A bit of Christmas cheer…
On the 27th of December Mandelwa Creatives, a STEPi partner, hosted a Christmas event for the children of Tholeni village in Mount Frere, Eastern Cape. This one was extra special because it took place in my place of birth and where my love for books, reading and stories began. It wasn't just special to me, it was special to my family and everyone in my village too. As a result, we were all praying and hoping for a clearer day because our summer has been days of rain and cold.
A few posters and word-of-mouth by my mother and cousin-brother resulted in 139 children gracing us with their cheerful presence. You could tell by their appearance that they didn't take the event lightly. They were dressed in their Christmas clothes, looking colourful and beautiful. With the help of my family members, we created different stations of storytelling, book reading, dance and indigenous games in which groups of kids were going to rotate. Heavy rains forced us to carry out activities indoors, but it was still much fun.
I never get used to the hunger children have for books, probably because on a regular basis I encounter parents who claim that their children don't like books, but what I witness says otherwise.
Only two parents managed to join us and they were as excited as everyone else. Children were supposed to choose three books each, but they ended up getting four because they begged and begged for more. We also gave them each a copy of Parenting with Love to give to their parents and guardians. They also got timetables and we guided them on how to use them to organise their weeks. During break they received some lunch and also got party packs to enjoy.
It was an exciting and fulfilling experience, the children kept asking if we'll meet again.
Thank you to STEPi for affording us an opportunity to stand in the gap and make a difference in the lives of children. This event I believe has become an eye opener to many of us in my village and especially in my family. We're now having regular chats about our responsibilities towards the development of our community and trying by all means to make sure that those after us do not experience the same lack we grew up experiencing. Unfortunately, alcohol has devoured both the youth and adults in my village; and this causes children to be hopeless and fall prey to alcohol. Sadly, you still hear stories of chiefs who give away land for a bottle of brandy, teachers who go to classes drunk, parents who drink with their children and so on.
Although there are so many challenges, I remain hopeful that we can make our village better when we're consistent in fighting these circumstances. One way to do this is through the books which for instance will help reshape our children's (and their parents’) perspective about life. For example, I bumped into my old copy of – Cry Softly, Thule Nene by Shirley Boje over the holidays, and it dawned on me that not only did it inspire me to dream of helping other children in need, but it also instilled in me values and skills that have helped me navigate life with a more positive and hopeful attitude. Therefore, I have no doubt that the message children receive in STEPi books shall become a pillar of strength & hope in their lives too.
Written by Pumeza Macingwane, CEO of Mandelwa Creatives and passionate storyteller.