for the children. I can´t think of any better motivational factors!

My first day back in business commenced by a whole day of  workshops, facilitated by a trainer from Cape Mental Health Society. Very instructive and interesting and a perfect start of my continuous work with Play on Wheels. I need to say it again, it feels beyond amazing to be back!

THE END….FOR THIS TIME…

The last day. Only one more week to go before the Play on Wheels open its doors to the first six children/youths enrolled in the program.  How can time pass so quickly? It feels as if I just arrived. And yet, my experiences with Play on Wheels, Langa and Cape Town over the last weeks are countless. What started out as overwhelming impressions have turned into a personality, a good friend, new skills, a more profound understanding, explanations, background stories, frustration, a sense of being at home and memories. Loads of memories.

And when searching my hard drive for new skills and knowledge that I have obtained during my involvement with Play on Wheels I realize that it is overloaded. J It´s been so much more than a normal experience and more specifically I have learnt and practiced:

-          The enormous need of disabled children/youths to get stimulated

-          Belief in making a difference for disabled children

-          Leadership skills ( Frida; thank you so much! You are my role model.)

-          Project management

-          Organization/planning skills

-          Importance of communication

-          Interview techniques

-          South African mentality

-          A few Xhosa words J

As much as the work with Play on Wheels has taught me, I do hope that I have been able to teach them one thing or two, or at least contributed to the progressing work. Independent of what I have learnt or given back to the operation, I am more than confident that Play on Wheels will make a huge difference to the children participating in the program. That is the main reason why I am so proud to have been engaged in their work for some time.

The last two days have comprised of a lot of good-byes. Although it always feels sad to leave friends and people that you care about, and this time also a job that I love, it hasn´t been heartbreaking. Why? Because I know these are not final good-byes. I will be back. I will meet the people again, I will witness the beauty of Cape Town again and most excitingly, I will experience a Play on Wheels in action. Can´t wait for that day to come! And in the meanwhile, I will nourish from all the memories and learning experiences that Play on Wheels has enriched me with and which I have carefully stored at a special place in my heart and mind.