Ubuntu

For the last 11 months, I have experienced the word “community” in several different ways but every time I experience it, I think of the words “love” and “ubuntu”.  Ubuntu is an African word (and way of life) that means a person is a person through another person.  Everyone is interconnected and therefore, forms one massive community that is full of love, acceptance, and solidarity.  Every individual I met this year was full of the ubuntu sprit, from the toddlers to the Gogos and everyone in between.  My three roommates and I have also experienced ubuntu through more ways than I could ever imagine.  We walked with each other the whole year and are leaving South Africa with a love for each other that is incredibly strong and will continue to be with us throughout our lives.  In addition to my AV community, I have experience community in the South Africans I have met and interacted with.  We have been blessed to attend many dinners and parties at co-workers houses all throughout the Valley of 1000 Hills.  During these dinners, we have learned so much about the South African Government, the country, and have heard countless stories from their lives that have truly allowed us to immerse ourselves fully in the culture of South Africa and the ubuntu way of life. 

In addition to these dinners, I was blessed to attend a home church group with about 10 South Africans, both Zulu and white, from around the area.  We sat in a circle in one of the member’s living room and whoever wanted to start singing could.  The songs were both in Zulu and English and were beautiful to be a part of.  The whole evening was a beautiful example of community and love for each other.  Everyone had so much love and faith for God and especially for each other.  At the end of the night, my community members and I sat in the middle of the circle and everyone put their hands on us as they said a prayer for us and gave us their blessing for the rest of our year.  I immediately felt God’s presence surrounding me and ubuntu was everywhere.  This experience came at a time in my year that I needed extra support and guidance and this is exactly where I found it.  This group of people, who I just met when I walked in the door, was part of my community now and their supportive hands and love reached out to me and filled me with ubuntu.  I will always remember this moment as well as the countless other times I felt the love of community and ubuntu throughout my time here in South Africa.  

South African Fun Fact: Yesterday, December 4th, it was 72 degrees and sunny.  Today unfortunately its windy and rainy but that's South African weather for you!

A Thanksgiving to Remember

Back in May, I posted about a little boy Akhona, who was in my toddler room at 1000 Hills but then suddenly wasn't because of family issues.  Ever since I found out what was happening with him and his dad, I made it a goal to find him again before the end of the year and on Thanksgiving, all of my wishes came true! It was an incredible day that I will always remember and cherish for the rest of my life.  

The day started with Fikile, myself, and Akhona's dad Amon, going to the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) which has social workers on the top floor of the building.  When we got there, Fikile went in to talk to the social worker she knew while Amon and I stayed outside.  I could tell that he was nervous but excited so I decided this was going to be the perfect time to give him the pictures I had of Akhona.  I took these pictures back in February or March and wanted to give them to him before I left.  As soon as I gave him the pictures, a huge smile came on his face and he was shaking because he was so happy.  For a solid 5 minutes, Amon stared at every inch of the pictures making sure he didn't miss anything.  He spoke in Zulu to Akhona in the pictures and would kiss his face.  I managed to hear a few familiar phrases like "Ngiyathanda" I love you or "Baba" which is father but also a common nickname for children.  As he was looking at the pictures, I just stood next to him smiling with him knowing that this little boy means the world to him and he would do anything to get him back.  It was a beautiful moment that could of lasted forever.  When Fikile came back with our next steps, we stood in the queue to register but when we got to the counter, Amon realized he didn't have his ID book with him so we had to go drive to his mom's house to go get it.  After the little hiccup, we were able to go upstairs to see the social worker.  After about 10 mins of waiting in the lobby, a Zulu social worker invited us to come into her office.  When we sat down she asked what language she should speak in and I told her that English was needed for me but to please speak in Zulu for most of it because Amon was the reason we were there.  Then she asked why were there and I told her my side of the story.  I told her that I was a teacher from 1000 HCH and I had met Akhona and his dad in January.  Then when Akhona wasn't coming to school, I wanted to know what was going on so thats when Fikile and I did some investigation to find Amon and bring him here.  Then Amon told his side of the story in Zulu which involved more details about Akhona's mother who is an alcoholic and has left Akhona with the Gogo.  I don't know exactly what he said but he must have been convincing because after he was finished, the social worker filled out some paperwork with personal details and a summary of the incident.  Then she told us that she was going to write a letter that we could bring to the police station in order to remove Akhona from the Gogo's house and give him to Amon.

A side note about this story is that Zulu's are basically computer illiterate which I forgot about until 40 minutes went by and there was still no sign of the social worker.  When I asked another worker passing by, she said that they have trouble with computers and she is probably retyping the letter after her supervisor made some corrections.  Sure enough, our social worker came back 15 minutes later with a 4 sentence letter written in English stating that the child should be removed from the home because the mother's whereabouts are unknown and she is allegedly an alcoholic.  We thanked the social worker immensely and was on our way to get Akhona back.  By the time we got to the police station it was 11:45am and Fikile and I had to go back to work help with lunch/nap time.  The van with the police escort was going to take a while so we left Amon at the police station and told us to call us as soon as he was at the Gogo's house with the police.  About an hour later, we called to ask where he was and in the 2 minute conversation he had with Fikile, he said that they were at the Gogo's house but Gogo was screaming at Amon and the police about taking Akhona.  I instantly got a pit in my stomach and thought it wasn't going to work out after all of our hard work.  I said a little prayer that everything would work out and I continued playing with the kids before they went home.

About 20 minutes later, Fikile got a call from Amon saying that he was ready to be picked up at the police station but didn't mention if he had Akhona or not.  So I left 1000 Hills and started driving to the Mpumalanga police station and on the way there, Amon called me and said, "Akhona is with me, can you please fetch us?"  I told him I was on my way and an instant sigh of relief came over me.  As I drove up to the shops by the police station, I saw Amon jumping up and down with Akhona in his arms and the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face! I parked the car and got out to greet them.  Amon immediately ran up to me smiling and hugged me and kissed Akhona.  Then he kissed me on the cheek in excitement and we the three of us had a group hug right in the middle of the street.  It was an incredibly beautiful and touching moment that I will always remember.  After 6 months of not seeing his son, this awesome father (who happens to be exactly my age) was reunited with his son with the help of Fikile and I and what an amazing moment it was.  After the group hug, we got in my car with Akhona on Amon's lap (in the front seat with no car seat because that's how all of the kids ride in cars around here, on someones lap or in the back seat by themselves) and we drove to Amon's sisters house which happened to be where we went looking for Akhona back in June.  As I walked into the house behind Amon, the little girl at the door shouted "Umlungu!" which means white person in Zulu.  I was instantly welcomed into their small, one bedroom home with big smiles from both the three kids and the sister.  We sat down and Amon told his sister about how they got Akhona back and how happy he was to have him back.  The sister thanked me for helping and continued to smile at me and Akhona.  It was another beautiful moment to see how Amon showed off his son and how his sister was so happy for her brother.  

Then I drove them to his house in Inchanga and the whole way Akhona was pointing at things and saying different Zulu words and phrases.  Amon kept saying, "I am happy too much" (I am so happy) and kissing his son.  Akhona is about 6 inches taller than I remember him to be and is fatter but is also potty trained and talking more which is great to see.  I dropped them off at their house and gave Akhona a container of orange Play Dough that he loved playing with in school.  Amon's dad said thank you about 10 more times and said he was going to come to the center on Tuesday to enroll Akhona back in school.  I was more than happy to do all of this and drove away with a huge smile on my face knowing that this father and son were reunited and were both so happy.  When I first met Amon and saw how much he loved his son, I knew that he was a great parent and would take full responsibility for raising this adorable 2 year old boy.  I am so blessed and touched that I was able to be part of this experience and especially thankful that this happened before I leave to go home.  I know Amon will be an amazing dad and I hope Akhona can come to school for the last few weeks while I'm still there.  If not, I'm sure I will see him again to take pictures with him before I leave.  Please continue to pray for Amon and Akhona for their safety and well-being.  If possible, Amon is going to get sole custody of Akhona but this will be a long process that will take much longer than a couple of weeks.    Even though the whole process was long, everything was worth it in the end because Akhona and his dad are reunited and I am incredibly thankful for that and for them!

South African Fact: 60% of the families in South Africa are single parent families.  Usually they are single mothers but Amon is the exception and is going to be a great father and role model for Akhona.  Also 40% of South African families are child-headed households meaning the older children are responsible for the younger kids and the house which means they most likely aren't going to school.  

A Trip to the Farm (also a late October post)

As I've probably mentioned in previous posts, we have made some incredible friends since we have been here including coworkers.  One of the families/couples we have grown close to is Louise and Stephen who have two older sons and a daughter, Alice.  Louise works with Kellie and Kevin at the Hillcrest AIDS Center and is always graciously having us over for dinner and Sunday lunches.  Louise's family also owns a farm in the Underberg area which is about a 3 hour drive from our house.  A couple weekends ago Louise and Stephen invited us to the farm and it was a blast.  We got there around 7pm on Friday night and met Louise's aunt and uncle, Lynn and Stigg, where were supper nice and happy to have us.  We chatted for a bit and then had a delicious dinner of mince and venison lasagna with salad and bread which all came from their farm and was amazing.  After dinner, Stephen drove us to our cabin where we stayed which was right on the dam.  The drive was only about 10 minutes in the dark but on the way we saw a dika, some cattle, and a huge, crazy flock of sheep that were standing right in the middle of the road while we were trying to go by.  Stephen was an excellent driver and was able to maneuver his way around them without hitting them but we can very close at times!  The flock finally moved a way but then ran next to the car as we drove away. Needless to say, it was quite the adventure just to get to the cottage.  

The cottage we were staying at was small and adorable with no electricity and water that was heated up by a fire stove and donkey at the back of the house.  There were two bedrooms downstairs and a loft upstairs.  It was a beautiful view to wake up to the dam on Saturday morning and I was able walk around, explore the boat house and see 4 donkeys close by.  On our way back to the main house, we stopped to look at blue crane and crown cranes which hadn't been on the farm for over 50 years!! At the house we worked on an African puzzle which took forever and was really hard until lunch which was another delicious meal.  Stigg, Steve, Kellie, and Kevin went to a local bar to watch the Sharks rugby match while I stayed back to work on the puzzle.  Lynn suggested we go for a walk so we went for a walk around a small part of the 3,000 acre beautiful farm.  It was so nice to hear stories from Lynn about how they got the farm, the trees that Stigg's grandfather all planted years ago, and how Louise loved to go there when she was a little girl.  I found a porcupine quill on the walk which I brought home with me.  Since we had such a big lunch we had really good bread dipped in pesto, roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and olive oil with an Egyptian spice mix that Lynn made.  Everything was delicious of course.  After dinner we chatted for a little bit and then I drove Stigg's car back to the cabin.  We had a small run in with the sheep but I hooted and they moved out of the way pretty quickly.  It was eerie to see the darkness of the dam/farm at night but it was a cool drive.  We played a couple rounds of taboo and sat by the fire before going to bed.

Sunday we got up and went to see ancient bush paintings that were in caves on top of a hill on their farm.  We started walking towards the hill but then Steve and Stigg came with the bakkie (pick up truck) and gave us a ride all the way up the hills and mountains which would of been a nice hike if the weather was better.  The paintings were really cool and Stigg thinks they have been their for over 200 years.  When we were up in the caves, we saw a bearded eagle which was a rare sighting.  Then when we were walking back to the bakkie, it started to rain and we got stuck in a downpour and got soaked when we were standing in the truck.  When we got back, we changed, went to the main house for lunch, and then drove home.  It was a great relaxing weekend on a beautiful farm with lovely people.  I will try to post pictures soon!

South African Fact: Recently, South Africa redesigned their currency which now has brighter colors and Nelson Mandela on all of them.

Embracing a Change

As you have probably noticed from my blog, the toddler room at 1000 HCH has been my pride and joy for this year.  I have obviously loved my other two service sites as well but these toddlers have touched my heart in a special way.  All year we, the teachers and I, have worked hard to pay extra attention to the child development of these precious toddlers by establishing a routine and schedule.  Just as we were starting to master the routine of seated activities and a daily schedule, there was a big change at the center and everything was turned upside down. Ok so that might be a bit of an exaggeration but after working so hard for many months on something and then to have it change in one day, my head felt like it was spinning!  

This all happened the day the assistant director of the AVs, Hannah, was visiting 1000 HCH for the first time.  When we arrived at the center in the morning, Dawn, all of the toddler 1 kids, toddler 1 teachers, and all the toddler 2 kids and teachers were all in the toddler 2 room.  Needless to say, it was complete chaos (yes more than normal) and I had no idea what was going on.  I introduced Dawn to Hannah who then explained that they were moving everything around to make another office in the school.  Basically the baby room is now in toddler 1 room and the two toddler rooms are combined into ours.  With the combination, there were about 80 toddlers in the toddler 2 room which was insane so the oldest toddler,s who were potty trained, were moved to the school.  The teachers have also been all switched around so Fikile is now in the baby room and the toddler 1 teachers are now in our toddler room.  The toddler 1 teachers speak more English than the other ones did which is nice and will be helpful but their kids are really young and don’t even know how to stand in a line or sit nicely at a table and do puzzles.  But who am I kidding?  My toddlers barely knew how to do that before! 

The worst part about the whole change is that my favorite toddlers, the ones that knew the most and understood me the best, were the ones that went to the school.  Lindo, Luleka, Andiswa, Samkelo, and Slindile are all grown up and off to the school.  The kids who I worked so hard teaching how to count, do puzzles, and sing head, shoulders, chest and waist all in English are no longer in my room.  I am happy for them that they are in the school but it’s disappointing because the teachers in the school are just ok but sometimes are really lazy and only have the fire lite under them on Wednesdays when Julie is there to watch them.  Luckily, the school is only across the playground so I still see the kids everyday.  One of my favorite moments over the past few weeks was when I had my back to the school and I was wiping of the bikes for the kids to play on, when I felt a toddler hugging my legs.  I turned around to find Lindo squeezing my legs with the biggest smile on his face!  Every day he comes and gives me a hug which makes me feel great.  When these kids went to the school, I was so afraid they would forget me but they haven't and I am so thankful for that!

As far as the new toddler room goes, the kids are really young and I don't know most of their names but they are adorable and all have unique personalities.  It's going to be harder to teach them songs, colors, and counting but I have tried to keep an open mind and embrace this new challenge! I mean how can you not love those adorable, messy, little bundles of joy? This is new change comes only a few months before I leave 1000 HCH for the year but its what I have been called to do, so here goes nothing!

South African Fact:  Today at the center, Riaan Manser, who was the first man to cycle around Africa,  has teamed up with KFC Add Hope and is cycling 4100km across the country to spread the message of hope came to the center to film the kids and give out food to the community.

Tembe Elephant Park

After 8 months of living and working in South Africa, we have finally been on a safari and it was amazing! Last Friday we drove 5.5 hours north to Tembe Elephant Park which is on the border of Mozambique.  It was really hot when we got there and we had to take a 4x4 safari truck to the camping/lodge area after parking our car.  We were greeted by wonderful staff members who sang for us and carried our bags to our tents which had 4 beds, a toilet, and a shower.  We weren't exactly roughing it over the weekend!  After settling in we had a delicious lasagna lunch before going out on our first game drive.  Carlos was our guide/driver who was extremely knowledgeable and quite entertaining.  In our truck were three other people, two from Joberg and one ironically enough from Kloof.  The lady from Kloof was hilarious the whole weekend and made teased me when I misidentified a tree as a giraffe but I made up for it by spotting a huge elephant right in front of our truck when we came around a corner.  It was so exciting to see our first elephant that close to the truck and we acted like little kids again smiling and snapping photos.  After the elephant we saw tons of impala and nyala, which are both like deer and got rather boring after a while, giraffes in the distance and a mongoose.  Carlos told us about lala (sleep in Zulu) palms which have liquid in their branches that can turn into wine.  Apparently the elephants love to eat/drink them before they fall asleep/pass out!  After the game drive, we had dinner where our tables were decorated with flags from the countries people were from on them.  Most of them were South Africa but ours was the USA of course and there was one other one that we didn't know.  For dinner we had warthog, chicken, and veggies which was all delicious in addition to butternut squash soup and dessert.  

On Saturday we got up really early and had a light breakfast before going out on our morning game drive where we saw a bunch more impala and nyala.  We also saw giraffe, rhino, leopard, and elephant footprints which were interesting to see.  We stopped for coffee and tea where we could see the border of Mozambique in the distance.  We then left for the second part of the morning drive which was awesome because we saw 2 lion really close to our truck (one which yawned and I got a picture of it) and a herd of elephant who were playing in the lala palms.  They were ripping them down and eating them right near us.  There were young ones and adults which made for great pictures.  We spent an extra hour watching the elephants in addition to seeing African water buffalo take a mud bath.  We drove back, had breakfast, and relaxed until lunch and our evening game drive.  During the night drive we saw some zebra, which our boss Hannah was really excited about, and some birds and trees that the other people in our truck were excited about but not us.  We took some group pictures at the sunset and saw an elephant that our guide Carlos said was in heat because he could smell it from a distance which was pretty amazing.  For dinner we had broccoli soup, impala, chicken, and veggies which was again delicious.  

It rained overnight which made us think that we weren't going to be able to see any animals or go out the next morning but we were able to see some like a herd of elephant in the distance.  It rained for a little bit on the ride but it stopped after a couple of minutes which we were happy about.  On our way back, we saw a bunch of giraffes up close which was really cool.  We also saw a suni which is a really rare/small antelope.  After eating breakfast and packing up, we drove back to our car and saw warthog which we hadn't seen before.  It was an awesome weekend and even though we didn't get to see any rhino, we saw a ton of elephant and most everything else!  

Elephant Fact: Tembe is home of 3 out of the 40 tuskers in Africa.  Tuskers are HUGE elephant whose one tusk weighs 50 kg (110lbs).  Unfortunately we didn't see any of these three but we did see some massive Dumbos!!

The Beautiful Contrast between Life and Death

Before I start this post I want to apologize for not posting the whole month of August.  It was a crazy month of visitors and busy schedules so I apologize for not updating you on my life here in South Africa.  I have made it a goal to get back into blogging for the last few months I have here and will be posting a minimum of two posts per month for the rest of the year.  

As sometimes happens in our community, someone will have a great day, like I did teaching on Monday, but when you come home, you find out that someone had a hard day which was the case for Kellie and Kevin.  After telling them about my great day at Leo's, they told me that Israel, one of their AIDS patients that I had talked with and met, was dying.  Kellie said that I should go say goodbye to him on Tuesday morning when I dropped her off at work.  Kellie and Kevin spent the day saying goodbye to him which was emotional to say the least so I prepared myself to do the same the next morning.

Tuesday morning I got up and thought about what I was going to say to Israel.  Kellie and I drove down Botha's Hill to the Respite unit but on the way there, Kellie got a text message from her boss saying Israel had passed away.  The rest of the car ride was silent until we pulled into the driveway and I asked if I could come in and say something outside of his room.  When we walked into the unit, his body had already been moved out of his room and into the chapel.  Kellie and I went into the chapel and saw Israel's body wrapped in a sheet on the gurney.  I immediately teared up knowing that the person under the sheet was someone I knew and talked with just a couple of weeks earlier.  After a moment of silence I was able to speak to him through my tears.  I told him that I was happy to have known him and be a part of his life even though it was very brief.  I ensured him that he would be missed by me, his family, and his friends.  I told him to go well and remember that he is loved.  I told him to watch over his wife and kids from heaven.  I then prayed to Go that He would embrace him with love and compassion into his Kingdom.  It was a powerful experience saying these words and praying over Israel knowing that a friend just lost the battle with AIDS.  The room felt empty knowing that he was no longer with us but also full of love and comfort from Kellie and God who were there to help me grieve and remember Israel.  

When I met Israel in June at the Respite Center, he spoke English and told me all about his life.  He told me that he was from Zimbabwe, he's a twin, and he had been in South Africa for 5 years.  He has a wife and two sons who are in South Africa with him.  He asked me to pray for his legs to get better and for Zimbabwe as a country.  Israel also told me that he worked at the 1000 Hills Craft Village right up the road from our house and I told him I would come visit him when he got better and went back to work.  I remember enjoying our conversation and being happy to talk with and get to know my first patient at the Respite unit.  I had visited the center many other times and met patients briefly but Israel was the first patient I really got to know and spend time with even though it was brief.  Throughout the next couple of months at Respite, I saw Israel a couple of times but always heard how he was doing and updates from Kellie and Kevin. A couple of weeks ago, Israel had been moved to a private room because he wasn't doing well; his TB had become worse and the nurses didn't want him affecting other patients.  I didn't see him in the private room which I regret now but I continued to pray for him, his health, and his family.  The day before Israel died Kellie found out that his wife was struggling to forgive him for the lifestyle he chose and the effects his decline in health had on him and his family.  The decline in his health was the reason the wife needed to be around to help with appointments and treatments and the reason he was sick was because of the lifestyle he chose that she didn't agree with.  His wife struggled to forgive him with all he had put her through and the pain he caused her but also knowing that she still loved him and cared about him.  No one knows whether the forgiveness came but I pray and hope that both of them had peace for his passing.  

Our conversations that one day were brief but meaningful because that is what I remember about Israel and believe that is how he wanted to be remembered instead of his sick and unhealthy last moments.  I remember him talking so fondly of his wife and kids and how hopeful he was that he was going to get better and go back to work.  I remember him talking about his beautiful country Zimbabwe and how he missed it but was happy to be in South Africa.  It was hard for me to say goodbye to Israel on Tuesday but I hope that he heard what I said and he knows how much I cared about him even if our friendship was brief.  Even though he is gone, I know that he is in a happier place now and his struggle and suffering over.  

After an emotional morning, it was difficult to go to 1000 Hills and put on a happy face for the kids but I knew it is what I had to do.  I spent the drive to Inchanga reflecting and praying.  As I pulled into the center, I tried to put on a smile and wave to everyone but I was still sad and grieving.  Then when I walked into the classroom, I was immediately greeted by smiling, happy toddlers who were full of life and happy to see me.  I immediately smiled and saw the direct contrast between life and death.  Life of these toddlers was beautiful and happy while the death and suffering of Israel was sad and emotional but I am blessed to experience both in this powerful contrast.  As I walked into the classroom and said hello to the toddlers, I reflected on the life of these kids and the death of so many AIDS patients.  I thought about all of the kids at 1000 Hills and in the Valley that don't have their parents or their father because they have died.  Why are there so many of these kids without parents in South Africa and around the world?  Why is AIDS so prevalent in the KwaZulu-Natal province?  These are questions we ask ourselves everyday but everyday there is so much joy and life around us in the kids that we interact with and the people we meet.  The toddlers and learners who come to school everyday may have numerous struggles at home but when they come to school they should be able to play, laugh, and be loved by everyone around them.  I pray that the sickness and sadness around the world will end but until it does, we must focus on happiness and liveliness of children and the joy they bring to the world.  We must fight for a better world free from sickness and sadness but also for better education and support for our children. 

The beautiful contrast between life and death surround us in South Africa every day.  There are thousands of people dying of AIDS but thousands of kids that are running around the schools happy as can be.  Life and death is a reality we all face everyday but I encourage you all to embrace them both.  Remember and love our friends and family who have died or will die and embrace and cherish the people in your life who are alive.  Take time to reflect upon this reality and know that this contrast is hard at times but beautiful at others.

South African Fact: The province of KwaZulu-Natal has the highest rate of HIV in South Africa but the rate of HIV/AIDS has declined in the past 4 years in South Africa and is continuing to decline.

Manqoba

It's a miracle! Two posts in one day! Even though I have met my minimum for the month, I will most likely do one more before the month is over.  

In the beginning of July, a little boy named Manqoba came into our class at 1000 Hills.  Fikile carried him in and said he was paralyzed but I found out that he has cerebral palsy that affects his right leg and right arm.  Fikile had no clue what to do with him and had to go to a workshop so she just handed him to me.  The first week or two he was in our classroom, he was so nervous, didn't speak, and clenched onto whoever was holding him's clothes.  For the month of July, there were two girls from England, Mel and Hannah, who came to 1000 Hills to volunteer for the month.  They were in my classroom for most of the time and were a huge help with all of the kids.  Mel's brother has cerebral palsy so as soon as she saw Manqoba and learned about him, she instantly smiled and took him as her mission.  She knew exercises and stretches for his legs, arms, and hands that really helped him stretch out and be able to move more easily. It was a challenge at first to get him used to the classroom because he had never been at school before or around that many kids.  With a little love in encouragement, he fit right in to the class.  By the second week, Manqoba was making friends, playing on the bikes with the other kids, and eating on his own.  One of the biggest struggles was getting him home in the afternoon.  His father arranged for him to go home on the 1000 Hills transport kombi (a taxi van which are crazy and unsafe on the roads but this one is obviously safe since it is from the center).  After spending all day with Mel and getting to know her, leaving at the end of the day was really hard and scary for our little Manqoba.  The first week we didn't know anything was wrong so he just went back and forth to school in the kombi with what we thought was with ease but after one of the adults that goes with them said that he cries the whole time, we had to change our plan.  So one day Mel and I went with the transport to bring all of the kids home.  It was quite the experience riding in the kombi with all of the kids and seeing where they lived.  Luleka and Andsiwa, two of my favorite girls, were on the bus and they live right near each other which is really cute because they are great friends in school.  Of course there couldn't be a normal, no problem transport with us there because when there were 4 kids left, we had to switch to the ambulance that came to meet us in the middle of our route because the van was running low on petrol.  It was quite the bumpy ride in the back of the ambulance but thankfully Manqoba sat up front with Mel.  When we got to his house, we were hoping to talk to his dad but there was only an older sibling so we dropped him off and told the kid that there was a note for the dad in Manqoba's bag.  

Throughout the whole month of July, Manqoba made lots of new friends, especially Reabetsoe and Olwethu, and has fit in very well with our class.  He is starting to talk and count and loves playing with a small ball and throwing it.  Mel was a great help to Manqoba and a perfect fit for him to help get adjusted into our classroom.  Unfortunately Mel and Hannah were only here for the month of July but we thank them tremendously for their support and help throughout the month.  Manqoba and the rest of the kids miss you both but are doing well thanks to your help!  In addition to Manqoba being a great addition to our class, he is going to physiotherapy on Wednesdays at St. Mary's Hospital and Friday afternoons at Ethembeni School which is right behind the 1000 Hills center. I have had the opportunity to go with him and Mthi, a Zulu teacher in our room, to the sessions on Friday afternoons and it is amazing to see what they can do.  They usually start by stretching him out and making sure his muscles are nice and loose.  For the first couple of weeks, the therapists were working on his right hand that is constantly in a fist and his right arm that is always bent.  The therapists showed Mthi and I exercises we can do to help stretch it out which has been great.  Manqoba's physiotherapy sessions on Fridays are always a great way to end the week because they inspire me that kids can do anything no matter what their physical or emotional disability are. After only two sessions with the therapists and our stretching throughout the week, Manqoba was able to open his right hand with both our help and him opening it himself with his left hand.  It was truly amazing to see this transformation and to continue to see him stop what he's doing to open his right hand before continuing on crawling or playing.  Sometimes he does get distracted with something he is doing with his left hand that the right hand closes again but most of the time you just have to say "Manqoba, open your hand" and show him your hand before he stops and opens his own hand.  I had never been to physiotherapy sessions before but I'm glad Manqoba has given me the opportunity because the work the therapists and Manqoba are doing are simply amazing!  Manqoba is a perfect example of how much life and energy toddlers have and the joy they experience everyday.  Manqoba has a dad who loves him and did a great job of bringing him to school and getting him enrolled in physiotherapy.  I am excited to see how Manqoba improves throughout the rest of the year both in school and with his therapy.


South African Fact:  "Established in 1984, Ethembeni School serves 300 physically disabled and visually impaired children from all over Kwazulu-Natal, Kingdom of the Zulu (South Africa), educating them to reach their highest potential and to become independent and responsible citizens of the community.  The name Ethembeni means “Place of Hope” and the motto Phila Ufunde – Live and Learn. At Ethembeni 300 beautiful children live, learn, and give us joy and hope."

Sue Moretti and Company Come to South Africa

I apologize profusely to all of my readers for taking a month off from blogging in between posts but as you can tell from the title, my mom had to make it to South Africa before this post could be written!  Even though she was only with me for about 4 days before she went to Cape Town, there was no shortness of adventures, laughter, tears, and love.  For all of you who know the Moretti's, there would be no story without all of these things I just listed so I welcome you to another crazy story of two Moretti's in South Africa!


On Friday July 20th at approximately 1pm, Sue Moretti, Mary Brown, and Donna Hartford arrived at King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa.  They had a smooth journey until they got to Johannesburg where their short flight to Durban was delayed due to "intercom malfunctions."  I anxiously waited outside of baggage claim and as soon as the screen said the flight had landed, I walked over to the bars that were right in front of the doors for baggage claim.  Again I anxiously waited to see them through the automatic doors that opened when people were leaving after they got their bags.  After patiently waiting at the barrier in front of the doors, I saw my mom and Donna walk from the right to left to get their bags and I instantly climbed through the barrier and attempted to get through the doors but was immediately stopped by the security guard who said I couldn't go through that way.  After telling him that my mom was right inside and pointing to her, he still refused and I was forced to walk back behind the barrier completely embarrassed and my heart racing 100 miles an hour.  The guy standing next to me was very nice and told me I should try to sneak through the other door when he wasn't looking.  I told him I didn't want to take the chance of getting in trouble again and climbed back on the other side of the barrier.  Luckily, the wait wasn't too long and before I knew it I saw my mom through the automatic doors and their were instant tears on both sides.  As soon as she got inches out of the doorway, I climbed through the barrier and ran towards my mom instantly embracing her.  The tears instantly starting flowing on both of us and it was like we hadn't seen each other in years when it was really only 6 months.  It's always great to see a person you haven't seen in a while but to hug my mom in the South Africa airport was incredible and some what unbelievable for a minute or two!  After the initial shock wore off of them being in South Africa, we rented a phone in a store in the airport and then had the difficult task of fitting all of their suitcases in the boot (trunk) of our very small car.  The drive home was full of questions, conversations, and many gasps from my passengers who were thoroughly confused about which side of the rode I was on and the driving I was doing.  Luckily the conversation kept going on and there was only one minor incident with two big trucks before we made it to the Hillcrest AIDS Center.  


The original plan was to stop at my house, drop off their bags, and then go to the Center but since their flight was delayed we didn't make it there.  At the AIDS Center, Mom, Mary, and Donna met Kevin and Kellie as well as Olivia the CEO who gave us a great talk about the history of the center and how it all got started/how it came to be what it is today.  Nothing like throwing them into the culture of South Africa by bringing them to the AIDS center as their first stop after the airport, huh?  The information Olivia presented was very helpful to the ladies who knew about the HIV AIDS epidemic but didn't know specific states and programs that helped the patients.  The tour ended at Woza Moya, which is the gift shop, where the ladies were amazed with everything in the store and said they wanted to "buy one of everything."  Luckily they didn't but my mom, Donna, and I each gave a pair of shoes to be beaded by Lindiwe, one of the beaders who beads necklaces, shoes, etc. for a living.  She has young children and the beading of the shoes is her sole source of income.  I will be sure to post pictures of them after we get them back.  After shopping for a little bit, we drove to my house to drop off the bags but before we could get into the house, the ladies were drawn to and overwhelmed by the amazing view that surrounds our property.  Pictures were taken, mouths were wide open in awe, and smiles were on all of their faces when they realized that they were really in South Africa looking at this amazing view I have been raving about for months.  Throughout the weekend, Mary, Donna, and my mom would each be found wondering the grounds looking at the beautiful, breathtaking valley.  After some pictures, unloading the car, and meeting Matt, we were off to an eventful food drop in the Valley with Baba Benjie.  The drive to the houses that are receiving the parcels is a steep, windy downhill road that brings you deep into one part of the valley.  The car I was driving is very old and just drove back to and from the airport.  At the bottom of the really long hill, Baba pulled over to drop someone off and I pulled up right behind him only to find out that the car I was driving was smoking from under the hood.  I immediately panicked because our community track record with the cars is not good and because we were in the Valley.  I was annoyed with the car and that the food drop wasn't going to happen but our safety and the car became our main priority.  Long story short, we got the car home safely after all of my roommates coming out to help.  After a crazy day, we all enjoyed a much needed drink or two and a delicious homemade Mexican dinner. My mom, Mary, and Donna stayed up until around 9pm which was longer than I expected but they were asleep as soon as their head hit the pillows.  


Since we only had four days to fit everything in, the mornings were rather early which wasn't really expected for a vacation.  Jetlag caused Saturday morning to be a little later than we scheduled for but still left us with plenty of time to go to Shongweni Market down the hill from my house.  The ladies loved this market even more than Woza Moya and insisted on going back when they come back for a day before they fly home.  Mary and Donna were persuaded by South African grammar schools learners who were raising money to save the rhinos by selling personal artwork they made about the rhino poaching.  Mom and I bought homemade wallets and the ladies all bought a piece of jewelry.  After the market we drove into Durban to visit the Botanic gardens, the Victoria Street Market, and of course the Indian Ocean and beach.  The Google directions I printed to the Botanic gardens were completely wrong and we ended up getting a police escort after he realized I had no clue where anything was in Durban when I asked him for directions.  My mom thought this was hilarious and of course has a picture to prove it.  The gardens were beautiful and we enjoyed a nice cup of tea, scones, and crumpets in the Tea Garden after sneaking a peek at a wedding that was taking place in the amphitheater near by.  The next stop was the Workshop which is a shopping center with restaurants, stores, and frequent outside performances on the weekends.  After paying a fake parking attendant 12 rand because we foolishly didn't realize you didn't have to pay on Saturdays and the parking meter wasn't really broken, we watched part of the Durban Christian Centre's performance before going to get lunch.  I don't know if I have mentioned this in a previous blog but Durban is known for a dish called Bunny Chow which is a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry.  The dish originated by the Indian community in Durban and is a must have for all visitors and locals.  Of course we all had to have one for lunch!  I had a quarter chicken bunny and the ladies all had quarter vegetable bunnies.  Mary is the only one that can handle spicy food so she was the only one not dying from the curry!  Even though it is so spicy to some that it clears your sinuses out, it is still a delicious meal and a definite must have for everyone who visits Durban.  


After lunch we walked around Victoria Street Market which was not as impressive as Shongweni and the ladies were very confused about having to pay to use the toilet.  It is a famous market in Durban so I'm glad I took them there but Shongweni more.  The last stop was the beach where my mom insisted on taking a rickshaw ride, which was another "must do" in her South Africa tourist book.  It was super embarrassing and we completely overpaid for the 10 minute ride but my mom really wanted to do so the nice daughter was dragged with her.  At least now I can say that I rode one if anyone ever asks!  The water was really warm and even though we didn't swim, we all got pictures standing in the Indian Ocean and even one of a wave splashing all of us which the Zulu woman taking our picture thought was hilarious.  After the wave disaster, we walked along the pier, watched the surfers, and took pictures of the World Cup soccer stadium.  Then we drove home, took showers, and had some drinks and snacks before going out to dinner with my roommates. The seven of us went to a really nice seafood and Italian restaurant called Olive and Oil which is 10 minutes down the road from our house.  When Kevin ordered his lamb chops, Matt "bahed" like a sheep next to him which the waiter thought was hilarious and burst out into laughter after being so professional taking the other orders.  Thank goodness the food was all delicious because we had to wait an hour for all of our meals and they gave us the wrong first bottle of red wine.  When we got the bill, the more expensive wine was missing so we figured we got it for free because the waiter messed up on the first bottle and/or our food took so long.  In the end, it was a great evening with my roommates, my mom, Donna, and Mary.  Our meals were delicious and it became another story to add to our list.


Sunday my mom, Mary, Donna, Kevin, and I went to Mugg and Bean for breakfast before the Zulu mass at St. Leo.  The ladies were overwhelmed by the beautiful singing of the choir and the Zulu people.  All of them were in tears at different points throughout the service.  It was an amazing experience for them all that allowed them to experience the beauty of the Zulu culture and share in their experience of faith and spirituality.  Even though the Zulu mass is about 2 hours long and you can't understand anything that they are saying, the experience of the mass and the singing is beautiful and amazing.  My mom was actually speechless for a while when Matt and Kellie asked how it was when we were back at the house.  This was another must do for them when they were here and I am so pleased that they enjoyed the experience and were able to feel the emotion and spirituality throughout the mass.  Even though my community and I only attend these services once a month, I am always blown away by the singing and the faith I feel when I am there.  The first mass we went to in January, I realized how amazing the Zulu people are in their faith and especially musically.  Not only does the choir sing in perfect harmony but so does the entire congregation.  It is an extremely breathtaking and life giving experience to attend one of these masses and be surrounded to so much beauty and love.  After the mass, we went for a hike at the Giba Gorge Mountain Bike Park which was recommended by Brother Craig who served here until a few months ago.  The park was in the middle of no where but situated in a beautiful gorge surrounded by hills, trees, monkeys, and a small waterfall/stream.  It was very peaceful and relaxing to be outside and experience nature in South Africa.  In the evening, we had dinner at my house with my roommates and went to bed early in order to mentally and physically prepare ourselves for the next day.


Monday the four of us (my mom, Donna, Mary, and myself) went to St. Leo Primary School to teach grade 6.  We arrived just in time for the morning assembly where the learners sang their songs and did their prayers.  Then the crazy day of teaching began when the first group came into the classroom.  Mary had made and brought flash cards with different pictures of things you would find around the house since that is my "theme" for this semester. A couple of weeks before they came, Matt had found homemade posters of different rooms of a house including the kitchen, bedroom, living room (the learners called it a sitting room), and a bathroom.  For each class we focused on a different room of the house and used the flash cards to match the words to the parts on the pictures.  Since my mom and Mary are teachers, they were great at coming up with games and helping teach some of the classes.  Donna also helped by handing out cards and helping some of the learners who were struggling when writing sentences.  All of the kids loved the lesson and games especially when they found out they got candy at the end!  It was great to have these ladies here to help me teach but also to get ideas for future classes and lessons.  I loved watching my mom teach and interact with all my learners; she is such a natural teacher and jumped right into the lesson of the day.  Throughout the day and at break, they met some of the grade 7 learners as well as Teddie and Tariki who are Tia's brothers, who is one of my advanced grade 6 learners.  Tia, Teddie, and Tariki are all native English speakers who recently moved to the Molweni area and St. Leo.  Mary, Donna, and my mom all experienced the craziness of the school and the unorganized grade R class that is on the other side of the library.  Mary was especially shocked to see the grade R teacher sitting on a chair in the classroom sucking on a lollipop while the kids ran around the room screaming which is not surprising for me to see.  By the end of the day, Mary gathered some grade R and grade 1 kids and sat on the ground outside the classroom to read books to them and keep them occupied until the end of the day.  Tariki was right next to her the whole time reading with her and pointing out different things in the book that he knew.  The kids were all sad to know that they weren't coming back the next day but enjoyed meeting them and getting the treats.  

After a long day of teaching, we drove back to my house, changed our clothes, and grabbed a snack before driving to St. Theresa's.  The ladies had also brought candy for each of the cottages we help out in which all of the boys loved.  For some reason my cottage 3 boys were unusually quiet which part of the reason might have been because we gave them candy but also because they were meeting new people.  This was another emotional experience for the ladies because I told them about some of the boys situations but I reassured them of the great support they received from the aunties and uncles that work there and help them.  They got to meet the infamous, adorable Luke who was extremely polite.  After the long day, we came home and Mary, Donna, and my mom made dinner for all of us which included Pop-pop's cranberry chicken, a minestrone soup, and salad. It was great to talk with my roommates and relax a little from the long day while the ladies kindly made dinner.  We all sat near the kitchen and talked while they prepared the dinner and enjoyed a great conversation about St. Leo and other questions they had about South Africa.  My mom also taught me how to make homemade Play Dough which everyone was impressed with when it was finished.


Tuesday was their last day in Durban before they flew off to Cape Town.  We got up early and drove to 1000 Hills Community Helpers which I warned them was going to be a windy journey on Old Main Road.  I gave them a brief tour and explanation of the center before they did some shopping in the gift shop and met Dawn, the founder of the center.  My mom got teary eyed when Dawn said I was a special person and have been an amazing help to the center and especially the toddlers.  This was also great for me to hear because Dawn is often very busy and has never expressed her appreciation before.  The community center holds a special place in my heart and I am so blessed to be able to make a difference in the toddlers lives as well as other people at the center such as Dawn.  After a walk through the kitchen and school, we walked to my room where we were all greeted by 35 smiling and overexcited toddlers who waved and attacked us with hugs as soon as we stepped on the veranda.  There were instant smiles on my mom's, Donna's, and Mary's faces as there is every Tuesday and Thursday on mine.  They didn't even get in the classroom before they were picking kids up and giving them hugs.  It was adorable to see them attacked and how happy the ladies were to be with these toddlers.  After we finally got in the classroom, we put our bags down and the Zulu teachers sang some of the Zulu and English songs we sing every morning.  My mom was especially excited to hear head, shoulders, knees, and toes as well as "if you are happy and you know it."  We also tried to have small group story time with the books my mom brought ("If you give a moose a muffin," "If you give a mouse a cookie," and "If you give a pig a pancake) but my toddlers never have circle/story time so it was little chaotic to say the least. Since the sitting, story time was a disaster, we decided to take the kids outside on the pavement to do their "tag circle" game but instead it ended up being just a few kids running around inside the circle and a few of them dancing in the middle.   After songs were sung and prayers were finished, the craziness of breakfast began but the ladies were amazing and stepped right in to help feed the kids who needed help and disciple the ones who were stealing food or making an unnecessary mess.  After breakfast we had to change the kids into their 1000 Hills shirts and name tags for the "party" a sponsor was giving that day. At some point in the morning, there were two tiny babies that were brought in to be taken care of by two girls from England who were volunteering in our room for the month of July.  One of them was a premature twin whose brother died at birth and whose mother was in the hospital because of a hemorrhage.  The other baby had fetal alcohol syndrome and was just dropped of to the center on Tuesday morning because his mother had died of alcohol abuse and the grandfather couldn't take care of him.  Mary instantly fell in love with this baby and held him for most of the morning while the kids played outside on the playground.  She even mentioned adopting him but didn't think her husband would be too happy if she came home from South Africa with a two week old baby!  After the room was cleaned up, we set up tables for Play Dough, puzzles, and other activities like building blocks and Mr. Potato head.  All of the kids wanted to play with the homemade Play Dough so we split it up into a couple of different tables.  Donna had a tough table of kids that included Figi's nephew Minehle who is always a trouble makers.  Since the three of them didn't know Zulu, it was hard to communicate with the kids and discipline them but luckily I was able to walk around the room and yell at the kids that were misbehaving.  The activities went really well, besides a few troublemakers, and my mom had great success with one little girl Reabetsoe who is usually really quiet and always has her fingers in her mouth.  Unfortunately the activities were interrupted when the sponsors came in and gave the kids marshmallows and then called them to the pavement for cake and juice 30 minutes before they were supposed to eat lunch.  It was annoying to have this interruption but the ladies still got a good amount of time interacting with the toddlers before it was time for lunch.  The lunch/nap routine was a little messed up because of the party and because the ladies wanted to spend a little more time with the kids before we had to leave.  The Zulu teachers didn't do much all day but it was probably because there were three extra adults in the classroom who jumped right in to interacting with the kids and helping them in any way that they could.  After the kids ate lunch, we scarfed down some samp, beans, and rice before we had to leave for the airport.  


As you can see, the short time the ladies spent here was packed full of activities and people to meet.  Even though we were all exhausted at the end of it, I wouldn't do anything differently and I don't think the three of them would either.  During their time with me, they were able to see Durban and do touristy things as well as experiencing the Zulu culture and my service sites, which I think was the most important part.  Looking back on their visit, I feel incredibly blessed that they were able to help out at all of my service sites and experience first hand what I do each day.  I was so happy to share the joys of my experience with them and to show them first hand why I love South Africa and the people so much.  As I drove them to the airport, I told them that this is the type of trip and experience that will be life changing and memorable for a long time.  They probably won't realize the effect each experience and person had on their life and their personal emotions until a few weeks from now when they are back in the States and living out their everyday routine.  I am so thankful for them helping in every way possible and for them keeping an open mind and heart to everyone they met.  Their time in Cape Town and on the safari is a well deserved rest and time for relaxation.  I am excited for them to come back on Friday and hear about all of their adventures! Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures here or on my mom's Facebook sometime soon! I can't thank you enough Mom, Mary, and Donna for visiting me and experiencing South Africa with me and my roommates.  I love you all and are so blessed to know that South Africa has left a place in your heart like it has been in mine all this time!


South African Fact: The Zulu mothers name their babies according to the emotion they are feeling when they are giving birth.  Most of the time they are positive names and feelings like Sipho ("gift") and Siyabonga ("we thank you") but some are negative like Xolisile ("we are sorry).

AV blog post

Sorry for the delay in blog posting everyone. Things have been crazy busy.  Below is the post I wrote for the AV blog to hold you over until my next one which will be coming sometime this week.  Enjoy!

For the past five months of living in South Africa, I have found many differences between living in the United States and here.  In the United States, we drive on the right hand side of the road and the driver sits on the right side of the car; in South Africa it is completely opposite.  On the side of the road here you will find monkeys, instead of squirrels.  These differences are apparent to anyone who comes here, but a less obvious difference is the discrepancy in beliefs about child rearing.  It is common knowledge for most Americans that between the ages of 0 to 5 years old, children's brains are like sponges.  This is a crucial stage in a child's life where they to learn how to speak, interact, and explore at that young age.  Since serving at 1000 Hills Community Helpers in the toddler room, I have learned that the Zulu women believe that you should not interact with any child until they are of school age and their baby teeth have fallen out.  This statement has baffled me and may be a cultural difference I will never fully understand.  On my first day my co-worker Julie showed me the toddler room and explained to me these Zulu beliefs in child rearing.  Since we agreed that child development at this young age is essential, she asked me to help explain to the Zulu teachers in my classroom how to interact with the children through the use of puzzles, games, drawings, and other activities.  At first, I was hesitant to step in and restructure the entire classroom for fear that I would be overtaking the role of Fikile, the main teacher, and the other Zulu women in the classroom who have been there for years.  The language barrier prevented me from clearly communicating my task in a way that helped the teachers realize the importance of interacting with the toddlers without potentially offending their cultural beliefs. 

On a typical day there is a two hour time period used for singing songs, playing with puzzles and other educational toys, and playing outside.  While I would prefer to have each teacher sit at a table with 4-5 toddlers and do a specific activity, the Zulu teachers would prefer to let the kids play on the veranda with little toys or run around on the playground while they sit and talk amongst themselves.  It is frustrating for me to see this passive behavior, or their indifference to the children hitting each other with toys, but then I remember the cultural differences and how they are not educated to be teachers.  Many of them are working at the center because it pays well and they need the money to support their families.  Their main focus is not on the toddlers’ development but on making sure there is food on the table and clothes for their children to wear.  What right do I have to come into their classroom with my American education and restructure their routine?  The challenge comes in finding a balance between my ideas on child development and the inborn cultural beliefs of the Zulus.  It is completely natural for me to sit on floor with the kids or help them down the slide, but for the Zulu teachers this is not the norm.  

It has not been easy balancing my thoughts and actions as a volunteer with the Zulu culture of education, but my communication with the teachers has been more open and they have started to see the importance of structured activities.  Whether it is their joking about me being the main teacher or looking to me for the next song to sing, the Zulu teachers and I have established a mutual respect for each other and our mission to help these precious toddlers.  The smiles on their faces and the energy they have every day is what inspires me to push for a structured environment.  I truly believe that these children are the future of South Africa and deserve to have someone who pays attention to them and cares about their development.  At home, these toddlers may not have enough food to eat or clean clothes to wear, but at school those worries should be put on hold so they so they can be happy little smiling toddlers who hold the future of this country in their hands.  

Akhona: the love of my life

                                                       

As you have seen in past blogs, there is a little boy at 1000 Hills whose name is Akhona.  As soon as I saw him the first day, I thought he looked exactly like Shrek's babies from the movie and everyone who has seen him in person has agreed.  Akhona is this adorable little toddler who just turned 2 in April and loves every part of being at 1000 Hills.  He can be sweat and innocent one minute but then very aggressive the next.  Akhona is the sweatest thing you will ever see when he is napping with his butt up in the air but is a trouble maker when he doesn't understand the concept of sharing and hits other kids in order to get his way.  He is one of the smallest kids in the class but also one of the most active.  Akhona is always running around with the twins Kwanele and Anele and trying to steal toys from all the girls which then makes them cry.  He rarely pays attention and participates during song time but always feeds himself both breakfast and lunch while making a huge mess over himself, the table, and everywhere else around him.  He tries to eat the Play Dough but loves everything about the playground.  In February, he was scared to go down the slide or sit on the swings but now he runs around with all of the kids in our class and the older kids flying down the slide and pushing kids off the swing so he can have a turn.  Akhona is always the biggest entertainment of the classroom.  One of my favorite memories of him is when I made name tags for all of the kids so I could know their names.  The first day we put them on all of the kids, Akhona was the only one who tried to take his off as soon as it was put on his shirt.  We even tried to put it on his shoulder which he still found a way to take it off.  Our last resort was to put it on the back of his shirt so he couldn't reach it and this became the ongoing joke between the teachers and I whenever we used the name tags. 

Going down the side

So happy!

Akhona is a great kid in so many ways but his family story is not.  Akhona’s dad usually is the one who brings him to the center and drops him off in the mornings and picks him up in the afternoon.  I always smile when I see Akhona’s dad walking up with him in his arms.  Usually our exchange is just a “Sawubona Unjani? Ngiyaphila” (hello, how are you, I’m fine) before he leaves and Akhona is off playing with the other kids.  My first impression of him was that he was nice and responsible for bringing him every day.  A month or so in, Dawn told me that Akhona does not have a mom and it is only his dad that he is taking care of him.  This is when I became known as Akhona’s “mom” both by the teachers in the Toddler room and Akhona himself.  One day when I came late to work, the kids were out on the porch when I walked up and Akhona comes right up to me with a toy and says “Ma!” and holds it up.  It was so cute to hear and I instantly gave him a kiss on the cheek and a big smile.  I would love to be his "mom" and give him a great life but I know that can't happen so I just need to give him as much love as possible whenever I see him.  All these toddlers want is love and attention and when they don't get it, they can sometimes get aggressive and hostile towards each other and the teachers.  There have been days when Akhona is really aggressive with both me and the other kids.  He has hit and scratched me a couple of times and even bit one of the other kids.  This behavior can be connected with being a toddler but I also think it has a lot to do with his family situation and the fighting he sees at home.  It is sad to see how aggressive he can get towards other people when he doesn't understand what he is doing or the consequences of his actions.  Another sad part about Akhona's life is how dirty he is when he comes to school.  He is usually always in the same clothes that consist of an old pair of green sweatpants and a sweatshirt with some tshirt underneath.  One day in April, Akhona came to school really dirty both with clothes and in his nappie (diaper).  Fikile brought him over to me and showed me how dirty he was.  She then gave him a bath and gave him some of the uniform clothes to wear for the day.  I asked her to talk to his dad when he picked him up in the afternoon.  My question was about the policy the community center had for situations like this.  Who should I tell or what should I do?  That afternoon I told Dawn about him coming to school dirty and she said that the center has extra clothes to give these types of kids but unfortunately, I don't know if Akhona ever got these clothes.

The messiest eater in class

Akhona's runny nose

       
Recently, Akhona has been absent from school without anyone really knowing why.  Two weeks ago, I found out that Akhona's dad doesn't have a job therefore he doesn't have money to pay for school or food.  I was so sad when I found this out and wanted to help in anyway.  I prayed that his dad would find a job and he could come back to school.  My prayers were answered last Tuesday when I was sitting on the floor playing with some of the others kids when I heard one of the teachers say "Janine, Akhona" in their broken English.  I looked up to see him walking towards me which made me smile from ear to ear.  I immediately picked him up and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  Unfortunately, the story now takes a turn for the worse.  On Thursday of last week, I found out that Akhona's dad lives with Akhona's "step mom" (which could just be a girlfriend but I will probably never know).  A couple of months ago, Akhona's dad hit the "step mom" and was given a court date but he didn't show up for it so the police came to their house on Wednesday night and arrested him.  Since that happened, Akhona wasn't in school on Thursday.  Fikile didn't know where Akhona was currently and I was extremely worried about him.  Dawn called the police and had Fikile talk to them and tell them what she knew.  Fikile said that she knows where the family lives and was going to go over there this weekend to talk to them.  If she found Akhona, she was going to bring him to her house and get in touch with Dawn.  When I went to 1000 Hills on Tuesday, I learned that Akhona is living with his grandmother in Hammersdale which is near Inchanga and is most likely not coming back to the community center, according to Fikile.  I was very sad to hear this for selfish reasons because I love Akhona so much and want him learn and grow but I am glad he is safe.  Today I tried to get a contact number for his grandmother so I can go visit him and give him some Play Dough if he isn't coming back to school.  The numbers were both disconnected but Fikile knows where the grandmother stays so we are going to go to the house on Tuesday to see him.  Hopefully someone there speaks English so I can either find a way for him to come back to school or be able to make monthly visits to see him.

                                     


                                      

The moment I met Akhona I fell in love with him and wanted to have him as my own.  I was inspired by the care I thought he was getting from his father but I am now at a crossroads of what to do knowing the situation.  People and children move around all the time in these communities and most of the time the children stay within the family if the parents aren't around.  I am glad that Akhona has a grandmother to take care of him but I worry about the well being of both him and the Gogo (Zulu for grandmother).  I fear that his Gogo will be overwhelmed with how rambunctious and active he is that she will have to find another living situation for him.  I pray that this is not the case.  I also hope that there is a way for him to come back to class because I feel a strong calling towards this little bundle of joy to help him learn and grow at the community center.  From the times he feel asleep on me to the trying to eat the Play Dough, from him stealing my water bottle from the closet and struggling to carry it all the way out to the main room without getting caught to crawling under the table to get more food, from picking him up over my head and having him giggle to him refusing to sleep at nap time and having to be moved to his own mattress, I will always love and remember the times I have had with him.  Until I see him again either at his house or back at 1000 Hills, I will pray for him and love him with every bit of my heart.  I promise to keep you all updated on my little baby Akhona but please say a prayer for him, his family, and all the other children of South Africa.     


South African/American Fact: This past week and this current week, there are two groups of students here to volunteer. The first is a group of Villanova Nurses and the second is a group of seniors from Malvern  Prep High school.  We are excited to have them here and share the joy of South Africa with them.  

Sihle

People always tell you that you shouldn't pick favorites but sometimes you just have to.  Sihle is one of my favorite boys at St. Theresa's home in East Durban.  He is the only boy in Cottage 3 that always has homework no matter what.  Sometimes it is Afrikaans, maths, history, or Life Orientation which usually involves cutting out pictures of food or words from magazines and pasting them on a piece of paper.  Sihle is  13 years old and is in grade 6 in school.  He is very smart for his age and always likes doing homework, unless he is sick or not feeling well.  Homework time is from 3-4pm at St. Theresa's and most of the boys say they are done by the time I get there at 3:30pm but Sihle always has homework he is still working on.  One Monday in February, the Auntie who works in my cottage said that Sihle told her that he didn't have any homework but then when I came in he said he needed help.  I was flattered that he wanted me to help him with his homework even if it is simple things like cutting out pictures or looking up Afrikaans words in the dictionary to find their English meaning.  

Sihle is always dedicated to his homework and speaks English very well.  Most of the Theresa's boys speak very good English and usually that means they speak English at home.  Sihle's home story is one of the few that I know from the boys in my cottage.  St. Theresa's is a home for boys who are either orphaned or don't have family members that can take care of them.  Some of the boys come right to St. Theresa's but others, like Sihle, have been to other homes before.  On Monday of this week, I talked to Sihle about what he did this weekend and he said he didn't go home because there were too many people at the house.  When I asked him what that meant, he said that someone died in the parish that him and his family go to and his whole family was at a funeral service.  I asked him who his family included and he said his mom, his grandfather, his uncles, and his aunts.  He said that when someone in their church parish dies that everyone knows, they bring everyone somewhere to have a service and celebration of the person's life which could be as long as a couple days.  Sihle didn't seem too sad about not going home because most of the boys don't go home besides holidays.  It's hard to talk to these boys about their family lives because I don't want to step on their toes by asking but I do want them to be able to talk to me.  Since I always help Sihle with homework, it is easier to ease into questions about the weekend or family as opposed to the other kids that I don't regularly help in the afternoons.  

The favorite thing I help Sihle with and is unique to just him is helping with his spelling words on Thursdays.  Every Friday, Sihle has a spelling test so Thursday afternoons I quiz him on the words to make sure he knows them.  There are about 45 words per week and vary in difficultly depending on where they are in the term.  Since Sihle speaks English very well, his spelling is quite good as well.  Each Thursday we start with the first column and I read him each word from his exercise book and he writes down the word on a piece of scrap paper.  After the column is finished, I mark the words and he studies them before I test him again.  We usually repeat this process twice in order for him to get 100% or maybe just 1-2 wrong.  We repeat the same process for the second column and then we do one final test with all of the words.  It is great to see him get so excited when he gets all the words correct and is confident in himself.  When he gets one wrong, he can be pretty hard on himself but I encourage him to write the word out a couple of times and focus on the difficult ones more than the easier ones.  Right before I leave to go home,  I wish him good luck and he tells me that he is going to look them over one more time when he is in bed before he goes to sleep.  Since I have been helping him, he has been doing really well on his spelling tests and only getting 2-3 wrong per test.  I told him my goal for him is to get at least one 100% this term and he is excited about the challenge.  Sihle told me that he has to write in cursive and in pen and his teacher is strick about their writing so he has to make sure it is legable.  One week he forgot his exercise book at home and had to write the test on a single piece of paper.  He told me this wasn't allowed and the teacher gave him a naught (0%) because he didn't write the words in his exercise book! I told him that this was ridiculous and would never happen in the States but I encouraged him to remember his exercise book every Friday so this didn't happen again.  He hasn't forgot it since!

Sihle is a dedicated and extremely motivated learner who I know will be successful in life.  He has talked about becoming a teacher when he grows up and I think he would be great! Sihle is strongest in Maths and English but does well in every other subject.  I look forward to working with him at St. Theresa's and helping him continue to learn and grow through out the year.  I pray that each of the boys at St. Theresa's Home will be successful and happy throughout their whole life and they will be confident in who they are and know what they can achieve in the future.

South African Fact: St. Theresa's was started in 1925 by the Augustinian Sisters and houses about 80 boys ranging in age from 4 to 19 years old.

The Joy of Play Dough

When I was growing up, my mom was a preschool teacher and had a million of creative ideas for teaching and interacting with children.  So when she heard that I was going to be working with toddlers, she was thrilled and ready to send me materials and great ideas.  One of the things she sent me was 8 little containers of Play Dough in all different colors.  The first time I brought them to 1000 Hills was quite the adventure.  The teachers and the kids were both very curious about what the play dough was and what you did with it.  We had to tell the kids numerous times "Do not eat it!" in Zulu.  I started by taking only a couple of kids at a time, sitting them down at the table, and giving them each a small piece of colored Play Dough.  Whatever the color we were using for the day was, I had the children repeat it in English and Zulu so they could recognize the color.  I had a piece for myself so I was able to show them how to roll it in their hands into long pieces or "hot dogs" and roll them into balls using the table.  I also showed them how to squish the balls down to flatten them out.  After the kids explored the play dough with their own hands for some time, I gave them some tools like cutters, rolling pins, and shape cut outs.  I showed them each how to do use the tools which some of them understood but the shape cut outs were a hard concept.  When I was working with the kids, some of the teachers I work with came over and asked what it was.  I told them it was Play Dough from America and I showed them what you could do with it.  They were instantly amazed by it and over the next few weeks, each of them played with it a little bit and made shapes with the cut outs. 

Squishing the Play Dough

Twin brothers Kwanele and Anele using the cutter and roller

Noluthando and Amahle exploring the shape makers

They love the Play Dough!

Tholakele is so excited to show me her creation

Over past month, I have spent an hour each Tuesday and Thursday making sure all 45 of our 2 year olds got a chance to play with the Play Dough and explore the amazing talents the clay has.  Some kids have been more active than others with but all seem to enjoy its wonders.  Akhona tries to eat it, Lindo makes things and then tries to tell me what they are in Zulu.  Some kids look at their hands and are curious why little pieces get stuck behind on their fingers and others refuse to put it back in the container and want to take it wherever they go.  Play Dough is a fabulous invention that is know a favorite of South Africans and Americans.  I hope to use it more throughout the year and make some of my own with the recipe my mom gave me.  It has been great to see what joy Play Dough has brought to both Zulu women and children at the 1000 Hills Community Center in South Africa.  

A big shout out to my mom for sending over the Play Dough!!! Thanks from me and the 1000 Hills Toddlers


South African Fact (1000 Hills): Since there is an excessive need for help and support in Inchanga, the director of 1000 Hills Community Center is opening a new location that has one classroom and a small clinic.  This will help serve more people in the community and help the 1000 Hills Community Center grow and spread its wings.