May News

The Changing Seasons at Graceland:

Summer at Graceland was hot and filled with children who see nothing wrong with running around in the sun. With this knowledge we decided to take full advantage of the weather and we had a water day at school. This gave us an opportunity to make use of all our water equipment that had been donated to Graceland by various people. It was amazing to see how the children responded to the water. Some children couldn’t wait to get into the water and it was difficult to get them out of the water, while other children would cry at the touch of a drop.

Well, now summer is gone and autumn is here! One of the privileges of staying in Stellenbosch is being able to experience every season to its fullest. The vineyards changed from green to yellow, red, orange and brown. As the children are learning about autumn as a theme, the teachers feel like they are experiencing it for the first time. Graceland is blessed to be situated in one of God most natural displays of beauty!

Check out the great work Graceland it doing in Devon Valley by clicking on the link: http://youtu.be/FLBtsNyTIS0

Meet Sannie

Photo courtesy Krissy Clark

This is Sannie.  She is a very active and loving 5-year-old who attends our preschool.  I love how Graceland offers education to children like her that would otherwise be left alone at home or on the street.

Sannie’s great grandfather cares for her because her mother left her after her father was murdered.  If it weren’t for Graceland, she would spend most of her days on the streets with other children of the vineyard workers.

The teachers at Graceland represent the type of mother figure Sannie needs at this time in her life.  And although they cannot replace her mother, they can dote on her, give her some of the affection that she so desperately craves, and teach her that she is valued and valuable, in addition to many life skills that will be necessary in the years to come.

Many of the children at Graceland are affected by fetal alcohol syndrome because of parents that are slave to alcoholism.  Although it is an illegal practice here in the Cape Winelands, many of the workers’ wages are still paid in wine.  As you can imagine, this just feeds the cycle of alcoholism, unemployment, and lack of education.  Graceland offers many of these children a safe place to learn, be fed, get a head start on an education, and adopt good habits, positive self-image, and important life skills.

I was able to spend a few hours at Graceland the other day and Sannie made my day!  She was so affectionate, sweet, and joyful and I thoroughly enjoyed those few hours.  Although I don’t fully understand what her home situation is, I do know that she is cared for, fed, and loved by the teachers at her school.  And I know that she will remember her time at Graceland with fondness, and as a result of her time here, she will have a better chance at success in her life.