Students Make a Difference in South Africa
For the 20+ Principia students who participated in the recent Simunye Project service trip, the hard work began many months before they arrived in South Africa. Tasked with fundraising a minimum of $750 each to contribute toward their in-country projects, students offered services such as babysitting or raking and made and sold items such as cookies, bath salts, and other products. Many also turned to the Internet with fundraising campaigns and social media posts to family and friends around the globe.
And as soon as they arrived at the first project site, a childcare center on the outskirts of Johannesburg, Principians saw the value and potential impact of their efforts. Each site is situated in an area where poverty is rife and children often live in households without any adult care and with minimal food, clothing, and basic supplies. Simunye (a Zulu word meaning “we are one”) supports local organizations in both urban and rural areas that provide educational, health, and welfare support to orphans and vulnerable children.
In addition to undertaking “labors of love”—building a playground and cooking facilities, installing fencing, and preparing and furnishing a girls’ dormitory—the Principia team put together 250 food hampers and support packages for the neediest families. The students also ran classes and organized games with the children and their caregivers, using the opportunity to learn about each other’s culture. Speaking about a visit to a local adoption home, one student remarked, “Knowing and seeing the love these children express was incredible. But as we left, it was definitely hard thinking about the children we had just connected with and not knowing what their future will be.”
The group capped off their trip with two days of game-watching in the areas bordering the world-famous Kruger National Park—during which they enjoyed many sightings of wildlife, including lions, elephants, and even the elusive leopard. The students will be giving a chapel about their trip on Monday, April 18.