Volunteer Trip April 2023

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Trip start
April 13, 2023
Volunteer Trip April 2023 Traveler
Community Day
April 15, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
It's up........early early and today we are of to visit the children's home and old friends Nosihle. It's a bitter sweet for me as Rachel the lady I have now for 10yrs the head of the children's home has retired from that position and now lives in Pietermaritzburg. Nosihle who I have also known as long has taken on the post. Debs meets Nosihle with the biggest of hugs and they start chatting like only ladies can and do. Catching up with the last 3 years that we hadn't visited because of Covid.
With 27 children that now currently live in the children's home it is a delight to see them all piling into the therapy room to be introduced to us and preform a few dances, song and words of poetry. A pure delight.......
Nosihle continues the next our with a presentation on the Reach out to a child program and the partnership of the CoCos Foundation so the volunteers have a good understanding of how this wonderful partnership has worked over the passed 10yrs.
Before we visit Saziso who will be taking us into the local community we visit another truly amazing freind Dorothy at the Chrstoph Meyer Science & Math Center. Visit this academic centre that we built 4yrs ago is always a complete join. Dorothy the principal has nothing but abundance of energy and passion for educating the next generation of the future.
We make our way to Saziso in an area called Mduku where we have built over 66 houses in the past, homes for many vulnerable children.
As we pull into Saziso house an hour late "African time" we are met with his usual smile and an enthusiasm for life. A quick into to the team with his one liner and if you have been a volunteer o trip your know what I mean....lol
The first house we are taken to as soon as we pull up you can feel and see the need. An old GoGo meets us with many many children. Yet greets us with open hands and an open heart. It never ceases to amaze me how humble African people are.
The GoGo is a neighbour and has come across to check the children are ok. Nkosie and Saziso chat with her and she greets us once more. I glance to my right and to my left, both houses seem as bad as each other. Yet we are here only to see one. I ask Saziso if we can take a look at her house to, she seems to have as many children.
A thought pops into my head....!
In 2024 we are bring out a team of Girl Guides and we always build two house side by side. This would be perfect 👍🏼 A short chat with Debs and Nkosie confirms it's a great idea.
We visit to more houses equally as bad Volunteers, those that haven't been out here before, and even those that have really struggle different things trigger different emotions for some. It is the way that the Interveiw house looks for others. It's the way the children look for a couple of them, it's the way a little puppies are so skinny. But for each volunteer it's their personal journey.
We visit two more houses with equal amount of challenges. So we have some tough choices ahead.
On this trip we have the honour of bring our to ambassadors for the CoCos Foundation Ruth & Geoff. Ruth and her mum Mildred who has now passed away have followed the Journey of the CoCos Foundation since we started. Ruth & Geoff have always been taken by the three boys story Siyabonga, Sph and Sifiso. They have been so supportive and that support has carried on through today when they offered to build the boys a house. So Siyabonga with a spring in his step and his brothers took Ruth & Geoff and the rest of us to visit the land where the house is to be built. It was a complete joy to see the smile on all of their faces. The smile face that gives and the smiley face that receives. Thank you Ruth & Geoff. But also thank you Mildred.
With the day complete it was down to the beach 🏝️ to walk chat and just be. Then home for a lovely meal.Read more
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2nd Community Day
April 16, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
On the road again this morning visiting the houses that we have built in the past. To date we have built 67 houses of which Mildred donate a house from one GoGo to another GoGo in 2015. Today is about showing the volunteers what they are aiming to build and complete over the next seventeen days. It's also about showing Geoff and Ruth Mums house. Has we pull into Mildred's house there is confusion to start with. A big van with a load of people turning up is not a usual event around here. Has soon as the van door is opened and Nkosie explains who we are there is great rejoice.
Ruth finally get to me the family but the GoGo is away tending her garden 🪴 we will have to pop back...lol
The second visit is the House that Jades Dad built Paul In 2013.
When we area the young boy Alasanda is also not there but Jade gets to see the House. We make our way back home popping into see the Family that Debs sponsors in particular the brother of Nontobeko, Enelle.
Home time and time to go to the beach before dinner.Read more
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The Big Build Day 1
April 17, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
The volunteers are up and buzzing. They know what is expected of them and they are raring to go.
We have chosen a house closer to Foundation Lodge where we stay which is going to make the first trip back a little easier. As we pull into the current home of the family we are building for our builders are already there preparing for the days build. These gentlemen have been working with us for 13yrs now and so humble. I meet them in June, October and January, Debs last saw them 3 and a half years ago before covid.
It's not often a Zulu man gives a women a hug. But Sipho & Jetros gave Debs a huge hug
After a good days work the team managed to get the build up to 5 courses. Hot sweaty a drive down to the beach soon cools them all of before we go back to the Lodge for dinner.Read more
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The BIG Build Day 2
April 18, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Muma (GoGo) Debs is up early with preparing the team Breakfast then I making sure all the bags are loaded with what we will need for the day.
Today the team work equally as hard as yesterday. Brick after brick the house grows in hight and our three builders quietly support the volunteers.
At 11am we have to visit one of the After School Clubs that we support at Mndiwa. This is where all the children that are orphaned meet generally after school, but today it's in school time at 11am.
The school like Africa have huge challenges and in the 13yrs that I have been coming out here no more than now are things really hard on local rural communities. The government are steeling so much money from the local communities that now the schools don't have any food to give the children. When we arrive it's one of the first things the children ask for food. As many of them would not have eaten. One of the volunteers has a wobble, food for all of us is life but this volunteer as a marathon runner she really understands the energy that food gives you for the day. We sit on a big pipe and talk it through with the possibility of their salon raising a monthly food parcel. Jane has a little more of a smile on her face. Has we rejoin the team. Before the day is over one more thing I that is a must do and that is visit Lindani's mum. The lady with the big smile and always make me feel welcome.Read more
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The BIG Build Day 3
April 19, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
It's been a full on day today on the build and the team are really cracking on with it. They are so jelling together and supporting each other. The family we are building for every day greet us and I make sure I go and spend a little time with the Grandfather.Read more
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Breakfast Club at Mdnwima
April 20, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
When you write a blog at the end of a day you have the fortune of looking back on the whole day.
The day starts at 5am early early. ready to take the volunteers to the Breakfast club at Mndiwa school. The journey down is a little quieter than normal as the volunteers catch up on some sleep.
As we enter the school gates Musa our ground worker is there waiting for us. We park the car under the tree and make our way to the ladies that are mixing the porridge.
This school is a special place for us as it's the first place we started our feeding program and thousands of children have benefited from that one meal a day.
Stand with the children as they sift into school and make their way over to the ladies to collect their bowl is very humbling.
I notice Jade one of the volunteers has a tear rolling down her cheek. So walk over and whisper in her ear. Walk with me. Often Volunteers get up set for many reason on a trip with what they see or hear. But a walk and a chat often puts things in prospective.
After the Breakfast Club we are off to paint a house that wasn't done in 2020 for the Girl Guides. The first challenge of the day is there is no water. So Nkosie chats to the two now teenage boys and asks where we can get water from. They respond saying about 10mins away in a local pond. So a few of us crab some buckets and of we March following the Boys in a line like the 7 dwarfs. Hi Ho hi Ho it's of to work we go..........
20 mins later I realise this is an African 10 minutes. Jane keeps letting us know how far it is has her watch tracks everything...lol
We finally get there and the boys wade in and fill up the buckets 🪣 Now for the walk home this is going to hurt. But then you realise your doing this once they do this every day twice a day. So shut up Chris and crack on ....🙄
The team really know what they are doing now and crack on.Read more
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Bhekamangwane Breakfast Club Paint Day
April 21, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Bhekamangwane
When you write a blog at the end of a day you have the fortune of looking back on the whole day.
The day starts at 5am early early. ready to take the volunteers to the Breakfast club at Bhekamangwane school. The journey down is a little quieter than normal as the volunteers catch up on some sleep.
Thanda is the Principal at the school an amazing lady that is so inspirational and more Importantly her pastel care is amazing. A lady with strong boundaries and good values. At this school she has the breakfast club so organised papa the children line up so well and wait patiently. Once the children have finished eating the porridge 🥣 they attend their assembly under the beautiful tree. The children's singing is so beautiful all in harmony. Before we leave we to have our photo taken.
We then have yet another house to paint for the Girl Guides. When we arrive there is a little puppy 🐶 by the house that we are to paint. Such a skinny little thing. I always carry some puppy poaches of meat on me and after that and a few biscuits his fell asleep with a full tummy.
The team jump to it and they all take a wall and crack on within 3hrs they have bagged washed, painted and sealed the house.
Thank you, happy team happy, happy Girl Guides and happy puppy 🐶Read more
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Sarfari Day
April 22, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
We all need a rest in life and so do our volunteers that have worked so hard.
Today is safari day. But first brunch at Hluhluwe Pineapple 🍍 farm and then on to the local traditional market for the team to purchase their little gifts for family and friends, which also supports local people.
We arrive at Zulu Bayete Game Reserve. This place is a little jewel in the middle of the KwaZulu Natal a Game reserve with the big five in it.
We arrive at the lodge with the volunteers so excited to be here. The first game reserve drive is at 3pm. Most of the volunteers jump into the pool for a quick swim. The Makayle arrives with the Safari truck to take us out on our game drive.
After an amazing 3 hours this team were lucky to see soooo many animals.
Time now as the volunteers drift of to bed to put my feet up.....Read more
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2nd Safari day and Bongwie house paint
April 23, 2023 in South Africa
5:20am and the alarm goes off. Although I have been up since 4:30. Time to wake the Volunteers up for their second game drive. I go around to each room and quietly knock on their doors, but to my surprise they are all up. Bright eyed and bushy tailed.
On my way back to my room I decided to take a quick dip into the swimming pool. It's beautifully cold.
Makayla makes her way to the lodge with the Game vehicle and we all pile in.
We are on the look out for a cheetah
🐆. The sun starts to raise and you can feel the planet 🌎 start to warm up. The animals start to stretch and open their eyes and the air is full of bird song.
The cheetah and its cub seem to be allusive. So Makayla makes the decision to see if we can find the lion 🦁 and lioness of we drive. Along the way we see many animals Giraffes 🦒 wildebeests and Zebras 🦓. I vice this place. We eventually spot the lion 🦁 laying in the road fast asleep. But with the noise of the vehicle it doesn't take long for them to wake up.
The lioness is on heat and the male lion 🦁 doesn't believe in foreplay...lol
Every time she moves he is there.
After a great Game drive we have some breakfast listening to Jade saying it was her best day ever.
We load into our Trustee vehicle and of we drive to the main gate. We take a right and drive to the second gate where the team will be do an elephant 🐘 interaction with Rambo a 12 tone male bull. Has the vehicle stops we till the volunteers and Jade bursts into tears again.
The elephant 🐘 interaction is one of the highlights of the trip and I love seeing the faces of the volunteers when Rambo comes over the hill.

Next stop Bongiwe house. Donated by Yoland and the Conway family back in the UK this house was built by our builds in Covid and we are making the journey back to Ubombo where the CoCo's Foundation started. This house is the hardest house that we have ever built. Where it is situated down a valley where the ground is mainly rock and there is no water and everything has to be walked in all 900 bricks 🧱 on the way down we make sure Ruth has someone in front and someone behind her, just incase.
Little did we know Jade was the one that fell and twisted her ankle.
We paint and seal the house.
I said it once many times.....lol the team crack on.
Jade follows me into one of the rooms and and there is this huge moth on the wall. It takes of and fillies towards Jade. Jade runs out screaming 😱 this is the sorest day of my life.....lol it mended her ankle.

Debs gets to meet Muma Sbongile, it's been too long..!
We then take the back dust road to home an hour of our bodies been jump around by driving on the dust road.
No Electricity at the Lodge means no water so straight out for something to eat at E.A.T before returning home for a shower as the electricity is back on.
Shattered what a day.......Read more
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Butterflies Palliative Care Centre
April 24, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
There are some days that when you wake up you know you are going to be challenged before they even start. Today was one of those days.
We planned to take the team to the Butterfly palliative care centre in Inguavuma on the top of a beautiful mountain.
The centre supports children through their end of life. But more importantly it supports them to live before that time. ❤️
The last time I was here I meet a beautiful little chap In October called Olly. Olly has the most amazing cheeky character and for those that read my last blog he is still very much with us. But today he wasn't interested in me has he had a new friend called Clare......lol
Olly is permanently attached to an oxygen machine. So he can only real play with in a 10 meter radius. He want to go outside and kept asking Clare in his own little way. It took us a while to understand at first. We asked his cater if we were allow out with him and she said only for 5mins. So of with the oxygen mask and in Clare motherly secured arms of we trotted. He pointed at the Wendy house and we popped him down and in he popped. But he kept wave for me to go In. So putting my best foot (knee) forward in I popped (struggled). Getting in wasn't a problem it was turning around that was the challenge....lol
Boy it put a big smile on his face the fact he was outside.
I Clare asked if the Centre had a portable oxygen kit and the answer was no. The cost £350 x 2 do £700. Clare said she would get one and I said I'm I I'll get the other one.
It always challenges me emotionally this place holding back the tears that I can never do enough. But the team are truly amazing that work here and see the kids again gives me complete joy.
The volunteers had an amazing day after a great build and an amazing Safari we decided to go to Tiger lodge for lunch.
Thank you the Butterflies Palliative care Centre.Read more
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Paint Day
April 25, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
Bagwash, Painting and Sealing day today. Plus doing all those little jobs that need doing.
We arrive not to early this morning and the team have a little present for one of the builders helpers a pair of boots. A huge smile on his face when he got them. Thank you Geoff (Papa Smurf)
Debs and I have a huge list of things to get through about an hour and a half journey away. So we borrow the builders vehicle and away we go. Leaving the volunteers on Nkosie safe hands.
Todo
Pick up one beds
Pick up two mattresses
Buy two food parcels
Buy bush knife 🔪
Buy axe 🪓
Buy one rake
Buy one hoe
Buy phone
Drop of shoe at Mndiwa school
Pick up curtains for house builds
Buy curtains poles
Buy Nails for plaque
Drop of mattress at Lindani
Drop of mattress at Anelle
Drop of.............
Think I best stop there...lol
After 4hrs of running around job done. Then we got a phone call from Nkosie to say the team had finish just has we pulled into the build.
Tired but happy volunteers.
Last task of the day. Thank you to Carshalton Football Academy for donating two of their foot kits to two local teams here in KZN South Africa. Most teens don't show emotion, but these lads you made their day, month, year. 👍🏽Read more
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Bits and Bobs day
April 26, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
A chilled start today.
We make our way to the site with the van loaded with the curtains, teddies, hula hoops, lady sanitary packs and the blanket for Anelle from Debs.
Everyday as we drive into the house build I greet the old gentleman. He always stands and thanks me for the house.
I do a quick look around of the site we are nearly there, we just have the windows to cleaned and the floor needs to be screeded. This is not a job the Volunteers can do. So I make the decision to leave the site after we have done the windows and return for the last day in the morning.
We travel down to Anelle house and Debs puts a blanket made by Eileen on his bed with a little note. (Spreading her Love)
Next stop to pick up Lindani bag so I can travel back to the UK with it for him then he can bring another one.
Then we go to Hluhluwe Build it for Debs PJ's that she left in Bayete. Maxwell hands them over in a neatly wrapped box.
We then make our way to a little local restaurant called Weavers which gives the volunteers also some time to purchase a few gifts in there little shop.
Next stop shopping for the the local Spar shop to buy all the supplies for the party 🎉 for the children from the children's home and everyone else I seem to of invited.....lol
I invite them and Debs just keeps adding them to the list....😂
We arrive back to the Lodge in time for Nkosie 👑 🐘 to take Jane out for a run 🏃🏾‍♀️ whilst everyone else jumps into the shower and gets ready for dinner to arrive this evening a rice dish from Mai a local lady that has done an amazing task of feeding us all week in the evening.
It's the one thing I love when we sit down in the evening around the table and the team chit-a-chatter about the days events.Read more
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Party time
April 27, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 30 °C
The floor has been completed and we make our way down to complete the house with the curtains, beds, solar panel and the sign. Thank you Eileen for putting the curtains up. (Everyone needs an Eileen)
I always have mixed feels when we complete a house. The family that we have built the house for have made new friends with the volunteers and has we all line up for that final photo you can see how proud the volunteers are and how humble the family are. We drive away with a few silent tears been shed and as I look in the rear view mirror the all the members of the family have a big smile on there faces.
We return back to the Lodge with no time to spare in order to get ready for the party and the children coming. I drop the volunteers of and Nkosie starts the Braai and as I drive up to the children's home to pick the kids up.
Dropping them of at the Lodge the kids look a little lost. But Muma Debs soon starts playing games with them and the music goes on then the rest of the children come. Nkosie and Eileen cook all the meat 🥩 so happy children and happy volunteers.
Even Ruth and Papa Smurf get up and have bop.
The hi light of the day was seeing the 5 boys that grew up in the 1st Children's home reunited. Such joy has they all sat together sharing their meat...lol
The day ends with us having our last meal at Eat a local restaurant, shattered.Read more
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Home time
April 28, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
That last day when you woke up and open your eyes, Is never the greatest feeling in the world. The volunteers had mainly packed the night before has did I. It's just a matter of putting the last few things into the hold-all.
Then we are of home. Where's home I ask myselfRead more
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Trip end
April 29, 2023