Kretzenshoop Primary School

Afrikaans

Kretzenshoop Laerskool Blanco George Wes-Kaap

Ek het nog nooit ‘n projek by hierdie skool gehou nie, maar van verlede jaar af gryp die stories my hart aan wat vertel word en druk dit al swaarder op my en is die Stem al harder om iets daaromtrent te probeer doen.

Dit is ‘n skool net oorkant Fancourt (een van die top golfbane in George en baie baie duur) – die kontras is altyd so groot. En die skool is die armste van die armste.

Die een onderwyseres daar, Juffrou Karin gee vir my die volgende feitelike inligting: (sy het ‘n passie vir die kindertjies)

Ons skool Kretzenshoop Primêr is geleë in Blanco. Areas sluit in: Golden Valley, Poppedoor, Die Scheme…. Ek is reeds ongeveer 10 jaar by die skool. Die armste gedeeltes in George. Haglike omstandighede. Sommige kinders se omstandighede is van so ‘n aard dat niemand verdien om so te leef nie. Ongeveer die helfte van ons leerders kry 2keer per dag kos by die skool. Die enigste kos wat hulle kry. Baie van ons leerders ontvang Vrydae pouse hul laaste maaltyd vir die naweek. Die eerste bord kos wat hul weer kry is ‘n warm bordjie pap op ‘n Maandag oggend. Sommige van ons leerders kom Maandae skool toe soos hul Vrydae huis toe gegaan het. Dieselfde klere, ongewas en sonder kos. Huisbesoek by sommige huise is die ergste… daar is letterlik niks… dakke wat lek, slaap op grond, klere in bokse, geen kos, 5 persone in ‘n kamer. So hartseer om te aanskou. Baie van ons leerders is kognitief gerem of gestrem. Vir hulle is die skool n baken van hoop. Die enigste plek wat hul veilig voel, waar hul liefde ontvang, ‘n drukkie kry en ‘n bordjie kos ontvang. Vir my is die ergste dat van ons leerders in die middae net nie huis toe wil gaan nie. Vir hulle gaan die lewe daar buite oor survival. Hul leef van dag tot dag. Van ons leerders kom in die middel van die winter met net ‘n truitjie skool toe, want dit is al wat daar is. Dit is hartverskeurend om te sien hoe leerders vir etlike minute in die reën en koue staan en wag vir ‘n bordjie kos. Hul kies letterlik om nat en koud te wees vir ‘n bord kos. ‘n Wonderwerk sou wees indien iemand vir ons n dak bokant ons vierkant wil opsit. Dan kan ons kinders ten minste onder dak wees in gure weer. Leerders kom op reendae sopnat en koud by die skool aan, sonder sambrele of reënjasse. Hul stap ente in die reën en koue. Vakansies en naweke is die ergste. Ons kinders veg vir oorlewing. Die nood is net so groot, armoede op sy ergste. Werklose ouers, ouers wat nie omgee nie, ander probeer, maar het niks. Ons kinders verdien dit nie… Hul smag net na liefde en aanvaarding. Desember, wat ‘n lang vakansie is is van die slegste tye in van ons leerders se lewe. Geen liefde, omgee en kos. Vertrou dat goeie ore my boodskap en hulpkrete sal hoor.
Karin De Cauwer🙏🏻

Dan kry ek hierdie van iemand wat soontoe gaan en al ‘n paar keer daar was :

Kretzenshoop Laerskool is geleë in Blanco. Die een juffrou waarmee ons te doen het is ongelooflik toegewyd aan die kinders. Na ons onlangse besoek het sy die volgende vertel “daar was ‘n sendeling van Indië wat kom draai het by die skool. Hy het vertel dat hy al amper oral in die wêreld was en die plek wat hom die meeste aangeraak het was Indie – dis die armste plek wat hy nog ooit gesien het. Nadat hulle in die gemeenskap ingegaan het, het hy gesê: Hierdie gemeenskap is 100 keer slegter af as Indie “

Die gemeenskap is bitter arm. Armer as arm. Daar is ongeveer ‘n duisend kinders in die skool waarvan 480 deel vorm van die kosprojek van die skool wat deur die juffrou bestuur word. Elke oggend kry daardie kinders ‘n bordjie pap en vrydae middae gee hulle vir daardie kinders ‘n vetkoek of ietsie om te hou vir die naweek. Ons het baie bewoë geraak maar die juffrou het genoem hulle dink dis normaal om nie kos te kry op ‘n naweek nie. Dis hartverskeurend.

Daar is “guidance” skoliere : Hulle is kinders wat klein bietjie beter af is, en as iemand nie opdaag vir skool nie, gaan hierdie skolier dan om die maatjie te gaan besoek saam met die juffrou om uit te vind wat is fout. Die ouers is meeste tik-ouers, so die kind was dan nie in staat om skool toe te kom nie as gevolg van geweld of ander redes betrokke by die tik verbruik.
Nog ‘n groot rede wat dogtertjies nie skool toe kom nie is dat hulle geen sanitêre doekies het nie. Hulle sit lappe in (wat natuurlik vuil is) en dan kry hulle so infeksie dat hulle nie kan skooltoe kom nie. Of hulle is skaam want dit loop by hulle rokkies uit. Die doekies wat ons gee, word deur die juffrou gemonitor, en die dogtertjies weet hulle kan die juffrou vra. Sommige dogtertjies vra of hulle vir mamma ook ene kan kry want mamma kan nie werk nie want sy het haar ‘period’.

Laas jaar toe ons vir die tweede keer gaan, het twee dogtertjies ge-‘highfive’ en gesê “julle!! Hier kom die pad-tannies!!!”

Die jaar was hulle almal in die klas, maar een dogtertjie is deur die juffrou gestuur om iets in die kantoor te doen – sy vra toe vir my – “tannie – is dit pads?” Ek antwoord “Ja my liefde” Sy vra: “wat kos dit?” Ek antwoord “een STYYYYWE druk” en toe druk sy.

Die kinders is super opgewonde: En so dankbaar vir die juffrou wat help met sanitêre ware en kos in die oggend. Sy probeer regtig ‘n verskil maak en die leuse van die skool “Styguit” te probeer gebeur in die kinders se lewe.

Elke keer wat ons die skool besoek – loop mens met ‘n nederige dankbare hart daar weg. Ons het soveel om voor dankbaar te wees, ons sê dit baie maar ek dink nie ‘n mens besef altyd wat jy sê nie, maar die skool laat jou dit besef. Dis ongelooflik hartseer dat die kinders nie eintlik besef wat ‘n ongelooflike lewe hulle mis nie, alhoewel die juffrou ALLES doen wat sy kan om dit te verander.

My hart lê vir altyd by die skool.

Geen mens kan dit lees en onaangeraak bly nie.

Die nood is so groot dat ‘n mens nie weet waar om te begin nie, maar ek het gedink…. Kos vir Desember – Juffrou Karin het gese hulle sal dit na die huise neem en bestuur. Ek het vir haar gevra soos bv wat moet ons probeer insamel.

Mieliemeel
Blikkies Vis
Rys
Suiker
Macaroni
Soya mince
Olie
Koskouse
Blikkies bake beans
Peanut butter
Konfyt

Ek kan nie ‘n beraming doen van hoeveel nodig is nie, want die som van 480 kinders en dan kan hulle nie vir hulle alleen by die huis kos neem nie is gelyk aan die som van die 2 vissies en 5 broodjies – BAIE – Soveel as wat ons kan.

Die tweede behoefte is die afdak. Ek het gepost hier op Georgiete staan saam, maar dit is ‘n groot ding, want moet super veilig wees vir die kinders – ek is nog besig om daar syfers te kry en dan kan ‘n mens probeer werk na daardie syfers toe. Die grootte is 26.5 meter x 12.4 meter – wat baie groot is. My skatting is by die R300 000.

Klere ens
Tweedehandse klere is altyd welkom om uit te deel.

Sanitere doekies
Dit is ongelooflik belangrik.

English

Kretzenshoop Primary School Blanco George Western Cape

I have never held a project at this school, but since last year the stories that are being told have gripped my heart and are weighing on me more and more and I feel I need to try to do something about it.

It is a school just opposite Fancourt (one of the top golf courses in George and very very expensive) – the contrast is always so great. And the school is the poorest of the poorest.

The one “teacher” there, Miss Karin, gives me the following factual information: (she has a passion for the little children)

Our school Kretzenshoop Primary is located in Blanco. Areas include: Golden Valley, Poppedoor, The Scheme…. I have been at the school for about 10 years. The poorest sections in George. Horrible circumstances. Some children’s circumstances are of such a nature that not nobody deserve to live like this. About half of our learners get food twice a day at school. The only food they get. Many of our learners receive their last meal for the weekend on Friday breaks. The first plate of food they get again is a hot plate of porridge on a Monday morning. Some of our learners come to school on Mondays as they went home on Fridays. The same clothes, unwashed and without food. Home visits at some houses are the worst… there is literally nothing… leaking roofs, sleeping on the ground, clothes in boxes, no food, 5 people in a room. So sad to watch. Many of our learners are cognitively inhibited or disabled. For them, the school is a beacon of hope. The only place they feel safe, where they receive love, get a hug and receive a plate of food. For me, the worst thing is that some of our learners just don’t want to go home in the afternoons. For them, life out there is about survival. They live from day to day. Some of our learners come to school in the middle of winter with just a sweater, because that’s all there is. It is heartbreaking to see how learners stand for several minutes in the rain and cold waiting for a plate of food. They literally choose to be wet and cold for a plate of food. It would be a miracle if someone wanted to put up a roof above our square. Then at least our children can be under cover in inclement weather. Learners arrive at school soaking wet and cold on rainy days, without umbrellas or raincoats. They walk long distances in the rain and cold. Holidays and weekends are the worst. Our children are fighting for survival. The need is just so great, poverty at its worst. Unemployed parents, parents who don’t care, others who try but have nothing. Our children do not deserve it… They only long for love and acceptance. December, which is a long holiday, is one of the worst times in our learners’ lives. No love, care and food. Trust that good ears will hear my message and cries for help.
Karin De Cauwer 🙏🏻

Then I get this from someone who goes there and has been there a few times:

Kretzenshoop Primary School is located in Blanco. The one teacher we deal with is incredibly dedicated to the children. After our recent visit, she told the following: “There was a missionary who came to visit the school. He told that he had been almost everywhere in the world and the place that touched him the most was India – it was the poorest place he had ever seen. After they entered the community, he said: This community is 100 times worse off than India “

The community is bitterly poor. Poorer than poor. There are approximately a thousand children in the school, of which 480 form part of the school’s food project which is managed by the teacher. Every morning those children get a plate of porridge and on Friday afternoons they give those children a sandwich or something to keep for the weekend. We got very emotional, but the teacher mentioned that they think it’s normal not to get food on a weekend. It’s heartbreaking.

There are “guidance” scholars: They are children who are a little better off, and if someone does not show up for school, this scholar then goes to visit the friend with the teacher to find out what is wrong. The parents are mostly tik parents, so the child was then unable to come to school because of violence or other reasons involved in the tik consumption.
Another big reason little girls don’t come to school is that they don’t have sanitary pads. They put in rags (which are obviously dirty) and then they get such an infection that they can’t come to school. Or they are embarrassed because it spills out of their dresses. The wipes we give are monitored by the teacher, and the little girls know they can ask the teacher. Some little girls ask if they can get mummy one too because mummy can’t work because she has her ‘period’.

Last year when we went for the second time, two little girls high-fived and said “you guys!! Here comes the pad aunties!!!”

This time. they were all in class, but one little girl was sent by the teacher to do something in the office – she then asked me – “aunty – is it pads?”
I answer “Yes my love” She asks: “How much does it cost?” I replied “one BIIIIG HUG” and then she hugged me.

The children are super excited: And so grateful for the teacher who helps with sanitary pads and food in the morning. She really tries to make a difference and try to make the motto of the school “Styguit” happen in the children’s lives.

Every time we visit the school – one walks away with a humble and grateful heart. We have so much to be grateful for, we say it a lot but I don’t think you always realize what you say, but the school makes you realize it. It’s incredibly sad that the children don’t actually realize what an incredible life they are missing, although the teacher does EVERYTHING she can to change it.

My heart is forever with the school.

Nobody can read it and remain unaffected.

The need is so great that one does not know where to start, but I thought…. Food for December – Teacher Karin said they would take it to the homes and manage it. I asked her things like what we should try to collect.

Mieliemeel
Canned Fish
Rice
Sugar
Macaroni
Soya mince
Oil
Food socks
Cans of baked beans
Peanut butter
Jam
Any other food in tins

I can’t make an estimate of how much is needed, because the sum of over 400 children and then they can’t take food for the kids only but they need to take the family also in consideration at home alone is equal to the sum of the 2 fish and 5 buns – A LOT – so the answer is AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

The second need is the canopy. I posted here on Georgians standing together, but this is a big thing, because it has to be super safe for the children – I’m still getting numbers there and then WE can try to work towards those numbers. The size is 26.5 meters x 12.4 meters – which is very large.

Clothes etc
Second-hand clothes are always welcome to share.

Sanitary PADS
This is incredibly important.

If you want to verify something, I can give you Miss Karin’s personal number (mobile phone) or you can call her via the school.