OVC Christmas Party

 On Saturday, November 2nd, we had the OVC christmas party for Interact club at school. This went on from 9:30 to around 12:30, and consisted of:

- swimming activities
- a hot breakfast
- a play in the elementary playground
- distribution of new clothing

When we arrived we were split into groups for each location, and into small parties to take around the children. I was put into one of the groups taking the kids around, and started off by collecting them all at the gate. They all looked extremely excited, despite the fact that it was raining slightly and they were all dressed in old and rather dirty clothing. I was both happy and sad at the sight of them lined up there -  both grateful that we were giving them the chance to experience that of which they rarely have access to, but melancholy at the blunt realisation of the inequality in society today.

We first headed for the swimming pool, and all the kids stripped down to their bare essentials and jumped in. They did a few kicking exercises, and then played around with toys and floaties. They shrieked and howled in their excitement, and we didn't have to do much interaction at this point for them to have a great time. When they got out we stood outside the changing rooms and dried them all off with a few towels that we had. They then got dressed, and we hurried over to the breakfast room.

One of the kids plays on the slide

For breakfast, there were mandazis, boiled eggs, tea, and hot chocolate. The children ate vigorously, gulping down the mandazi in huge bites and smiling at each other with cheeks stuffed with food. This was eye opening for me, as I had gone out for dinner only a few nights before hand, and had eaten my sushi with far less enthusiasm. I realised the extent that it's necessary for me to appreciate all that I have, and make a change for these children.

We then went to the playground, where the kids swung about on the swings and monkey bars. We helped them onto the slides, and pushed them on the swings and roundabouts. Afterwards, we headed over to the science blocks where the clothes were waiting. Each child got one item of clothing, and then we played musical chairs outside. They all loved this game, and got a little too excited running around after a while! Luckily we stopped it before things got too out of hand.

The kids wait to be picked up

Leading the children back up to the parking lot and watching them walk away smiling and laughing amongst themselves was amazing, and I felt like I had really made an impact on lives. There is honestly no better feeling in this world than seeing a child smiling and knowing that you are part of the reason why. I learnt a lot about leadership and perseverance during this event, as we had to take control of the group throughout the activities when it was rather challenging (we had 17 kids amongst the 4 of us). We also had to work on our communication skills, as the children don't speak much english and see the world in a very different way from ourselves.
All in all, these OVC gatherings allow us to look at life through a different lens, and to appreciate what we have and the differences that we can make in the world today.
I think I made some great friends, and I can't wait to meet with the OVC kids again soon.