We spent Thursday night at the Inyati lodge in Pongola game reserve, which was both stunningly cheap and beautiful. There were four buildings in the compound, one kitchen and living room and three smaller huts with the beds and bathrooms.
The morning view from Sue's porch was spectacular. We were perfectly placed on a hill at the bend of the Pongola River that was flush with wildlife and had a mountainside for a backdrop. We spent most of the morning training binoculars along the banks in order to get a better view of the crocodiles, warthogs and impala coming for a drink. Other animals would walk right next to the crocodiles, which we figured would lead to an exciting morning. The crocs, however, were much more interested in sunning themselves on the rocks than in doing something interesting, like eating a warthog. Guess they weren't hungry.
We left around 10. The check-out building had a wild white rhino laying lazily in the trees outside of it. The lady at reception had nicknamed the rhino "Cheeky" because of the way it would stare her down in the mornings.
We crozzed the border into Swaziland a little after noon. We then stopped in Manzini, a perfectly sized small city. We ate peri-peri chicken at a small cafe and walked up and down the streets afterwards. Swaziland definitely has its own feel to it. It is much more traditional and feels a little more relaxed than South Africa. Nearly every shop has a photo of the King of Swaziland, which all the people seem to love.
We then left for Sondzela Backpackers, which is located deep inside of Mlilwane Game Reserve. Upon entering the park, thousands of snares are on display that had been removed from the park once it had become a preserve.
We stopped at what is called the Haunted Hippo, a restaurant along the river where you can see hippos and crocs from the deck while you dine. We didn't eat, but we did get our photos taken with the hippo that would walk right up to the four foot rock wall that separated the camp from the river and rest its head on it.
That night, we ate dinner where all of the tourists eat, Malandelas, which was one of the only open restaurants in the area. The service was very laid back and slow but the food was delicious.. Afterwards, we went outside to check out the fire pit, bar and club that was next door called House on Fire. We were very disappointed to find that the live music club was closed for the night because it looked incredible inside. However, we were able to speak with an awesome couple from Mozambique. We began talking to the wife first at the fire pit. She was from California but had family from Sun Prairie. She joined the Peace Corps after school and went Western Africa, where she met her husband, who was from Senegal and they now have two daughters together. She now works for the US embassy and moves to a new country every few years.
Her husband joined us later and told me that he actually studied in D.C. and took online courses in literature at the Univerity of Colorado. He told me about the cultural differences between Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. They had recently visited Cape Town and loved it, but found there to be too much racial tension for an interracial couple outside of the city. When he heard I was from Wisconsin he said that he had heard a lot of good things about a city in Wisconsin and that he would really like to visit there. After describing it, I realized he was talking about Madison, which was awesome.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 10th
It was a strange feeling knowing that it would be the last day of our camps today. We had been preparing for so long and suddenly, it was going to be over. I knew it would be much more difficult to say goodbye to these kids because we had been able to communicate so much more with them.
We began the day by finishing our Hero Books and then divided them up to talk about rape. Danielle and I took the boys aside and read them the definition of rape and what to do if you know someone that is raped. This is when the discussion became quite lively. One student asked whether or not you should go to the police if you know who the rapist was. Eugen (our interpretor) responded that it was the job of the community to handle the situation and that the police were powerless to really do anything. He then suggested that a sound beating and stomping would the best way to resolve the situation. It was difficult to argue with this notion. Not only because rape is such a despicable thing to do, but because it sounds as though the iNgwavuma police can't really do much to prove a rape. (There isn't exactly a CSI: iNgwavuma)
It was about then Danielle realized that we may be preaching our values to a completely separate culture. Instead of advocating violence, however, we talked about the things they could do to prevent rape, such as letting all of their friends know how terrible they think it is, etc. Ideally, this would prevent both the rape and the stomping.
The rest of the day flashed by in a blur. We broke into small groups and I got some pictures of my group as they finished their posters. We then gave them a post-survey and played Heads up Seven Up, while the cooks from the IOC prepared the surprise Braai (SA BBQ).
After the game we went outside and I thought I would teach them how to throw a football that was donated by Alyssa's company. They seemed to know what it was and Thokozani pretended to dive into the endzone when he first caught the ball. I tried to show them how to throw a spiral but decided to sit back and watch them throw some of the ugliest passes I have ever seen.
We left shortly after that, which was difficult. Each member of my group came up and we did our hand shake one last time and I got into the car. I quickly realized that I was the only person in the car with dry eyes and we drove for a solid ten minutes in virtual silence. A good silence.
We began the day by finishing our Hero Books and then divided them up to talk about rape. Danielle and I took the boys aside and read them the definition of rape and what to do if you know someone that is raped. This is when the discussion became quite lively. One student asked whether or not you should go to the police if you know who the rapist was. Eugen (our interpretor) responded that it was the job of the community to handle the situation and that the police were powerless to really do anything. He then suggested that a sound beating and stomping would the best way to resolve the situation. It was difficult to argue with this notion. Not only because rape is such a despicable thing to do, but because it sounds as though the iNgwavuma police can't really do much to prove a rape. (There isn't exactly a CSI: iNgwavuma)
It was about then Danielle realized that we may be preaching our values to a completely separate culture. Instead of advocating violence, however, we talked about the things they could do to prevent rape, such as letting all of their friends know how terrible they think it is, etc. Ideally, this would prevent both the rape and the stomping.
The rest of the day flashed by in a blur. We broke into small groups and I got some pictures of my group as they finished their posters. We then gave them a post-survey and played Heads up Seven Up, while the cooks from the IOC prepared the surprise Braai (SA BBQ).
After the game we went outside and I thought I would teach them how to throw a football that was donated by Alyssa's company. They seemed to know what it was and Thokozani pretended to dive into the endzone when he first caught the ball. I tried to show them how to throw a spiral but decided to sit back and watch them throw some of the ugliest passes I have ever seen.
We left shortly after that, which was difficult. Each member of my group came up and we did our hand shake one last time and I got into the car. I quickly realized that I was the only person in the car with dry eyes and we drove for a solid ten minutes in virtual silence. A good silence.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Wednesday, July 9th
We worked on condom use, drugs and alcohol and STIs today, which went very well. The good news was that the kids seemed to know how to use them properly
It's amazing to watch these kids play soccer. Harry, a member of my group, seems particularly talented. I tried to cover him while we played during a break, which didn't go very well. He did a few tricks with the ball and before I knew it he had kicked the ball between my legs, laughed and had ran past me. I took a little break from soccer after that.
After break we began to work on our hero books, which I decided to participate in as well. Nonkonzo asked me to draw her and tell her why I thought she was a hero (Assignment 7). I drew her playing soccer and said that she was a hero because she played soccer with the boys, instead of jumping rope like most of the girls (Which they are INCREDIBLE at). She really seemed to like it so I decided to draw the rest of my group as well. I drew Sizakele jumping rope, Xolani rapping (he wants to be one), Thokozani playing keep-away, Harry playing soccr and Bongisiwe playing keep away. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of camp because they each wrote in my book as well.
It's amazing how comfortable we are here now. The first time we drove in iNgwavuma we had the windows up, doors locked and were a bit overwhelmed by everyone staring at us. After a day or two, I have my head out the window, waving and greeting just about everyone on the roadside.
The drive to and from the school have actually been incredibly fun. Kids on the road seem to know when we are coming, because they will run down from their houses to shout wave and get their pictures taken. We passed the poorest kids I have ever seen today. They had been pumping water from the spigot to bring it home and were pushing eachother around in a rusted out wheelbarrow helf together by duct tape. Their clothes were absolutely covered in bright red dirt.
It's amazing to watch these kids play soccer. Harry, a member of my group, seems particularly talented. I tried to cover him while we played during a break, which didn't go very well. He did a few tricks with the ball and before I knew it he had kicked the ball between my legs, laughed and had ran past me. I took a little break from soccer after that.
After break we began to work on our hero books, which I decided to participate in as well. Nonkonzo asked me to draw her and tell her why I thought she was a hero (Assignment 7). I drew her playing soccer and said that she was a hero because she played soccer with the boys, instead of jumping rope like most of the girls (Which they are INCREDIBLE at). She really seemed to like it so I decided to draw the rest of my group as well. I drew Sizakele jumping rope, Xolani rapping (he wants to be one), Thokozani playing keep-away, Harry playing soccr and Bongisiwe playing keep away. I thoroughly enjoyed this part of camp because they each wrote in my book as well.
It's amazing how comfortable we are here now. The first time we drove in iNgwavuma we had the windows up, doors locked and were a bit overwhelmed by everyone staring at us. After a day or two, I have my head out the window, waving and greeting just about everyone on the roadside.
The drive to and from the school have actually been incredibly fun. Kids on the road seem to know when we are coming, because they will run down from their houses to shout wave and get their pictures taken. We passed the poorest kids I have ever seen today. They had been pumping water from the spigot to bring it home and were pushing eachother around in a rusted out wheelbarrow helf together by duct tape. Their clothes were absolutely covered in bright red dirt.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 8th
The main focus of camp today was HIV and AIDS and I ran the Q + A session at the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching and felt very confident while answering their questions. There is no feeling like speaking about something you are passionate about and you absolutely know has the potential to save a life someday. It was immediately apparent that they didn't understand that HIV and AIDS are not one in the same, which was what I tried to stress to them.
Especially amazing were the questions coming from the Love Life team. These are the people funded by the South African government to teach in schools about HIV, yet they hardly know anything about it!
Overall, I felt like the camp went very well today and they heard and understood enough to protect themselves from every day situations these kids will have to deal with HIV.
Zenzele, the HR representative (who actually worked with Alex and Rebecca in the past at the camps) joined us for dinner. He asked us a lot of questions about the US and seemed astounded that our parents were OK with our children dating in public, as it would be quite taboo in iNgwavuma).
We spent the rest of the night drinking our R18.00 bottle of wine ($2.00 or so) afterwhich I am thankful to still have vision in both eyes. We may have to splurge on a $4.00 bottle next time.
Vee (an IOC coordinator) drove past later after driving the US Presidential Funding Aide around all day, which is apparently one of their largest funders. (We also learned about a movie coming out soon called Road to iNgwavuma, which has Carlos Santana and Samuel L. Jackson being driven around the area and at iNgwavuma Orphan Care, which is where we are staying) Vee is an incredible person to speak to. He knows so much about the area and how to connect with the kids in a meaningful way. He told us about his frustration with the high rate of teenage pregnancy and wondered whether he was doing enough to curb the problem. He seemed particularly frustrated because he feels as though the information is there for the kids and they are ignoring it. After talking to Vee I knew I needed to talk with him more often. He is the rarest of combinations: smart, caring, passionate. It is great to see.
Especially amazing were the questions coming from the Love Life team. These are the people funded by the South African government to teach in schools about HIV, yet they hardly know anything about it!
Overall, I felt like the camp went very well today and they heard and understood enough to protect themselves from every day situations these kids will have to deal with HIV.
Zenzele, the HR representative (who actually worked with Alex and Rebecca in the past at the camps) joined us for dinner. He asked us a lot of questions about the US and seemed astounded that our parents were OK with our children dating in public, as it would be quite taboo in iNgwavuma).
We spent the rest of the night drinking our R18.00 bottle of wine ($2.00 or so) afterwhich I am thankful to still have vision in both eyes. We may have to splurge on a $4.00 bottle next time.
Vee (an IOC coordinator) drove past later after driving the US Presidential Funding Aide around all day, which is apparently one of their largest funders. (We also learned about a movie coming out soon called Road to iNgwavuma, which has Carlos Santana and Samuel L. Jackson being driven around the area and at iNgwavuma Orphan Care, which is where we are staying) Vee is an incredible person to speak to. He knows so much about the area and how to connect with the kids in a meaningful way. He told us about his frustration with the high rate of teenage pregnancy and wondered whether he was doing enough to curb the problem. He seemed particularly frustrated because he feels as though the information is there for the kids and they are ignoring it. After talking to Vee I knew I needed to talk with him more often. He is the rarest of combinations: smart, caring, passionate. It is great to see.
Sunday, July 7th
Today was the first day of the high school camp and it came as no surprise to find nobody preparing breakfast or lunch in the kitchen this morning. It's very strange not having the other kids running around, because they were sent home on Sunday. Last night felt eerily quiet.
We arrived at the camp a little after nine to find only 5 or 6 kids inside. I was a little nervous, because we had been expecting more than 35. The rest eventually straggled in one by one and we had the expected number by ten.
The first thing we had them do was write their names in bubble letters on a piece of paper and place it on the wall to make a mural. They seemed to understand but were incredibly shy and didn't seem quite as eager to please as the younger kids.
We quickly realized that many of the kids at the camp were close to my age, if not older. One girl was 26. (The education system is incredibly dysfunctional and underfunded. Orphans are particularly at risk for attending school at a much later age due to the increased home life stress). The girls were incredibly shy and we even noticed that several of them would cover their mouths when they spoke.
Thankfully, they began to open up more as the day progressed and I began to feel more confident about the camp. We did a pre-survey to get an idea of what the kids felt they knew and what they wanted to learn about at camp. We then broke into small groups. My group had three boys (Xolani, Thokozani and Harry) and three girls (Nonkonzo, Sizakele and Bongisiwe). They decided they wanted to be named the Tiger group (although they seem to think Tigers are Leopards). We then created a group handshake that they all loved and would repeat every time they saw me throughout the week. I left the camp feeling very happy and confident about the upcoming week.
Going over the survey responses that night was slightly frustrating. Most of the kids responded with fives and sixes to the question "How much do you know about HIV and AIDS?" (Scale of 1-10 with 10 being "Everything") However, they then answered with nines and tens to the question "How confident are you about protecting yourself from HIV and AIDS?" I couldn't help but wonder how the hell you can protect your self from something you admittedly don't understand. But hopefully, we are going to fix that.
We arrived at the camp a little after nine to find only 5 or 6 kids inside. I was a little nervous, because we had been expecting more than 35. The rest eventually straggled in one by one and we had the expected number by ten.
The first thing we had them do was write their names in bubble letters on a piece of paper and place it on the wall to make a mural. They seemed to understand but were incredibly shy and didn't seem quite as eager to please as the younger kids.
We quickly realized that many of the kids at the camp were close to my age, if not older. One girl was 26. (The education system is incredibly dysfunctional and underfunded. Orphans are particularly at risk for attending school at a much later age due to the increased home life stress). The girls were incredibly shy and we even noticed that several of them would cover their mouths when they spoke.
Thankfully, they began to open up more as the day progressed and I began to feel more confident about the camp. We did a pre-survey to get an idea of what the kids felt they knew and what they wanted to learn about at camp. We then broke into small groups. My group had three boys (Xolani, Thokozani and Harry) and three girls (Nonkonzo, Sizakele and Bongisiwe). They decided they wanted to be named the Tiger group (although they seem to think Tigers are Leopards). We then created a group handshake that they all loved and would repeat every time they saw me throughout the week. I left the camp feeling very happy and confident about the upcoming week.
Going over the survey responses that night was slightly frustrating. Most of the kids responded with fives and sixes to the question "How much do you know about HIV and AIDS?" (Scale of 1-10 with 10 being "Everything") However, they then answered with nines and tens to the question "How confident are you about protecting yourself from HIV and AIDS?" I couldn't help but wonder how the hell you can protect your self from something you admittedly don't understand. But hopefully, we are going to fix that.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Sunday, July 6th
I woke up and was a little crabby because I hadn't slept particularly well due to the cold night air and thin blankets. I was quickly cheered up by the beautiful day and the wonderful breakfast Thonde (the co-owner) prepared for us. We then took a walk along the trail which was very cool. We saw a small herd of impala and wildebeast running through the grass, which we hadn't seen at Hluhluwe, where the animals didn't move around as much. Alyssa and Danielle practiced carrying their water bottles on their head like the local women...except they used 1 liter water bottles, rather than the massive containers we see carried down the road. You have to start somewhere, I suppose.
We left the Bushbaby Lodge at around 12 and went to the Hluhluwe village to get some items from the local store for next week's camp and use the internet cafe. Naturally, they were both closed because it was a Sunday.
The rest of the day was spent on the road. It's funny how a paved road can feel like a luxury after driving in iNgwavuma for a week. The return to roads consumed by potholes was not a welcome one for my tailbone.
I'm still not used to the cows standing in the middle of the road. Half of the time they will run in front of your car if given the opportunity. I can't believe there haven't been more accidents when you combine the aggression and speed shown by many car drivers here and the blatant stupidity of the cows.
It's funny how comfortable we are here now. When first arriving, we drove with the windows up and the cars fully locked. Now I have my arm (and sometimes head) out the window waving and greeting each person we pass in iNgwavuma. The return to iNgwavuma and the IOC felt like coming home, which is strange considering we have only been there for a week.
We left the Bushbaby Lodge at around 12 and went to the Hluhluwe village to get some items from the local store for next week's camp and use the internet cafe. Naturally, they were both closed because it was a Sunday.
The rest of the day was spent on the road. It's funny how a paved road can feel like a luxury after driving in iNgwavuma for a week. The return to roads consumed by potholes was not a welcome one for my tailbone.
I'm still not used to the cows standing in the middle of the road. Half of the time they will run in front of your car if given the opportunity. I can't believe there haven't been more accidents when you combine the aggression and speed shown by many car drivers here and the blatant stupidity of the cows.
It's funny how comfortable we are here now. When first arriving, we drove with the windows up and the cars fully locked. Now I have my arm (and sometimes head) out the window waving and greeting each person we pass in iNgwavuma. The return to iNgwavuma and the IOC felt like coming home, which is strange considering we have only been there for a week.
Saturday, July 5th
We spent the day in Hluhluwe park, entering the gate at around 11 or so. Outside the gate, drums began to pound and small children began to dance in Zulu dancewear.
Inside the park, we immediately saw some zebras and warthogs, which are much uglier than you expect They just might be the ugliest things I have ever seen. They lazed out on the roadside, leaving a dark wet spot on the pavement where drool seeped out of their open mouths.
Further along the trail, we spotted some elephants far below us in the valley. We left the paved road for the dirt roads, correctly assuming this would give us a better chance to view the wildlife. We ended up at a dead end and as we turned around, we realized that the elephant we were looking for was less than 20 feet away from us, partially hidden by a large bush he was eating. We were frustrated at first, because we couldn't get very good pictures with the bush in the way. This problem was quickly fixed. The elephant decided that the bush behind our car looked much more appetizing and headed in that direction very quickly, pushing right over the large bush. I got an excellent shot of the elephant heading straight for us, while I basically wet myself. Multi-tasking, you could call it.
Fortunately, the elephant was kind enough to go around our Avanza rather than over it, which would have required about the same effort. I ended up getting some great photos and thoroughly enjoyed my heart leaping out of my chest for the next 5 minutes.
We also saw some white rhinos from about 25 feet which were very cool as well.
That night we stayed at the Bush Baby Lodge, located near the park. We sat by the fire and played cards, which was a lot of fun. Whenever we heard a bush baby cry we would run and search for them with our flashlights aimed into the trees. If we found it, we would follow it from tree to tree before inevitably losing it. It sounds like fun in itself and it was an absolute adventure with a few glasses of wine.
Inside the park, we immediately saw some zebras and warthogs, which are much uglier than you expect They just might be the ugliest things I have ever seen. They lazed out on the roadside, leaving a dark wet spot on the pavement where drool seeped out of their open mouths.
Further along the trail, we spotted some elephants far below us in the valley. We left the paved road for the dirt roads, correctly assuming this would give us a better chance to view the wildlife. We ended up at a dead end and as we turned around, we realized that the elephant we were looking for was less than 20 feet away from us, partially hidden by a large bush he was eating. We were frustrated at first, because we couldn't get very good pictures with the bush in the way. This problem was quickly fixed. The elephant decided that the bush behind our car looked much more appetizing and headed in that direction very quickly, pushing right over the large bush. I got an excellent shot of the elephant heading straight for us, while I basically wet myself. Multi-tasking, you could call it.
Fortunately, the elephant was kind enough to go around our Avanza rather than over it, which would have required about the same effort. I ended up getting some great photos and thoroughly enjoyed my heart leaping out of my chest for the next 5 minutes.
We also saw some white rhinos from about 25 feet which were very cool as well.
That night we stayed at the Bush Baby Lodge, located near the park. We sat by the fire and played cards, which was a lot of fun. Whenever we heard a bush baby cry we would run and search for them with our flashlights aimed into the trees. If we found it, we would follow it from tree to tree before inevitably losing it. It sounds like fun in itself and it was an absolute adventure with a few glasses of wine.
Friday, July 4th
Today was the last day of the camp for the younger kids and it was hard and frustrating to say goodbye. We had finally gotten to know all of their names and they were beginning to really open up to us and then it is just all over with. The dangers of a four day camp.
The main topic of the day was rape, something obviously important to discuss, but still difficult. We separated the boys and girls, with Danielle and I taking the boys outside. We gave a quick presentation on rape stats in South Africa (a woman born in South Africa is more likely to be raped than taught how to read, etc.) We then opened it up to questions, some of which were devastating to hear.
The rest of the day was spent making power dolls, which they all seemed to love. Even Falakhe, our favorite translator, made one. They were incredibly creative with the clothing. Thobani made a collared shirt for his doll.
Just before the end of the day, they circled up and sang Happy Birthday to Danielle in English and Zulu. We then had the kids come up one by one and tell us their favorite part of camp. Most of the responses involved learning about HIV which was awesome to hear. They then picked a stuffed animal and some colored pencils and markers from the donation bag.
At the end of the day, we said goodbye and then returned to the IOC and packed for our visit to Hluhluwe game park. We arrived at Isinkwe Backpackers an hour too late to watch them feed the bushbabies, (small monkeys with large eyes and almost human faces), which was disappointing. We kept flashing our lights into the trees, but no such luck.
The main topic of the day was rape, something obviously important to discuss, but still difficult. We separated the boys and girls, with Danielle and I taking the boys outside. We gave a quick presentation on rape stats in South Africa (a woman born in South Africa is more likely to be raped than taught how to read, etc.) We then opened it up to questions, some of which were devastating to hear.
The rest of the day was spent making power dolls, which they all seemed to love. Even Falakhe, our favorite translator, made one. They were incredibly creative with the clothing. Thobani made a collared shirt for his doll.
Just before the end of the day, they circled up and sang Happy Birthday to Danielle in English and Zulu. We then had the kids come up one by one and tell us their favorite part of camp. Most of the responses involved learning about HIV which was awesome to hear. They then picked a stuffed animal and some colored pencils and markers from the donation bag.
At the end of the day, we said goodbye and then returned to the IOC and packed for our visit to Hluhluwe game park. We arrived at Isinkwe Backpackers an hour too late to watch them feed the bushbabies, (small monkeys with large eyes and almost human faces), which was disappointing. We kept flashing our lights into the trees, but no such luck.
July 3rd
Today was the first day of camp without Alex and Rebecca, which made us a little nervous. Compounding the problem, Vusie, one of our better translators had to miss the camp to attend a funeral. Thembe also needed the truck to visit the clinic because she wasn't feeling well. Despite all of these possible problems, the day went damn near perfectly.
The best part of the day was the condom demonstration. I feel that this is the most important thing we can teach the kids because of all the problems they can prevent with HIV and teenage pregnancy (a MASSIVE issue in the area) just by doing something so simple. They laughed a lot at first, which is to be expected, but they paid attention which is all you can ask them. After showing them how, we asked them to each show us how to do it so we know that they can do it properly. They seemed shy at first, but Thobani quickly changed that by jumping up to be the first to do it. After that, they relaxed and eagerly waited their turn to try.
Today was also the first day in which we had enough room in the car, so I didn't ride in the back of the pick-up truck. The ride was much less bumpy (and fun) but I can actually see the scenery which is stunning. The "roads" are carved into the landscape and they literally go straight up the mountains, rather than winding around. This also puts a lot of stress on the vehicles.
On the way to camp this morning we saw a house with World Cup 2010 written in stone on the wall. I am quite sure this person is not the only one excited about the World Cup being in South Africa, because soccer is HUGE here. The kids staying in the adjacent rooms at the IOC don't even have a real ball, but they play with a ball composed of plastic bags wound tighly together. Kicking that ball around with them is something I will never forget.
The kids were also a little bit more wound up than usual and we found out that they actually have no adult supervision at night. (Which is actually impressive considering how well behaved they are.) Our big mistake was assuming they had gone to bed and bringing out some chocolate. "Give me chocolate! Where is my chocolate?" was all we heard for the next 45 minutes until we finally waited them out. I wanted to give them some but there wasn't enough for all of them and that would have been much worse.
The best part of the day was the condom demonstration. I feel that this is the most important thing we can teach the kids because of all the problems they can prevent with HIV and teenage pregnancy (a MASSIVE issue in the area) just by doing something so simple. They laughed a lot at first, which is to be expected, but they paid attention which is all you can ask them. After showing them how, we asked them to each show us how to do it so we know that they can do it properly. They seemed shy at first, but Thobani quickly changed that by jumping up to be the first to do it. After that, they relaxed and eagerly waited their turn to try.
Today was also the first day in which we had enough room in the car, so I didn't ride in the back of the pick-up truck. The ride was much less bumpy (and fun) but I can actually see the scenery which is stunning. The "roads" are carved into the landscape and they literally go straight up the mountains, rather than winding around. This also puts a lot of stress on the vehicles.
On the way to camp this morning we saw a house with World Cup 2010 written in stone on the wall. I am quite sure this person is not the only one excited about the World Cup being in South Africa, because soccer is HUGE here. The kids staying in the adjacent rooms at the IOC don't even have a real ball, but they play with a ball composed of plastic bags wound tighly together. Kicking that ball around with them is something I will never forget.
The kids were also a little bit more wound up than usual and we found out that they actually have no adult supervision at night. (Which is actually impressive considering how well behaved they are.) Our big mistake was assuming they had gone to bed and bringing out some chocolate. "Give me chocolate! Where is my chocolate?" was all we heard for the next 45 minutes until we finally waited them out. I wanted to give them some but there wasn't enough for all of them and that would have been much worse.
July 2, 2008
The second day of camp was intensely focused on HIV. Rebecca did most of the talking in the large group and had each of us do the demonstrations. I played the antibodies in both exercises. The best one had Vusie wear a coat covered in clothes pins which represented the HIV viruses. As the immune system, it was my job to pull off the clothes pins. It went very well and the kids laughed a lot, especially when Eugen put the clothes pins on Vusie's nose and ears.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Tuesday, July 1st: Camp Begins
The roosters woke me up this morning and I immediately began to feel a little nervous, as today was the first day of camp. We entered the kitchen at the IOC, expecting the staff to be busy preparing breakfast and lunch for the kids. Naturally, no one was there, giving us our first experience with "Africa Time." V, (one of the IOC managers) arrived and sorted things out and we departed reasonably on time.
I decided to ride in the back of one of the covered pick-up trucks with the IOC staff. After seeing hundreds of people packed into these trucks on the way to iNgwavuma, I figured it was the best way to really experience African travel. I jumped in with our translators: Eugen, Vusie, Falakhe and C'Sana. All three spoke Zulu the entire trip (In fact, Eugen never stopped.) I held on, smiled and did my best to follow the conversation, although I failed miserably at doing so.
After another quick stop at the SPAR for breakfast food for the kids, we drove as far as I can imagine into the countryside. The further we travelled from the market, the worse the roads became. I am using the term loosely, as it consisted of more potholes and rocks than anything. The roads also went up and down incredible inclines, sometimes higher than 45 degrees. Each nasty bump we hit was met with shouts of disapproval, laughter and pounding on the rear glass. The ride was actually a blast. Who needs Six Flags when you can pile into a Toyota and whip around coutnry roads at 60 miles an hour?
The camp is held at a small school way out in the country, which is immediately surrounded by grazing land for the local cattle. They will walk right up next to the windows and look inside. Other kids from the school also hang around outside to see what is going on.
We arrived at the camp around 9:30 to find the kids patiently sitting in their desks along the near windows (many of which were broken).
I could immediately tell how excited they were by the looks on their faces, yet they remained almost completely silent. We finished our name tags for the kids and divided them into our small groups by age and gender so each group would have an even number. My group had two girls: Nobuhle and Noxolo and three boys: Sandiso, S'phmandla and Thabiso.
The first day of camp went extremely well. The kids are incredibly well behaved. They are clearly interested in the information we are giving them, which they probably do not get from their teachers here.
They started working on their HERO books shortly before lunch, which they clearly loved. We passed out markers, colored pencils and pens and they immediately buried their heads into their work. They worked diligently for over an hour, making each drawing as perfect as possible. I wanted to tell them how incredible their drawings were (most of them were very talented), but all I could manage in Zulu was "kuhle" (Good). Thobani drew a picture of himself standing next to a car that amazed us all.
They worked on their Trust Hands next, in which they trace their hand, write the names of five people they trust on each finger and then write their Struggles and Successes along the top. We hung each kids hand on the wall so they could walk along and read about eachothers' problems so they would know that they were not alone in their struggles and there were other people in their lives to help them with these problems.
Two of the children wrote their struggles in English. One included being sick and his success was the day his mother came home. The other's stuggles included not having shoes and being slashed by his older brother. His success was the day his house got electricity.
It's horrifying to think of some of the things these kids have seen and experienced. Yet they remain incredibly upbeat and energetic at the camp.
My favorite part of the day was the kids' reaction to having their picture taken. They all loved to pose and mugged for the camera every opportunity they got. They would immediately swarm whoever took the picture to see how it looked before pointing, laughing and running to take another. Thobani, in particular, cracked me up. He would do pose after pose in his cool leather jacket and purple Crocs. The kid's got style, no doubt about that.
The front of the school has a stage, which has "The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams" in badly faded chalk, which somehow seems appropriate. The general outline in there; they just need someone to fill it in.
When we returned to the IOC, we were greeted by the screams of 15 orphans who were now bunking (unsupervised) in the rooms adjacent to us. We could hear them yelling and laughing in the showers and possibly using toilets for the first time. The kids would follow us everywhere and we eventually had to shoo them away as the night grew late.
I decided to ride in the back of one of the covered pick-up trucks with the IOC staff. After seeing hundreds of people packed into these trucks on the way to iNgwavuma, I figured it was the best way to really experience African travel. I jumped in with our translators: Eugen, Vusie, Falakhe and C'Sana. All three spoke Zulu the entire trip (In fact, Eugen never stopped.) I held on, smiled and did my best to follow the conversation, although I failed miserably at doing so.
After another quick stop at the SPAR for breakfast food for the kids, we drove as far as I can imagine into the countryside. The further we travelled from the market, the worse the roads became. I am using the term loosely, as it consisted of more potholes and rocks than anything. The roads also went up and down incredible inclines, sometimes higher than 45 degrees. Each nasty bump we hit was met with shouts of disapproval, laughter and pounding on the rear glass. The ride was actually a blast. Who needs Six Flags when you can pile into a Toyota and whip around coutnry roads at 60 miles an hour?
The camp is held at a small school way out in the country, which is immediately surrounded by grazing land for the local cattle. They will walk right up next to the windows and look inside. Other kids from the school also hang around outside to see what is going on.
We arrived at the camp around 9:30 to find the kids patiently sitting in their desks along the near windows (many of which were broken).
I could immediately tell how excited they were by the looks on their faces, yet they remained almost completely silent. We finished our name tags for the kids and divided them into our small groups by age and gender so each group would have an even number. My group had two girls: Nobuhle and Noxolo and three boys: Sandiso, S'phmandla and Thabiso.
The first day of camp went extremely well. The kids are incredibly well behaved. They are clearly interested in the information we are giving them, which they probably do not get from their teachers here.
They started working on their HERO books shortly before lunch, which they clearly loved. We passed out markers, colored pencils and pens and they immediately buried their heads into their work. They worked diligently for over an hour, making each drawing as perfect as possible. I wanted to tell them how incredible their drawings were (most of them were very talented), but all I could manage in Zulu was "kuhle" (Good). Thobani drew a picture of himself standing next to a car that amazed us all.
They worked on their Trust Hands next, in which they trace their hand, write the names of five people they trust on each finger and then write their Struggles and Successes along the top. We hung each kids hand on the wall so they could walk along and read about eachothers' problems so they would know that they were not alone in their struggles and there were other people in their lives to help them with these problems.
Two of the children wrote their struggles in English. One included being sick and his success was the day his mother came home. The other's stuggles included not having shoes and being slashed by his older brother. His success was the day his house got electricity.
It's horrifying to think of some of the things these kids have seen and experienced. Yet they remain incredibly upbeat and energetic at the camp.
My favorite part of the day was the kids' reaction to having their picture taken. They all loved to pose and mugged for the camera every opportunity they got. They would immediately swarm whoever took the picture to see how it looked before pointing, laughing and running to take another. Thobani, in particular, cracked me up. He would do pose after pose in his cool leather jacket and purple Crocs. The kid's got style, no doubt about that.
The front of the school has a stage, which has "The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams" in badly faded chalk, which somehow seems appropriate. The general outline in there; they just need someone to fill it in.
When we returned to the IOC, we were greeted by the screams of 15 orphans who were now bunking (unsupervised) in the rooms adjacent to us. We could hear them yelling and laughing in the showers and possibly using toilets for the first time. The kids would follow us everywhere and we eventually had to shoo them away as the night grew late.
Monday, June 30th
I awoke this morning to the energetic sounds of dogs barking, laughter and shouting in Zulu. The view from my room is absolutely amazing. We're in a green hillside, surrounded by a small village here at the iNgwavuma Orphan Care. It's funny how you can arrive somewhere in total darkness only to find it a completely different place in the morning.
We spent the rest of the day preparing the art supplies for the camp, as well as finalizing the the schedule for the next few days with Rebecca. At around 3:00 we went to SPAR, the local market, which was an absolute madhouse, because the people received their government support checks and were able to afford groceries.
We spent the rest of the day preparing the art supplies for the camp, as well as finalizing the the schedule for the next few days with Rebecca. At around 3:00 we went to SPAR, the local market, which was an absolute madhouse, because the people received their government support checks and were able to afford groceries.
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