Kurland

Kurland, only 20 kilometres east of Plettenberg bay.

Anonymous

Forgotten

Without a future

One of the many townships in South Africa

Poverty and violence are common practice here .

Life is cheap.

The  kids  of  Kurland  often  search  in  vain  for  their  path to

 hope, love and happiness.

 Their cry for attention is heard by almost no one.

But still they keep dreaming.

They all have their own story;

Sometimes touching, sometimes funny

but always unforgettable!

Biggest survivor

It happens with many people in many different situations.

 I heard from someone that

a child is the biggest survivor in the world

I didn’t know what it meant to have to survive,

but now I see it in my own house. And I think how

I am going to come over it. I have a stepfather.

Every time he and my mum have a fight, he shouts

at me. I don’t like it. I pray that all those unhappy

things must stop. One day my mom will

go to a lawyer and divorce him.

Believe in yourself

To love is to believe,

To hold on to yourself.

Never let yourself down.

Believe in yourself!

Child abuse

Many little children in South Africa are

sexually abused.  I don’t like this word.

If children do not have the heart to say

‘no’ because of money, then it is their

own problem.  But there are children that

say ‘no’, but big people force them to say ‘yes’. That isn’t fair!

GOD

I THINK HOW I WILL SURVIVE IS WITH THE WORD OF GOD.

MAYBE SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

FOOD, BUT I THINK WITH THE WORD OF GOD YOU CAN

SURVIVE. LIKE JESUS SURVIVED IN THE WILDERNESS.

HE FASTED FOR FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS AND

HE SURVIVED. NOW I CAN ALSO SURVIVE LIKE HIM IF

I JUST BELIEVE IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

SO YOU DON’T NEED FOOD AND COOL DRINKS.

DRUGS

IF YOU GET TO DO DRUGS, DON’T FORGET YOU

ARE DEAD AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIVE WITHOUT DRUGS.

YOU ARE GOING TO STEAL FOR DRUGS AND YOU GET THAT

FEELING THAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE DRUGS, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!

PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA

IF I WAS THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA THERE WOULD BE NO

FIGHTING AND STEALING.

CHILDREN WOULD BE HAPPY AND EVERYONE WOULD LIKE ME.

HEROES

IF I HAD A PLANE I WOULD FLY TO BRAZIL TO

SEE RONALDO AND WATCH HOW HE PLAYS SOCCER.

I WOULD ASK HIM TO SHOW ME SOME SKILLS AND I WANT TO LEARN

MORE ABOUT HIM AND STAY WITH HIM AT HIS WIFE’S HOUSE.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE KURLAND VILLAGE?

I WOULD CLEAN THE STREETS

AND BURN THE TAVERN OUT

I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD BRICK

HOUSES AND STOP THE TAVERNS

I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE CRIME AND  VIOLENCE

IN OUR VILLAGE

I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD PLANK AND BRICK HOUSES

I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A LIBRARY IN THE CRAGS

THE DRUG DEALERS, BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL AND YOUNG CHILDREN BUY THE DRUGS

WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY RUIN THEIR LIVES

THE ATTITUDE PEOPLE HAVE TOWARDS EACH OTHER. NO MURDER

GIVE PEOPLE HOMES AND FOOD

MONEY.

MONEY IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING.

WE CAN BUY A LOT OF FOOD AND CLOTHES WITH MONEY.

WE CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS WITH MONEY AND HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS.

WHEN THE MONEY IS GONE, YOUR FRIENDS ARE ALSO GONE.