We have breakfast and insist that the boys eat as much as they can as it is included in the room rate and we can’t afford lunch for them too. We went a bit overboard with food and drinks yesterday, as we really wanted them to have fun. We all get to the pool as quickly as we could and assume our positions from yesterday. We have a quick splash around and then we get starting on the boys swimming again. We find a pink inflatable duck which has been left behind and give it to Zacko to help him float. They can all swim incredibly well underwater, but find it very hard to float and stay on top of the water.
As the boys all practice, a group of children surround me and indicate that they want me to teach them too. I get them to lie on their backs and position one of my arms underneath them to help them to float before we move on to actual swimming techniques. My group swells to about 11 kids and, although we have a language barrier, we manage to communicate just fine. I’m not totally convinced that all of them are unable to swim, and I have a feeling that some of them are just enjoying the interaction and attention.
Georgia has successfully completed her mission to find a man and is now in the pool snogging an army bloke. We laugh and yell at them to stop and they reposition themselves in the baby pool. When Bev learns of this, she promptly turns into mum-mode and gives the two young lovers a telling off. I vacate the room I am sharing with Georgia, take out all my stuff and ( with a wink) suggest that perhaps they should retire there until it is time for us to leave in a couple of hours.
As the day goes on, the rest of my team (with the exception of Thaun and Jake) decide they have had enough and begin plans to ‘get the hell out of dodge’. They have not given up, per se, but their frustrations with the GVN and the lack of organisation has reached breaking point. Tracy and Bev spend the day on the phone sorting out flights and transfers and have managed to get a 1 week refund from GVN, which enables them to upgrade their flights home. Meanwhile, Georgia has decided to work at the hospital tent where her new pool friends are based. The upshot of all this is that I will be on my own next week but I will still have Thuan and Jake for dinner dates. To be completely honest, although I do understand the frustrations of the programme to-date (I share these) I am little confused as to why they need to leave. Surely we can turn the situation around and find new projects to contribute to for the remaining duration????
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