SOME 2008 REPORTS
MY EASTER KIDS' WEEK 2008 EXPERIENCESMy name is Neo Netshisaulu and I want to share with you my Easter Kids' Week 2008 experiences. It was my first Kids' as a leader. I was placed with the 7- 8 year age group.
DAY 1 (24/03/08)
I met all the other leaders, both old and new. So we all had a chance to see who was part of the Kids' Week experience and we were also assigned to different teams and age groups. The best of the day was the ice-breaker.
DAY 2 TUESDAY (25/03/08)
This was the also the official first day of Kids' Week. It was surprising to see even more leaders arriving. I met the kids in my group for the first time. At this point I had just learnt their names and I was doubting if they would open up enough for us to bond. When it was time to play our games they had so much fun. They started to open up. It was a great feeling to play like a kid myself.
DAY 3 WEDNESDAY (26/03/08)
As usual we started with a meeting and then we gave the kids name-tags. It was heart warming to see that they came shouting your name and giving your warm hugs. It made me feel hopeless when the kids fought. For some reason though, when they were lining up and you are at the back, you seem important than the person in front. Mandla was quick to sort that out for us.
DAY 4 THURSDAY ( 27/03/08)
By day 4 the kids shared a bond with you and have a tendency to say little things that meant the world to you. To be honest it was difficult to wake up in the morning but eventually you had to. It was nice to arrive and see all the other leaders especially the ones you had developed a bond with. The sad thing was that some of the other leaders were not accommodative to us, the new helpers, while some were willing to show us the ropes. A girl from arts and crafts who was not in my group introduced me to her mother and her big sister. That was for me for the next few days my motivation to wake up! It's funny how a short sentence from a kid who's so little could mean so much.
DAY 5 FRIDAY (28/03/08)
The evaluation meetings we had at the end of each day showed how other new helpers found their groups. When most groups complained about the kids in their group, I was grateful we had no complaints. Surprisingly our kids acted within their age group and were never difficult enough to bring us to tears!
DAY 6 SATURDAY (29/03/08)
I already knew that I would miss the kids. Watching all the other kids perform in the theatre was great but to say goodbye was sad, but I was relieved that the Kids’ Week was over. My overall impression of Kids’
DAY 1 (24/03/08)
I met all the other leaders, both old and new. So we all had a chance to see who was part of the Kids' Week experience and we were also assigned to different teams and age groups. The best of the day was the ice-breaker.
DAY 2 TUESDAY (25/03/08)
This was the also the official first day of Kids' Week. It was surprising to see even more leaders arriving. I met the kids in my group for the first time. At this point I had just learnt their names and I was doubting if they would open up enough for us to bond. When it was time to play our games they had so much fun. They started to open up. It was a great feeling to play like a kid myself.
DAY 3 WEDNESDAY (26/03/08)
As usual we started with a meeting and then we gave the kids name-tags. It was heart warming to see that they came shouting your name and giving your warm hugs. It made me feel hopeless when the kids fought. For some reason though, when they were lining up and you are at the back, you seem important than the person in front. Mandla was quick to sort that out for us.
DAY 4 THURSDAY ( 27/03/08)
By day 4 the kids shared a bond with you and have a tendency to say little things that meant the world to you. To be honest it was difficult to wake up in the morning but eventually you had to. It was nice to arrive and see all the other leaders especially the ones you had developed a bond with. The sad thing was that some of the other leaders were not accommodative to us, the new helpers, while some were willing to show us the ropes. A girl from arts and crafts who was not in my group introduced me to her mother and her big sister. That was for me for the next few days my motivation to wake up! It's funny how a short sentence from a kid who's so little could mean so much.
DAY 5 FRIDAY (28/03/08)
The evaluation meetings we had at the end of each day showed how other new helpers found their groups. When most groups complained about the kids in their group, I was grateful we had no complaints. Surprisingly our kids acted within their age group and were never difficult enough to bring us to tears!
DAY 6 SATURDAY (29/03/08)
I already knew that I would miss the kids. Watching all the other kids perform in the theatre was great but to say goodbye was sad, but I was relieved that the Kids’ Week was over. My overall impression of Kids’
- It was challenge as well as a learning curve.
- I found that spiritually I was separated from God. It made me feel that if a kid could be so in-check with his/her spirituality then I must be doing something wrong!
- I met new people and that was amazing.
- Besides being tried I had a wonderful time. I would love to do this again, any time!
Light at the end of the tunnel
Another holiday for school going kids means another great adventure to look forward to. Kids are not just happy that schools have closed yet again; the overall excitement comes from knowing that they can look forward to another Kids Week. School holidays have never been the same since the dawn of Kids Week, because at least for one week Kids are guaranteed fun, laughter, new friends. And with new friends we know there comes a special kind of joy and really the point above all is to make every kid feel special and go back home happier than when they arrived or to make someone who had no reason to smile find a reason to do so once again.
It is an absolute pleasure to see teenagers and young adults dedicate their time to play, laugh and learn with kids because I can imagine it's not an easy task for many people. It might come easy for some but it definitely does not apply to everyone. Kids Week hosts approximately 400 kids and 70 Volunteers (people that help carry out the programme) it is a very challenging week things are not expected to run smooth at all times. In fact someone I invited recently told me that what we are doing is madness, "how can you control such a situation" That's why I think its so amazing that in that one week things just run as well as can be expected we never really have a crisis as most people anticipate.
It's not easy to write about Kids Week and actually make your message loud and clear, one can never really be guaranteed the vivid picture unless you experience it for yourself. You will be overwhelmed with joy, be left in awe when you see how so many kids are willing to come to a programme that requires them to listen and learn just as they do in school and yet they still come pouring in. Every day a new child comes because the one from yesterday would have told the friend that did not know, in which case that child would most probably be from Limpopo, Northwest or KZN or somewhere out of Johannesburg or Hillbrow and so they would be visiting for the school holidays. The point is, most of the kids from Hillbrow know about Kids Week, it's a way of life. The way kids look forward to birthday parties, Christmas and all those special occasions in the same manner Kids Week is also anticipated. And it does not come once or twice; we can look forward to Kids Week THREE times a year.
It's not just a miracle that we are always so blessed during Kids Week but it also has to do with the fact that the Almighty God is always reaching out to us and putting his arms around us, taking the nerves away so that we can focus on doing a marvellous job. Hope has been existing in Hillbrow since Kids Week started many years ago, now we are living a dream...
Article by Prescilla More
It is an absolute pleasure to see teenagers and young adults dedicate their time to play, laugh and learn with kids because I can imagine it's not an easy task for many people. It might come easy for some but it definitely does not apply to everyone. Kids Week hosts approximately 400 kids and 70 Volunteers (people that help carry out the programme) it is a very challenging week things are not expected to run smooth at all times. In fact someone I invited recently told me that what we are doing is madness, "how can you control such a situation" That's why I think its so amazing that in that one week things just run as well as can be expected we never really have a crisis as most people anticipate.
It's not easy to write about Kids Week and actually make your message loud and clear, one can never really be guaranteed the vivid picture unless you experience it for yourself. You will be overwhelmed with joy, be left in awe when you see how so many kids are willing to come to a programme that requires them to listen and learn just as they do in school and yet they still come pouring in. Every day a new child comes because the one from yesterday would have told the friend that did not know, in which case that child would most probably be from Limpopo, Northwest or KZN or somewhere out of Johannesburg or Hillbrow and so they would be visiting for the school holidays. The point is, most of the kids from Hillbrow know about Kids Week, it's a way of life. The way kids look forward to birthday parties, Christmas and all those special occasions in the same manner Kids Week is also anticipated. And it does not come once or twice; we can look forward to Kids Week THREE times a year.
It's not just a miracle that we are always so blessed during Kids Week but it also has to do with the fact that the Almighty God is always reaching out to us and putting his arms around us, taking the nerves away so that we can focus on doing a marvellous job. Hope has been existing in Hillbrow since Kids Week started many years ago, now we are living a dream...
Article by Prescilla More
