Reset search
South Africa
Satellite

South Africa
Umhlabuyalingana

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Top 10 Travel Destinations Umhlabuyalingana
Show all
Travelers at this place
    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      Day 14

      Day 14 words of thanks

      April 17 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

      Here are some radom photos from the biuld. The names of the family and their ages and the biulders' names.
      And a prayer.
      There is nothing more to add about the biuld because I have no words. Hope you enjoyed watching it and a huge thank you for everyone's support. Hope you appreciate what you have done for this family.Read more

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      2
      Day 5

      Day 5 Monday 1st biulding day

      April 8 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

      We are up at 5.45am ready to leave at 7am for the hour drive to the home and family we are biulding for.
      On the way, we picked up two of Nkosie's children and took them to school. All the school children either walk or get picked up, they wear wonderfully colourful uniforms, and are very smart. The Mama's and Gogo's do the washing in bowls and hang it out to dry on tge fences, and washing lines between trees. Nkosie has 6 children between 2 and 10 years old.

      We arrive, and the biulders we are working with look a little bemused by us 7 Gogos who have come to biuld! But we get stuck in stacking breeze blocks in piles of 3 wide and 5 tall around the footprint of the home. We check for spiders and scorpions before lifting. It is hot work, but we pull together as a team.

      Next, we learn how to mix the mortor and run the water from the Jojo. That's the large green watertank that will be attached to the home to collect rain for the home, when we have finished.

      We work from 9 to 10, then snack. The son of the family helps us all day. The Gogo and daughter keep doing little dances and smiling. They are so happy.

      We lay 6 courses of blocks today! We use mortar to fill between all the blocks. We have an hour for lunch in the shade, and they apply more suncream. The chickens come to see us and an either thin doggy. So on way homecwe but a large bag of dog food for tomorrow, it will last a long time.

      The biulders are very patient with us but seemed happy with our work. We all smile and have fun together. We clean our tools, leaving us happy with ourselves. A great day, we havecaching arms n backs but wirth it.

      Chris has explained that this is like us being gifted a million pound home and watching being biult, decorated, and then, at the end, being handed the keys. This home we are biulding is a gift to them at the end we will hand them the keys, it is emotional.      Read more

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      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

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      111
      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

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      1
      Day 4

      Day 4 Sunday am

      April 7 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

      Had a very warm welcome in an incredible church today. So many hugs and smiles. Incredible singing and dancing so much love and energy. They shared their service with us and Dorathy from the school we met yesterday translated for us.
      We were invited up and I did a reading.
      The children were so incredibly well behaved, they could go in and out at leisure.
      I had to pop my hand over my ears a couple of times as soon loud and powerful!
      It was a very special couple of hours.      Read more

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      Day 6

      Day 6 rain stops biulding

      April 9 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      Woke to a big thunderstorm, so had to change plans.
      Went to Ebenizer nursery school for 2 to 5 year olds.
      We spent the day with them and split into pairs to be with a class.
      I went with Lyn and helped Busy Bees aged 2 1/2 to 3 1/2.
      The theme this week is transport. It costs 1,200 rand a month for each child to attend. Straight away, they are learning English. Some can only speak Zulu, but they soon start picking up English.
      The morning is structured, with story time, maths, and learning about the weeks theme. Every child gets homework 4 nights a week.
      I joined in, and we talked about types of transport on the land, in the air, and on the sea. We sang the wheels on the bus and row row row your boat. The story was The 3 Billy Goats Gruff. All in English.
      One child put her hand up and asked for the toilet. They were all allowed to walk across the yard to the toilet and back again alone.
      Their behaviour was impeccable, and they slowly warmed to us.
      I drew a big bus on card and they pianted it. We let them sit in our minibus and drove it down the drive and back, they loved it. Then lunch, in the main room they all had the same cooked meal. When finished, I stood up, gave their bowls into the kitchen, and went outside to play. They all knew what was expected of them.
      The afternoon is freebie outside, we gave them a football and all played together. I was goaly it was great fun but quite humid and hot.
      No arguments or fuss durring the whole day! I played pat a cake hand clapping with our class of little ones before leaving.
      Another wonderful day.      Read more

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      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

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      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

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      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

    • TravelerSouth Africa Coco's Foundation
      1
      Day 13

      Day 13 at the biuld

      April 16 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

      We drive to the biuld and can not believe how much the home has changed. It has a roof, a screeded floor and two wooden front doors.
      Our job today is to bag wash the blocks.
      We begin by collecting water from the pond. We carry buckets in pairs, and the Gogo pops hers on her head. She is stronger than us all!
      Bag washing, I learn is a cement wash that is thin enough to brush over the block walls filling the holes so they are waterproof.
      Some of us change into old clothes as we have been warned we will get messy. Lesley wears old PJs.
      It's hard work on your arms and splatters everywhere. I kneel down to do the low parts and let others go up on the scaffolding.
      The son of the family is cheerfully helping us as he has done every day.
      As we are clearing up the tools, we notice the Gogo and children leave and are all dressed very smartly.
      5 mins later, the most beautiful singing rings out across the site.
      We ask Chris, and he says they have gone to church. We ask if we can go, yes, but you must try not to get upset. We walk following him towards the sound.
      They have a tiny church full of people wonderfully singing the most beautiful songs, it sounds like it's coming from their souls.
      There is a grandfather in a suit at the back cradling a tiny baby. The church is ramshackle and brings home to us all that church is more than a biulding, it is faith. They have it in spades and seem truly thankful for things and seem happy that we are enjoying their service.
      We say goodbye and return to the lodge, shower and go out for dinner.      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Umhlabuyalingana

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

    • 2024© FindPenguins
    • Home
    • About us
    • Blog
    • Group Tracking
    • Press
    • Terms
    • Privacy Policy & Cookies
    • Support
    • Legal notice
    • English