Heather is working with the international organization Hands at Work. A group committed to finding care for 100,000 of the 14-million children who are now orphans – having lost their parents to the devastation that is HIV/AIDS.
Hands at Work helps villages find community-based solutions to the crisis. Orphans are placed in family-unit homes within their community, which are headed by a primary care-giver, such as a grandmother or auntie, or-in the hardest-hit areas-an older sibling. Multi-care centres are then developed in the community, where those children come to receive nutritional meals, pre-school teaching, homework support, and mentoring. The multi-care centres often become extended homes for orphans, freeing caregivers to find work and earn income. These centres also act as a place where anyone in the community affected or infected by HIV/AIDS can find help, and are hubs for other community activities and outreaches.
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Lovely Cape Town
Thursday, August 7 2008
Often we were asking ourselves… Are we still in Africa?
Jean-Aimee (a fellow Hands at Work volunteer) and I decided to go to Capetown together back in June when the team was still here. Total amount of planning for this trip? None. Just a plane tickets… and then later thanks to the very generous parents of another volunteer – a place to stay!
It was my first real taste of culture shock… 3 days after the stripped down simplicity of Mozambique – the very modern, the very western city of Cape Town. In the cool winter temperatures – Cape Town felt very much like Vancouver in the spring time. And – in a busy restaurant full of beautiful people with designer hand bags and sun glasses – I’ll admit that I was overwhelmed enough to have to hide my burning eyes behind a pair of sun glasses.
Still – the week was incredible. We began in Stellenbosch – wine country! We were hosted by a lovely Africaan couple – in the community 30 minutes out of town. It was beautiful… and the perfect home base for two ladies exploring a community during its annual wine festival! We went out for beautiful dinners, shopped in gorgeous small town shops, played dress up in the cutest little dress shop with the cutest shop keeper and went to tasting after tasting! (Bilton Estate Shiraz 2004 – my personal favourite ;) After a few days – and a pedicure – we drove into the city.
Usually a very rainy place- Jean-Aimee and I had amazing luck and 3 days of sunshine! We visited the waterfront…. took the ferry over to Robben Island – to visit the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for most of his adult life – and climbed Table Mountain! (2 1/2 hours straight up – after 2 months of being pretty sedentary here in Africa – was no easy task!) After a night in a beautiful little bed and breakfast – we played with penguins in Simon’s Town and discovered what I’ve decided is my most favourite spot in the world. The cape of good hope.
We were even chased by a baboon for good measure! We had ice cream cones – and the baboon is a fan. We had to split up and make a break for it – unfortunately for Jean-Aimee it was either the cone or her.
Eeeek.
Tomorrow night I begin a 4 night community stay in Masoyi. It means another huge culture change – from the ultra western world of running water and flushing toilets and big meals with wine and dessert – to the modest homes of people who are very good at making the most of the little they’ve got.
It should be quite a week!
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I can’t believe we don’t eat goat…
Its hard to believe I’ve been in Africa for nearly 2 months! Last night I went to a movie in Nelspruit with a bunch of volunteers – and it felt incredibly awkward. Especially after a week in Mozambique.
The country next door seems like a different world. A week ago last Saturday – Morgan and I began the long journey to Gondola. It meant a 3 1/2 hour bus ride to Jo’burg – followed by a night at a guest house (where we watched actual television!) an early morning flight to Maputo – a 6 hour layover, a 2 hour flight to Chimoia and then a drive to the Maforga Mission outside of Gondola.
It was the africa I’ve always pictured. Gondola is a community the size of Saskatoon – filled with huts and narrow streets. Everyone bicycles – with big piles of wood strapped to the back – and women walk along the roads with huge pails of water or arrangements of fire wood. There are goats everywhere – (which by the way is AMAZING. Seriously – why do we not eat goat ALL the time in Canada? Its like beef but way more tender and yummy. Honestly – I’m on the campaign – vote for goat!) and the people – wow. One word comes to mind: joyful.
A team of hands at work volunteers were in Mozambique. There is Carlos – the man who runs Rubitano Home Based Care and is busy rolling out new projects in two other communities in Moz and a third in Zimbabwe! Dara and Laura – nurses from North America who are helping out for a year. Then – up from South Africa – George the director of Hands at Work, Lynn & Jayme from Calgary, Emily from Zimbabwe and then – Morgan and I.
Morgan and I were a little sick when we got to Moz – in fact I’m still feeling not so hot. A parasite that has been “going around” – not the most fun I’ve ever had – but also not the worst time either. Moz also meant Malaria medication and mosquito nets at night, bucket baths and gigantic spiders.
But it also meant walking with the volunteers of Rubitano.
Man!
First of all: Hands at work supports “Home based care” – essentially encouraging local churches in the villages throughout africa to rise up and take care of the widows and orphans that this AIDS pandemic has created. It doesn’t care what denomination of church – but the churches are all christian. Local volunteers spend their days – visiting the sick and orphaned – doing everything from giving sponge baths to helping kids with homework to intervening in a crisis – (like a sick mom and her little kids who were about to be kicked out of their home – Rubitano Homebased care volunteers stepped up and BOUGHT this family’s house so that the kids would have a place to live after their mother died).
In the projects I’ve visited in SA and Swaziland – all of the volunteers have been women. In Moz – 2/3rds were men. And I’ll say it again JOYFUL, JOYFUL men they were.
I spent Monday walking with Mario and Teresa (Teresa has a 6 month old baby who she kept tied to her back … breast feeding as she went!) We visited 12 houses that day – in the hot sun – the volunteers never losing their enthusiasm for a moment.
Mario absolutely filled up my heart with hope about this place. He laughs and laughs exuberantly teaching Dara and I portugese words for everything we passed by. The volunteers start each day singing in harmony and then in prayer – all wearing matching Rubitano shirts – and shoes that are almost all worn through.
And that’s the thing… there was joy in the midst of thick, thick poverty. Everywhere we looked people were wearing thread bare, shabby clothes full of holes. Homes were huts – with grass and mud for walls – no aluminum to keep out the rain (and the rain fell in sheets a few days later).
The children were everywhere too… orphans crowding into the yards of the homes we were visiting. From homes all around – it was overwhelming – there were so many.
The home that I remember most vividly from that day belonged to Norah and her sisters. Norah is 15 years old and her sisters are 14 year old twins. They are beautiful, beautiful girls and they live with their Mom! (So exciting to find kids with parents). The thing is – Norah’s arms are covered in scabies, she’s tiny and she’s got a bad cough.
She has HIV.
Afterwards Mario tells us, “so young – it is a big problem. so young – big problem”. Dara explained to me that her sisters are not sick… meaning that this young girl has been sexually active – and most likely – it wasn’t her choice.
She was so eager to learn english from us and even as we were leaving she ran after us to ask a few more questions. A beautiful girl… so sad – but she has the joyful Mario to check in on her every week. To make sure she stays on the ARV treatments that she’s beginning this month.
Are you tired of reading yet? Because I haven’t started telling you about Adau! The 24 year old volunteer who absolutely grabbed onto my heart. Adau grew up in an orphanage that Carlos was working with… and a year and a half ago – Carlos asked him to join home based care.
Adau’s connection to the orphans he visits – was one of the most beautiful things I have ever, ever seen. At the end of the day we stopped at a home – down a long jungle path where 3 little kids live with an old grandmother. Adau explained that their mother died last September.
The kids were so excited to see him – and after a quick introduction – Adau explained that they hadn’t been bathed in 5 days and so we were all going on a trip down the steep hillside to the river. With one of the little ones on his shoulders and the oldest girl carying a basket of soap, towels and clean clothes – the kids went down for their baths. The little boys giggling as Adau sudsed them up – they’re tiny black bodies white from the soap. The littlest one eagerly trying to help in the process. Afterwards Adau carried the other boy up on his shoulders – they talked the whole way up – Adau stopping to show the boy things along the way.
It was such an act of love… that it makes me tear up just thinking about it. Adau does this for 27 orphans in his community.
Thats what this organization is about…
I had my video camera on the day we spent with Adau – hopefully you can all see what I’m talking about very soon!
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Swaz-atchewan
Wednesday, July 9 2008
I drove out on Sunday with 3 other volunteers with Hands at Work. 4 blonde Canadian girls off to the mountain village of Kaphunga in a rural area of the tiny African country. Swaziland is a small kingdom … with a population of just over a million people. Something else it has in common with Saskatchewan.
It also has the highest HIV infection rate in the world – well over 40 per cent… and there are 95 000 AIDS orphans.
Think about that for a moment.
Imagine Calgary… and then think about 1 out of every 10 people being an AIDS orphan. Nearly 1 in 2 people having HIV. There are so many orphans that we encountered a group of them before we had even arrived at our destination. Captivated by the stunning scenery – we pulled over to take photos and video when a group of young boys came over to say hello.
We greeted them in Siswati to which the oldest boy (about 10) answered back in english – you know Siswati? After a bit of conversation we learned that they lived alone.
Jayme, Lacey, Morgan and I were welcomed into the home of Nomsa Lusahke – the direcor and founder of the Hands at Work project in the Kaphunga area. Her family lives in a traditional Swazi homestead. They raise chickens and have cows. Her husband Samuel is a retired pastor, they have several grown children and a house full of grandchildren and they all took amazing care of us! We ate like kings, iincluding the absolute best fried chicken – I have ever had in my entire life. (I’m not kidding – it was from Nomsa’s own chickens and I will dream of that meal for a long time. So good!!!)
I had my first bucket bath – and the toilet was an outhouse outback. Nomsa’s home was beautiful and welcoming but it was still Swaziland …there was no septic system and no electricity in the guest house where we slept (although Nomsa had run an extension cord across from the main house and we had a lamp for when the sun suddenly set each night at around 5 pm).
We spent the next two days in a whirlwind… touring the amazing work Nomsa has been doing with her 29 other volunteers. They take care of a staggering 880 orphans! With funding from the pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Klein – Nomsa and her volunteers are able to give modest food parcels to the 700 orphan families in their care. The parcels include cooking oil, a long green bar of soap, matches and if the children need – maize meal. (Maize a big staple food here – ground corn is milled and turned into something that can make pap – kind of like mashed potatoes).
We took pictures and I took video of orphans receiving their parcels, we visited with volunteers with the biggest hearts you’ll even see. We sat with a widow – who recently lost her husband and under Swazi culture – will not be leaving her home for the next month. We even visited a man named Phillip who is currently suffering from the after effects of a stroke and diabetes (and is frustrated by the lack of transport to take him to the nearest clinic – its too far to walk and the area has no ambulance and few people drive cars). Phillip asked us if we were from America because he had been there. “I was in New York in 1997 – for the United Nations General Assembly”. He was a Swazi MP – and represented the small kingdom on the world stage. That was a cool moment.
We also visted the homes of orphans.
I don’t have my notes in front of me with the names of the wonderful children we spoke to. I’ll try to update this note with their proper names soon.
At one home we spoke with two young moms. The oldest – 24 – takes care of a family of 8 – including two small babies. Hers – and her sisters. They attend school but are frighteningly behind. I think the 24 year old told me she was in grade 5. They live in small huts. Her younger sister, the 16-year-old, had a bed and a poster of some African dreamboat I didn’t recognize. On her modest shelf were hair products and elastic bands – clothes were tossed into a basket. She looked solemnly at the camera – I felt like I was in a world vision ad. Her older sister didn’t have a bed… and when I started my camera she said in perfect english – “please, buy for me a bed.” She seemed like a pro. The baby ran around the homestead with only a shirt on. His name was Wiseman and he played with the shell of a broken toy car and a nail. He was so cute and yet – what future does he have? His mother is an orphan struggling to get through school – taking care of many other brothers and sisters.
We drove to the village and there is evidence of many other agencies helping. There was a big tented building with WFP written on the side – World Food Program. Nomsa explained that the food aid didn’t stay in Kaphunga – but this was a quiet community and the storage would be safe here. There were things being built by World Vision and a school built by a group of Korean Buddhists. The community faces a grim reality but there was a real sense of heart … people helping their neighbours in a way I haven’t seen in my own city.
The last place we visted at the end of the day yesterday was the home of twin boys. They are 14 or 15 but in grades 4 and 6. They were playing soccer and we were trying to get a quick interview with them but the sun was setting quickly. They were beautiful kids – Nomsa’s volunteer Pindile had helped them get a home built (by Cocacola apparently) and now helped feed them. They were out of maize and this morning, Nomsa asked Jayme if we could stop by the mill with her to get some maize meal made up for the boys.
I felt so honoured to see this incredible place.
Last night Nomsa’s family held a braai for us… her grandsons made chicken, beef and sausage over a fire and we sat around the fire under the incredible stars. The milky way is so incredibly visible. Nomsa’s husband Samuel asked us about food in Canada – her grandson had some fun with us – tricking us into thinking that there was a Swazi/Canada soccer game this weekend.
After dinner they invited us into their living room. The four blondes sat along one wall. Grandmother and Gratherfather in chairs, Granddaughter, Ruth in between and three grandsons sat behind against the wall. Samuel thanked us for coming, spoke about blessings and God’s work and said they were honoured by our presence and invited us to share a prayer. First however, they sang.
What a moment.
The grandson started – a deep, strong singing voice. They sang a Siswati gospel song and after a few lines… the family joined in – the harmony of this incredibly family carried up to the tin roof.
I can’t get over how lucky I am to be here.
I loved Swaziland alot.
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A Few More Stories
Saturday, July 5 2008
Are they ever.
Mavis leaves behind 4 children – 16 and 13-year-old girls, a 7-year-old boy and another 4-year-old daughter. Emily says the family has been calling and calling looking for help – there isn’t money for a coffin and the funding for Masoyi home base care is so uncertain right now, there isn’t money for materials to build a coffin for them. More than that – is what will happen to the kids down the road. The oldest daughter couldn’t take the reality of the family’s situation and moved in with a much older boyfriend. Emily says they suspect she is pregnant. The 13-year-old daughter had been taking care of her mother. Pushing her to the nearest clinic in a wheel barrow when she was on ARV’s. The ARV’s had been working – Emily told us – but she says Mavis stopped taking them. Lynn turned to me then and said – that’s the story for you! The world isn’t talking about how much people are defaulting on their medication. Bill Clinton – Bill Gates – all talk about rolling out ARVS – but Africa needs enough trained personnel to ensure patients continue taking them. When you stop taking ARVs – HIV mutates and becomes stronger. The ARV will no longer work and the disease becomes much harder to fight. I also am learning that ARVs have a “street” value in impoverished communities. Patients not fully understanding how the whole process works – begin selling their life saving tablets when they feel better. Disasterous on several fronts. ARVs are tricky things because HIV is a constantly changing villain. An ARV regiment that will work for me won’t necessarily work for you… and if you start taking my ARVs – you will eventually run out of drugs. Now we’re both not taking drugs and the HIV in us both – embraces this deadly opportunity. Soon its drug resistant and we’re both much sicker than we were before.
I’m not sure the details around Mavis’ battle with HIV but I do know this:
Mavis lost her fight.
And so – Emily says – they don’t know what will happen to these kids. There is a “go-go” – but she is an alcoholic. An uncle – but young girls are not always safe in the care of uncles. The 16-year-old may not be interested in becoming the head of the household… the 13-year-old will likely have to – but for how long? She needs care herself and sooner or later she will feel the pressure of the situation and run as well. Forcing the little boy into a life of petty crime on the street and where will the little girl go? To the uncle where she will be vulnerable for abuse.
“It is very difficult.”
That phrase is repeated so often. An understatement if there ever was one. Difficult to me is sticking to a diet or getting up at 5 am.
This is madness.
After small group I loaded up my camera equipment and tagged along with Darryl to class. Darryl teaches forward education with Krystal. The program is in its second year and is helping a small number of double orphans who have managed to graduate high school – get ready for college or university. They spend time upgrading to retake their grade 12 exams and improve their marks and then they take courses on study and life skills classes to bridge them into university/college life. The program also helps them get into school and helps them find bursaries.
I spent some time taking pictures of the class and when the class broke for lunch I interviewed Elvis. Elvis is a gorgeous 19-year-old boy – soft spoken and bright eyed with dread locks. He has been an orphan for 4 years and takes care of a younger brother, Afrique – who is 16. I admit that before coming here – when I pictured AIDS orphans, I didn’t think about people like Elvis. I thought about little wide eyed children. But children grow into the people that will form their communities. The other day another volunteer dropped a term I had never heard before. “Inter-generational knowledge transfer” – that’s wordy hey? He was talking about simple things though – a hug at bedtime, everything you ever learned from your Mom and Dad, decision making – discipline – your favourite dinner dish – love.
Elvis wants to study social work after he’s finished with the forward program – but he’s also told me that journalism is interesting to him too. What stories he could tell!
July 5, 2008 –
I had a fourth of July I’ll never forget.
Morgan and I edited for 14 hours straight…. and I can’t say I minded a moment of it.
Our assignment was a short video that one of the Hands at Work directors would be able to take with him to North America. Krystal is a teacher in the forward education program and her church in Saskatoon is interested in becoming more involved in what Hands is doing. Hands at Work is focusing on partnering with non-denominational Christian churches around the world in order to raise enough support to reach the goal of providing the basic food/health and education needs for 100,000 orphans by 2010.
Such a huge goal, but as I was working yesterday, I kept thinking that if it takes a village to raise a child – it really does take the world to raise a continent full of kids that have lost their parents to this AIDS pandemic.
14-million of them.
Fitting that it took 14 hours… the video is not amazing by any stretch, but it did feel like something – at least.
Tomorrow off to Swaziland. A country with a life expectancy of around 40. Can you imagine? All you get on this earth is 40 years and then you have to leave the children you love so much behind in such a dangerous world.
14 million kids on there own.
How did this happen?
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New Chapter
Tuesday, July 1 2008
The 3 weeks I spent with a 10 person team came to and end with a two day “debrief” at the famous Kruger Park. A wildlife reserve the size of Israel near the Mozambique border. We stayed at a stunning resort and spent a day and a half on safari with Alfred – a very colourful and very quotable tour guide that took excellent care of us. We saw everything you could think of — cheetahs, wild dogs, “poombas”, giraffes, elephants, african buffalo and lions, lions, lions. We had two incredible buffet dinners with all kinds of african goodies – even more pap. Plus, we enjoyed hot showers and television.
The younger girls (with me being the old lady of the group) decided to spend the last two nights in sleepover mode. 6 of us packed into one hotel room and chatted late into the night – I made them watch a few hours of CNN (its been a while without ANY news and of course everyone is concerned about Zimbabwe right now) and we talked about the trip.
Sitting in that hotel room I thought alot about its size and I thought about the size of alot of the homes we had been in – around Masoyi and Cork.
I thought about Isaiah.
He was one of the first people I visited with the home base care workers. A desperately ill man – dying of AIDS who had never agreed to even test for the virus. Dying all alone in a house – half the size of our hotel room.
On Sunday I returned to the campus that houses Hands at Work and moved into my new home. A pretty cottage, I’m sharing with 5 other volunteers at a cost of about 15 Canadian dollars a day. I like my roommates – we all take turns cooking and Darryl – the teacher from Vancouver made us all an egg curry with homemade Naan bread.
Monday it was back to work, back to Masoyi, back out to the same community that I had met Isaiah – 3 long weeks ago.
Monday – I learned that Isaiah died over the weekend.
Alone.
In the little house half the size of our hotel room.
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Monday, June 23 2008
I’m really happy right now.
Really. Happy.
There are some horrible realities about Africa, and I know I have not even begun to see how dark this place can be…but when I sit in a church and listen to the booming 10-part gospel harmony with the voices of the little 10-year-old boy in his shirt and tie and the 60-year-old go-go in her church hat coming together… I can’t help it! I fall in love. The rolling hills, those sprawling trees, the fact that anyone you smile at returns a grin that just pops with joy and instantly fills you up with with this connected feeling. I feel like I live in a musical right now … And, AND! In 2 weeks I’ve become one of those “huggy” people. I love Africa. I love, love, love Africa.
Yesterday I met with Lynn and Jayme. The couple from Calgary I first made contact with to come here. The two of them are living and volunteering for Hands full time and are at present handling communications and marketing. My “team” leaves at the end of this week and this meeting has given me a better idea of where I can actually be useful.
The thing about Hands at Work is that its pretty “grass roots”. There are no paid staff… The organization is about creating programs for communities with communities and eventually handing the programs to communities. Its mandate is to provide the basic needs for 100, 000 orphans by 2010 and so far Hands is in SA, DRC, Zambia, Nigeria, Swaziland and Mozambique.
Its funny… I thought I wanted to come here as a journalist or a filmmaker. Then I felt frustrated I wasn’t a nurse or a construction worker. But it turns out that I can actually be useful here as I am. Hands is in need of video right now to help with fund raising and the search for volunteers.
Its an overwhelming feeling when you feel like you’ve found what you’re looking for. This place, these people, this opportunity and just knowing that, Yes – I can do this and I can actually be of use in a way that is actually meaningful! I’m a lucky girl and right now I’m very grateful.
I’m hoping to stay until mid-November and get as much done on the wishlist as possible. Already July is looking incredible with trips in the works to projects in Swaziland and Mozambique. This is going to be an amazing 6 months for me!
I promise to keep y’all updated :)
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Braai Goodbye
Thursday, June 19 2008
(A braai is a south african BBQ.)
You know… People can really be amazing. The people I’ve met here… To say they are inspiring doesn’t quite do them justice. Tonight’s braai was a going away party for Dan.
Dan is a 24-year-old Calgarian who at the moment, resembles that guy from “Into the Wild”. His red hair continues down his face into a bushy 6-month grown beard and mustache… He jokingly strokes when someone says something worth pondering. It takes about 10 seconds to decide you like Dan, and about 3 minutes of watching him interact with one of the local kids or a student in his forward education program to be inspired. Dan – like many of the Hands staff (all of which are volunteers) walked away from the comfy Calgary life a year ago to “serve” here in Africa. Its easy to see his impact has been profound.
Guys… Its hard to describe. We owe a lot to the people here – like Dan. I’m filled up with so much energy and gratitude. Its this raw, potent “kindness” these people dish out… Kindness that is so much more infectious than any virus.
This is what it’s about.
If I get nothing else from my time here in Africa…I will have the incredible understanding that these people walk among us. Quiet heroes that radiate all kinds of awesome.
There are no words for how happy I am to be right here…right now.
When you see what we are truly capable of…this world is truly lovely and amazing.
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Wednesday, June 18 2008
Its been two weeks all ready and right now I would love to be in my own bed. Only because I’m kind of sick and being a big baby. Feeling under the weather has given me a whole new level of appreciation for the people here.
We spent the morning out with the home based care workers in Cork, walking to the homes of 4 different AIDS patients. All were clearly unwell but – on a promising note – all were on ARVs and were doing better than previous visits. Honestly – this was a selfish day for me – walking and walking in the sun and the dirt all I could think about was getting into bed and sleeping until my headache and sore throat went away.
But I wasn’t the only one feeling poorly. Scott and I walked with Martha and Ruth. Martha also had a headache and a stomache ache. The mother of 7 (with 3 grandchildren) walked 3 hours from her community to Cork to take part in homebase care training (work that is voluntary). Ruth explained her typical day… Up at 4 am with the wheelbarrow and jugs to go fetch water… Back to start a fire… Make porridge for the children… Wash everyone.. get to the Care centre for 9 to walk and visit patients).
Of course her day doesn’t end there either. I, on the other hand, crawled into bed by 1 that afternoon and slept until 6 and got up and fixed myself tea, toast and fruit.
Yep – I may still want my own bed but compared to these amazing women – I’m pretty lucky to be exactly where I am :)
((Oh! And Kristen… Ruth sends her love))
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The Little Voice
Monday, June 16 2008
Not because I love it so much.
Not because I’ve fallen in love with the people and feel like I can change their lives with my amazing and generous presence.
And not because I’ve experienced a miraculous awakening.
Truthfully… I’m incredibly uncomfortable here. One minute I feel like I’m relating to the girls of Masoyi and then reality hits me between my eyes.
For one… This place is so isolating for me. I don’t have the same kind of freedom I do in Calgary because – quite honestly – its dangerous to be out after dark or on my own at all.
I feel out of place and awkward. I feel shocked and disgusted often and there hasn’t been a single day where I haven’t had tears in my eyes.
There are so many awful things about this place.
So why on earth do I think I need to stay longer?
Put simply – because I’m a little terrified.
I’m in this murky place right now where my stomach feels knotted and my head is overwhelmed. It was Youth Day today. It’s a national holiday (google it to find out what happened on this day in 1976). We spent the day with kids, teens and young moms with their babies. There was singing, dancing and inspiring dramas and speeches.
It was almost like any special school event… Except the kids were all orphans and most of them were really hungry. Making matters worse… I learned of something else going on that is behind this constant queasy feeling I have tonight.
Its called “mountain school.” Its happening right now on the same mountain we’re sleeping on this very night. Its a cultural right of passage for the kids of Masoyi. How the boys and girls become men and women.
Bribed with food, new clothes (and I’ve also heard some are taken against their will), kids older than 7 are taken up Mount Legogote for 3 weeks.
During that time… The boys are circumcised and told to rape the girls. Many of the young girls come back pregnant.
And considering that many kids begin life HIV positive… The virus likely spreads here too.
What is going on? How can things be this bad…on top of everything else.
The reason why I’m so scared right now is because I want to go home. I want to pretend this stuff isn’t happening or at the very least, isn’t my problem. I mean – I know I can’t fix anything, right?
It would be easy to to be able to fix everything, or on the other hand to be able to say its not fixable and walk away.
I’m realizing the hard, incredibly uncomfortable, awkward and often painful stuff all falls in the middle.
Ugh.
I think I have to stay.
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Just a Bunch of Girls
Friday, June 13 2008
One of the reasons I came here was to find a way to relate and connect to the “people living in the third world, AIDS ravaged Africa”. The people that have become background to what Bono and Oprah talk about… What Fred Penner asks us to think about when he’s asking for money on behalf of World Vision.
The thing is – that flat background isn’t real at all. Relating and connecting has been easy. I did not expect that. We have so much in common and really, we want the same things.
Friday afternoon the girls on the team went to Masoyi to be part of some of the young mom support groups. A group of moms gathering to talk about life and motherhood in somebodys backyard. We can relate to that!
The girls in my group were between 18 and 22. They all introduced themselves and explained how old their child was. Some were a few months… Some 5 years! A couple of kids were there… A little girl who was right in with the rest of us singing with all the actions.
The thing that struck me about the meeting was how comfortable it all was. We were just talking about goals and school and careers. Most of the girls are writing exams now. The topic of the meeting was goals… Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
There were 4 Canadian women in the group and 8 young moms from Masoyi.
Our goals were very much the same. Afterwards Nomfundo… A young girl who has lost a child… Invited me to spend a night at her place. One girl asking another for a sleepover. I hope it works out before I leave!
Oh and I had a fried worm yesterday… It was… chewy.
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Thursday, June 12 2008
Hard to believe its all ready been a week!
So today I made my first trip to Cork. A more rural, less developed community that grew out of a refugee settlement of those that fled violence in Mozambique. It makes Masoyi look like MacKenzie Towne.
Hands at Work came into Cork a few years ago but had to pull out last year because of problems with the local chief. A new government is now in place so Hands is back… But only since April.
The kids are back at the care center (12 tiny children who are all double orphans … Who leap into your arms as soon as you get out of the van). The care center needs a lot of work compared to Masoyi… For one there’s no place for them to play outside.
Our task for the morning had to do with the upcoming launch of the young moms program in Cork. It meant we spent the morning conducting research. Completely fascinating again! I ended up with a few others at the local high school. We spoke with two teen guys, two teen girls (one who had a child), a male teacher and a female teacher…after we went to a nearby home and spoke with a go-go (grandma) who takes care of her great granchild… Born to a 15 year old mom.
I was surprised with what I learned. Everyone agreed teen pregnancy is a bigger problem than AIDS, and even the lack of food. Girls are getting pregnant on purpose as a way of getting money. The South African government offers 200 rand a month grant for children born to single mothers. The boys – we learned – most often don’t take responsibilty and wind up fathering many children with many girls. A lot of the problems stem from the fact that many of these young girls have grown up without parental guidance or rules… Running wild and free. As a result… Child abandonement is a big problem in Cork.
I cannot imagine being a child here! Teachers admit they can’t really teach…school is more like crowd control. Kids have no one… And wind up being parents without ever having learned to parent.
The afternoon, however, held some inspiration. The team went back to K2 (a care center in Masoyi) where the Masoyi young mom support group leaders were meeting. This is an inspiring group of girls who are working hard to make the best out of a limited amount of options before them. Monday is World Youth Day. A big deal here and everyone is working on songs, dances and dramas. We watched the young moms rehearse as we held onto the babies. I’m shooting the performances… I decided not to shoot anything until next month but I’m making an exception.
So that was today. Otherwise things are good, eating so well here – I feel so bad sometimes. The fruit here is unreal po-pos (papayas), oranges, avacadoes are all in season and amazing.
It was hot for the first time today. Yay!
Friday: Young Moms program workshop
Saturday: Day off…we’re hiking up to a place called God’s Window.
Sunday: We’re heading to a new community to attend a church service. Wolverine has no programs and no water. The founder of hands is speaking at this church service…I can’t wait.
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Wednesday, June 11 2008
Today I spent the day at the Lula centre. Its a daycare in Masoyi (which is actually smaller than I thought – population 220,000). The Lula centre opened 4 years ago with the help of Hands at Work and at the heart of it is Ma Beauty.
Ma Beauty is a gigantic woman with an amazing amount of heart. I had heard so much about her that when I saw her I ended up running right into her arms.
Oh… I should back up to the morning meeting. And – no offense guys – this one kicked the 9:00 news meeting’s butt! ;). The Masoyi home based care workers were having a prayer meeting, so 30 of us crowded into the Masoyi office. Half of the team got to be a part of the meeting, and me and 2 others were the only Westernes there. They sang… every day is filled with so much singing. Gospel songs where everyone sings in harmony – 10-12 part harmony. In Siswati and English… and then prayer requests. The requests alone will break your heart… for orphans, for the care workers, for travellers, for a couple in the Congo who just lost their baby. By the end of the meeting, a few of us were in tears.
I spent my day at the Lula centre in the kitchen with Ma. She cooks the entire day… and the kids have half a jam sandwich with ovaltine fortified tea in the morning, a traditional lunch that today was hard pap (maize flour and water) with soup (beans, macaroni, tomato paste and vegetables) and cabbage and carrots. Then in the afternoon – another half peanut butter/jam sandwich and juice. At around 1 pm… older kids begin arriving – including a helper in the kitchen – 19 year old Floyd.
Floyd was a pretty typical teenager… we washed dish after dish, and served up meal after meal together. Chatting about cars, sports, and Kanye West. He was a really cool guy who is in grade 10, struggles with english (if I could just get a dictionary it would help), likes physics and plans to be a mechanical engineer. (“If I can be a manager with the local power company I can get a BMW in 3 months” – he has a photo of the dream car on his cell phone). Its starting to feel like a normal day… there’s running water, plenty of food for everyone.
Of course… things aren’t what they seem to be.
Before lunch I’m playing with some kids when a “go-go” or grandmother came to say hello. Her name is Joanna… and she has two children here at Lula. The kids are going on a field trip to Kruger Park on Friday so many of the caregivers were there for a meeting. In total, Joanna has 7 grandchildren in her care… and one great grandchild. Both her daughters have died of HIV in the last two years. She pointed to two little girls… Pretty and Princess. Princess tells me she has HIV.
Later – a white woman with a strong South African accent drops by. She works at the ACTS clinic and is here to check in on an out-patient. We chat and she points to a little boy on a tricycle… an active boy I’d been chasing a little earlier. He has HIV, she tells me, 6 months ago he was so sick, so thin – we didn’t think he was going to make it. Now – he’s on ARV’s and tearing around the yard like all the other boys.
And then – there was Lloyd himself. This totally sweet teenager – good looking – spending his afternoons volunteering at Lula. I finally asked – dude, why are you here?
He looked at me.
Because I’m an orphan – he simply said.
The ride home was probably the hardest part of the day. My eyes were burning with tears by the time we pulled back on to campus. The busses are driven by Hands at Work drivers and they take the children to their homes around the community.
Little children… 2 year olds sleeping on the seats… and when we get to their drop off points…. Nobody to meet them.
That sleeping toddler… met by an 8 year old girl. Giggling with her friends. Peter – the driver – tells me, they have an older sister. Still, even she is only 15.
And the image that is brightest in my mind today – The image I caught in a quick photo. 3 kids, ages 4-6 off the bus by themselves – right next to the busy highway taking each other by their tiny little hands and walking away.
Alone.
I waved at the little girl that refused to talk to me or really smile all day. The little girl who I just kind of grabbed and held on to, turned and saw me waving in the front seat – and she actually smiled. I blew them kisses and the little boy gave me a thumbs up.
Then they kept walking.
They call them “Child headed house holds” … how on earth is this right?
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Falling in Love
Tuesday, June 10 2008
Finding love in the back of a pickup truck. Yeah it sounds kind of dirty but it’s the truth. I’m falling in love with this country from the back of the “bucky”.
First off I should explain this country is COLD right now. Not canadian winter cold but when your dress code is long skirts and you’ve got only thin sweaters, 7 degrees leaves you feeling popsicled. I should also point out that the second leading cause of death here is the crazy traffic. So I had my first “TIA” or “This Is Africa” moment when someone told me I’d get a lift into Masoyi in the back of the truck. There we were… 12 of us… 3 white girls with 9 locals. Some nurses… others just health care volunteers, and people like me to observe. The first ride was awful… I was a little bit terrified.
By the end of the next day, I can’t imagine getting around any other way. The rolling hills with so many homes… shacks, stone houses with carefully swept dirt patios, young people everywhere in bright blue school uniforms, the too cool guys with their hats off to the side, gigantic roosters everywhere, women carrying all kinds of things on their head… It doesn’t feel third world…just different world.
And for all the horror stories – it is also stunningly beautiful.
The entire day was stunningly beautiful. Just before lunch I met Zodwa. A mother of 2 and a home based care worker in the community of Nthimba. We sat outside the clinic talking for an hour as I waited for the truck. Zodwa is one of those people you meet that leaves you feeling just so full of awe. Her entire life is about all the orphans. Children living alone throughout her community because their parents are dying.
Its very difficult, she tells me. They all need to eat – who is going to make sure they eat. We talked and talked…I couldn’t stop with the questions. She is grieving the loss of her husband…but talking to me she smiled so often. Many times she had me in tears. When the truck came we hugged… I explained I was a journalist and was here for 2 months with a camera. She asked me to come back to Nthimba to meet all of her kids. ” Let people see them, love them. We need help”. I’m still awed by this soft spoken woman… To see the love and courage flowing from her…. I am very very lucky to have met her.
* In South Africa an orphan who has lost one parent receives 200 ran per month (even if the other parent has split long ago.)
* An orphan that has lost two parents receives 700 ran per month up until age 15.
* Orphans do not have to pay school fees but must buy a uniform – at a cost of 220 ran. (About 30 Canadian.)
* The price of bread has jumped from 2 ran a loaf to 7 ran a loaf.
* An apple has gone from 50 cents to one ran 50.
Tomorrow: I’m scheduled to work at the Lula Centre with Ma Beauty. A daycare/pre-school center operated by Hands.
Thursday: Off to the community of Cork… A community with more problems and fewer programs. Laying ground work for the launch of the young moms program. We will be looking for new Moms for the program…in primary school. Young orphan girls age 9,10,11,12 are vulnerable to pregnancy… Because, I’m told I “they’re craving love.”
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This is Real
Monday, June 9th 2008
What do I do now that its real for me? Day one and I can’t help but wonder what I’ve done. 24 hours ago this was still a world away problem… Something that I believed to be true but didn’t really exist to me – personally.
Now I’ve gone and looked and in a way that makes me feel terrified and overwhelmed tonight…things have changed.
I spent the day with a health care volunteer in what seems like a sprawling city slum. Picture something like stand off…the size of brooks.
Three patients…three people…three probable AIDS cases but no hope because each one of them refused to be tested.
The first woman was fairly healthy… But at 40-something she had shingles and wasn’t getting better.
The second man was thin, sweating and trembling…he was being treated for TB but wasn’t getting better. Although AR drugs are available and could still save his life … He refused to consider HIV as his possible ailment.
But it was house #3 where I finally really looked into the eyes of this horror story.
In a house the size of a bathroom with only a mattress and a few stools, we walked into a fine, tiny remnant of a man laying in the dark. His eyes were wide and the white was so bright. He smiled at me and said “hello, how are you?” in english. Then in his language he spoke with the health worker.
I couldn’t understand what was being said but it was clear. I was looking at a man, dying of AIDS alone in Africa. He was looking right at me. He was born into a nightmare… I was born into a winning lotto ticket but for 1/2 an hour we sat in the same room.
He couldn’t admit that he was HIV positive until it was too late. I was asked to pray for him at the end of the visit. Not really knowing what to do I stammered something out.
I keep repeating that prayer now in my head… Alone with AIDS in Africa. Its actually real…no closing my eyes to it now.
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