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| View from the road my Apartment is on |
Well, I made it to lovely South Africa (SA)! What a trip! Four flights; that's 40 total hours in travel. I was welcomed to Port Elizabeth (PE) with a terrific tropical storm, so bad that it was the first flooding the Eastern Cape has experienced in the past 100 years. Good thing it was raining because once I got settled in my apartment, I was not only exhausted, but also overwhelmed. A 12 hour snooze was just what the doctor ordered and I was ready to roll for my first day on Monday, July 16th.
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| Momma's at Red Location Backpacker's Lodge |
As you all know, while in SA, I am completing the Ohio University's HIV/AIDS Education in Africa Program, which is in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). This week has been full of orientation-ish lectures and tours of campus, the local townships, and travels to places most affected by the apartheid movement and HIV/AIDS. On Monday we took a cultural tour of PE; we learned about the history of the city and its poverty, as well as the economic resources within it and the trade in and out of PE. Later, we took a tour of the local townships; this part of the tour was very sad because of all the poverty and lack of educated people; many of which are infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Imagine shacks with leaking roofs, mud floors, and no pluming...that's how many of these people live. It was really sad to see all the trash and people suffering out on the roads. We met a group of "Mommas" at the local "traveler's lodge" and they made us dinner (it was safe to eat, I promise). They told us their stories and regardless of their less than desirable living conditions and way of life, they were some of the happiest people I have ever met in my entire life. Just full of love and joy and were so happy to cook us a traditional South Africa meal to eat.
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| Ohio University group at Community Service site |
Today, (Wednesday, July 18th) the entire country of South Africa SA celebrated Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday; in celebration of this grand day, everybody in the country was suppose to devote 67 minutes of their day to community service work (67 minutes because it has been 67 years since his release from prison on Red Island). So our Ohio group, as well as about 250 other people from the community, spent the day at a local township and helped in various community efforts, such as cleaning the school, playing with children, distributing clothes, shoes, and food to nearby community members, and relief efforts due to the recent flood. I was lucky enough to get to play with the school kids and it was such a great experience :). The kids were super sweet and full of love. When I first got there, a group of 4-5 year old girls ran up to me and started hugging me; they all wanted me to hold them. No one group of people have ever been this excited to see me! Some little guys taught me how to play Cricket and even let me hit the ball a few times. The little ladies enjoyed ring around the rosie (see video below).
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| Me pitching Cricket |
After our community work was over, the principal gave us a tour of the school. He said that his teaching philosophy is made up of 3-H's: 1.) The Head because you can give a child food, clothes, and/or money, but nothing is better for him/her than knowledge. Without knowledge, they will just fall into a viscous cycle of poverty. 2.) Heart because teaching the essential curriculum helps build strong character; and 3.) Hands because they allow you to develop the skills to provide a better life for your family. He said, "You don't give poor to the poor," meaning that they deserve a great education! This message was very inspiring and made each of us feel like these children truly were getting a quality education in SA.
So, overall, I am having a great time just learning about the culture of SA! I am looking forward to Friday when I find out which NGO I will be working with for the next four weeks. Until then, I wish it would just warm up a little bit so that I can spend a few mornings running the beach! 35-60 degrees F isn't fun in July, but I can't complain, I am in Africa.
More...to..come...
