All Good Things Must Come To An End

My travels through South Africa continue to be an enlightening experience. The racial struggle is still alive and present here in Joburg and the tension is palpable. For the first time, I experienced reverse discrimination in a store, where they refused to sell me anything but were more than helpful toward my coworker who is black. Although I felt a rage I had never felt before, I realized this was important for me to experience because it is a large part of life here in Africa. My trip thus far has offered me a glimpse of the racial disparities but I had been somewhat removed from it. I had not, until yesterday, experienced it myself. Realizing these racial tensions persist in all racial groups was a difficult lesson to learn but one that had I not experienced it, I would have been slighted in my perception of Africa.


Determined to put that awful feeling aside and give Joburg a chance, I went to dinner with a coworker at a fabulous South Africa restaurant, Moya. When we made a reservation for two, the staff must have thought it was a romantic couple because they sat us at a table in a little nook, complete with candles, roses, and a beaded entry to our table. My friend (a woman) and I laughed but figured we would enjoy it nonetheless. Live Afro-Jazz and African drummers performed for our entertainment and women dressed in traditional headdresses with multicolored feathers swaying in the breeze painted our faces as we dined. The food was incredible and we feasted on shrimp, samosas, king klip fish, and lamb tangine (stew-like meal). I had ordered a glass of wine which turned out to be the home to a few bugs. Mortified, the restaurant brought me a new, whole bottle on the house. However, my friend does not drink red wine, leaving me with the entire bottle to drink alone (which this morning I'm realizing was a terrible idea even though I didn't even come close to finishing it!).


Today is my last full day in South Africa as I must leave for home tomorrow afternoon. I am saddened by the impending end to such a fabulous adventure. It has been an incredible journey of a country, a culture, and of self. I want to thank you all for sharing in my South African adventures and for your kind words and wishes. I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Joburg

Joburg is a fascinating city where the oppression of the country can be felt more strongly than the other places I have visited. The disparities between the rich and the poor are vast. Sandton, where loveLife's national office is located, is the hub of wealth and fortune. The surrounding neighborhoods of Craighall and Hyde Park boast some of the grandest estates I have ever seen, even more elaborate than Beverly Hills. However, not far from these mansions are run-down houses and closed store fronts. Electricity is a commodity here in Joburg and power outages are common. My hostel, the Backpackers Ritz (don't let the name fool you, there is nothing ritzy about it!), turns off all electricity at 10:30 pm and turns it back on at 7:30 each morning.

Although about 10.5 million people live in Joburg, there is no public transportation, including taxis, so getting around town is challenging and often expensive. Last night, I went to a gym and then realized I had no way of getting back to my hostel because even though it was only a few blocks away, I could not walk alone. Luckily, a woman who worked at the gym offered me a ride to my hostel and I had my first experience with "hitch hiking" if you could even call it that!

Working in the national office, I have been busy working on an article describing my experience with loveLife. The article will be included in loveLife's monthly newspaper, which is read by about 7,000 loveLife staff around the country. The media partnership is an important component of loveLife's approach to spread HIV and sexual health awareness. Without the media exposure, the youth and schools would not be aware of the program and the opportunities it offers.

Sadly, tomorrow will be my last day working as I must return to reality on Thursday. I plan to spend my last day at the Orangefarm Y Center, where I will enjoy my final dose of inspiration from the South African teens.

Something I will never get used to is the availability of free condoms everywhere you look in South Africa. Obviously this is part of the country's push for safe sex and HIV prevention but condoms are available in places you would never expect, and they are always free. I just realized that in the bathroom at the loveLife offices, there is a basket of condoms by the sink as we see mints in our bathrooms. My hostel offers condoms by the communal dining table and you often see condoms available in shopping malls and even restaurants. People here were appalled when I told them that we charge people for condoms in the United States, which made me think about how our HIV statistics might be affected if we offered free condoms and made safe sex and sexual health practices a stronger part of the national dialogue as well.

Zebras, Rhinos, and Giraffes oh my!

After a week on the loveTrain in rural South Africa, I was excited to go to La Palala game reserve with David Harrison and his family. La Palala is a private game reserve in the Limpopo province, not far from Botswana. It is the home to black rhinos, white rhinos, zebras, giraffes, impala, nyala, wildebeasts, warthogs, leopards and many more.

After driving for three hours through Gauteng and Limpopo provinces, we turned off the tar road and traveled into La Palala game reserve on the deep red dirt road, navigating around boulders and dashing nyala. Right past the entry gate, we were greeted by a herd of white rhinos and a pack of warthogs. The warthogs were bouncing around the rhinos, irritating them and causing them to stomp and snort, reminiscent of Pumba from The Lion King.

We continued to wind through the reserve, keeping an eye out for animals and spotting zebras, giraffes, wildebeasts, impala, and more warthogs. Finally, we arrived at our campsite which was hidden among the trees and situated on a river bank. We idled away the afternoon reading in the sun and taking short walks through the bush in search of animals. As we walked through thick bush that engulfed our legs, David warned us about black mambas, cobras, and black scorpions, all of which are present in La Palala and quite poisonous. Although I was now a bit cautious, when we emerged from the bush and came to the top of a hill, I was blown away by the beauty of the red earth contrasting with the rich gold bush and vibrant green trees.

As night began to fall, we watched the nearly full moon rise and nighttime creep over the horizon. After a hearty dinner of campfire stew, we headed to bed keeping an eye out for snakes, scorpions, and leopards.

The next morning I awoke with the sun, refreshed and invigorated by the crisp air. I had made it through the night without being eaten by a leopard, bitten by a black mamba, or stung by a scorpion!

Ready for some game viewing, we quickly packed up camp and headed to meet a guide for a wilderness walk/hike. Because we were in dangerous black rhino territory, each adult was assigned to a child in the case of emergency. We were told that if we came across a black rhino that we were not to run but find a large tree and either climb it or hide behind it (very comforting to start a hike this way!).

Shortly after we began the climb, we came to ruins from an 18th century village. Remnants of grinding stones and iron tools created from the iron-rich earth, remained from the once inhabited village. On the top of the mountain, we came across more ruins from a 17th century village. Stone walls remained from the hilltop village, revealing floor plans from huts and the king's quarters.

Although we did not see any black rhinos on this hike, we did come across quite a lot of rhino dung and other animal dung. I was a bit taken aback when David's wife and daughter collected the heaping rhino dung and different animals' dung with their bare hands for show and tell in school! They told me not to worry because these animals mostly all ate plants, but for some reason, I did not find that comforting.

Our guide was quite knowledgeable about the terrain and the animals. When we came across hyena dung, he warned us not to touch any of the plants near the dung because hyenas mark their territory after excretion. If we touched any of the plants around there, our hands would smell horrendously for days on end! Avoiding any vegetation near there, we continued on, listening to stories about the people who inhabited these mountains many years ago. Our guide showed us the specific trees which were planted for performing sacrifices and the trees that were used to help young girls' breasts grow larger (not a pleasant procedure!).

At the end of the hike, we all climbed into the back of the guide's backie (pick up truck) for a true South African ride back to our cars. We drove through La Palala reserve and watched as giraffes, rhinos, and zebras grazed the fields. All in all, my first game reserve experience was rugged and beautifully natural.

Lessons in Zulu

Today was my final day with the loveTrain in Piet Retief. The day began once again with the rumble of the generator at 6 am and work began to get ready for our event for the kids from the surrounding farm schools to introduce them to loveLife. Five minutes before the buses of kids arrived, I was told that I was to be the MC for the event. It was my job to get the kids excited and involved in the program. Panic set in as I thought about my difficulties with communication thus far.

Sure enough, the 70 plus kids arrived and I hopped on stage to welcome them. As I stood on stage, mic in hand, I was met with only confused looks. I don't know what the coordinators were thinking by putting me on stage because the kids couldn't understand a word I was saying! Luckily the local groundBREAKER joined me on stage and translated what I had said, at which point the kids roared and cheered.

Remembering what I had learned yesterday, I decided it was much wiser to keep to the entertainment side of the event, and started the kids dancing and interacting. Needless to say, it was quite an experience!

After the welcome entertainment, the kids were broken into groups and attended sessions that included motivation, speak-outs, and take action, which teaches the kids how to make positive changes in their lives by first identifying what needs to be changed. One boy stood up and thanked loveLife for giving him the opportunity to learn how to stay HIV negative and provide him the chance to partake in the program.

After the sessions, we started a large game of ultimate frisbee with the kids. Once again I found that music and sports are the universal language.

Exhausted but also exhilerated by the kids enthusiasm for loveLife, I headed back to Joburg with a few other loveLife members. The drive took us 6 hours as we got stuck in an incredibly strong wind storm which picked up the dirt from the fields and painted the sky a pale brown.

Finally arriving back in Joburg, I joined David Harrison and his family again for dinner. Bright and early tomorrow morning we are all heading to La Palala in the Limpopo province for some game viewing and sleeping under the stars!

R Kelly and Frisbee- the universal language

The much anticipated cold front arrived this morning as we welcomed a group of young adults on to the train for Cyber Ys training. Most of these adults had already finished matric (matriculation of high school) but were not working. The Cyber Ys training is intended to teach these adults how to use a computer in order to facilitate employment.

This afternoon we traveled to Derby which is an extremely rural farm village. Our trip took us off the main roads and onto deep red, earthy paths. We dodged goats and chickens in the road before we arrived at the school where we were to speak to the 9th grade about loveLife. We lead a motivational speak-out in which each loveLife member addressed the kids openly about decisions, change, sex, drugs, and HIV. Drawing on personal experiences and anecdotal stories, the loveLife team captured the kids' attention and was able to get the kids to speak out on these issues as well. Because my Zulu is what you might call a bit rusty at best, I was not able to give a full motivational talk. However, I was able to talk to the kids about the meaning of change, what it takes to get control of your life, and the necessary personal desire for change in order to give yourself the life you deserve.

It was inspiring to listen to the other loveLife members talk and motivate the youth (although I didnt follow everything that was said in Zulu!). When we left the school, kids were excited about loveLife and its mission.

Returning to the train, we had a new group of young adults for Cyber Y's training. Not being able to verbally communicate with the others, I sat down at the DJ booth and picked out some songs for us to listen. I quickly learned that R. Kelly is VERY popular here and just the fact that I knew who he was, let alone knew some of the lyrics, earned me major points with the other loveLife workers and the local kids. I was finally starting to break through with the others!

The weather warmed up and a few of us went outside to toss the frisbee. Although my skills are not refined, I was able to learn tips from the kids, eventhough we didn't speak the same language.

Tonight is the big soccer match- Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs- and the country is divided. I went to dinner with some of the loveLife crew and the bar would not let us watch the game because we were Chiefs fans! Imagine the Arsenal and Manchester United rivalry in England and you will understand what is going on here in SA right now.

Well I better sign off before the other fans throw my blackberry out the window. But remember, should you find yourself in a situation in which you do not speak the local language, put on some R. Kelly and pull out a frisbee and you are ready to go!

Piet Retief, Small Town South Africa

(some of the local groundBREAKERs in front of the van and the train)

The morning began bright and early as the generator kicked on at 6 am. Eager for some food, we all piled into the van and headed out to find a grocery store and restrooms seeing as the bathrooms are not usable when in a station.

On the way back from the stores, we stopped at an HIV and TB clinic where we met some local groundBREAKERS who were to help us gather local kids to come to the loveTrain. The groundBREAKERS lead us around to the rural farm schools, that in order to reach, we took dirt road to dirt road, followed mining trucks, and then another dirt road.

(The kids of the primary farm school in Piet Retief)

At the different schools, we met with the principal to discuss dismissing groups of teens to come to the loveTrain at different times over the next few days for our Cyber Y's program which aims to educate the local teens on using computers and the internet. The first school we stopped at, the kids were enchanting. I made the mistake of taking out my camera to capture their happy, smiling faces and soon found that children in South Africa LOVE having their picture taken and will pose for you for however long you would like. Swarmed by almost the entire school, I, with the help of my fellow loveLife workers, were able to get the kids into some kind of order for a picture. The kids' sheer joy of having their picture taken was incredible and it was difficult to drive away. However, we had many more schools and clinics to visit before the day was over.

(Piet Retief township)

Moving on to our next site visit, we met with the groundBREAKER who teaches the Life Orientation classes at the local schools and negotiated us coming into her classroom tomorrow to introduce the kids to the loveTrain.



This afternoon, about 10 teenagers from one of the farm high schools arrived at the loveTrain and began their first introduction to Cyber Y's and computers. People having heard the loveTrain was in Piet Retief and had heard about the Cyber Y's training, also arrived at the train to find out more information and if they could bring their children by the next afternoon. The people of Piet Retief are excited by the train's presence and eager to learn how to use a computer.

(Cyber Y's training on the train and the radio broadcast center)

Growing up in America, I remember learning how to use a computer in 4th grade, if not earlier. Technology has always been at our finger tips and it is easy to forget that we are lucky to have the access to technology that we have and that not everyone has these opportunities.

Hakuna Matata

(The low veld and scattered townships)

I have learned many things on my adventure thus far but perhaps the most prevalent lesson is to go with the flow. Nothing in South Africa seems to happen on time or as planned. However, I am convinced this is why South Africans are seemingly so happy. They live a life based on the famous saying from The Lion King, "hakuna matata" (no worries).

I arrived in Joburg yesterday afternoon with no place to stay. Ever the philanthropist and caring soul, David Harrison, the CEO of loveLife, offered for me to stay with him and his family for the evening. Little did I know that this would entail discussions of Harry Potter, homework, and naming the little girls' guinea pigs' babies. It was a wonderful reprieve to be in a home and around a family for the night.

The next morning, the loveTrain was scheduled to leave Joburg around 10 am. However, to my surprise, the train left early and was already in Piet Retief. Remembering hakuna matata, I relaxed and went with the flow. I ended up joining two outreach coordinators and the three of us drove to Piet Retief that afternoon.

Our drive began through the heart of Joburg (the loveLife office is in Sandton which is an extremely wealthy suburb of Joburg and it is where all the financial companies are moving to). The center of Joburg was what I had pictured most African cities to look like - dilapidated high rises, people wandering in the streets, and closed store fronts. Bus loads of Zimbabweans were unloading to purchase everyday essentials their country will not provide.

Leaving the city, we drove through the Mpumalanga province which is considered the low veld. The land seemed barren with the exception of a few smatterings of trees here and there. Every few kilometers, a township would appear and the bright blues, greens, and purples of the huts offered a break from the golds, oranges, and browns of the veld.

As we drove further away from Joburg and closer to Piet Retief, we entered the coal mining towns. It was around 4:30 pm and the sun was setting over the mountains. Buses jammed with men in blue jumpsuits were piling out of the trucks, exhausted and covered in dirt and coal from the mines. It reminded me of scenes in the movies but then I realized this was real life - their real lives. Women walked along the roadside carrying bags of groceries and tubs of water. Some women were even carrying babies tied to their backs as they lugged home food for supper.

We arrived at the loveTrain a few minutes before 7 pm only to find the entire town of Piet Retief closed. Although hungry, we realized we were going to have to wait until the morning to get food. Instead, we huddled around the little tv in the kitchen trying to make out the faces of characters in the static.

(The loveTrain crew huddled around our tv in the kitchen)

There are five people on the loveTrain, including me. Unfortunately, I am the only one who speaks English, the other four speaking Zulu and Xhosa. Although difficult at times, I think the next few days will be good for me to be quiet for a change!

I must sign off now as our generator is about out for the night!

(Goodnight from Piet Retief! This is essentially my entire bunk quarters)

Finally a Tourist and Joburg

Sunday was my last day in Cape Town and first free day to be a tourist. Feeling as though I had seen a lot of Cape Town while working, I decided to go for a jog along the promenade that winds above the breath-taking coastline through Greenpoint (home to the new soccer stadium for the 2010 World Cup), Sea Point, Clifton, and Camps Bay. It seemed as if all of Cape Town was out for a Sunday stroll, watching the surfers tackle the large waves breaking on the rocky shore and navigating the dense collections of seaweed.

After taking in the views, I headed to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront for some shopping. Finding everything to be a bit out of my price range, I opted to taxi over to the Green Point Flea Market, where I found a myriad of hand made beaded jewlery and arts and crafts. Everything in the market was made by people from the townships. Having experienced their living conditions, I felt it was inhumane to bargain down their asking prices, which still was not much, and I wished I could have helped eached person.

I left the market with a bag full of great African jewlery that I couldn't wait to wear. I had the taxi drop me at Arnolds Cafe which had been recommended to me by numerous locals (and I was also given a coupon for a free bottle of wine so I couldn't pass that up!). I was dining on delicious Mozambique prawns and enjoying my South African wine when a young couple came over and asked me to join them. As it turned out, the woman is moving to Huntington Beach in September for a new job- what a small world! After a few glasses of wine and many laughs, we exchanged emails and I returned to my hostel to pack.

Arriving in Joburg midday, I was greeted by the loveLife driver and shuttled to their national office where I was immediately handed a laptop and asked to write an article for their internal newspaper that is read by about 7000 people who are involved with loveLife. Sifting through my experiences and emotions about my adventure thus far, I began to write, reflecting on what I had seen and learned over the past week.

CNN Multichoice Awards

(Noor Hoek and Cape Point)

With no work today, I spent the day with the Kaiser Family Foundation members and the African journalists particpating in the African Journalist Award Week. The morning began with a breakfast forum to discuss the HIV epidemic and the role of media in the fight to make HIV part of the international dialogue. Journalists from all over Africa discussed their struggle to ignite interest in HIV in their communities and the cultural taboos they face regarding the discussion of HIV.

Now, I know that most of my blog so far has carried a heavy tone. So, on a lighter note, I thought I would share the story of one journalist from Uganda who discussed the need for journalists to increase public interest in the HIV epidemic and suggested involving political figures in the struggle to entice the news media and the readers. He shared his story in which the government of Uganda purchased a supply of condoms to promote sexual health and HIV prevention. However, the condoms were all too small for the Ugandans and people, outraged by this oversight, went to the government and demanded, "Why do you buy such small condoms? We are big African men!" Needless to say, this story sold many papers and opened the door for a larger HIV discussion in Uganda.

The forum was followed by lunch at the Constantia vinyards and estate, which reminded me of Napa Valley to a smaller extent. Thinking back to my previous days in the midst of extreme poverty in the Y-Centers and townships, I was shocked to the see the wealth in the surrounding homes and estates, just over a hill from the poverty-stricken areas. The gap between the rich and poor in South Africa is vast and today provided me a different perspective on life in South Africa, highlighting why there is such tension between the classes.

After lunch and a tour of the vineyard, we took a bus tour around Chapman's Peak and experienced some of the most outstandingly beautiful sights I have seen. The road to Cape Point reminds me the Amalfi Coast in Italy as our bus driver tackled each turn in the road as we learily looked over the sheer drop-off of the road into the icy blue ocean below. Our driver showed us Noor Hoek (pronounced Noor Hook) beach, which is the longest stretch of white sand beach in the Cape Town area at 11 km long. He explained that however beautiful this beach was, there is a large Great White shark problem at the moment which, as many of you would guess, was more than enough for me to pass up a swim!

(All dressed up in front of the fire in the bar of my hostel for the CNN Awards)

This evening, I had to set aside my jeans and casual clothes and don a dress and heels for the CNN African Journalist Awards, (you can imagine the looks I received leaving my hostel admist the other residents in their sweats and backpacks!). The Kaiser Family Foundation was a large sponsor of the event, allowing for us to have prime seating. My seat was practically on the stage and the camera man kept putting my table on the large screen. (So, if you happen to see clips of the CNN African Journalist Awards, look out for my face!). The Bala Brothers, a very popular band in South Africa, entertained the crowd with their operatic as well as soul and pop pieces.

The Convention Center was beautifully decorated and people were dressed in their elaborate and colorful traditional gowns from their countries. The award winners' stories were heartbreaking as they thanked their parents for sacrificing so much in order to give them an education so they could be where they are today. The CNN African Journalist of 2007 went to quite a deserving man from Uganda who detailed women's struggle for equality in Uganda. His writing was beautiful and you could feel the pain and suffering of the women he was interviewing. In his acceptance speech, he stated that he is a journalist because he believes in giving every Ugandan the rights they deserve and he will not stop working, until he can make a difference.

District Six

I awoke this morning to a bitterly cold and rainy day. Luckily, the loveLife team and I had survived the week of events and today was really more of an admin day. After doing some work in the provincial office, Marcellino and Zolani (another loveLife trainer) took me to Canal Walk, the largest mall in Cape Town, (think Mall of America in MN) for lunch.

Because we were at a mall, Marcellino and Zolani discussed South Africans' dream of being American and doing what they can to just like Americans. It was upsettling to me because, although I understand their point in that they see America as a wealthy country with all the desires, these people are warm and compassionate like I have not witnessed in America. They possess a strength of character and spirit that not many Americans have. However, they dress, act, and say what Americans do/say in hope of living the life we have in America.

(BET editor, me, Eddie Daniels, Isabelle James)

This evening I attended a media forum about the need to strengthen the collaboration of journalists working on HIV issues and human rights issues across the globe. Prominent journalists participated in the forum, discussing their desperate attempts to bring stories of HIV and human rights to their papers, radio, or tv shows. The forum was followed by dinner at the District Six museum, which commemorates the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town that was a melting pot of races until the twentieth century when removals began and people were forced to move into areas based on the color of their skin. During the dinner, we heard stories from Ahmed Kathrada, a political prisoner who was held captive on Robben Island for over twenty years, even longer than Nelson Mandela. He discussed growing up in District Six and the hardships he had to overcome in terms of segregation, racism, and crime. He provided each of us an autographed copy of his book, "Memoirs." Eddie Daniels, another political prisoner on Robben Island, also addressed us during the dinner. He told us a beautiful story about the "diamond he found in Namibia," referring to his late wife, and the struggles they went through to be together because he was a black man and she was a white woman. In an engaging love story, Eddie relayed his trials and tribulations of being sent to Robben Island for political activism and then how he and his wife got married when it was not legal for a black man to marry a white woman. He has detailed his story in his book, "There and Back" if you are interested in reading more about his life struggles and how he put himself aside in the fight to end Apartheid.

This is a floor-to-ceiling sheet on which the residents of District Six wrote their names and addresses in District Six. A group of women volunteered to embroider over their names so they would be forever in history.

Site Visits and Nelson Mandela Awards

This morning came all too early but turned out to be an incredible day. Marcellino and Zolani picked me up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 am and we headed down to the Table Bay Hotel to meet up with the African journalists here for the CNN Multichoice Awards. After breaking up into smaller groups, we all headed off to different parts of Cape Town for an experience that I'm not quite sure I have even had the opportunity to process yet.

My group consisted of Marcellino, myself, and ten award-winning journalists from all over Africa. We headed down to Hout Bay, which is a holiday destination for many white families but also has incredible poverty among the black and colored communities. Our first stop was the local HIV and TB clinic where we met with the pharmacist and NGO workers who volunteer their time to help the local people manage their disease. The Hout Bay clinic was packed with people waiting in line for their ARV's, standing room only when we arrived. It was heartbreaking to see the many pregnant women and young children who have been afflicted with HIV.




After our sobering visit to the clinic, we headed into the black township for a home visit with one of the clinic's patients. The clinic provides patient advocates to assit the patients with compliance with their medications. Compliance is a major issue for people with HIV because HIV patients cycle through periods of health and sickness, and in periods of health, they stop taking their ARV's because they think they are better. However, once a patient is on ARV's, they need to remain on them for life and it is more dangerous for them to interrupt their medications.





We went to visit Beauty, who upon first glance, is a seemingly healthy and extremely happy woman in her mid-30's. Beauty explained how she was HIV positive but that she has two beautiful girls, grades 5 and 9, and how she is not ready to die and leave them. The strength of Beauty's spirit was inspiring as she described her battles with illness and her struggle to afford food and clothes for her girls. Beauty had been fired from her job at a B&B because her boss found out she was HIV positive. Although, against the law in South Africa, there was nothing Beauty could do. Now, because of a grant from doctors, Beauty is able to send her girls to the white school in the neighboring town in hope of giving them a better life. I was moved to tears listening to Beauty's story of determination, strength, and optimism as we stood her in shack constructed out of tin, plywood, and metal caging. Looking me square in the eyes (I was the only white person and the only woman in our group), she teared up as she talked about death and how she has written letters saying that her daughters will not go to a black family because she does not trust them. Instead, she has requested that upon her death, her daughters must be sent to live with a white family because they will offer her children more opportunities and provide for them in ways a black family cannot.









Leaving Beauty's hut, we headed over to the Hout Bay school for the colored children where we sat in on a life orientation class given by one of the loveLife groundBreakers. Life orientation classes provide the children in the schools with lessons on sexuality, sexual health, and offer an open forum for discussion and questions about equality of sexes, respect, choices, and responsibility. The groundBreaker in this class discussed overcoming the pessimistic outlook of many South African teenagers who believe there is no reason to remain HIV negative because they have no hope for a good life. He encouraged to look at life hopefully and explained what it means to have amibitions and dreams. He advised them to wait to have sex until they are ready, but if they feel they are ready, then to come speak to him for help and protection. He engaged the children in conversation about how to stop the HIV pandemic and explained that it starts with each and every one of us. The kids participated in the class discussions and asked questions openly about HIV and sex.


After our morning of site visits, we all headed to the Castle in Cape Town, which is a castle once occupied by the Dutch in the middle of the city center, for the Nelson Mandela Awards presented by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The Deputy President of South Africa addressed us about issues concerning human rights and the HIV pandemic. The Chief Justice of South Africa presented the first award to Arthur Chaskalson for his work in civil rights. Wangari Maathai received the second Nelson Mandela award for empowering women in Africa and environmental activism. The awards were timely as yesterday was Nelson Mandela's 89th birthday.






I had the afternoon free to be a tourist for the first time so I headed up to the top of Table Mountain to take in the view of Cape Town and the Cape Flats. It was a spectacular day and I could see for miles in every direction. I then headed down to Long Street, similar to Adams Morgan in Washington, DC, for excellent Roti at a small place called Mojitos. I ended my day at Zula, which had a live band that sounded oddly similar to Dave Matthews at times and then Bob Marley at others.


All in all, it was an awe-inspiring day and one that I will never be able to forget. I am constantly humbled by the people I have met here and feel so lucky that we live the lives we do.

Marcellino and me at Hout Bay

LoveLife and LoveTrain Event

Today was the day the loveLife workers have been working toward for weeks - the big loveLife and loveTrain events for the Kaiser Family Foundation visitors and the international journalists. Marcellino picked me up before the sun was even up over Table Mountain. We all piled into cars and drove out to Wetton Station where the loveTrain has been stationed for the past couple of days. Work began immediately as we had to prepare for the guests and the performers from the local schools and high schools.

LoveLife events incorporate dance, drama, singing, drum beating, etc. as well as speak-outs and loveLife messaging for the participants. Kids from the local schools performed with amazing talent. The dancers were incredible and could move their bodies like I never thought possible, even at the young age of 6. Older kids performed dramas detailing lives of teenagers making decisions about sex and dealing with the consequences of their decisions. Some participants were moved by the discussion and performances and took the stage for a speak-out, or an impromptu performance about their feelings regarding sexual health and HIV. In between performances, loveLife workers spoke about the loveLife program and how to be a part of the loveLife generation. Also branded under the Born Free name, the loveLife generation is the idea that children born after Apartheid do not have to succumb to segregation, inequality, and lack of choices. LoveLife works with young children to help them understand they have choices in life but that they must understand the consequences of these choices and how best to make informed decisions.

After the event, the children were given lunch and discussion ensued about loveLife and sexual health. The children were energized and excited by talking about the loveLife program, and that is exactly the goal of these loveLife events.

Exhausted from a long day of activity and energy, Marcellino and I drove to Hout Bay to set up publications for tomorrow's sight visits with the international journalists. The drive to Hout Bay is breathtaking. The road winds around amazing mansions cascading up the hillsides and white sand cliffs dropping off into the coral blue ocean. The sun was setting and it was the deepest red and I felt as though if I followed the clouds to the horizon, it looked as though the ocean met the sky and I could see where the world curves. We drove through Clifton and Camps Bay which have some of the most beautiful architecture and stunning houses I have seen. Marcellino explained that obviously, this was the white part of Cape Town.

I must sign off now as I cannot keep my eyes open another minute. Tomorrow should be another exciting day, beginning with my pick up at the lovely hour of 6:30 am!

Townships, Clinics, and Schools

Molweni!

I have been informed by my new South African friends at loveLife that "molweni" means "hello" in Xhosa, one of the three languages spoken in Cape Town. Xhosa combines clicks and noises, and needless to say everyone at loveLife has had a good laugh at my expense when trying to pronounce some of the words!

Anyway, today was an incredible experience that began with meeting the loveLife trainer who I would be spending the day with, a South African Rasta man named Buleleni. Rasta men in South Africa are a minority so the combination of a rasta man walking around with a white woman was more than a lot of people in the townships could handle. We were followed by gaggles of little kids pointing and screaming "Rasta Man!" or "loongu!" which means "white woman".

Our day started at the Cliproad clinic that treats HIV and TB patients in the local black township. LoveLife groundBreakers in these clinics provide information to patients about sexual health and how to prevent spreading HIV. Children as young as a couple of months sat in the waiting room, their bodies ravaged by HIV. It was a scene we have all heard about but either choose to not believe it actually exists or do not believe it can happen to such innocence.

After the Cliproad clinic, Buleleni and I continued on to Nyanga where we visited the local primary school to meet with the principal and teachers to finalize plans for students to perform the next day at our loveLife events around Cape Town. Nyanga is the most dangerous of the townships in Cape Town and it has been devasted by extreme poverty. Huts made of aluminum cans and plywood scatter the muddy ground and hair salons occupy empty metal shipping containers. Although living in such poverty, the kids in the schools were excited by loveLife's presence and were more than willing to perform for us (that is, after they got over the sight of a rasta man and white woman!).

Feeling relieved that we had made it safely through Nyanga, we headed to Phillipi, a neighboring black township that is only slightly better off than Nyanga. After visiting with the primary school in Phillipi, Buleleni's alma mater, we headed to Mfuleni Clinic where the sight was even more upsetting than at the Cliproad clinic. People were lined up out the door to receive their ART's (anti-retrovirals used for treating HIV). Some people looked just like you and me while others were covered in sores and some even in wheelchairs.

By the time we returned to the Langa Y-Center, I was emotionally drained and felt incredibly humbled. The people I had met with today were full of life and spirit, regardless of their living situations or even their health.

At the Langa Y-Center, the local kids were practicing for their performances the next day. It was great fun to watch these little children dance with incredible passion and talent at such a young age. On the drive home, Buleleni and some of the other loveLife workers talked me about their aspirations to come to the US to see how HIV programs are run in the States and to learn from the programs and policies in our country. They each expressed their dreams of studying in the United States, even for just a semester, and hoped to find scholarship programs to help them achieve this goal. The people at loveLife are driven beyond any ambition I have ever experienced. I am inspired each day by their stories and their passion for life and for ending the HIV pandemic.

Day 1 in Cape Town

After a much-needed good night's sleep, I awoke and watched the sun rise over Table Mountain from the breakfast den of my hostel. It was a gorgeous morning, with bright blue skies and not a cloud in sight - I couldn't have asked for a better day!

A few hours later I was greeted by Marcellino, or "Mac"(pronounced Mas), who is a regional director for loveLife. A self-proclaimed metrosexual, Marc is a very interesting man and right away we were having discussions about race, culture, and Apartheid - all before I had had my morning coffee! Marc explained that in South Africa there are three races: Black, Colored, and Afrikaan (or white). Essentially, the Black community consists of those who are entirely Black. These families maintain the traditions and cultures of their ancestors unlike the Colored communities which consist of any non-Whites, and who have adopted a Western way of life. Marc is considered colored because he is light skinned and has some Dutch heritage. He explained how people in South Africa are still getting used to racial integration and for me to be prepared for people to stare at us, a white woman walking around with a colored man.

Marc took me to see the loveTrain, which is painted in hues of purple, pink, orange, and green. Jackie, the one trainer on board currently gave me a tour of the broadcast studio on the train from which the groundBreakers transmit radio programs for the rural communities on sexual health and HIV prevention. The train is also equipped with a new computer learning center in which loveLife hopes to offer computer training skills to teenagers in the rural communities as well. When I join the train on Friday, I will be working with the loveLife trainers in the Piet Retief to sustain loveLife's message and offer sexual health counseling to the local teenagers.

Next, Marc and I went to visit the Y-Center in Langa, the oldest township in Cape Town. He first drove me through Langa which is a black township, consisting of lean-tos created from cardboard and plywood. Street merchants were selling boiled sheep's head and men were lined up on the street corner in their folding chairs sharing beers. The townships have a strong sense of community and "banga" (I'm not positive on the spelling on this word) which is the idea that your child is my child. The black communities in South Africa, unlike the colored communities and the Afrikaaners, consider themselves all a part of one family and they do everything for each other, not for themselves. The Y-center in Langa is extremely popular and was filled with kids playing pool, shuffle board, basketball, etc. Niki, a boistrous groundBreaker, was broadcasting a radio program when we arrived. The Y-center in Langa is a safe-haven for these teenagers to come and hang-out, learn skills, and be off the streets. I was inspired by the groundBreakers I met today. They are all very full of life and want nothing more than to make a difference for others as well as for themselves.

I could go on and on about what I learned today but my time is about up. Cape Town is a gorgeous city. It is extremely green and the mountains cascade into the city center with the ocean just beyond. Antelopes and Zebras inhabit any green space around the city and can be seen on the open spaces on the side the highways. Anyway, I must be off because my internet card has expired but I am looking forward to tomorrow!

Alive and Well in South Africa

My adventure began bright and early Saturday morning as I boarded my flight bound for Johannesburg. Sadly, due to unfortunate circumstances, Avni was not able to join me on our trip to South Africa. Although I will greatly miss her company, I am confident that my time in South Africa will be a tremendous learning experience and one that will open my eyes to the world and encourage me to learn about myself.

After a long (30+ hours of flying) and arduous journey, I arrived in Cape Town and met up with Sarah, a loveLife Y-Center director (Y-Centers are youth centers established in different townships around South Africa. They are similar to community centers but they incorporate lessons on sexual health and HIV prevention and also include health clinics for teenagers to get tested or speak with doctors and counselors). As Sarah drove me to my hostel, she explained how loveLife is a fundamentally unique HIV prevention program because it relies on South Africans to teach and counsel other South Africans on HIV and sexual health, unlike many other HIV programs throughout Africa which employ foreigners who are not aware of the culture and specific attitudes of the people in that region.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the Cape Town Backpack. I was excited to see the hostel was full of young people, particularly in its bar/lounge area playing pool. Immediately, I felt at home and comfortable. My room is small but has everything I need in it, including my source of heat for these winter nights: a hot water bottle!

Hi Everyone!

I'm off on Saturday, July 14 to begin my South African adventure. If you are interested in following my trip and experiences, I will do my best to keep this page updated. This is my first experience with blogging, so bear with me!

For those of you who are not aware of my plans, I am going to South Africa to volunteer with a program called "loveLife," which was started by the Kaiser Family Foundation and is South Africa's national HIV prevention program for young people. My friend Avni and I will be volunteering with loveLife for three weeks, working with South African teenagers all over the country.

The first week, we will be in Cape Town working with groundBREAKERS (South African teenagers who have committed themselves to the program to offer sexual health counseling and effective outreach to other young people) on the loveGames, which is an Olympic-inspired competition among schools around South Africa and includes sporting events, drama, debate, musical performances, etc to promote healthy living. We will also be meeting with members of the South African government and media and the CNN anchors for the Annual Nelson Mandela Award and the CNN African Journalism Awards.

The second week, we will join the loveTrain which travels to the rural communities in South Africa to sustain outreach and services to young people. We will be stationed in Piet Retief, a very small town in the Mpumalanga region on the border of Swaziland. We will be working with groundBREAKERS to educate local youth about HIV/AIDS and sexual health through entertainment, sports, and motivational speaking. We will also be working with the schools and clinics to sustain the loveLife message when the train departs.

The third and final week we will be in Johannesburg, lovingly called Jo'burg, working with the program's media partnership that promotes awareness of the program, encourages more open discussion of sex, sexuality, gender and HIV and connects young people with the services they need to remain healthy. If you'd like to learn more about loveLife, you can visit the program's website, http://www.lovelife.org.za/

Avni and I are beyond excited about our upcoming adventure and I would love for you to share in our experiences as well. I hope you enjoy it!

Kim