Two of the boys who participated in the car wash visited the community with me to see how their hard work has paid off and also to show the community that even young people can make a difference.
A big thanks goes to Vusumnotfo and Global Giving for allowing us to partner with them to make an impact in a rural community. The preschool is almost to its final fundraising goal, and the hope is to be finished with all the fundraising in the next few weeks. If you are interested in still giving to the preschool, you can contact any of us directly, or go to the Global Giving site, linked above, to donate directly to Vusumnotfo. We have talked to the director at Vusumnotfo, and we learned that there will be additional needs for furnishing and equipping the preschool once the structure is complete.
We look forward to having Alex visit Swaziland in December to see the preschool completely finished and meet the community members who will benefit for years thanks to her hard work and effort.
The bumpy dirt road leading to the community
Community members put stones here to build up the road so construction trucks can pass by
Our first view of the preschool structure
Inside the building - there are lots of windows for natural light, and there is a permanent bench built into the wall that can serve many purposes for the preschool children
Sakhile and Thembinkosi, my travel buddies for the day, loving the beautiful new space
Side view of the building
View from the back
The little ones who will be learning in a beautiful building rather than under a tree starting in January
The community leaders who are extremely grateful for this gift to their community
The 'gogos' or grandmothers enjoying the preschool graduation
The graduates! They look so official in their gowns.
The children sang lots of songs for their ceremony, and they were able to answer many questions about themselves to prove that they are ready to go on to First Grade in January.
The tires are marking the space where the playground will stand. It should be constructed by the end of December.
As a sign of completion, hope, and partnership together, the chief and I are planting a tree on the preschool grounds. Hopefully this tree will grow for many years and serve as a reminder of the work that had to take place to build the preschool.
