South Africa Coco's Foundation

April 2024

Off to Zulu Natal to build a home Read more

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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 10, 2024, 9:57 PM
- 🌙 22 °C
- Altitude: 39 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.515219, 32.65458327°30’55” S 32°39’16” E
Day 7
Day 7 afternoon
April 10 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
A little more biulding after lunch with a group photo. Then, back to the lodge for a quick change and to Sodwana Beach. We all pretend to be from Durbon, so the entrance was cheaper as international people pay more!
The beach was so sandy with the beautiful blue sea of the Indian Ocean. It's been windy all day, and the waves are crashing.
We kick of our flip flops and go into the sea. It is rough and knocks me over but its so warm! There are blow holes in the sand where crabs are waiting to emerge once the tide is in.
We have great fun messing around.
In the evening we change and go to The Tree for a meal. I have Russian Big Boy with chips. It's a hotdogvwith cheese, bacon and onion rings so yummy! What a day.Read more
Traveler Looks like another amazing day mum ❤️
4/10/24Reply
Traveler The house is really coming along xxx
4/10/24Reply
Traveler Looks great Chris, what a time you are having! X
4/12/24Reply
Traveler I have absolutely loved reading all of this,it sounds fantastic, love to you all ❤️ xx
4/16/24Reply
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 11, 2024, 5:06 PM
- ☀️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 39 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.515218, 32.65458327°30’55” S 32°39’16” E
Day 8
Day 8 visiting Mdwina School
April 11 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Chris blog.

Up at 5am today to ensure we left at 6 am sharp, to allow time to get to Mdwina School to serve porridge to the children before they start school.
This is the only meal many will have all day. It contains all the vitamins and minerals they need, and once digested, it quadulpes inside them.
It's 7am, and many are already waiting. They are quiet but pleased to see us. They line up, and we can now see that many do not have shoes or if they do, they have no laces. Most are holding a plastic container in various sizes, colours, and conditions.
We take turns to serve...
We think it's going well, then we start noticing porridge on your faces, eyes down bowl held out.
Hang on, you've come around again. One has taken his jacket off and quewed again.
We try and police this worried we will run out until all have eaten. But Chris helps saying give them seconds but a smaller amount. It turned into a little game, cheeky smiling faces, but thankfully, everyone ate.
This fuels them for a day of learning.
Assembly is lovely singing in straight lines, and one child reads to us all.
They all file into class, and 1 teacher can have 70 children in a class!
All learn in English and have a book containing all the subjects for that grade. Lesley asked about science, but everything is from the 1 book, no other resources.
We help give the school uniforms we raised money for being given to children by
Vamsile, who made them.
We visit classes. It's very moving, and I think it's fair to say we all became emotional at some point. For me, it was when the children say thankyou, I don't feel worthy of thanks, as my life is so easy by comparison.
We leave having been touched by the opportunity to meet them.Read more
Traveler Making me tear up Chris!
4/12/24Reply
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 11, 2024, 5:41 PM
- 🌙 21 °C
- Altitude: 39 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.515218, 32.6545827°30’55” S 32°39’16” E
Day 8
Day 8 biulding 1
April 11 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
We rejoin the house biuld around 9.20am and as we are getting to know the builders we joke saying ahh the Gogo's are back! But they are so patient and I'm taught how to cover the lintels with pug and make it smooth. I stand on blocks to reach. We move the remaing blocks to the home and I find a small lizard inside one! Heather helps scoop it out and it makes us both jump when it skuttles.
Everyone helps and we are all bonding together as a team.

PS, a Gogo is a grandmother.Read more
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 11, 2024, 8:17 PM
- 🌙 20 °C
- Altitude: 39 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.515219, 32.65458327°30’55” S 32°39’16” E
Day 8
Day 8 shoes
April 11 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
In the afternoon we went and brought 10 pairs of shoes for children at the school! And we are going to get shoe laces.
We also visited the studio where the clothes are made.

At the biuld we took some photos of two of the children we are biulding for, they are looking out of the door of thier current tin home.

At dinner this evening, it was hard to eat the wonderful meal cooked for us, vegetable pasta, Moroccan salad, and garlic bread, as we were all thinking of the children. We said grace, but it's was hard.

Here is a picture of us making lunch to take out. I am writing this on the sofa in the lodge after we all had a laughter melt down. We needed it! But my sides hurt now...Read more
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 14, 2024, 3:46 PM
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitude: 38 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.51522, 32.65458427°30’55” S 32°39’17” E
Day 11
Day 9 safari a wonderful lodge
April 14 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
When we arrived, I was completely overwhelmed by everything. It was so incredible and I never believed I would go somewhere so amazing. Chris gave me a hug and said, this is your thank you for all you are doing here. This is how the family you are helping feel about the home we are biulding!
The staff are all waiting outside to welcome us and take our bags.
The lodge is stunning, and we have it all just for us. An infinity pool overlooks a water hole and animals freely living all around us.
My room has a huge bed, lots of weddings happen here it is stunning.Read more
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 14, 2024, 3:59 PM
- ⛅ 24 °C
- Altitude: 38 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.51522, 32.65458427°30’55” S 32°39’17” E
Day 11
Day 9 eve safari
April 14 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
We go on a 3 hour safari from 3 to 6 pm so we see the sun go down.
It is a bumpy ride, but we see so many animals, zebra, giraffes, ostrich, rhinos, a mother, and baby. Many more, I do not know all the names. When the light goes down, the rangers use a light to spot the eyes of animals. Incredibly, we see a leopard in the pathway walking towards us! It was difficult to photo we all gad to stay still and quiet.
It was our drivers first safari that he lead, and we called him lucky Johathan as it is rare to see a leopard.Read more
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 14, 2024, 4:10 PM
- ⛅ 24 °C
- Altitude: 38 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.51522, 32.65458427°30’55” S 32°39’17” E
Day 11
Day 10 early morning safari
April 14 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
We are up at 5am and out at 6am on a 3 hour safari to see the sun come up.
So many giraffes! The sound of the animals around us is wonderful, crickets and birds.
It's brilliant, bouncing around.
We go to the river and see a lion with her cubs but to distant for a photo.
We have seen to big 5 of animals!
There was a monsoon last month and the rangers tell us they have never known it, so lush and green.
We stop by the river for a cuppa tea and cake, this is where people get married. We have such fun as a group all messing around.Read more
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 14, 2024, 4:23 PM
- ⛅ 24 °C
- Altitude: 38 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.51522, 32.65458427°30’55” S 32°39’17” E
1 1 1
Day 11
Day 10 surprise elephants
April 14 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
We have one last swim and say goodbye. We drive a short distance and stop. Chris says we have a surprise for you. You are going to interact with the elephants!
The elephants are living free on the reserve, and each has a handler with them at all times who just follow them.
These two are resque elephants, and they crave human company. When it was not provided, they used to go into villages to find people, which caused a lot of disruption.
So now, every morning, they come down here so the public can hear about them and feed them.
The elephants loved the oranges we gave them. So much so that they were scraping their other food up and squirting it at us to give them an orange!Read more
Traveler What a photo!!!!!
4/14/24Reply
Traveler Look at this! Incredible mum!!
4/14/24Reply
Traveler Wow !
4/14/24Reply
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 15, 2024, 12:41 PM
- ☁️ 26 °C
- Altitude: 38 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.51522, 32.65458427°30’55” S 32°39’17” E
Day 12
Day 11 I spent in bed!
April 15 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
I got a 24 hrs sick bug! Which is going through us all. I was very close to passing out! But I'm much better now and eating again.
3 off us stayed in bed and 4 went to the orphanage for the day. They did crafts and played games. They all said the children had a great time. Making friendship bracelets, using stickers for cards, playing with bubbles, and doing team games.

Yesterday we visited adam, which was such incredible engineering. It amazed me that a large town is right behind it, if it ever breache, they would not stand a chance.Read more
Traveler Glad you are feeling better now. What an amazing time you are having 😍🐘
4/15/24Reply
Traveler Glad you’re feeling better xxx
4/16/24Reply
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Traveler South Africa Coco's Foundation
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- Apr 15, 2024, 5:43 PM
- ☁️ 24 °C
- Altitude: 39 m
- South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Shazibe -27.515221, 32.65458227°30’55” S 32°39’16” E
Day 12
Day 12 recuperating day
April 15 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
We all stayed at the lodge today to recover. But those that are well including me have been busy. We plan the church service for home, choose songs, readings, activities, and talks we will do.
Then 3 of us went for a walk and photographed the local houses. We were picked up and jumped into the back of a Buckie for a ride home, it was fun!
In the afternoon, we prepared craft activities and games for tomorrow as we have 2 hours with approx 200 children at the school for their fun after school club. The same school we served porridge at.
We also saw a tortoise in the garden and I played with the 4 doggies that come with the cleaner.Read more
Traveler Glad you’re feeling better Chris! X
4/15/24Reply
Traveler Glad you are better Chris xx
4/15/24Reply
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