Special Guest!

This week we had another special guest! Liam's mother came in to talk to the kids about South Africa, where some of their family lives.  She showed us South Africa on a map puzzle of Africa. Zine told us that in South Africa, people love to grill their food - even pancakes! Also that the main language in South Africa is Zulu and that her name means "fourth daughter" in Zulu.

She then showed us many examples of South African craftsmanship. We learned that in South Africa, people are very committed to reusing as many materials as they can. She showed us a working radio made from aluminum soda cans and bottle caps, and a workman's helmet beautifully transformed into a hat to support a favorite soccer team! She also brought a beaded giraffe statuette and a lion mask that the kids enjoyed trying on, as well as a pair of oversized glasses - another piece of soccer fan gear.  Zine also showed us a painting of Nelson Mandela, a very famous South African, who was the leader of the civil rights movement there who became president of the country.

Finally, Zine shared the water crisis of Cape Town, South Africa. The city was predicted to run out of water in early April, but huge water saving efforts (just 13 gallons a day per person) have pushed back this date, possibly for up to a year. This led to an interesting discussion of how important conservation is - if we don't find ways to save our resources and wildlife, we will surely lose them. We are wondering how Cape Town will cope with this crisis. It was not pleasant to imagine how we might live our daily lives without a source of water!

Enjoy the pictures below. Thank you Zine!