People & Stories

I didn't feel strange or new for a second; instead, I immediately felt a homey sense of belonging. After the meal, two of our children ran right up to me. Fear of contact? - No way! The two of them ran towards me with bright smiles on their faces and open arms. In the hours between breakfast and lunch, we spend time together. I especially enjoyed seeing our nurses outside singing with all the children, playing games and reading stories. Overall, there was an insane amount of laughter and joy spread throughout my time at Känguru. For me, our center is much more than a place where we care for and provide a home for severely disabled and terminally ill children. It is a place where jobs are created. A place where people feel connected and come together. A place where knowledge is shared. In a way, we provide a platform for the entire region and provide a safe haven. I have been back from Africa for two weeks now and I miss our home very much. I can't wait to be back on site very soon."

We also remember the very special charm and spirit of South Africa. We will probably never forget the time and the friendliness of the people you meet there. The sun shines in the GrohSommBosh building and is also symbolic for us of the sunny people and the sunny mood. Once you have warmed up to the staff, their friendliness is incredibly engaging. We were also fascinated by the communal singing and dancing, which is certainly unique there. We were able to learn some South African dance steps and were sung a song as a farewell that touched us deeply. We were amazed that we were able to build up a relationship with so many children so quickly during the two months. We learned an incredible amount through each individual child and it was beautiful to see how one learns to understand the language of each child over time. We were able to make contact with each child in his or her own way and build up a relationship, and in this way we also increasingly understood ways of reacting. Often it doesn't take much at all: just sit down, lovingly hold a child in your arms and see what he or she responds to and what the child enjoys. One example of things that we have learned and that remain strongly in our memory is definitely the girl Nasipiwe. When we first saw her, you can already talk about fear of contact. Nasipiwe has numerous scars on her face, is blind, mute and exhibits self-injurious behavior. It was hard to find an approach to her (we thought). But the closer you get to know her and turn to her, you realize that she loves touch, laughs when you sing her favorite song for her, and enjoys the contact. So do we. Within a short time we lost all fear of touch and learned to love her very much. It also taught us how much outward appearance can affect one's perception. In the end, despite all the scars and wounds, we perceived them as lovable, sweet and beautiful. And it gives you back an incredible amount when such a girl starts to laugh and nestles her head relaxed against your shoulder.

During our two-month stay, 44 children inhabited the home. 44 very individual people, who all want as much affection and attention as possible. A big challenge when you can't even imagine mastering all the names at the beginning. And then there is the inclusive kindergarten, where it is always lively. It is definitely not boring. Especially not if you don't let your own creativity run wild. Since the children have to be looked after very intensively during leisure activities, we as volunteers often go out with a small group, because the area has a lot to offer. There is a small farm with horses, goats, chickens, birds and guinea pigs, a vegetable garden and even an accessible playground. We will probably never forget the reactions. Everything from a face beaming with joy to eccentric dance moves with loud screams of delight were included. The kids love going outside and love the music. What a luck that we had packed a small Bluetooth box. One or the other may now wonder how one can dance out of a wheelchair. But dancing is not always just moving our two feet rhythmically. Sinenhlanhla showed us that we can even dance with our tongues. These afternoon excursions were something very valuable for all of us. Since the guest rooms for the volunteers are directly in the home, we were able to experience everything up close at any time. We were often visited by Joshua, Sammy and Neo. After a short time, the three of them knew where our candy stash was and always stood in front of it with pleading eyes. Of course, we could rarely refuse them a wish. We felt the same way about "Mama" Franzina's food. She is the heart of the home and cooks with much love for all the children every day. Every noon we looked forward to something new and always hoped that there would be pap with chakalaka or beet. In the evening we usually prepared something ourselves. Next to the guest rooms there is a kitchen that you can use together with the staff. Often our vegetarian food was looked at a bit incredulously, after all the meat was missing... Never in our lives has a farewell been so difficult. The Känguru Children's Hospice in South Africa is a very special place, which we will certainly not have visited for the last time.