I am writing to you all from my new site. If you look on a map of South Africa in KwaZulu Natal just look for Estcourt. The village that I am now living in is about 20 or so KM from Estcourt. Although it is pretty close to town, it feels 100000000x more rural than i was before. that it is because it is a whole lot more rural. Even though Sweetwaters was a "rural" village, it's proximity to Pietermaritzburg, one of the biggest cities in South Africa, kind of canceled that out. Because PMB has such a large and well-funded municipality the services for the surrounding areas included in Msunduzi are much better. Anyways, that doesn't really exist here and people's suffering is much more apparent to the eye.
I live next door to my new organization in a house with the administrator, her 6 year old daughter, and her sister. It is very comfortable and I have my own room. At first (yesterday) I was worried about living in the house with a family. However, my coworker is wonderful and really up for letting me do whatever I want (like cooking for myself or whatever). This is nice because she is really welcoming but at the same time totally cool with me existing on my own. Anyways, once I get to know her and her family better i will be more apt to hang out and stuff and the space-thing won't be as much of an issue. She is also OK with visitors coming, which is great, since my closest PCV friend is only 40 minutes up the road/a 20 rand taxi ride away!
My organization is truly awesome. It is directly contrasting to my old organization. In the effort to stay positive I didn't really go into details about that on this blog, but it was a learning experience. I can't say I'm lucky or happy to have experienced that, but at least I now know what an organization shouldn't be. haha. ANYWAYS. My organization does a host of things--it has a drop-in center, creche (preschool), a feeding scheme for children, a community soup kitchen, a community center, a garden, and programs such as: prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS, voluntary counseling for HIV/AIDS, psycho-social support for kids, home based care, etc. Straight off the bat my supervisor/director of the org/founder told me she would like me to help work on the prevention of mother to child transmission program, which sounds exciting. She also mentioned me maybe working on income generating activities. I am itching to work on the garden, which does need a jump start, and maybe turn that into income generating, as well as maybe food gardens? I am also actually excited to do grant writing here. I know that they money will be used correctly here, so I am definitely down to write grants till kingdom come. If anyone has any ideas of good organizations to ask, send me an email!
so on saturday i am off to my peace corps training in limpopo. it kind of sucks with the timing, but i am excited to see my friends. then i am off to kruger, which is the huge national animal park in south africa. that should be fun.
can you tell how pleased i am? i hope so! i will try to find out my new mailing address, but in the mean time you can send me things to my closest PCV:
Heather O'Neil ,
C/O OADP,
PO Box 37
Bergville,
South Africa
HOWEVER! Make sure you put her name in the address line and just write "for (my name)" on the of the letter/package whatever and remember, as always, if you send a package write like used educational materials or used clothes and only price it at around or under $5
goodnight! i will write again after i return from kruger!
<3
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1 comment:
Well, Therese, this is truly great!
I just ran through your slide show, again. I know this is "old news", but it still helps to see you, your friends, the landscape with monkeys and chickens, and your Bakenberg family.
Thanks for bringing us up-to-date on you and your travels. You write a "sprightly" sort of entry, that characterizes your new organization
as mature and sophisticated. I know you'll do well being an effective server to them and their work.
You left us with links to other volunteers' blogs. Have you, yourself, read those linked blogs? When anyone does read them, you come away with the sense that everyone else's experience has been frustrating to them as your has been, so far, to you. Take heart. This is a very daunting second or third work expereince for all of
you. Picture yourselves back in the States, working at jobs. At age 23, you would probably mot be running a store or an office or making a movie or writing a book. In the work world, people usually have to crawl before they can walk. Give yourself patience, and be a"servant" in whatever way your leaders feels is useful. Be patient. Learn, hen, you will later, LEAD!
Love, your very PROUD mom.
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