This was a big week at SOS Children's Villages Cape Town. As a group, we went to Youth, a religious dance experience where the kids have the opportunity to see other kids from outside SOS, sing, dance, and pray. Some of the kids walked us around youth and introduced us to the organizers of Youth. This was a wonderful opportunity to see how the kids find respite and hope through faith and through a community centered in belief.

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This week, we were also able to organize a field day during a day when their kids were not at school. We started with a women’s empowerment program for the girls and got the ball rolling by discussing questions such as, who is one woman who you trust and admire, and when do you feel the most powerful? This exercise emerged because we had been noticing how the girls were treated differently by the house mothers and leadership at SOS, and we wanted to have a discussion with them about their experiences. What emerged was a discussion around how we empower and lift each other up as women. Following this program, we held an arts and crafts program and a storytelling workshop where the kids got an opportunity to leave their houses and express themselves. We were able to witness some very funny and creative storytelling!

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Following field day, we went on a field trip! Earlier in the week, I had found an event called State of the Youth Address, where different hypothetical “ministries” came and made their case for why their subject of interest should be important to government. It was a wonderful program to get the kids exposed to new ideas covering subjects ranging from AI, menstrual health, government budgets, unemployment, and more. The events of the day left me feeling deeply inspired and fulfilled!

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During our dance program, I once again got the opportunity to learn more Amapiano, and we continued our rehearsals for the final performance coming up next week! The kids are very excited to perform, and we have begun to practice our dance pieces in their formations. I am always inspired by the kids’ enthusiasm, hard work, and energy. Many of them tell me they have been practicing in their houses, and their hard work has really been showing. One of my students even started choreographing a piece herself!

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Signing off, Elizabeth W. 🌸