Blossom Primary School and Departing Thoughts

This will probably be my last post until the weekend. In almost exactly 24 hours my plane will be taking off from Atlanta to Dakar, Senegal, where I change planes and fly on to Cape Town. I am so excited, and even more so for having just learned what my volunteer placement is. It will be at a school called Blossom Street Primary, described as follows:

Blossom Street Primary a primary (junior) school for approx 600 - 1000 children from the age of 5 and 14yrs. The school has 30:1 student teacher ratio and classes are over-crowded. Blossom Street Primary is a public school and lacks resources and manpower. The children are a mixture of Coloured and Black and come from the surrounding areas and the nearby townships. They are all from previously disadvantaged areas and are all living in crime infested, violent communities. Many of their parents are unemployed and live below the breadline. They generally speak Afrikaans and Xhosa but English and is widely understood.

I will be working in the computer lab, a reading class, or with the physcial education teacher, but I don't know which one yet or what age the students will be. Whatever I am doing, I am so privileged to have this opportunity.

My first few nights in Cape Town will be spent at a bed and breakfast called Little Scotia, and the days spent sight-seeing and recovering from jet lag. I report to the Cross Cultural Solutions homebase on Saturday, have orientation on Sunday and Monday, and start my placement next Tuesday. Can't wait to tell you what my adventure brings!