Sunshine's African Kids update

Time has gone on, and I have only managed to go back once since my last blog entry, but I have now been able to send money via Vic to pay for food for the children whenever I have had an SOS message from Andrew at the orphanage. My friends Vic and Terry have loaded up Vic's truck with food and been able to delivery it for them. I was able to leave a fair amount of money with Vic last time I was there, and it has made sure that the orphans have been fed when times got very hard.

The wonderful new orphanage is now built, but the thing they did not have enough money for was to put guttering and water storage tanks in place. I heard about this last November when organising my usual Christmas food gift to them. I immediately transferred enough money to pay for all the equipment to be bought (again, thanks to Vic & Terry who got the best prices as well) and I have recently seen photos of the orphanage with the guttering and water tanks in place - and of course, it will be enormous benefit during the long dry season that Botswana has (mainly when all the rain is falling here!)

I still hope to return to Botswana one day to see all my lovely friends there, and to see for myself the superb orphanage that was just a dream that first time I went.

I am hoping that this link will work as it is the Orphanage report with lots of photos and showing the enormous amount of support they have from all over the place.

One further treat was going to be given to me that I was totally unprepared for. Larry asked if I would like to go with them and their friends to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary at Serowe. I could not believe my ears. This was the place that I had gone to briefly with Gabi and Phil and where I could not take any photos. Did I WANT to go? Not half!
They were going to stay in one of the camping lodges, and we were setting off within a few hours. It was decided that I would drive the car down to Palapye, where their friends live, leave it in their garden, and continue to Serowe in Ian & Larry's car. This way I would be able to go south from Serowe instead of back to Francistown at the end of the visit.

I had been unfortunate the last time I had been to the Rhino Reserve as the batteries on both my stills camera and my video camera were flat, and the chargers were in the car left to be serviced. This time I was well prepared.

We arrived at Serowe and I met Esh and Ellie for the first time and we got on so well it was as if I had always known them. They had with them Ellie;s sister, Twinkle (don't ask!) who I had met at Clifton School where she was teaching at the time. She had come over for a short stay, from her home in Canada, and had found a job with a lovely house at Clifton. She was great fun, and again, we had got on very well.

Arriving at the Kharma Rhino Sanctuary, I was entranced by the clouds of bright yellow tiny butterflies that looked like miniature sailing boats on the ground.

Soon we were rewarded with this wonderful sight of our first close up Rhino.

We were still on our way to our cabins, and this was very exciting. They were lovely. Wooden A-Frame buildings, with two bedroom, a shower and a toilet and a table and 4 chairs. Outside there was a Braai, and we were soon getting that going as night falls very quickly, and once it does, it is not easy to find your way to your cabin if you are in one that is a little walk away through the high grass. We were lucky, as the one we were sharing, Larry & Iain and myself, was close to the Braai, but Esh & Ellie and Twinkle had a bit of a hazardous walk to get to theirs.

First light and we were up, coffee pot on, toast made and ready to go and see the animals or whatever we could indeed see. We hear the 'Go Away' bird shouting at the top of his voice - as clear as any Mynay bird can shout it too. He acts as a warning signal for other birds, so you are rather lucky if you get to see many with him around - and he also seems to warn the animals too.

The Zebras are also another favourite of mine, so to see a whole herd of them together was great. I had noticed a couple of Wilderbeast in the distance, and wondered if there would be any near enough for me to get a photo. I could not believe my eyes, when, after about 5 minutes waiting, this handsom chap appeared about 15 ft away from me!

What a reward for such a little wait. I think he must have been hiding and watching me!

There was another flotilla of those lovely yellow butterflies in the road, so of course, I had to take a photo of them.

More strange (to me) insects, some very pretty too, were everywhere, and all could do was marvel at how much grass had grown in the 4 months I had been away. It was at least a metre high, and ladened with seeds.

Soon it was time to leave, and chance for a poignant photo beside the cabin Larry and Iain and myself had been using.

 

Back row: L. Esh, Centre: Iain and R.  Larry, Front L Twinkle and R Ellie.

 Larry & Iain now live in Perth, Western Australia, Twinkle is back with her family in Canada, and Esh and Ellie now live in Gaborone. One photo encircling the globe, but all with their hearts in Zimbabwe. These friends are one of the reasons I mainitain a page on Facebook.