Kwantu - wildlife

Kwantu has been fun. We've been told that the main reserve is 60,000 hectares but neither of us remembers what a hectare is. Most of the volunteers here are from the British isles, there are some other Europeans and an Aussie, with us as the only Americans. A significant portion of the staff is from Zimbabwe, which seems unusual to us, but apparently they are a significant immigrant population in SA. Of course, that means people have strong opinions about Mugabe, and other regional issues are more important here than in our daily lives in the US. We have been busy here. The rain has slowed us down a little as it makes some outdoor activities harder. Walking in the wilderness along steep muddy inclines is more challenging...


Driving in a Land Rover also has potential problems...


But we have seen a lot of cool wildlife, such as giraffe, zebra, blesbok, springbok...





...kudu...


...wildebeest, and much more.


We also had a chance to visit a local school. Some of the money that we pay helps Kwantu prepare lunch once/week to feed children nearby. As volunteers, we go and help serve the lunch, as well as play with the children. They are so happy to see us and interact with us, and borrowing our sunglasses, cameras, etc. is a big kick for them.


Speaking with the head teacher, we learned that the school had a total of 70 students spanning grades 1-9, and four teachers. Even though supplies, teachers, and resources were limited, they were doing the best they can, as in most things in Africa. The kids tended to drop out as they advanced. Under the apartheid government, a school like this was forced to teach the Afrikaans language. Now, the country has 11 official languages, and when asked if Afrikaans is still in the curriculum, the teacher, without any hesitation, said "No, what's the point?" Since we are on the topic, I personally think any language with click sounds in it is pretty cool, which among others, characterizes the Zulu and Xhosa languages spoken here. On a separate topic, while South Africa may be a wildlife rich country, they sure are lacking in garbage cans and napkins. Either that, or there is some sort of weird American obsession to wipe our hands while eating, and having a place to throw out dental floss and used tissues. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad