Don't live down to expectations.
Go out there and do something remarkable.
-Wendy Wasserstein
Hello lovely people!
Today I did a little adventuring with MrsC and Pinky Bear we did a few charitable deeds which is what I am all about so that was fun, but then, typical girls, they went shopping.. I had a little doze in Fi's bag, though I did wake up to meet Melson Mandela
Pinky was all for having a chat but I looked at MrsC's phone and saw what the time was! We needed to get to the Teddy Bear Clinic quickly or we would be late for picking the children up from school.
Here we are getting closer, this is the famous Hillbrow Tower, situated in the infamous Hillbrow, which is pretty much a slum these days so this was as close as we were getting.
You may have noticed that we South Africans are very proud of our colourful flag...
Some more than others...
Here we are at Reception. Unfortunately the man we had come to see, Luke, was busy in training. He is very, very busy as Child Protection Week is coming up soon. Never mind, I am sure I will get to meet him soon. The most important thing is that he knows what we are all doing here on ToyVoyagers with the Teddy Drive and he is very excited about it too.
The Teddy Bear Clinic won a prestigious gold award, which recognises their contribution made to public life in South Africa. Well Done!
Pinky and I join in a jacuzzi party! Just kidding, every available space is filled with Teddy Bears which is a lovely site...
These ones do the filing..
These ones do admin...
These ones do general office work...
We made a friend on this desk...
Here is a peak into one of the rooms... people were busy in all the other rooms and we didn't want to intrude.
This bear is made from wire!
These poor girls need some TLC, someone tried to put a dress on the first one but it just got stuck because the bear was just too big. MrsC promised she would be back to make dresses (maybe she will take a sponge and some detergent with too)
Who is that I spot down the end of the passage?
Look, MrsC and MrsF did a good job! The Gigantabearus still looks good, he just needs a little lip surgery and all will be well!
Maybe if we collect enough bears we can get ToyVoyagers up on the wall too?
Here's hoping!
Whilst we were in the building we went up to visit some of the other clinics Fi supports.
Here is the view out of the window. The tower again and the derelict looking building in front of it was once the esteemed Queen Victoria maternity home, where pretty much everyone in Johannesburg was born before the new Johannesburg General Hospital opened in the late 1970's. The building we are in at the moment used to be the children's hospital until that too was moved to the new Jo'burg Gen.
This is the Toy Library but children were busy having a play session so we didn't go in...
Then we went up to visit "BigShoes" which is a clinic for abandoned babies, orphaned or vulnerable children. Their mission is to aid these children so that they can grow up and fill big shoes! Isn't that sweet?
This is a lovely bright and beautifully decorated clinic.
These are some of the latest babies that have been adopted both locally or internationally.
If you can see on this poster, the little white stickers are all the children's homes just in Johannesburg alone. Scary.
All the people that work in this entire building, which is exclusively for children's clinics (all Non Government Organisations) do the most amazing job and I for one salute them.
On the way out we stopped at the canteen...isn't it sweet? The bears are down here too!
Well that was an emotionally draining experience but I can't wait to go back! It would be especially nice to take 500 bears back with me!
