La Vita è Bella- "Life is Beautiful"

Well, I've got great news, and I've got greater news. 1st, I'll go with the great news. As most of y'all have seen, no Monday or Friday classes...amazing. Unfortunately I can't take the Wine class, the greater news gets in the way. Ok, so my classes I'm taking here are as follows: Tuesdays 2-5 Transitional Justice. It is a very detailed course on what happens after a war and who takes power and why and how the nation rebuilds itself. Amazing professor and looks amazing. Tuesdays & Wednesdays 5-6:30 Political and Cultural Change in South Africa. Basically how South Africa has over come apartheid and how the new democracy is helping rebuild the nation as 1. I love it already. Wednesdays 2-5 South African History. Self explanatory! Finally, Thursdays 12-2 Intro to African Politics. Again, explains it all in the title. So yeah, my classes are going to be amazing!!!! :D I can't wait to go to them soon.
Ok, it's time for the GREAT NEWS!!! There is a program here in Stellenbosch called the ISOS Kayamandi Project. ISOS stands for the International Student of Stellenbosch. The Kayamandi Project is a student led program composed of only students that volunteer in the town-ship named Kayamandi. As many of you know, I LOVE kids!! You've all seen me when I'm in my "kid" mode because they have such a free spirit, and they warm my heart. I love working with them and teaching them sports and math, etc... WELL, this project affords me the opportunity to work at a school in the town of Kayamandi and work with kids aging in range from 5-13 years old. Every Thursday, a group of students travel to the town, at 2, which is about 15kms outside of Stellenbosch, really close. While I'm there for 3 hrs. I get to do: arts and crafts, math, social studies and of course sports with the kids. It gets even better!!! Every Monday, hopefully, I will get to travel to Kayamandi and go to the Learning Center in the middle of town and read to pre-k kids!! There is an organization here called UNASA-S (United Nations Association of South Africa-Stellenbosch), and they do a bunch of volunteer work around South Africa, helping under-priviledged families and kids. BUT WAIT, that's not all...Every Monday and Friday I get to coach a high-school basketball team in Kayamandi. It was really funny when the coach of the team asked me where I was from, he was really excited to hear I was from America and wanted to coach the team!! haha They really want Americans to play basketball with them because they think that we are all as good as Lebron and Kobe!! It's so funny!!!
I love it!! This has always been a dream of mine and it is the reason I became an African Studies Major in the first place. The people I have met here are just as plain and as simple as I can put it, AMAZING!!! I can't wait to go on Friday and take a tour of Kayamandi and meet the locals and especially the kids!! I'll keep ya posted on what happens when I get a chance after it all gets rolling. Also, keep these kids and families in your prayers. This has been one of the coldest recorded winters in South Africa's history and these families don't have many means to keep warm. It's going to be nice to help them out any way I can!

Peace,
Ryan/R.J.