Today has been a nice day. I have finally figured out the timetable after speaking to Mr Jurgens. It turns out that the entire school does numeracy from 8am to 10am and then literacy from 10:30 to 12:30. So I sent some emails in the morning session and helped a Grade 2 class (8 year olds) in the literacy session. I was given some reading to do with half of the class and they are actually very good. They just lose concentration in places and confuse words when they appear close together in a sentence, such as 'couldn't' and 'climbed.'
At 12:45 I joined Daniel (the Canadian volunteer) with taking a class in a soccer game. It was an amazing experience to see the kids laughing and having fun outside of the austerity of the classroom, and it really affirmed my reasons for being here.
During the game I managed to get this picture before being savagely tackled off the ball by an 8 year old girl:
Although the children were having a great time, reminders of poverty and social problems are never far away. During the game one girl heard my trouser pocket jangling with change and she asked me for money. Most strikingly though, my attention was caught by this poignant reminder of disease, which is actually painted onto the wall of the playground:
As is becoming expected, any time I get my camera out to photograph something like this I am surrounded by kids wanting their picture taken, so here we go:
Following the game I cobbled together some paper (there really isn't very much at the school) and went home and stayed in for the evening doing my Italian homework. Being on a different continent isn't enough to escape it!
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