Thank you to those who have kindly reminded me it has been awhile since my last post. So much has been going on that I’ve been overwhelmed about where to start.
New Site
I am not too far from my old site and I am an additional 20 km from Polokwane. My new village isn’t as lush or affluent as my last one. There is a tar (paved) road that ends in front of my organization because there aren’t sufficient municipal funds to finish it. The water supply here can be a problem. My family has a bore hole and a storage tank that collects rain water, but a lot of people share communal taps on the road. At my organization we depend on the municipality to fill our tank. When that doesn’t happen, we have to fill up jugs at the clinic and transport them back via wheelbarrow.
As far as a community hubs go, there are two primary schools, one secondary school, a clinic, churches, a clinic and a community building. My organization, Kodumela Moepa Thutse Drop-in Centre and Kodumela Home-based care rent out rooms in the community building. Kodumela has land next to the building, but is seeking funding to build its own center. The full-time organizational staff consists of a Project Manager, Project Coordinator and Financial Director. There are also Carers, who are responsible for cooking meals and taking care of the orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs--who have been identified by the staff and social workers). In total there is a staff of 13 at the organization. I don’t know how many children come on a regular basis, but in all 139 OVCs are registered. They range in age from grade R (Kindergarten) through high school.
Drop-in centers (DICs) are designated with the charge of providing nutritious meals to OVCs and keeping them engaged through help with homework, life skills training and activities. Kodumela has a daily program schedule, but due to funding constraints and lack of staff capacity it is not followed. DICs are funded by the Department of Social Development on a quarterly basis, but payments are irregular and not retroactive. This means staff goes unpaid, causing high turnover rates and makes it difficult for DICs to create budgets and provide continuous quality care. I have spoken with the Manager and Coordinator about starting an income-generating program to help supplement projects during funding freezes. I have also looked at possible art projects that are free or low-cost. In trying to identify reusable materials, I realized people in my community utilize these things (e.g. jars, old clothes) for practical uses. Even the natural resources are lacking, due to the scarcity of water. There are trees, but few flowers, grass, etc.
Social Scene
My host family has been very nice. I live in two rooms of their old house. Their new house forms a “L” shape next to mine, creating a courtyard effect. The mother is a third grade teacher and the father is a retired principal. They are very involved with their church and well-known within the community. They have three grown up children and only their daughter lives nearby. The social schedule here is weddings/funerals on Saturdays and church on Sundays.
Their daughter is getting married in December and it is the talk of the village. A few thousand people are expected to attend and two or three cows will be killed for the event. The lebola paid by the groom-to-be is used by the bride-to-be’s parents to pay for their half of the wedding. The groom-to-be has to additionally pay for his half. There are generally two weddings—one at the bride’s family and one at the groom’s family. Providing the families live nearby, the weddings will be held on Saturday and Sunday. It is customary for anyone to attend a wedding. There is an invitation list, but guests often bring people. The concept of a headcount does not exist. For this reason, neighbors and friends will bring food, pots, etc. and help cook.
Funerals operate under the same guidelines. It baffles me how funerals can be so ornate that people will forgo their basic needs in order to pay homage to the deceased. It is common for people to pay into funeral societies on a monthly basis in order to defray costs when a family member passes away. People will save up for years until they can afford to buy a tombstone. One funeral I attended had t-shirts made with the deceased woman’s face on them. Most funerals take place around 6 or 7am. There is a service, followed by a procession to the grave site. Afterward, the guests go to the family’s home for lunch.
Sunny Days
Winter here is unlike any place I have visited. In the past week I have acquired a great tan. In the mornings and evenings, the weather is in the 30s (basically anytime the sun is out of the picture), but during the day it can reach the mid-80s. My co-workers laugh at me for seeking out sunspots, but the buildings retain the cold. At night I fill up one or two hot water bottles to stay warm. There have been some cold nights, but nothing too bad.
Reflection
While my new site is a vast improvement from the last one, I have still been struggling to figure out my role here. I have identified projects (e.g. staff training, funding opportunities), but I have been at a loss to feel truly passionate about something. For the most part, I have been fortunate to work for organizations engaged in work I support. Here jobs are more of a practicality, which is understandable.
I am trying to find my way, wherever that may be…
Strange is our situation here on Earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that man is here for the sake of other men. ~Albert Einstein
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land
South Africa State of Mind
I am not speechless; rather, I feel I lack the capacity to articulate all of my thoughts and feelings about my experience here. South Africa has given me a knot in my chest. It swells and rises to my throat and spreads to my tear ducts when I hear that some children are only fed once a day through their school feeding scheme or that the concept of higher education as a form of advancement is more of an ideology than a practical option. The knot also grows almost to the degree of bursting when I look at the amazing landscape, think of the perseverance of the people and the potential for change. For better or for worse, South Africa has made its mark on me.
As the work situation remains at a standstill, I have been questioning my purpose here. Community integration has been nil, withs the exception of my self-initiated efforts to interview people for my Peace Corps Community Needs Assessment. The isolation has been a great time for reflection, but has bordered on unhealthy. I have identified community needs (e.g. computer classes, educational support in schools) and problems (e.g. lack of capacitated organizations/institutions). However, I am at a loss to my role in facilitating change. Peace Corps emphasizes that as volunteers we are supposed to work with counterparts to develop ideas, programs, solutions and trainings in order to create buy-in, community support and sustainability. Since I am not linked to the community I find this difficult to achieve.
The Wheels Go Round and Round
I have caught onto a variety of social, political and cultural issues in South Africa, but I was reluctant to write about them until I had more information. This is only a small start and I will post more about these issues in the future.
Agricultural Land Reform
This is a topic I will easily get in over my head talking about. I have a book on hold for me at the library so I can gain a better understanding of this issue. A quick summary: After the end of apartheid a lot of Afrikaner farms were purchased by the government and redistributed to black South Africans. This explains the drastic change in the demographics of my village. Land reform is a sensitive issue related to race and economics. In my village there used to be very large-scale and successfully Afrikaner-owned farms. According to one community member I spoke with, since the land reform (the government purchased 25 farms) farm production has dropped significantly and unemployment has risen 50%. The farms used to employ 300 people with 10,000 seasonal workers. General problems I have heard are that many new owners sold off farm machine parts for money thereby inhibiting long-term economic capacity and it is unclear what kind of working knowledge new owners had about running large farms.
Education
I met with the principal of the primary school near my home and he was quite helpful in giving me a picture of his school, as well as the education system in general. Public schools have school fees for each student, but some schools due to the income of their student population qualify as no fee schools. This grade school is one such school and it has 399 students and 13 teachers. The school has a feeding scheme as part of the National School Nutrition for Basic Health of Learners. It is served at 10:00am everyday and is in some cases is the most substantial meal of the day for students. The student to teacher ratio is dismal compared to U.S. expectations. The national standard is 1:38, but it is not strongly enforced and cannot be implemented when the hiring process and funding for teachers is slow. At best, the school I visited has a 1:39 ratio for grade two and at worst, kindergarten has a ratio of 1:62.
Unemployment
According to Statistics South Africa, unemployment is at 24%. Most of the social problems I have heard about stem from or are intrinsically linked to this. For instance, education is hard to obtain when your family has to choose between food and school fees. Also, many parents in my village did not go to or did not finish high school; therefore there is a cycle not promoting education as a form of advancement. I have heard from many people that it is difficult to encourage children to continue with school when they know they will work on a farm instead of going to university. Lack of unemployment also ties into drinking. In villages, it is difficult to find something constructive to do with your time if you are unemployed. In my village there are two liquor stores, one tavern and two shebeens.
Child Support Grants
According to www.sassa.gov.za:
• the primary care giver must be a South African citizen or permanent resident;
• both the applicant and the child must reside in South Africa;
• applicant must be the primary care giver of the child/ children concerned;
• the child/children must be under the age of 15 years;
• the applicant and spouse must meet the requirements of the means test;
• cannot apply for more than six non biological children;
• Child cannot be cared for in state institution.
It is unclear what a person’s income has to be to qualify for this grant. Unfortunately, I have heard from many sources (e.g. educators, caregivers) that teenage women often have multiple children and live off of the grants instead of working. In general, this is a problem with grants. Due to the lack of employment opportunities, sometimes it is more financially viable to live off of grants. I am still trying to find out how much the grants are per child.
The Role of Women
Village families that I have seen are more matriarchal, with a koko or gogo (grandmother) heading the family. Some men are absent because they are only able to find work in the big cities, but it unclear why the others are not present or held accountable. Even if women work, I think there is still a mentality that women are judged and identified by their family life. People here often assum I am younger than I am. Once I tell them how old I am, mainly men, have responded by asking me where my children and husband are. They are less concerned or surprised by the fact that I don’t have a husband, but that I don’t have children. Cue the line about how I am old and/or how I should find a South African husband. PC warned the female volunteers that we would be accosted with marriage proposals. I believed them at the time, but didn’t fully understand the persistence with which it would occur.
This weekend alone I was aggressively hit on by three men. It would have been fine in passing, but I spent a fair amount of time with each of them and it made me feel very uncomfortable. The first one was my hair dresser. He told everyone in the salon I was his future ex-wife and he asked me out. When I paid at the front desk I had to give my contact number (which I should have falsified) and he said he’d call me. Another man is distant co-worker I met at an event. At first I thought he was trying to connect with me regarding projects and then I thought he was trying to be my friend. Then it became apparent he wanted my number for personal reasons and he talked about coming to visit me. The third man was a driver and because the event was far away I spent almost four hours with him. I met his wife and he was still talking about marrying me. (Note: Polygamy is legal and practiced here.)When women get married a lobola has to be paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s. The amount varies, in the past it was paid via cattle, now it is affected by things such as, how educated the bride is or if she has children. I jokingly told him my lobola would very expensive and that he couldn’t afford me.
In all of these situations I think the men were joking more so than being serious. However, unlike in the U.S., I don’t know how to respond to that kind of unwanted attention, especially in cases when I know them in a work capacity. Despite my efforts to learn the phrase, “I have a boyfriend” in Sepedi, apparently, that is not a strong enough to deterrent against advances. I’ve been looking for awhile for a simple band to wear on my wedding finger. Obviously, I need to step up the search.
Recap
I hope this post gave you have a better idea of the challenges that impact my work and life. Some PC countries are labeled “posh corps,” because of their conveniences, ease of life, etc., and while Capetown, Pretoria and Durban are comparable to places in the U.S., there is still so much work to be done in the rural areas of South Africa. In today’s City Press, I read an article citing the national problem of thousands of people being without toilets (including pit latrines). One man quoted said he digs holes because waste management doesn’t come by his home. The article also delved into how the sanitation workers are not consistently provided with any protective gear. I’m trying to read a SA newspaper at least once a week to keep up with what’s going on. Right now, the big talk is surrounding elections on May 18th.
I am not speechless; rather, I feel I lack the capacity to articulate all of my thoughts and feelings about my experience here. South Africa has given me a knot in my chest. It swells and rises to my throat and spreads to my tear ducts when I hear that some children are only fed once a day through their school feeding scheme or that the concept of higher education as a form of advancement is more of an ideology than a practical option. The knot also grows almost to the degree of bursting when I look at the amazing landscape, think of the perseverance of the people and the potential for change. For better or for worse, South Africa has made its mark on me.
As the work situation remains at a standstill, I have been questioning my purpose here. Community integration has been nil, withs the exception of my self-initiated efforts to interview people for my Peace Corps Community Needs Assessment. The isolation has been a great time for reflection, but has bordered on unhealthy. I have identified community needs (e.g. computer classes, educational support in schools) and problems (e.g. lack of capacitated organizations/institutions). However, I am at a loss to my role in facilitating change. Peace Corps emphasizes that as volunteers we are supposed to work with counterparts to develop ideas, programs, solutions and trainings in order to create buy-in, community support and sustainability. Since I am not linked to the community I find this difficult to achieve.
The Wheels Go Round and Round
I have caught onto a variety of social, political and cultural issues in South Africa, but I was reluctant to write about them until I had more information. This is only a small start and I will post more about these issues in the future.
Agricultural Land Reform
This is a topic I will easily get in over my head talking about. I have a book on hold for me at the library so I can gain a better understanding of this issue. A quick summary: After the end of apartheid a lot of Afrikaner farms were purchased by the government and redistributed to black South Africans. This explains the drastic change in the demographics of my village. Land reform is a sensitive issue related to race and economics. In my village there used to be very large-scale and successfully Afrikaner-owned farms. According to one community member I spoke with, since the land reform (the government purchased 25 farms) farm production has dropped significantly and unemployment has risen 50%. The farms used to employ 300 people with 10,000 seasonal workers. General problems I have heard are that many new owners sold off farm machine parts for money thereby inhibiting long-term economic capacity and it is unclear what kind of working knowledge new owners had about running large farms.
Education
I met with the principal of the primary school near my home and he was quite helpful in giving me a picture of his school, as well as the education system in general. Public schools have school fees for each student, but some schools due to the income of their student population qualify as no fee schools. This grade school is one such school and it has 399 students and 13 teachers. The school has a feeding scheme as part of the National School Nutrition for Basic Health of Learners. It is served at 10:00am everyday and is in some cases is the most substantial meal of the day for students. The student to teacher ratio is dismal compared to U.S. expectations. The national standard is 1:38, but it is not strongly enforced and cannot be implemented when the hiring process and funding for teachers is slow. At best, the school I visited has a 1:39 ratio for grade two and at worst, kindergarten has a ratio of 1:62.
Unemployment
According to Statistics South Africa, unemployment is at 24%. Most of the social problems I have heard about stem from or are intrinsically linked to this. For instance, education is hard to obtain when your family has to choose between food and school fees. Also, many parents in my village did not go to or did not finish high school; therefore there is a cycle not promoting education as a form of advancement. I have heard from many people that it is difficult to encourage children to continue with school when they know they will work on a farm instead of going to university. Lack of unemployment also ties into drinking. In villages, it is difficult to find something constructive to do with your time if you are unemployed. In my village there are two liquor stores, one tavern and two shebeens.
Child Support Grants
According to www.sassa.gov.za:
• the primary care giver must be a South African citizen or permanent resident;
• both the applicant and the child must reside in South Africa;
• applicant must be the primary care giver of the child/ children concerned;
• the child/children must be under the age of 15 years;
• the applicant and spouse must meet the requirements of the means test;
• cannot apply for more than six non biological children;
• Child cannot be cared for in state institution.
It is unclear what a person’s income has to be to qualify for this grant. Unfortunately, I have heard from many sources (e.g. educators, caregivers) that teenage women often have multiple children and live off of the grants instead of working. In general, this is a problem with grants. Due to the lack of employment opportunities, sometimes it is more financially viable to live off of grants. I am still trying to find out how much the grants are per child.
The Role of Women
Village families that I have seen are more matriarchal, with a koko or gogo (grandmother) heading the family. Some men are absent because they are only able to find work in the big cities, but it unclear why the others are not present or held accountable. Even if women work, I think there is still a mentality that women are judged and identified by their family life. People here often assum I am younger than I am. Once I tell them how old I am, mainly men, have responded by asking me where my children and husband are. They are less concerned or surprised by the fact that I don’t have a husband, but that I don’t have children. Cue the line about how I am old and/or how I should find a South African husband. PC warned the female volunteers that we would be accosted with marriage proposals. I believed them at the time, but didn’t fully understand the persistence with which it would occur.
This weekend alone I was aggressively hit on by three men. It would have been fine in passing, but I spent a fair amount of time with each of them and it made me feel very uncomfortable. The first one was my hair dresser. He told everyone in the salon I was his future ex-wife and he asked me out. When I paid at the front desk I had to give my contact number (which I should have falsified) and he said he’d call me. Another man is distant co-worker I met at an event. At first I thought he was trying to connect with me regarding projects and then I thought he was trying to be my friend. Then it became apparent he wanted my number for personal reasons and he talked about coming to visit me. The third man was a driver and because the event was far away I spent almost four hours with him. I met his wife and he was still talking about marrying me. (Note: Polygamy is legal and practiced here.)When women get married a lobola has to be paid by the groom’s family to the bride’s. The amount varies, in the past it was paid via cattle, now it is affected by things such as, how educated the bride is or if she has children. I jokingly told him my lobola would very expensive and that he couldn’t afford me.
In all of these situations I think the men were joking more so than being serious. However, unlike in the U.S., I don’t know how to respond to that kind of unwanted attention, especially in cases when I know them in a work capacity. Despite my efforts to learn the phrase, “I have a boyfriend” in Sepedi, apparently, that is not a strong enough to deterrent against advances. I’ve been looking for awhile for a simple band to wear on my wedding finger. Obviously, I need to step up the search.
Recap
I hope this post gave you have a better idea of the challenges that impact my work and life. Some PC countries are labeled “posh corps,” because of their conveniences, ease of life, etc., and while Capetown, Pretoria and Durban are comparable to places in the U.S., there is still so much work to be done in the rural areas of South Africa. In today’s City Press, I read an article citing the national problem of thousands of people being without toilets (including pit latrines). One man quoted said he digs holes because waste management doesn’t come by his home. The article also delved into how the sanitation workers are not consistently provided with any protective gear. I’m trying to read a SA newspaper at least once a week to keep up with what’s going on. Right now, the big talk is surrounding elections on May 18th.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Things That Make You Go Hmmm...
New Digs
I moved into my spacious 200-300 sq ft studio last Tuesday. And I must say I’ve done wonders with the place. My kitchen consists of a small fridge/freezer and a table that holds my toaster oven/stove combo, French press, electric kettle and it also serves as a food prep area and dish washing station. Over my bed hangs my monstrosity of a mosquito net (frog green in color). I’ve already put up photos and magnets on my fridge and nightstand, taped up postcards from my adoring HoMH and hung up my Betty White calendar. My place only looks disheveled due to the lack of a wardrobe to place my clothes.
Also, for those of you worried about my safety (you know who you are), the welder came by and installed a burglar door and bars on the window. It’s pretty common to take these security precautions. I have been running to keep myself busy and relieve stress. PC says that being visible within your community is one of the best ways to stay safe. The theory is that once people know who you are they will have a greater investment in looking out for you.
The name of my village means: looking for each other. I have seen three areas of my village, but I suspect it is much larger. It is very different from the one I lived in for training. In my area there are no shebeens, livestock, homes with tin roofs or pit latrines, most people have cars and the dogs are domesticated. I have also discovered that there are black Afrikaner people living here. The village is now predominately black, but I know it wasn’t always that way. The high school is located several miles away on the other side of the highway. RDP houses (government projects) are found on that side with a mix of nicer homes. There is another cluster of RDP homes about a half mile behind where I live. My landlord took me to visit some of the people she used to prepare meals for and the conditions they are living in are deplorable. People are given housing, but there is no holistic approach to identifying their other needs (e.g. food, health care). Today I am going to the municipality to find out if I can go through town records or any other data sources to learn more about the village.
“Town” is two intersecting streets with:
-four bodega type markets
-gas station
-a hardware store
-post office
-taxi rank
-PEP Store (a chain that mainly sells clothes, air time, housewares)
-police station
-municipality office
-library (It has decent collection, a computer lab and it even has a book detector to prevent theft!)
-butcher (I can buy a chicken and have it personally dissected. Talk about farm fresh organic.)
-gas station
-small produce stands
*I may have missed a couple of stores, but I think my list is fairly exhaustive. In comparison to the descriptions of other PC Volunteers’ sites, mine is almost a bustling city.
My village feels a little more like a suburb, however when you drive out of town there is only land for miles upon miles. I am living in the back house of my landlord’s property. It’s a concrete structure with a tin roof. She also rents out five other rooms. In total I think there are 10 of us. Most of the women are students at the local nursing school. Even if I don’t interact with them very much, it’s nice to hear the hustle and bustle of other people and not feel so alone. We all share the bathroom and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I do not have use a pit latrine anymore! The bathroom has a flush toilet, sink and cold water shower (so I’ve been sticking with bucket baths.)
Flashback
Toward the end of training, we had a class discussion on child rearing. I told Jan that from my observations childhood in South Africa ends at a young age. I haven’t quite identified what age this is, but it is definitely before age 10. Babies are very coddled, but once children are old enough they start pitching in to help with chores (e.g. fetching water, caring for siblings, cleaning the house). It seems to be the reverse from American culture where children are often put above all and parents sometimes go without to make sure their children have what they value to be essentials. I shared with Jan the parable of a grandfather and his grandchild:
A grandfather tells the child to jump and promises to catch him/her. In one version of the story the grandfather doesn’t catch the child in order to illustrate that in life you cannot rely on anyone. In the other version, the grandfather catches the child and says that he will always be there for him/her.
I told Jan I thought the former story seems to apply to South Africa, while the latter applies to America. This was definitely what PC loves to call a “teaching moment.” As an American, I feel for children here. Their carefree youth seems short-lived and often times they don’t get the same affection and time that we are conditioned to believe are rights. Jan said parents don’t indulge their children because they want to prepare them for the hard times in life when they will have to go without things. For instance, in my former host family the children were always the last to eat in the family. I would serve myself a modest amount, but the largest portion would always go to the oldest brother who was the male head of the household. Sometimes I would see the two younger brothers and one of their friends sharing one plate of food equivalent to my portion. I am still trying to process the idea of when and how it is appropriate to teach children about the harsh realities of life. PC told us there will be times when we experience situations that go against our norms and values and it is not our job to change our minds or challenge others; rather, we must try to understand the mindset behind the perspective, belief or attitude.
Flash Forward
Unfortunately, my transition to site has not been easy. Work has been at a standstill. I attended the monthly community-based organizations (CBO) meeting and I introduced myself, explained my role and offered to assist any of the organizations (mainly spoken in Sepedi!). I gave out my number and hopefully I will receive some calls. In the meantime I am trying to work on my PC Community Needs Assessment and figuring out other ways that I can get involved with the community and/or organizations. It is a difficult task when I only have my landlord to assist me. This week I am planning to attend a CBO training session on Wednesday and a HIV, Tuberculosis, alcohol and drug abuse and teen pregnancy campaign event on Saturday.
PC tried to prepare us for the “slow pace of life,” but perhaps I failed to internalize that lesson. After the long application process and training, you are under the illusion that once you go to site you will start to do things. It is frustrating to know what you have to offer, but not knowing where to start and/or convincing people of your capacity to help.
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”~Nelson Mandela
p.s. For news on SA read: Mail & Guardian http://mg.co.za/
p.p.s. New term that I was introduced to: FOMO—fear of missing out.
I moved into my spacious 200-300 sq ft studio last Tuesday. And I must say I’ve done wonders with the place. My kitchen consists of a small fridge/freezer and a table that holds my toaster oven/stove combo, French press, electric kettle and it also serves as a food prep area and dish washing station. Over my bed hangs my monstrosity of a mosquito net (frog green in color). I’ve already put up photos and magnets on my fridge and nightstand, taped up postcards from my adoring HoMH and hung up my Betty White calendar. My place only looks disheveled due to the lack of a wardrobe to place my clothes.
Also, for those of you worried about my safety (you know who you are), the welder came by and installed a burglar door and bars on the window. It’s pretty common to take these security precautions. I have been running to keep myself busy and relieve stress. PC says that being visible within your community is one of the best ways to stay safe. The theory is that once people know who you are they will have a greater investment in looking out for you.
The name of my village means: looking for each other. I have seen three areas of my village, but I suspect it is much larger. It is very different from the one I lived in for training. In my area there are no shebeens, livestock, homes with tin roofs or pit latrines, most people have cars and the dogs are domesticated. I have also discovered that there are black Afrikaner people living here. The village is now predominately black, but I know it wasn’t always that way. The high school is located several miles away on the other side of the highway. RDP houses (government projects) are found on that side with a mix of nicer homes. There is another cluster of RDP homes about a half mile behind where I live. My landlord took me to visit some of the people she used to prepare meals for and the conditions they are living in are deplorable. People are given housing, but there is no holistic approach to identifying their other needs (e.g. food, health care). Today I am going to the municipality to find out if I can go through town records or any other data sources to learn more about the village.
“Town” is two intersecting streets with:
-four bodega type markets
-gas station
-a hardware store
-post office
-taxi rank
-PEP Store (a chain that mainly sells clothes, air time, housewares)
-police station
-municipality office
-library (It has decent collection, a computer lab and it even has a book detector to prevent theft!)
-butcher (I can buy a chicken and have it personally dissected. Talk about farm fresh organic.)
-gas station
-small produce stands
*I may have missed a couple of stores, but I think my list is fairly exhaustive. In comparison to the descriptions of other PC Volunteers’ sites, mine is almost a bustling city.
My village feels a little more like a suburb, however when you drive out of town there is only land for miles upon miles. I am living in the back house of my landlord’s property. It’s a concrete structure with a tin roof. She also rents out five other rooms. In total I think there are 10 of us. Most of the women are students at the local nursing school. Even if I don’t interact with them very much, it’s nice to hear the hustle and bustle of other people and not feel so alone. We all share the bathroom and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I do not have use a pit latrine anymore! The bathroom has a flush toilet, sink and cold water shower (so I’ve been sticking with bucket baths.)
Flashback
Toward the end of training, we had a class discussion on child rearing. I told Jan that from my observations childhood in South Africa ends at a young age. I haven’t quite identified what age this is, but it is definitely before age 10. Babies are very coddled, but once children are old enough they start pitching in to help with chores (e.g. fetching water, caring for siblings, cleaning the house). It seems to be the reverse from American culture where children are often put above all and parents sometimes go without to make sure their children have what they value to be essentials. I shared with Jan the parable of a grandfather and his grandchild:
A grandfather tells the child to jump and promises to catch him/her. In one version of the story the grandfather doesn’t catch the child in order to illustrate that in life you cannot rely on anyone. In the other version, the grandfather catches the child and says that he will always be there for him/her.
I told Jan I thought the former story seems to apply to South Africa, while the latter applies to America. This was definitely what PC loves to call a “teaching moment.” As an American, I feel for children here. Their carefree youth seems short-lived and often times they don’t get the same affection and time that we are conditioned to believe are rights. Jan said parents don’t indulge their children because they want to prepare them for the hard times in life when they will have to go without things. For instance, in my former host family the children were always the last to eat in the family. I would serve myself a modest amount, but the largest portion would always go to the oldest brother who was the male head of the household. Sometimes I would see the two younger brothers and one of their friends sharing one plate of food equivalent to my portion. I am still trying to process the idea of when and how it is appropriate to teach children about the harsh realities of life. PC told us there will be times when we experience situations that go against our norms and values and it is not our job to change our minds or challenge others; rather, we must try to understand the mindset behind the perspective, belief or attitude.
Flash Forward
Unfortunately, my transition to site has not been easy. Work has been at a standstill. I attended the monthly community-based organizations (CBO) meeting and I introduced myself, explained my role and offered to assist any of the organizations (mainly spoken in Sepedi!). I gave out my number and hopefully I will receive some calls. In the meantime I am trying to work on my PC Community Needs Assessment and figuring out other ways that I can get involved with the community and/or organizations. It is a difficult task when I only have my landlord to assist me. This week I am planning to attend a CBO training session on Wednesday and a HIV, Tuberculosis, alcohol and drug abuse and teen pregnancy campaign event on Saturday.
PC tried to prepare us for the “slow pace of life,” but perhaps I failed to internalize that lesson. After the long application process and training, you are under the illusion that once you go to site you will start to do things. It is frustrating to know what you have to offer, but not knowing where to start and/or convincing people of your capacity to help.
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”~Nelson Mandela
p.s. For news on SA read: Mail & Guardian http://mg.co.za/
p.p.s. New term that I was introduced to: FOMO—fear of missing out.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Times They Are a Changin’
Disclaimer: Sometimes I wish I had someone to follow me around and dictate my thoughts. I have so many stories to recap, but when I sit down to write them, I seem to be at a loss…
Change of Plans
Since I last wrote about my site placement, there have been a few developments. My site and organization have changed. I will now be working for the Molemole municipality. This is not a huge change since it is still a part of the Capricorn district where I was originally assigned. I found out about this last minute change while at the supervisors workshop. Because of this change I did not have a supervisor or housing. I ended up staying with the Masipa family, who hosts another PC volunteer. They were very welcoming and took me to visit my potential housing site. My landlord lives in the main house, which has American amenities. However, the building in the back in which I have a room is back to basics. It’s a good size room, but I’ll have to designate areas for bathing, cooking/eating and living. I have electricity and I can access water via my landlord’s outside tap. I will be cooking via a large size toaster oven/hot plate combo, which should make for some interesting food concoctions. In comparison to the living conditions of other PCVs I fall somewhere in the middle. Some people have running water and the associated amenities, others are replacing PCVs and therefore have already furnished homes, some have to walk to get water and others still do not have housing. I will move in sometime this week; in the mean time, I am staying with the Masipa family again.
The biggest news is that I have transitioned from being a PCT (PC Trainee) to a PCV (PC Volunteer)! I was sworn in on March 24, 2011. It was a nice, simple ceremony; it kind of felt like high school graduation. Everyone was clean and fresh since were able to shower at the college and we were wearing our Sunday best. I, along with five other volunteers, was interviewed by the U.S. Embassy. The video will be posted on the Peace Corps and Department of State’s websites. This year PC is expanding into the Eastern Cape; in addition my fellow volunteers will be in Limpopo, Kwa Zulu Natal, and Mpumalanga provinces.
Despite the complaining about PST (pre-service training), it was nice to have a built in 24/7 support network. I consider myself to be an independent person, but I do not think I have ever experienced anything close to what lies ahead. This is simultaneously exciting and unnerving. I am still unsure of what my job entails. Overall, I think it is to serve as a liaison between the municipality and NGOs (nongovernemental organizations). In what capacity I go about accomplishing this is unclear. On Monday, I will be visiting Drew’s (another PCV) site—two schools and an OVC (after-school program for orphans and vulnerable children) since it is within my municipality.
Culture Corner
I have come to discover that South Africans have a more open conversational approach when meeting people. After meeting someone for the first time I have been asked if I am married, have children, etc. A few men have told me that I should already have children or that I need to find a South African boyfriend/husband. (As such, I have been on the lookout for a wedding band.) These questions are not meant to be invasive, but they can seem that way at the time. I have been trying to come up with diplomatic answers for the questions that make me feel uncomfortable. I have learned how to say, “I have a boyfriend (Ke na le lesogana).” However, it has not been as effective as I would have hoped.
During my time with my host family, I was introduced to traditional village food. This mainly entails a diet of pap and meat, with occasional vegetables. One night I thought my family was serving broccoli, which I was delighted about. It looked overcooked and sprouty, but in my excitement I did not think twice about it. However, once I put three pieces on my plate I realized it was something different. My host mother pointed to it and said, “nama,” which means meat. She then said another word and pointed to her stomach. I grabbed my language dictionary and discovered the word she was saying was “intestines.” I politely said I would eat one piece. I was more psychologically than physically disturbed about eating it. It was chewy/rubbery and I only managed to eat a bite or two.
As a result of being fruit and vegetable deprived, I have extended my food repertoire. For those of you have eaten or cooked with/for me, you know I have some food issues. I would like to announce that I am now eating: onions, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, beets and yams. Whenever I have been in town or during our field trips I have been lucky enough to choose from an array of cuisines (excluding Mexican). During my recent trip to the supermarket I found soy and oyster sauce, curry, chutney and other yummy condiments that I used regularly at home. Throughout training we have had many conversations about the first vs. third world dynamic in South Africa. In towns/cities there are many similarities to the amenities you find in the U.S.; however once you drive an hour outside to a village, the landscape drastically changes. There are corner stores, shebeens (illegal bars), kids running barefoot in the street, trash in the road and occasionally animals moseying along. You also see corn fields, chickens, cows, sheep and/or gardens in peoples’ backyards. I have been told unemployment is at 30-40%, which adds another dynamic to the environment. As a PCV here, the challenge is transitioning between these two worlds. The temptation to live as I did in the U.S. will always be in the back of my mind.
Phase two
I have already bought most of the things I will need for my home, minus major appliances. It has been taxing to coordinate transportation. It is not like the U.S. where I can drive or take reliable public transport. Taxis (or Kumbis, as they are called) run on semi-erratic schedules, there is limited space for bulky purchases and they do not depart until they are filled with passengers. Therefore, it is best to ride during peak hours. I am approximately an hour and a half from my shopping town including one transfer. I was warned to avoid shopping during the second and last weekend of the month because those are pay periods. As I saw for myself on Friday, the shops and bank queues were obscenely busy. As I was jostled around I caught someone trying to open my purse. When possible, I will try to avoid shopping at these times because it is more stressful than productive. I am also restricted by the early store closings and the unofficial curfew of being home before nightfall. Lately, it has been getting dark by 6:30pm. Depending on when my day starts, that means at least 12 hours of solitude. One volunteer is living without electricity, which I view as my saving grace.
As I try to cope with the change in my lifestyle, I was inspired by an article in the PC monthly newsletter. A PCV wrote about how he keeps his life exciting while in service. We all decide to apply to PC for a variety of reasons, but one is to take ourselves out of our comfort zones/routines. However, the PCV pointed out that once we are at site, we develop new routines and it easy to fall into the same trap. He suggested mapping out activities and projects to keep ourselves engaged and challenged. So far, I have come up with the following:
*Language lessons
*Cooking new meals
*South Africa related reading
Home Décor (please send craft/decorating ideas)
Yoga/exercise (aka become a hot babe: please send exercise articles requiring minimal equipment)
*Home made beauty remedies (send me suggestions and I'll be your guinea pig)
*Reading books from my goal list (I’m always in the market for suggestions.)
*Starting a club/meetings
Please feel free to send me more suggestions.
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” ~Langston Hughes
p.s. Please hold off on sending me post until I obtain a post office box. Any mail sent to the office will be delayed now that I have finished training. Thanks!
Book recommendations:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murukami
Music recommendations:
Black Coffee
Ray LaMontagne
Sara Bareilles
Change of Plans
Since I last wrote about my site placement, there have been a few developments. My site and organization have changed. I will now be working for the Molemole municipality. This is not a huge change since it is still a part of the Capricorn district where I was originally assigned. I found out about this last minute change while at the supervisors workshop. Because of this change I did not have a supervisor or housing. I ended up staying with the Masipa family, who hosts another PC volunteer. They were very welcoming and took me to visit my potential housing site. My landlord lives in the main house, which has American amenities. However, the building in the back in which I have a room is back to basics. It’s a good size room, but I’ll have to designate areas for bathing, cooking/eating and living. I have electricity and I can access water via my landlord’s outside tap. I will be cooking via a large size toaster oven/hot plate combo, which should make for some interesting food concoctions. In comparison to the living conditions of other PCVs I fall somewhere in the middle. Some people have running water and the associated amenities, others are replacing PCVs and therefore have already furnished homes, some have to walk to get water and others still do not have housing. I will move in sometime this week; in the mean time, I am staying with the Masipa family again.
The biggest news is that I have transitioned from being a PCT (PC Trainee) to a PCV (PC Volunteer)! I was sworn in on March 24, 2011. It was a nice, simple ceremony; it kind of felt like high school graduation. Everyone was clean and fresh since were able to shower at the college and we were wearing our Sunday best. I, along with five other volunteers, was interviewed by the U.S. Embassy. The video will be posted on the Peace Corps and Department of State’s websites. This year PC is expanding into the Eastern Cape; in addition my fellow volunteers will be in Limpopo, Kwa Zulu Natal, and Mpumalanga provinces.
Despite the complaining about PST (pre-service training), it was nice to have a built in 24/7 support network. I consider myself to be an independent person, but I do not think I have ever experienced anything close to what lies ahead. This is simultaneously exciting and unnerving. I am still unsure of what my job entails. Overall, I think it is to serve as a liaison between the municipality and NGOs (nongovernemental organizations). In what capacity I go about accomplishing this is unclear. On Monday, I will be visiting Drew’s (another PCV) site—two schools and an OVC (after-school program for orphans and vulnerable children) since it is within my municipality.
Culture Corner
I have come to discover that South Africans have a more open conversational approach when meeting people. After meeting someone for the first time I have been asked if I am married, have children, etc. A few men have told me that I should already have children or that I need to find a South African boyfriend/husband. (As such, I have been on the lookout for a wedding band.) These questions are not meant to be invasive, but they can seem that way at the time. I have been trying to come up with diplomatic answers for the questions that make me feel uncomfortable. I have learned how to say, “I have a boyfriend (Ke na le lesogana).” However, it has not been as effective as I would have hoped.
During my time with my host family, I was introduced to traditional village food. This mainly entails a diet of pap and meat, with occasional vegetables. One night I thought my family was serving broccoli, which I was delighted about. It looked overcooked and sprouty, but in my excitement I did not think twice about it. However, once I put three pieces on my plate I realized it was something different. My host mother pointed to it and said, “nama,” which means meat. She then said another word and pointed to her stomach. I grabbed my language dictionary and discovered the word she was saying was “intestines.” I politely said I would eat one piece. I was more psychologically than physically disturbed about eating it. It was chewy/rubbery and I only managed to eat a bite or two.
As a result of being fruit and vegetable deprived, I have extended my food repertoire. For those of you have eaten or cooked with/for me, you know I have some food issues. I would like to announce that I am now eating: onions, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, beets and yams. Whenever I have been in town or during our field trips I have been lucky enough to choose from an array of cuisines (excluding Mexican). During my recent trip to the supermarket I found soy and oyster sauce, curry, chutney and other yummy condiments that I used regularly at home. Throughout training we have had many conversations about the first vs. third world dynamic in South Africa. In towns/cities there are many similarities to the amenities you find in the U.S.; however once you drive an hour outside to a village, the landscape drastically changes. There are corner stores, shebeens (illegal bars), kids running barefoot in the street, trash in the road and occasionally animals moseying along. You also see corn fields, chickens, cows, sheep and/or gardens in peoples’ backyards. I have been told unemployment is at 30-40%, which adds another dynamic to the environment. As a PCV here, the challenge is transitioning between these two worlds. The temptation to live as I did in the U.S. will always be in the back of my mind.
Phase two
I have already bought most of the things I will need for my home, minus major appliances. It has been taxing to coordinate transportation. It is not like the U.S. where I can drive or take reliable public transport. Taxis (or Kumbis, as they are called) run on semi-erratic schedules, there is limited space for bulky purchases and they do not depart until they are filled with passengers. Therefore, it is best to ride during peak hours. I am approximately an hour and a half from my shopping town including one transfer. I was warned to avoid shopping during the second and last weekend of the month because those are pay periods. As I saw for myself on Friday, the shops and bank queues were obscenely busy. As I was jostled around I caught someone trying to open my purse. When possible, I will try to avoid shopping at these times because it is more stressful than productive. I am also restricted by the early store closings and the unofficial curfew of being home before nightfall. Lately, it has been getting dark by 6:30pm. Depending on when my day starts, that means at least 12 hours of solitude. One volunteer is living without electricity, which I view as my saving grace.
As I try to cope with the change in my lifestyle, I was inspired by an article in the PC monthly newsletter. A PCV wrote about how he keeps his life exciting while in service. We all decide to apply to PC for a variety of reasons, but one is to take ourselves out of our comfort zones/routines. However, the PCV pointed out that once we are at site, we develop new routines and it easy to fall into the same trap. He suggested mapping out activities and projects to keep ourselves engaged and challenged. So far, I have come up with the following:
*Language lessons
*Cooking new meals
*South Africa related reading
Home Décor (please send craft/decorating ideas)
Yoga/exercise (aka become a hot babe: please send exercise articles requiring minimal equipment)
*Home made beauty remedies (send me suggestions and I'll be your guinea pig)
*Reading books from my goal list (I’m always in the market for suggestions.)
*Starting a club/meetings
Please feel free to send me more suggestions.
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” ~Langston Hughes
p.s. Please hold off on sending me post until I obtain a post office box. Any mail sent to the office will be delayed now that I have finished training. Thanks!
Book recommendations:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murukami
Music recommendations:
Black Coffee
Ray LaMontagne
Sara Bareilles
Monday, March 7, 2011
Getting the ball rolling...
What I’m doing and where
Good news! I received a novice intermediate score on my language test. I only have two more levels to move up in order to pass my final language test. I am fairly confident in my writing skills, however trying to remember everything when I speak is very difficult. Sepedi has “concords,” which are unlike anything I’ve encountered in other languages. Depending on what you are saying they change and if you don’t use them, the sentence does not make sense. Great, right? Here is a typical Sepedi convo:
Greeting
A: Thobela! (Hello!)
B: Thobela! (Hello!)
A: Re gona, le nna le kae? (I am well, how are you?)
B: Re gona. (I am well.)
A: Wena o mang? (What is your name?)
B: Leina la ka ke Meris sephane Stone. (My name is…)
A: O tswa kae? (Where are you from?)
B: Ke tswa Amerika. (I am from…)
A: O eng dira mo South Africa? (What are you doing here?)
B: Ke moithaapi wa Peace Corps. Ke thusa batho. Peace Corps e aga go ba baetapele.
(I am a PC volunteer. I help people. PC builds people into leaders.)
A: Ke thobela go go tseba. (It is nice to meet you.)
B: Le nna ke thobela go go tseba. (It is nice to meet you too.)
A: Shala gabotse. (Stay well.)
B: Sepala gabotse. (Go well).
Keep in mind the part of the conversation I bolded happens continuously throughout the day. It is considered rude not to greet someone when you pass by. Interesting things about Sepedi:
*“G” sound= “H” sound
*The alphabet is based on 20 letters of English’s 26.
* There are no click sounds like in Xhosa and Zulu.
While the battle to improve my Sepedi continues, each village is tasked with organizing its own health event. Basically, we have about three weeks to create, plan and implement it. At first, it seemed as if this would result in an epic fail, but as a result of teamwork and the leadership of Sean, our unofficial event organizer, things seems to be shaping up. We decided to focus on a hand washing, targeting children 5-12 years old. We approached the local Red Cross and it turned out they were planning to launch the same campaign. They will be partnering with us and using our event to launch their long-term campaign. They are inviting the OVCs (orphans & vulnerable children) who attend their after school program. Even if half of the children attend and bring one parent, we are expecting 100 people. The event is based on a “Clean Hands Club” motif. We’ll have five stations (to match five fingers) all related to the importance of hand washing. While this seems like a simplistic health theme, we decided against delving into deeper health issues due to the brevity of our event. Plus, it turns out we tapped into something, as we have heard about recent cholera outbreaks in the village. We created signs for each station, which then evolved into a song:
Hlapa Diatla! (Wash your hands!)
Pele o eja. (Before you eat.)
Hlapa Diatla! (Wash your hands!)
Ge o bowa go bapala (After you play.)
Hlapa Diatla! (Wash your hands!)
Ge o festcha go gohlola. (*sorry forgot this one, whoops!)
Hlapa Diatla! (Wash your hands!)
Ge o bowa thoilette. (After you go to the bathroom.)
Hlapa Diatla! (Wash your hands!)
Pele o tsena ka ntlong. (After you get home.)
We practiced it the other day, with dance motions and it’s actually pretty cute. Don’t worry I will post the video of us singing it at the event.
Now for the exciting information (drum roll please)…I have received my site placement! I will be working with a local municipality! I only received preliminary information about it, but I will be visiting my site this week. On Tuesday, those of us who are placed in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces will have a workshop with our supervisors. PC puts us up in “hotel,” of which I have low expectations. However, I am very excited about having running water and most importantly a shower! On Wednesday, my supervisor will take me to my site to familiarize myself with the office, meet my co-workers and community officials, etc. I am not sure where I will be staying since my housing situation is still in the works. However, I should have the opportunity to at least visit it. I’ll be at site until Saturday and then in a twist surprise, PC informed us we will have to make our own way back to our training site. Luckily, for me this should be relatively easy. I am not exactly sure where my town is, but it is no more than two hours from Polokwane, which is my assigned shopping town. Polokwane, which I have not been to yet, is only 20 minutes from the training site. In comparison, some volunteers are going as far as the Eastern Cape Province and will have to travel 16 hours each way. Although, I was hoping to be placed further away from my current location there are many upsides to my placement:
*Polokwane has an airport, making travel to other parts of the country easier.
*I can easily take a three hour bus ride to Pretoria & Johannesburg. Because of my close proximity to Pretoria, where PC HQ is located, I will be able to serve on a couple of committees that meet there quarterly.
*I am placed near my group’s most revered couple—Robin and David. I am also within two-five hours of seven other volunteers.
South Africa Explorations
We went to Johannesburg on Sunday to visit the Apartheid Museum. I read a lot about it beforehand and it lived up to my expectations. When you arrive you are given a ticket that says “White” or “Non-White.” There are two entrances corresponding to each designated ticket. The design of the museum is similar to a prison. The two exhibits are side beside separated by a see through cage/fence. About a quarter of the way through the two groups converge for the remainder of the museum. There was a special exhibit on Nelson Mandela, which was well done, but a little redundant since the information mainly seems to be pulled from his autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom,” which I am currently plowing through. Apartheid ended in 1994 with the birth of a democratic South Africa. Considering, not much time has passed since then, SA has made great strides in improving the social and economic inequalities caused by the institutionalized segregation. However, it is hard to change individuals’ mindsets and economic power is still very concentrated among Afrikaners. I’m not sure what everyone’s background knowledge is about SA, so please let me know if you have any specific questions.
Personally, according to the racial categories here, I am classified as coloured. Coloured people are of bi/multi racial heritage (one being Black). There are coloured communities, but there are not (to my understanding) commonly mixed marriages. Coloureds marry other coloureds. Due to the law banning interracial marriages (during Apartheid) most coloureds with Afrikaans heritage probably trace their relatives back to their grandparents’ generation or further back. At least from what I’ve heard from PC training and panelists, coloureds are stigmatized for being neither Afrikaans nor Black. They are also stereotyped as being drunks, in prison and lazy. Most coloureds speak Afrikaans and/or English. This too separates them from the Black population. I have been mistaken a SA coloured and as a result, I have been greeted in Afrikaans. I really need to memorize the Afrikaans phrase saying “I don’t speak Afrikaans.” One South African told me that I may be mistaken for a “coconut--” brown on the outside, white on the inside. She said that people may mistake me as a coloured, who attended private school and appears to be too uppity to speak the native language. Oh, you know, just another obstacle to face. Anise (who is also bi-racial) studied abroad here for a year and lived in Capetown. She said that sometimes she was blatantly discriminated against and other times people’s attitude would change when they realized she had an American English accent. From her experience, Afrikaners viewed being American and Black/Bi-racial different from being a coloured/Black South African. I’m intrigued to learn more about this racial ideological disconnect.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge, knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” –Albert Einstein
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Let's Talk About Sex Baby, Let's Talk About You and Me
There's so much to cover since my last post. Please excuse the erratic nature of this posting.
South African Culture
Okay, so here is the scoop on my fellow volunteers. I can't cover all 45 of them, but here is background on the ones likely to pop up in future posts:
Sepedi Phrases
Apparently even on the internet there aren't a wide array of Sepedi dictionaries so here some key phrases for you. I had my midterm language test yesterday and I think I did pretty well!
"To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can." -Arthur Ashe
South African Culture
- Pap, pap and more pap--It is the staple food served almost every night at dinner. It is typical to fill at least half of your plate about an inch high. At first glance it looks like mashed potatoes, but it is much denser and reminds me of a more refined version of grits.
- In general SA food is not about taste. Most of the food is heavily salted. Fruits and vegetables are not commonly in eaten.
- My SA-23 group is divided into three villages and each village must create a health event for its community. My village has decided to focus on handwashing as it is not a regular practice. We are partnering with the local Red Cross, which is using the event to launch their campaign.
- Drinking is a big problem. People usually lock their doors and close windows by 10pm. Shebeens (illegal bars) are common and they are frequented at all hours of the day, particularly by men.
- We went to the Voortrekker Museum last week. It's an homage to the Voortrekkers (ancestors of Afrikaaners), which means not too many non-Afrikaners visit it. I think all of us were a little surprised when the tour guide referred to the Afrikaners as indigenous to SA. I suppose he meant that their culture and language was created here.
- We had the chance to speak with college students about HIV/AIDS, sex, gender roles, etc. It was difficult to listen without judgement. Most of the students said they knew about the importance of using condoms and contraceptives, but it was hard to gauge who actually practiced the use of them. There is a large disconnect between receiving the messages of safe sex and personal implementation. There are many stigmas and stereotypes to dispel and my job here will not be easy.
Okay, so here is the scoop on my fellow volunteers. I can't cover all 45 of them, but here is background on the ones likely to pop up in future posts:
- Anise-From SF, studied abroad in SA
- Andrew-From MA, attended BU for a bit then transferred
- Sean-Former Celebrity Editor for Businessweek (http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/19/give-peace-a-chance.html), Brenda is convinced he's writing an expose and told me not to end up in his book
- Ethan-in my Sepedi cohort, from Rochester, recent grad
- Shaelyn-recent grad from SF
- Robin and David-in my Sepedi cohort, recently retired from upstate NY, a super sweet couple that everyone wants to be like/adopted by
- Wanna-from Cambridge, recent grad
- Jan-Language and Culture Facilitator, speaks at least 6 languages, from outside of Pretoria
Sepedi Phrases
Apparently even on the internet there aren't a wide array of Sepedi dictionaries so here some key phrases for you. I had my midterm language test yesterday and I think I did pretty well!
- Ke tswa America. (I am from America.)
- Leina la ka ke Meris. (My name is Meris.)
- Ke Moithaapi wa Peace Corps. Peace Corps e aga go ba baetapele. (I am a Peace Corps Volunteer. Peace Corps builds leaders.)
- Ke ithuta Sepedi. (I am learning Sepedi.)
Recent Adventure
The most exciting story of the week...the failed pick pocketing of my bookbag. Don't worry, it was fairly innocuous. For our practical application of language simulation, we took a taxi into town. As we were walking Robin noticed two guys walking behind me and suspiciously eyeing my bag. All of sudden one of them made a move to unzip the back pocket of the bag. I heard Robin scream out my name. Then she grabbed the man's hand, slapped it and screamed, "No!" at him. It was pretty amazing. (No worries even if he was successful, he only would have grabbed my coffee stash and feminine products). Jan said, "10 points for Robin, -10 points for Meris." PC showed us a video on how quick pick pockets are and now I know how true it is. We now jokingly refer to Robin as our security leader and nobody will be messing with her anytime soon.
I tried to post photos, but I was unsuccessful. I will try again later.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Sepedi Way
Where to start?! Up until now I have only had limited internet access via my kindle. It turns out my host brother has a computer w/internet. He uses it for work so I still might not be able to use it very often. I live with a mother and her two children Amos who is in his mid-20s and Kelly a teen with 6 month old twins, a newphew and a slew of other people who come through.
I am learning Sepedi and I will stay in the Limpopo Province, but I do not have my permanent site yet. I will find out in a couple of weeks. Everything is going well. Despite my family having electricity, a tv and a computer there is no running water and I use a pit latrine and clean myself by bucket bath. Those are adjustments, but I only arrived here on Saturday and I will be here for about six weeks. On the plus side, from my front yard I can see the Drakensberg mountains.
In the mornings I have language class in the garage of Robin and David's host family. My language group is taught by Jan (pronounced John), a very sweet 20-something. Robin and David are retired teachers from Ithaca. They're a very nice couple. My class is rounded off with Ethan, a 22/23 year old from Rochester, NY. In the afternoons we meet up with the three other Sepedi language groups for cultural sessions. It is a constant stream of information and I am not sure how much I retain at times. Even though it is entering fall, the sun is brutal and it wear me down. It's a constant fight to stay dry and feel clean.
My first week and a half here we stayed at Mokopane College. I didn't quite savor the delightfulness of having running water, a shower and flush toilet. I quickly got to know the 40-ish people in my group and in a surprise twist we acquired three more volunteers who were re-assigned due to the Niger program closing. My roommate during this intro time was Barb, a 70-something year old volunteer. I can honestly say I was the envy of all trainees. I can't begin to describe what an amazing woman she is. I think the word "spitfire" may give you an idea of what she is like. Witty, snappy, sassy...she is someone to look up to.
As for the rest of the group I think the breakdown is 70/30 women to men. There are three couples and surprisingly quite a few people in long-distance relationships. The age range starts at college graduates to 70s. I'm not sure anyone is my age. I've already made some good friends and future travel partners. Depending on my location within the province, I'll be relatively close to Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
As for communication, I will not have a cell phone until the end of March when I officially become a volunteer. In the meantime I am at the mercy of Peace Corps as to when I have transport to a pay phone. Peace Corps still hasn't distributed mail, but I'm looking forward it! I'm sure I've left out a lot. Please send me questions. I will post photos when I can.
p.s. In the future for mail I was told it's best to send it via air mail and mark it with religious symbols to minimize customs tampering. Also, you can label it "for education purposes." I don't know how much that really helps, but it's worth a try. Oh, and if you send postcards can you please send ones with scenery/landscapes/monuments so I can show my community different parts of the U.S.?
I am learning Sepedi and I will stay in the Limpopo Province, but I do not have my permanent site yet. I will find out in a couple of weeks. Everything is going well. Despite my family having electricity, a tv and a computer there is no running water and I use a pit latrine and clean myself by bucket bath. Those are adjustments, but I only arrived here on Saturday and I will be here for about six weeks. On the plus side, from my front yard I can see the Drakensberg mountains.
In the mornings I have language class in the garage of Robin and David's host family. My language group is taught by Jan (pronounced John), a very sweet 20-something. Robin and David are retired teachers from Ithaca. They're a very nice couple. My class is rounded off with Ethan, a 22/23 year old from Rochester, NY. In the afternoons we meet up with the three other Sepedi language groups for cultural sessions. It is a constant stream of information and I am not sure how much I retain at times. Even though it is entering fall, the sun is brutal and it wear me down. It's a constant fight to stay dry and feel clean.
My first week and a half here we stayed at Mokopane College. I didn't quite savor the delightfulness of having running water, a shower and flush toilet. I quickly got to know the 40-ish people in my group and in a surprise twist we acquired three more volunteers who were re-assigned due to the Niger program closing. My roommate during this intro time was Barb, a 70-something year old volunteer. I can honestly say I was the envy of all trainees. I can't begin to describe what an amazing woman she is. I think the word "spitfire" may give you an idea of what she is like. Witty, snappy, sassy...she is someone to look up to.
As for the rest of the group I think the breakdown is 70/30 women to men. There are three couples and surprisingly quite a few people in long-distance relationships. The age range starts at college graduates to 70s. I'm not sure anyone is my age. I've already made some good friends and future travel partners. Depending on my location within the province, I'll be relatively close to Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
As for communication, I will not have a cell phone until the end of March when I officially become a volunteer. In the meantime I am at the mercy of Peace Corps as to when I have transport to a pay phone. Peace Corps still hasn't distributed mail, but I'm looking forward it! I'm sure I've left out a lot. Please send me questions. I will post photos when I can.
p.s. In the future for mail I was told it's best to send it via air mail and mark it with religious symbols to minimize customs tampering. Also, you can label it "for education purposes." I don't know how much that really helps, but it's worth a try. Oh, and if you send postcards can you please send ones with scenery/landscapes/monuments so I can show my community different parts of the U.S.?
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