Maqaqeni Primary School

I went for a trip to Maqaqeni primary school today, it's one of the two schools we have been asked to support through the feeding project.  To say it was off the beaten track is an understatement and it's a good job my husband didn't see the mud that I had to drive through.  For a split second, I thought we were stuck at one point.  

The road to the school was a dirt track getting increasingly worse, and the journey slower and slower.  We passed a distribution point for grain being handed out by an NGO, the queue was huge and there were several donkeys and oxen happily grazing away whilst they waited for their owners to load up the carts they were pulling.  

The school itself has 94 pupils this time, from grade 00 to grade 7 - that's age 5 to 12.  The children walk up to 6km to get to school - even at 5 years old.  

The picture, weirdly is of their Blair loos - if you look each one is labeled for who can use it.  Thankfully, I didn't need to.  There are new ones being built, although it will probably be years until they are completed.  In the mean time, there are doors and windows that need replacing.

On the way back into the farm, I came across the Wildebeest herd and some Kudu, and then a large herd of Impala when I took the boy out for  late afternoon walk, so it's been a good day for wildlife. 

Dirk went to a cattle sale today, however upon getting there, the sale that was deemed 'open' in terms of transporting cattle turned out to be 'closed' - this is to prevent the spread of foot and mouth.  So it was a bit of a day out for him, but no buying.