News from the Clever Cubs - July 2011

Anna - 18 year old Anna is working at our school looking after the toddlers and is Nanny to Nico, Dana's 17 month old baby. She's a complete natural with all the babies and they love her dearly. Thanks to her sponsors, in addition to her new winter wardrobe we were also able to buy her lots of pretty clothes including a blouse and a pair of trousers - thank you!

Bessa is so fond of school and loves playing on the slide. He has grown so big and really enjoys dancing and playing with toys. Last week we received some donated clothes for the children and had a big hand out - here you can see how excited Bessa was with his new clothes!

Betha finds her school work challenging and so her teachers are very supportive in helping Betha pass this year's Grade so that she can progress to the next Grade in 2012. Her hard work is definitely paying off as her work is improving, we're very proud of Betha.

Bettie continues to work so hard at her mainstream school, particularly with reading and spelling which has paid off because she recently performed very well in her spelling tests. Here is a photo of her looking after the toddlers during the cricket game held here recently.

Catriona seems to be growing so big each and every day and makes sure that she does not miss her favorite time of day, "lunch time"! It was her birthday recently and the other Clever Cubs children gave her a cute little teddy as a gift, which she loves. Catrina also loves to colour and play with dolls. Here is a photo of her in her brand new pink winter coat looking very happy in it!

Chrisjan always works so hard and is very committed to his school work, his motto is "less play and more hard work"! His reading has greatly improved and the class teacher is so pleased to work with him. Chrisjan took part in our cricket lesson from Cricket Namibia when they visited a few weeks ago - he showed fantastic sporting skills and great hand-eye co-ordination - maybe we have a potential National Namibian cricketer in the future!

Christina is still counting the days until she joins big school next January and hopes for the next few months to go fast! She is working so hard and her work has really improved. Christina can now identify most colors and she can count to 10. She can tell many similarities and differences in objects and pictures as well as repeat phrases from familiar stories. She plays well with the other children and does her work without disturbing others.

Dara is growing in confidence every day and the 1 year old is trying to walk now! She's so cute to watch as she boldly tries to take her steps and then bumps back on the ground. We can't wait until she starts walking on her own. The baby received some warm clothes and a coat to keep her cosy through the winter months - she looks very snug in her red jacket! 

Denzel runs to school and makes sure that he gets all the toys first and starts playing straight away! He also loves painting and playing with clay. Denzel also received a bright red coat for winter and a little wooley hat to keep his bare head warm.

Dina Asmes - This month did not start off well for little Dina as her mother tragically passed away of HIV/Aids. Dina is living at N/a'an ku se with her Aunt and Uncle who work here and her mother lives near Gobabis. She is currently away attending the funeral and is supported by her family there. She is being very strong and coping with her death as well as any 8 year old can with such a tragedy. All our love goes to Dina at this painful time.

Dina Pikiro enjoys reading, colouring and counting and is always willing to work, remaining focused and committed. Going to school always brings joy to her face. She showed great skills during the cricket coaching and always listened to her instructions and guidance.

Frans - It's very sweet to see him playing big brother to little Saul, he is so gentle and caring and always makes sure he has his little brother by the hand when they walk to and from school. Whenever Frans is around, there's always a big smile on his face, making him an absolute pleasure to have in Clever Cubs.

Jessica - Since moving into the older class in Clever Cubs, she has really changed. Her work has improved, she can colour within the lines and enjoys painting. Jessica always ends her day playing hide and seek. Jessica is a little giggler and never without a smile on her face.

Josephina is working extremely hard at her studies and is one of the best in her class. This is a huge achievement for the San Bushman girl and we're all very proud of her. She really loves and enjoys being in school. She comes back to N/a'an ku se every now and then to visit her friends and family here but is very happy living at Eros School Hostel with her schoolmates.

Kanna works with Simmon looking after the sheep and goats on the farm and enjoys the responsibility he has been given. We have around 130 sheep and goats on the farm and it is a daily task to count them in every night with the volunteers. He is a great herder and the volunteers always look to him for help! Kanna is very committed to his job and always makes sure that he is on time. When the teenager isn't working, he spends time with Hilma in the classroom.

Leffie - During the Easter holidays, Leffie was looking forward to visiting and spending time with his family in Gobabis. However, his family has since decided to keep him at home to help care for his Grandmother and unfortunately he did not return back to school at the end of the break. We miss Leffie terribly and hope that his family find him a good school in the local area where he can continue his studies. Our doors are always open should Leffie wish to return to N/a'an ku se and his school in Windhoek.

Lisa is so funny, she always sings so loud all the way to school! The toddler turned four on 1st of July and they all enjoyed a fun day at school where she received a teddy bear as a gift from us all. Lisa is now very excited as she gets to move to the big class next year.

Maria is trying very hard to improve her grades and is always reading. We hope that her hard work will pay off so that she can progress to Grade 1 in mainstream school in January. Maria absolutely loved the cricket session held here recently and demonstrated a real flare for the sport. Dressed with a cute kitten ears headband, she was hitting lots of balls and knew exactly what she had to do throughout the game. Well done Maria!

Martha has had a tough few months as her mother sadly passed away in May. She had been sick and suffering from tuberculosis for a long time and finally the disease took over. Martha is living here with her Aunt Sana and returned to Gobabis for her mother's funeral. Martha is such a strong girl and is coping well. She talks about her mother which is a good sign and she is being well looked after by everyone here.

Ndeshi celebrated her 4th birthday on 26th June and if it's possible this little happy girl was even happier! She enjoyed playing with her friends in Clever Cubs and received a teddy bear as a present from everyone here. A visiting volunteer also brought her a lovely blouse to wear!

Saul is becoming a favourite of any visting volunteers, with his infectious laugh and energy. He always makes sure that Frans, his brother is around and that he has the biggest toy car. The 3 year old loves school, although mainly he enjoys playing with the toys!

Valencia loved the cricket session we held here recently and wouldn't let go of the bat! She really enjoyed the chance to play with a bat and ball and her hand-eye co-ordination greatly improved throughout the day, showing that practice really does make perfect! When she's not playing sports, she's always smiling and willing to work at school. She loves to play with dolls and most of all enjoys her mealtimes.

Willemina is so conscientious and is always found reading her studies. Thanks to her sponsors we were able to buy Willemina a beautiful, girly red winter coat to keep her warm during the cold Namibian days and nights. She loved her new coat - thank you!