Our first week in South Africa has been an incredible experience! For the past couple of days, we’ve had the privilege of visiting an elementary school in a local township, where we’ve been teaching and interacting with students in grades 4 and 6. It’s been truly rewarding, although we’ve had to keep our phones tucked away due to school policy, meaning we couldn’t capture photos with the amazing kids.
To break the ice and create a comfortable environment in the classrooms, we started with a fun icebreaker game. We formed a large circle and took turns introducing ourselves, sharing our favorite animal and our go-to dance move. It was fascinating to see what dance moves resonated with the children. The most popular choices were “The Dab” and, surprisingly, “Nae Nae” (Watch me whip/Nae Nae). I was genuinely taken aback and impressed to witness these young South African children being so well-versed in American pop culture and current trends, especially knowing the “Dance To Watch Me Whip” craze.
Enthusiastic volunteer in South Africa surprised to see kids doing the 'Watch Me Whip' dance, showcasing global pop culture trends.
One of our key objectives was to discuss the importance of goal setting with the kids. To initiate this conversation, we posed the question: “What do you aspire to be when you grow up?” I was even more delighted and inspired to hear that a significant number of children expressed their desire to become social workers. It filled me with hope to see these 11-year-olds already thinking about contributing to their communities and country. Other popular career aspirations included becoming a soccer player, doctor, teacher, and singer, showcasing a wide range of dreams for their futures.
So to kick start the discussion we would ask the kids: What do you want to be when you grow up?
My absolute favorite moment of each day was when we finished our classes and were about to leave to teach the next group. The children would immediately rush towards us, showering us with hugs, high fives, and even playfully trying to prevent us from leaving. It was undeniably one of the most heartwarming and adorable experiences I’ve ever encountered.
We are eagerly anticipating the start of our next project tomorrow, and we are all incredibly excited about what’s to come. Stay tuned for more updates soon!
