The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, the Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown and the brothers at the Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery (OHC) partnered together for the first overseas Reading Camp this past July in Grahamstown, South Africa. This is a series of post-camp blog posts from Kary McConnachie, one of the volunteer directors of that camp. Four Kentuckian experienced Reading Camp volunteers (Mary Jane Amick, Connor Egan, Drew Eclov, and Vibh Forsythe) joined Bishop Stacy Sauls and his wife, Ginger Sauls, joined with the Grahamstownians to make a Reading Rock in Grahamstown. Other posts about the South African Reading Camp are available here.
Finally this report can be put together after quite an eventful 8 weeks. The National Arts Festival was in full swing when Mary Jane, Vibh, Connor and Drew arrived in town straight from Kentucky. They enjoyed some of the events that were on offer and the students got to spend some “donkey” raising time with my daughter, Kathryn. Mary Jane and I got on with more sedate things like organizing medicines for the camp and meeting local friends over good food. Final packing and final phone calls to camper parents had to be done and then THE day arrived.
Saturday 5th July 2008: Last minute arrangements, buses sorted out, and a last effort to get books that had gone astray in the post before the serious matter of packing could start. Jill Rothman was an unexpected angel when she arrived in a bakkie and loaded all the bulky stuff for us and took it down to Assegaai Trails. Br Timothy collected the counselors who had spent the night in town with me and I set off to get Sarah Jackson and then Ntombekaya, Tembisa and Sistembiso and then we went in search of Luzuko Dyaloyi. En route we checked with Melisa Alexander and found that her mom’s phone had been stolen….. so the very last camper was ready for Sunday and not one had dropped out.
Happy arrivals at Assegaai Trails and what a wonderful reunion with Stacy and Ginger at the “Palace” cottage. Unpacking with all those helpful hands was a pleasure. Marian and Di’s lunch was most welcome before everyone got busy with whatever task they had to do. In no time at all the hall was transformed by huge lengths of hesian and other materials into a Reading Camp with 6 exciting stations all decorated with our wild animal theme.
The counselors prepared the rooms for the campers: brand new sleeping bags and cuddly blankets with a Virgin Airline bag filled with toiletries. Mary Jane had brought warm hats and gloves and these were placed on their beds too. (And the weather was letting us know that the African winter was going to make its presence felt). An office and a nurse’s base were also set up. Nashua had sent us a state of the art copier machine on loan for the week for FREE.
A good old South African braaivleis rounded off our day in a most delicious way.
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