It’s my last full day here – and I found myself really wishing I had longer at this incredible place (now I understand why there are quite a few sad faces around on leaving days!)
Not wanting to have missed any activities available here, I joined the group walking down to feed and groom the horses – usually the horses are used for game counts as they are more eco friendly, and they allow you to also get closer to skittish animals than you would in a car (eg. zebras or giraffes). Today though, they were due their yearly injections and so would be having a few well earnt weeks off resting, so I hopped over to the clever cubs school too!
Mornings are for the younger children, and they were all very sweet. We played a little on the trampoline together, and moved inside to do a colouring activity with the teacher –it was really heart-warming to see their happy little faces as they concentrated on their pictures. I enjoyed the time so much I asked the teacher if she would mind me joining in with the volunteer group in the afternoon so I could meet the slightly older children too!
They were just as brilliant to be around, and their enthusiasm to play games drew all of us in to joining them – both people who were keen to work with the children anyway, and those who were originally keener to be with the animals. Their laughs and smiles are obviously infectious towards everyone!
The school looks after and teaches children of some San people who have opted to be trained in hospitability (many have even gone on to become staff at the project).
For my final animal experience, I decided to spend some time in the "Affection Section," home to three Dassies and a Pole Cat called Beetlejuice. I was shocked to hear that despite the Dassies resembling a Guinea Pig physically, their closest living relative is actually the Elephant!
Though there are people and things that I am looking forward to getting home to, I am sad to be leaving this wonderful and inspiring place behind tomorrow morning, and I will be making plans to come back as soon as possible.
This truly is a great project!
