155 Poor rural children spent the morning flipping tyres, exercising and completing Fear Factor challenges at Melkbosstrand High School.
Local Strongwoman Liesl Schoonraad, karate instructor Carol Daniels and Constable Debbie Alard oversaw the activities which are set to continue for the rest of the week.
But at the outset the children from Wolwerivier, Melkbosch Village, Vaatjie, Varkplaas and Blouberg Farm looked wary. One little girl had to be coaxed onto the sports field as she complained, “I’m tired!” And then her talk dried up. She refused to answer the question, “What is your dream in life?” and clung to her friends.
That tyre… Photos and video: Marnette Meyer.
Justin ‘Bieber’
A group of teenage boys sitting nearby were happy to answer that question. They all want to be soccer and rugby players. One of the boys, Justin, proved his mettle. He flipped a tyre that possibly weighs about 80 kg fifty times as Liesl Schoonraad urged him on with cries of “Do it!” and his peer group shouted “Justin Bieber! Bieber!”
Then 17-year-Old Leonie from Wolwerivier flipped a tyre 20 times. “Do it for the farm, do it for Wolwerivier, do it for the wolwe,” her friends chanted. After she completed her challenge Liesl confronted the girl.
Karen Dreyer and some thirsty youngsters.
“You walked away.
You said you couldn’t do it.
And how many did you do?”
Leonie: “Fifteen.”
“No, you did twenty!
You know what. You lied to yourself.
How many times in life have you told yourself that you can’t do something?
Go get yourself some water.”
And so a beaming Leonie walked off to the table with refreshments manned by the head of the Melkbosstrand Community Center, Karen Dreyer.
Challenges
The Fear Factor challenges started off with a race. The youngsters had to draw green cooldrink up a straw, and with the straw held at an angle in their mouth, run to someone holding a cup some distance away, and then spit the cooldrink into the waiting cup.
An observer speculated, “Hulle sit ore aan vir die grootmense. They’ve got the water in their mouths!” Finally it was the grown-ups’ turn to trick the youngsters with the Tactile Fear Factor challenge. Yucky items inside boxes had to be identified by touch.
It’s only foam and chips.
A nose
A group of boys congregated around one of the boxes. “It’s moving!” one complained before moving nimbly away.
Another one smelt his fingers but that did not help.
“I don’t know what it is,” he admitted.
Finally the object was uncovered.
“It’s a nose!” the boys cried in disgust as a realistic looking but wobbly nose lay exposed before them on a piece of white cloth.
“It’s a NOSE!” the cry went up. Of course it wasn’t a real nose. But sometimes being an adult gives one an unfair advantage. Tomorrow’s activities include Boeresport, rugby and soccer. See you there!
The week-long activities are presented by the Melkbosstrand Police, Melkbosstrand Community Center, the Melkbosstrand Fire Department, ACVV Koeberg, NSRI, Melkbos Neighbourhood Watch, Community Police Forum and individuals presenting workshops.
