Have you ever thought someone said something but they really said something completely different? I feel like this happens all the time in English but now it is happening in a completely foreign language which makes things so much more difficult to understand and react to. The country of South Africa is full of diversity and cultures. The people we interact with most are the Zulu people who live mostly in the Valley and speak fluent Zulu which yes has some clicks but not as many as other tribal languages you may be thinking of. From the Zulu learners and teachers at St. Leo to the Zulu toddlers and women at 1000 Hills, I am learning more and more about the Zulu culture, their language and their lifestyle.
At St. Leo, I have learned that structure in the school and classroom is not necessarily a top priority and homework is rarely given. The lack of schedule and clocks around the school make it very hard to run a classroom but again, timing may not be a priority to the Zulu people for one reason or another. I have learned that prayer and singing are important parts of the Zulu faith life both at St. Leo as well as 1000 Hills. Throughout the weeks I have been awfully frustrated with the learners who do not understand what an adjective is only to take a step back and remember how hard it was for me to learn French when I was their age. Everywhere I go I have seen the affects of HIV/AIDS on the Zulu people. The physical size of the learners bodies have many extremes within the grades as well as their learning abilities. We do not know the exact number of learners that are affected but we can make assumptions about some of them by their small figure or other physical deformities. Most of the learners understand the importance of an education but as in most lower income school settings, how are you supposed to focus on the class or teacher when you stomach is growling because you haven't eaten in two days? How are you supposed to pay attention when you are worried about your family back at home? Thankfully the teachers, and school itself, are very supportive of the learners needs both emotionally and physically by giving out food parcels to bring home to their families and throughout the day.
At 1000 Hills, I have learned about Zulu weddings, traditions, and about the stigmas against the Zulu culture itself. It is expected that the Zulu woman marry at a fairly young age (I am not sure of the exact age but one woman told me early 20s). There is a dowry that must be paid to the brides family from the future husband. This can be anything from a cow or goat to food or cloth that is made by Zulus. Mpumah is a 21 year old Zulu woman who has a two year old son that is in my class. She is currently studying Education at the University but helps out in our toddler room in order to get more experience. Puma, for short, was telling me about these wedding traditions and mentioned that Fikle (the head teacher) told her that she must get married even if it isn't to the father of her child. Puma said that she didn't ever want to get married and Fikile was completely shocked by this statement saying that it is Zulu tradition to get married and have a big ceremony. One of the problems for Puma is the cost of the wedding itself. There are many ceremonies and lots of costs that go into the wedding before the actual marriage of the two people. When she asked me about American wedding traditions, I told her that they cost a lot as well but there is usually only one official ceremony that costs the most money, as opposed to many different ceremonies like in the Zulu culture. The customs of the Zulu people also include the wearing of the strings around the child's waist, as mentioned in a prior post, and traditional dancing which I hope to learn part of while I am here.
The one challenge I have had with the Zulu people and their culture is their defensiveness of their actions and their opinions about educating their youth. As mentioned in another prior post, 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 still baffled me to this day but that may be a cultural difference I may never understand. It is common knowledge for me, and I'm sure many of you, that between the ages of 0 to 5 years old, children's brains are like sponges and they are able to learn and develop so much during that time period. It is a crucial part in a child's life to learn how to speak, interact, and explore at that young age. Luckily the 1000 Hills Community Center has a great person, Julie, who has come to teach and help the teachers understand why this age range is so important for the child's development and future. Julie has spent the last year working with the teachers of the 3 to 6 year olds. She has been teaching and showing them different things they can do throughout the day as well as setting up a schedule that include a fine motor, gross motor, and physical activity every day. This task of showing the teachers what is needed for these children to develop properly has been quite difficult for many reasons but one of the main reasons was the cultural differences she experienced. Not only did they not know anything about the tools needed for a child's development but the teachers also had a hard time accepting Julie as a teacher. She is a white South African and not Zulu which in turn caused the Zulu teachers to become defensive against what she was trying to say and teach. The Zulu women thought that Julie was trying to overtake their roles as teachers as well as cross cultural barriers about the development of their children. It took Julie about 4 months to be accepted as a superior but also as a person from the Zulu teachers. Currently, all of the teachers have a set schedule and list of activities to do with the children each day. Julie is very pleased with this accomplishment and hopes that my toddler room with be the next one to take that leap in the developmental process.
My experience with the Zulu teachers in the toddler room have been both good and difficult at times. The teachers all enjoy having an extra set of hands to help out with the toddlers but sometimes my role as a volunteer can be confusing to them. Up until about a week ago, there was no one in the classroom with me that spoke enough English to hold a conversation or get a point across. Luckily, Puma is there now and she is able to translate needed questions or comments between the Zulu teachers and myself. The problem becomes when there is a difference in opinions between us in terms of what to do with the children each day. Sometimes the women are extremely efficient with the changing of the nappies (diapers), at breakfast and lunch, as well as nap time; while at other times they are slow and a little bit lazy. I have tried to do my best by stepping in during meal times and nap time but when it comes to activity time, the teachers often make excuses or are very unmotivated to do what I suggest. Part of this can be a misunderstanding and language or culture but sometimes it is also laziness. The challenge becomes what my role is as a volunteer but also as co teacher in the classroom. When I was first introduced to the classroom by Julie, I was asked to help show the teachers how to interact with the kids with puzzles, drawings, and other activities. I have made groups of toddlers according to age as a way of organizing them and have the idea to have each teacher take one group at a table with a specific puzzle or activity. I have the approval from both Julie and Dawn, the director of the whole center, to do these things but recently the organization of this idea hasn't been present. Luckily, Puma and I are on the same page with this and hope to get this system up and running soon. The problem becomes the culture difference of a white girl from America coming into the classroom and telling the teachers what to do with their Zulu children. When I talked to Julie about this concern, she told me that because I am "hands on" with the kids and not sitting back barking out orders, I should be able to have a system that is efficient and effective. On Thursday, we were able to break up into these groups/tables and have each kids color a picture of a cloud, moon, and sun. It was a great idea but because of the language barrier, I was not able to tell the kids to color inside the lines so mine all turned out to have scribbles all over them but that is a typical toddler picture! The Zulu teachers on the other hand were able to talk to the kids and guide them to color the correct thing. In my opinion, it doesn't matter what their picture looks like as long as they are doing something throughout the day, they will be having fun and not crying or trying to hit another kid with a toy. O the joys of working with toddlers!
I'm sure as the year goes on and I get to know more about the Zulu culture, there will be plenty of more differences and clashes but I am ready to embrace everything these people have to offer. So until I experience another lost in translation cultural difference, I leave you with a poem I wrote during Kellie's prayer about prejudice and the stigmas people have against people we have met here so far.
My name is not lazy Zulu woman. I am cultured, spiritual, and proud of who I am
My name is not Mama or Auntie to just my son. I am a mama and Auntie to all the Zulu children, and especially to the three other children I take care of.
My name is not uneducated and dumb. I am currently studying tat the University for a degree in education while supporting my child and family
My name is not AIDS stricken person. I am blessed to not be HIV positive but many of my relatives and close friends are.
My name is not unsupported and helpless. I may have made some mistakes in the past but I am a daughter who is loved by a mother and father. My father may have two families to support, mine and his new wife's, but I am still loved.
My name is not lazy Zulu woman. I am gifted, spiritual, faithful, happy and most importantly, proud of who I am.
South African Fact: This weekend we are going to a concert at a restaurant called the Rainbow Cafe that has been open since the beginning of apartheid and was the only restaurant in South Africa to always accept black and white people throughout the whole time it has been in business.
