A Trip to Kezi

The other week I was able to take a few of the YFC ladies out to a rural village called Kezi (care-zy) about 2 hours out of Bulawayo. The reason for the trip was to check up on one of the girls which YFC has placed out there. Our first stop was to Gohole Secondary School where she is currently completing form 2. I have to admit, I started to get a nervous twitch and sweat started to form on my palms as I drove into the school and saw the periodic table painted boldly and “in your face” on one of the walls … it bought back harsh memories of year 10 chemistry … I thought I had got rid of those bad memories. The young girl we visited is enjoying life in Kezi and is thoroughly enjoying school, her favorite subject is mathematics and according to her teachers this is also the subject that she excels in.

After visiting the school we went to the rural stand (farming plot) to visit the family who she is staying with. It is definitely a different way of life, each morning and each evening the young man has to go down to the dry creek bed and dig a massive hole just to get water for the family to use to cook and drink. As we walked around the plot it was disheartening to hear the stories of hardship they go through each day as they told me how this year’s crop did not produce much food and they struggle to get enough food each day to eat. Even though they are suffering it is amazing to hear their positive outlook and how they are confident that these days will not last for ever and how they look forward to the day where their fields will flourish again. What an awesome attitude to have.
It was as I was driving to this stand that I came across a dry creek bed … I was in my bakkie and I was confident that we would make it through without any hassle what so ever … maybe if I was in a monster truck I would have had more of a chance. As much as it dints my pride I have to tell you all that I bogged the bakkie and it took more than an hour to pull the bakkie out of the dry creek bed. Reflecting on the whole scenario it was a great team building exercise which produced some productive communication skills as we all attempted our own ways on getting the bakkie free.

Time to get UPDATED!!!

I had a bit of time the other night to read through the previous blogs … gee I can ramble on … anyway, I noticed that I have not updated you guys on a few things; so here it goes.

Multi-Million (Zim) Dollar Willow Park Renovations

So much has been done since my last update on Willow Park Campground. Before I get started, it just occurred to be the other week that at the age of 28 I have worked my way up the hospitalities ladder and I am now the Director of a multi million dollar (we won’t mention that this is in Zim dollars) holiday resort / recreational facility … impressive hey????

We are in the process of a multi million-dollar refurbishment of the grounds and things are definitely changing. We have had our workmen slash the grass tennis court and volley ball court and it looks absolutely fantastic. Before they started, the grass and weed were about waist height (or just a little over my mother in law’s head) which made it very difficult to return a serve when playing tennis. Unfortunately we still aren’t able to play tennis yet but it is on it’s way … take a look at this.

We have also done a lot of painting lately and it has made so much of a difference … it is amazing what a lick of paint can do. The walls of the scullery (wash up area) and outside the kitchen was looking very moldy and stained, but with the paint it has made the area look sooooo good … the pictures below do not do any justice. We are also in the process of slashing and revamping our soccer pitch … it is all slashed and burnt now and we will be fertilizing it shortly ready for the coming rains … it will be great to have the soccer pitch up and running again.

The thatched roofs of two of the cabins and one of the toilets were getting a lot of holes in them so we have just finished re-thatching these roofs … it is great to know that during the next rainy season that kids won’t be woken to rain gushing down on their heads as they sleep in the dorms.

We are also in the process of re-vamping 5 of the old brick dorms, these were looking very tired and as our camp welcomer said “ahh boss, it is shameful to sho piple these thins”. We have had a workman in to render the inside and outside of these dorms and we are in the process of painting them … they are looking terrific. You will have to take my word on this as I don’t have any pictures yet … you will probably have to wait another 4 months until I do the next update blog (oops).

The Red BAKKE

Firstly I have to make an official apology … in my previous blogs I have spelt “bakke” (ute, tray back) incorrectly (bucki, bucky) … my conscious is now cleared, enlightening my fellow bloggers on the errors of my ways … If only I could publish the email I received correcting my spelling error. Basically, to make a short story long, the wheels have been replaced and it was back on the road … it is now in the need of a serious service and tune up … ohh well, it was good while it lasted.

Save the best until last …

Gabi is going great guns … since my last blog on Gabi she has come ahead leaps and bounds. Gabi is beefing up (putting on weight) and the amount of smiles and laughs we get from her are countless. She is picking up on things so fast (Jodi now has to watch what she says) and I have been able to teach her some Aussie lingo which is mandatory for when she heads back to meet everyone in OZ (e.g. G’day mate). Just the other week we celebrated her 2nd birthday and she had an absolute BLAST. She had her first birthday party ever and she didn’t know what to do … she was puzzled to why people were giving her things that were wrapped in paper and she had to go through the rigmarole of having to unwrap them whilst they stood and watched. I have to admit … I have heard others talk about the “terrible two’s”, but boy does it hit with a big BANG. Gabi definitely has an attitude (I am sure she has picked this up from Jodi) and enjoys expressing her own opinion (another trait of Jodi … I am sure all of you who know Jodi know what I am talking about) and is quite adamant when she says “no” (yes another one of Jodi’s influences). Ohh well, you take the good with the bad … she has definitely been a blessing to both Jodi and I and we are both extremely grateful and thankful that we have the privilege of loving and caring for her. She is such a little cutie.