The Riley family
Martin, Nicola, William, Charlotte, Alexandra and James
Greenwich, London - UK
4 August 2006
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I met the Riley family at the Holiday Inn in Cape Town and after becoming acquainted we set off on a Winelands/Cultural journey.
First stop = The Afrikaans Language monument in Paarl where we went through the history of South Africa
A funny way to photograph the monument. JJ
The Rileys at the Afrikaans language monument
We moved on to Seidelberg winefarm where we visited the glassware factory on the farm
We also enjoyed a winetasting on the winefarm
Alexander does a mimicking act with the wonderful Paarl/Stellenbosch winelands in the background JJ
We travelled on to Kayamandi and joined Lily for lunch in her township home
Lunch is served
William and Charlotte listen attentively to Lily telling us her story while enjoying her wonderful food.
Lily and the Riley's (minus Dad temporarily taking his own photos J) in her kitchen
James and Thuli (Lily;s daughter)
A wonderful picture of Lily and her family and friends in front of the gorgeous view seen from Kayamandi
We visited the Ikamva Lethu Center where we were entertained by the Masakhane dancers
Please click on the above picture to see the young Riley's
having fun with Luyanda and Vivi of Maskahane
Please do not download this file unless you have
a broad band connection
Please
click here to watch another video of the young Riley's having fun with Luyanda
of Masakhane
Please do not download this file
unless you have a broad band connection
Please click on the above picture to see a video of James and
Luyanda drumming away
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a broad band connection
We visited Nosandile in her shack home and came in contact with many young friends as the below pictures show.
Alexandra and Liesl
William and a young friends
Nandipa and Nicola
Charlotte and a young friend
Lukanya winking as he enjoys the friendship of Martin
A happy night in Kayamandi. JJ
The whole group outside of Nosandile and Johannes's shack home
After handing out chips to the kids of Zone J in exchange for trashbags we visited the S.Pauls church in Zone J
Please
click here to watch a video of the Riley's at a church service in Kayamandi
Please do not download this file
unless you have a broad band connection
Please
click here to watch another video of the Riley's at a church service in
Kayamandi
Please do not download this file
unless you have a broad band connection
We visited Bienkie an her mother Asawami in her humble shack home before we left Kayamandi
The Riley family were an absolutely fabulous group to tour with. We had an enormous amount of fun the whole day and it was very difficult for me to bid them farewell at the hotel after our tour. The young Rileys were wonderful people to tour with as they were incredibly well behaved and just like their parents, very keen to learn all about South Africa. We all had lots in common (except which football team we supported JJ) and shared a lot throughout the day. The most important factor on tour was that all 7 of us had a wonderful time together.
Thanks for a wonderful day
Martin, Nicola, William, Charlotte, Alexander and James.
Received 6 August 2006
Dear Selwyn.
It is we who must thank you for a unforgettable day. Humbling as you said. We were all impressed and stimulated by Kayamandi and the spirit of the people there. So many images to treasure and the overwhelming sense of dignity and I hope optimism. The children were very impressed with the people of Kayamandi. James wanted to go back yesterday. William says it was an experience he will never forget and it has taught him that how important simple things are as long as you are happy. Charlotte says she now realises how much pride people can have with so little material possessions. Alex says she found the whole day very moving because the people were so proud of what they have and yet sad because they have so little. For us there are so many stories to tell and share after the day and so much we have learned. I hope we all retain that learning and apply it to our lives. Kayamandi will now be a reference point for us. Your explanations of the history, the language monument and the Afrikaner experience were invaluable as background to the day. Thank you very much for that. We admire who you are and what you do and what you are contributing to the people of Kayamandi. We look forward to seeing the website when we get home and will let you know our thoughts!
Best wishes.
Martin, Nicola, William, Charlotte, Alexandra and James.