Stranded in the African Wild

The boys from the Grahamstown trip invited me along on a camping trip, which in my mind is roasting smores by a fire and a nice way to relax after an exhausing week. Hours later I am clinging to my seat in the back of a little sedan on the edge of a thousand foot drop praying that we don't go over. Apparently we didn't take the 4-wheel drive vehicles only, road not suitable for sedans sign very seriously and attempted to trek miles through mountain terrain in a little VW Fox, who goes by the name Foxy, all while pulling a trailer that was almost bigger than the car itself. Yes, it was stupid but hey we survived. After a few hours of driving, complete with crossing a river that we had to strip down our clothes to pull the trailer through, we finally arrived to the camp area. We were right next to huge orange-rock mountains with a river and white sand nearby. It was a little mix of Colorado and Florida all in one. The next morning we went hiking up the mountain, which looked a lot more feasible than it was. The trek was long but the views along the way were beyond worth it. After the hike we put our suits on and lounged on the beach. The boys bought me a Cosmo so I cracked a castle and was pretty much in heaven. All was perfect until we got back to the camp and realized our stuff had been raided by baboons, yes baboons. The one time we left the tent untied and the baboons came and tore everything apart. I only had a few shirts missing, including a Kansas Basketball one. At least theres a monkey supporting the Jayhawks somewhere in Africa. Everything else was pretty much chewed up.. including my toothbrush. Anyone who knows me and my teeth knows that that didn't settle to well in my book. Oh well, live and learn. We sat by the fire all night drinking and talking. Leighton and I stayed up late watching the stars. There were literally thousands, more than I had ever seen in my life. It was absolutely breathtaking. That night we all cuddled in the two beds that the baboons didn't eat up, trying not to freeze to death (Africa is freaking cold at night in the winter). The next morning, just our luck, Foxy didn't want to start. Yup, we were stranded. She did her part to get us there but was apparently done. After the boys worked on the car for a while, it finally got to working. We didn't get even a mile out before we realized that she wasn't going to make it with the trailer so we had to leave it on the side of the road. After we got out of the park, and left the rangers in shock that we survived driving the Fox, we searched for anyone to help us go get the trailer. After hours of pleading, finally a good samaritan. An older Afrikaans man drove us in his buggie back to the trailer. We ended up not getting home until about 9, just in time for a much needed shower and a fun night out. I ran into the Haven volunteers at the pub we went to, which was the perfect ending to one crazy weekend.

Teaching like its my job, Week V

After an exhausting week giving HIV/AIDS sessions at schools all over Port Elizabeth, I took a last-minute invite from a friend for some camping in the African mountains. I thought it would be a nice way to relax for the weekend.. yeah, it was anything but. First though, about the school visits..

At this point I've presented to close to 1,000 students. As tiring and repetitive as the work is, I can honestly say that I've never experienced anything like it. For the first time in my life I feel like I am doing work that on a large-scale could actually change a devastating issue that is plaguing this city. I've been suprised at how knowledgable the children are and how mature they are about talking AIDS. Most of my presentations have been to classrooms of about 30-40 kids. One however, was a tid bit larger. One of the high schools I visited, which was quite fancy for what I had seen up to that point, wanted to get almost the entire school to hear the presentation. However, I didn't know this until the teacher led me to an auditorium filled with hundreds of kids, led me to the stage and gave me a mic. I spent the next hour winging an hour-long talk in front of the kids. Luckily Tando, another AIESECer from NMMU, was there as well so we were able to feed off of each other. I wasn't able to connect as well with the students since there were so many of them, but I hope that at least a handful took something away from it that will help them down the road. As for the smaller classes, which I much prefer, the presentations went really smoothly. I think the fact that I am a University student from America makes them more respectful and eager to hear what I have to say. I don't know how and when I became this "expert on AIDS." In actuality I've only read books and talked with people. Then again, the main message we are spreading isn't rocket science and if the kids are willing to listen and learn that is all that matters. In between classes a lot of the students have approached me and asked about what University is like. Sadly, a really small percentage of students here have the means to attend University. I tried my best in that short time to talk up college and how great it is, to hopefully get the kids to think about going for higher education. Coming from such poverty, however, most of them don't even dream of studying at a University when they have to work as well to support their families.

The Belgians left a few days ago but not before a proper send-off. They raised money back in Belgium to throw a massive party for the kids, complete with tents, go-karts, a motorized train, moonwalks, clowns and even a firetruck. The party lasted the whole weekend and the kids definitely had the time of their lives. The got their faces painted and dressed up like princesses and super heroes. It was so amazing to see them all with huge smiles on their faces, even the sick ones. For that weekend they seemed to be on a different planet, away from the sad reality. The adult patients recieved massages and manicures as well, which they absolutely loved. The Begians also hired a photographer who took photos of the kids which are absolutely beautiful. They are going to hang them throughout the hallways of the Haven.

When we weren't busy with the kids, the Belgians and I had our own fun as well. Last weekend, once the party was over, the owner of the party business invited us all to Nysna, a gorgeous little coastal town a few hours away. She hired a driver and we had our own party bus through the African coast, stopping at every beautiful cliff and beach. Sadly, though, they had to leave and since then things have calmed down quite a bit. Seeing them leave and say goodbye to everyone reminded me how much I don't want to say goodbye to the kids and staff here. As excited as I am to get home and see my family/friends I've become way to attached to these kids to leave tearless. Another American girl, Natalie arrived shortly after the Belgians left. She came right before I left to camp with the boys, which was quite possible the craziest few days of my life..

SA, Week IV

The Haven lost internet access until August. I'm here at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in town at the AIESEC office, finally with a chance to update this.

This past week was full of crazy experiences. The four volunteers from Belgium arrived about a week ago. They are two couples who are in the process of learning English but tons of fun. They brought tons of medical supplies and children's clothes with them, solid people.

I had my first school visit a few weeks ago at Triomf Primary School close to the Haven. I gave a one-hour HIV/AIDS educational lesson to four different 7th grade classes, each with about 50 kids. I was suprised at how well-behaved and mature the kids were about talking sex/condoms/AIDS. The feeling of teaching them these ways to protect themselves which could potentially save their life down the road was such an amazing feeling. Port Elizabeth has an HIV pervelance rate of 30%. That means one of our three people in this city is HIV positive. On top of that, that number only includes reported cases. This place needs a change. The kids are so bright and eager to learn. I can only hope that with this education they might be to make a dent in that 30%.

Kima, a volunteer nurse here from Washington, left last week. The day before she left I asked her to show me how to change the bandages of one of the patients. His name is Eric and he suffers from AIDS and TB of the spine. This has paralyzed him and made his legs curl up. He can't move and forunately can't feel anything from the waste down since he has awful bed sores. I was expecting scabs but they were literally inch-deep holes in his side. I helped Kima clean the bandage and put on a new one, while mostly just talking to Eric and holding back my nausea. He is a really friendly guy and I feel so bad for him, trapped in that bed. We wore an apron and gloves while we changed him, but it was still a bit unnerving to be that close to HIV blood. I put all stigma aside and forgot the fact that blood and guts make me sick. Eric needs help and someone has to do it.

Over the weekend I went to the Seaview Lion Park and Addo Elephant park with the Belgians. On Saturday at the lion park we saw lions, tigers, giraffe, buffalo..the works. On the way out we nearly hit a giraffe when driving the tiny dirt roads through the bush on the way out. Vlad hit the breaks and I screamed bloody murder when we turned the corner and were inches away from a giraffe. We had to follow it on the road out of the park. All in a day. On Sunday we spent the whole day at the Addo park. We only say like 10 of the 450 elephants but it was still amazing. Not just the animals but the scenery itself was breathtaking.

This Is Africa, Week III

I have yet to dance around a bonfire with a painted face, but have had quite the African experience thus far. (They don't actually do that by the way, thanks Hollywood.) I have, however, played with lion cubs and angered a hippo.. they don't like pictures close up, who knew? Life at the Haven is busy as ususal. I feel like the mother of 26, and care about these kids more than I ever thought I could. Losing Siphokazi was tough. Her funeral was yesterday. For anyone who has ever been to a child's funeral they know how awful it is. Her mother was there as well. Siphokazi was one of the few kids here with parents still alive, but her mother was too poor to care for her, let alone afford ARVs. We took the older children (6-10 year olds) to the service and then out to ice cream at the Boardwalk (rich, touristy beach area) afterwards to cheer them up. Most of them are old enough to realize what had happened and we tried our best to lighten the mood. They rarely get out of the Haven or treats like ice cream so most of them had smiles.

Other than that, this week has been filled with the usual wet diapers, hospital visits, somehow managing 26 little ones. I had my first visit to the local public hospital on Wednesday. Thando, the new boy, needed more ARVs. It was quite an experience. There were goats feeding in the entry way, literally goats. The facilities really made me appreciate the hospitals we have back home. We were mostly in the "wellness wing," which is for HIV medication. The waiting room was filled with mothers with their babies strapped to their backs. We waited for over 2 hours and left with bottles and bottles of medication. Thando is only 9 years old but has to take all of these two times a day, every day, for the rest of his life. On the way home we stopped to get him chips for being good. "Chips" is the only word he knows in English and says it constantly. Children with AIDS need twice as calories as a normal child, and Thando always wants chips. I want so bad to go buy him some but I know that he has a strict diet and it would be bad for him. He still doesn't like it here and wants his dad, if we only knew where his dad was.

In other news, the other volunteers returned for a week and we should be getting four more from Belguim on Tuesday... quite the party. We're planning a trip to Addo Elephant Park later this week. Yes, I'm finally pouncing on an elephant.

I've also survived my first African soccer match stampede. The Bay United played in their biggest game since the 90s on Sunday. In the stadium of 30,000 chanting fans, I was the ONLY white person. I'm getting immune to people staring. Its never in a threatening manner, more of a "what are you doing here white girl?" kind of way. Regardless, Bay United won and it was insane.

Dose of Reality

To say the last few days have been rough would be a huge understatement. The work has been physically exhausting but on top of that we lost one of the little girls on Saturday. Sipokazi was the quiet one when I got here because she was slowly not feeling well. She got progressively more sick over the past few weeks, fighting AIDS/TB. A few days before she died I made her a sign that told her she was brave and beautiful and she hung it above her bed. I guess I had this naive notion that she could stick it out and be back to her old self again. The night before she died I had held her and massaged her back but the nurses told me to stop because she could become to dependent and that would only make her sicker. Looking back I should have just kept massaging her since she died anyway, at least to let her know she was cared for. Her funeral is Friday. Caring for the other kids is a nice distraction but it still is tough not to tear up thinking about her. The other people here are fairly nonchalant about the whole thing. I guess when you work here long enough and see this time and again you kind of have to in order to stay sane.
In happier news, I convinced the housekeepers to let me into the storage shed today and found new shoes for the kids in all the donations. Finding 26 pairs of shoes and sizing them while kids climb on you for 7 hours is not an experience I would willingly have again, but the kids were so happy it was worth it. They were all showing off their shoes to each other.. very cute. It was tough sorting through the shoes.. a lot of them had belonged to past kids and I had to mark out the names of the old ones and write the new ones in. This job would be a lot easier without those little reminders. One cool sidenote though.. a lot of the new shoes I found for the kids were TOMS shoes. The site tells you more about them (tomsshoes.com). I had received them as a gift a while ago and it was funny seeing the donations here.. maybe one pair of those had come from my gift? The kids loved them regardless. It was worth the sweat and frustration. The smiles reminded me why we're all here.