The first week of my travel was spent in Pretoria (aka Afrikaaner paradise) for the Peace Corps Mid-Service Training with my fellow PCVs who started their time with me in late January 2008. This training basically marked the mid-point of my service, although it was a couple of months late. It’s really hard to believe that I have already reached that point. 16 months ago I was really doubting if I could cut it in the Peace Corps. So, I guess I have “cut it”. Haha. Anyways, I think that my main way of making it has been forgetting that I am in the Peace Corps and instead just being some crazy white girl who lives in a rural Zulu village and works at BSSP. This way, in my brain at least, I am more detached from my Americaness and American friends in SA, such as PCVs. SMSing is huge here in SA and I used to be obsessed with keeping in touch with my friends primarily for support. Now, however, I leave my phone at home a lot (which angers my friends in the village to no end…) just because I’m not relying on outside support so much and can depend on myself and those I have gotten to know here. I’ve gotten to a point in my service where my ‘best’ friends are actually living with me in my village. I feel that with a number of my coworkers and neighbors I have finally crossed that cultural divide…well at least as much as is possible for the time being. The best statement about my current lifestyle is from one of my best friends here when talking about a group of Americans she had met;
-Friend: “Americans can be so annoying and full of themselves…” (she is basically referring to Americans she has met in general)
-Me: “Hey! Remember I’m an American…I agree with you sometimes but still…be gentle .” (jokingly)
-Friend: “Girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl you’re an Aaaaaaafffffricaaaan (exaggerating for attitude). You aren’t like them”.
While I’m not sure how true that comment is, it was one of the greatest complements I have received while being here.
Aaaaanyways, where was I? Oh yes, I was in Pretoria two weeks ago. After the 1.5 day training where Peace Corps treated us to a pretty nice hotel it was back to the city centre and lots of doctors appointments. I had my teeth checked and cleaned (no cavities, thankyouverymuch), got a new eyeglass prescription and new lenses for my existing frames, and had a doctor’s appointment regarding my mysterious stomach problems I have been having as of late. So I guess I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or the less embarrassing term—IBS. In my case this just means some nasty bacteria did a number on my stomach lining, making pretty much anything that isn’t a potato irritate my stomach. The term I like to use is “Africa-induced IBS”. This was a bummer to hear, because unlike a parasite you can just take a pill to get rid of, I now have a condition that will probably last until I get back to the states for good, as I encounter a lot more crazy bacteria living over this side. Whatevs I guess. What can you do? It's not the end of the world.
So last week I was in glorious Cape Town for a training for an organization called Grassroot Soccer. It is an American-based NGO that uses the power of soccer to spread HIV prevention. It’s a good concept and something that I am definitely interested in working on. Peace Corps has formed a partnership with them in South Africa and I got picked as one of the first 3 PCVs to take part. This is exciting primarily because I will be one of two sites in KZN (another PCV as well) in the entire Grassroot Soccer program! I’ve gotta say though, I had a crazy experience at this training. I felt like such a snob. The other PCV (who is in my group) and I spent our time digesting the ins and outs of the program and then critiquing it to death. Whatever, it’s a good program, but being the important international development experts that we are (sarcasm) we saw some big flaws. However, doing that kind of work and looking at how a model is running in an area that I have gotten to know so well and love is very interesting. I actually feel like I know what I am talking about! I guess what was hard for me to swallow was the American-heavy staff (80%ish) telling the Africans (the ones who KNOW their communities) how to run things. See, how things work here in South Africa, is that every single community is different. Every community has different attitudes about everything, especially touchy subjects like HIV, so it is important to work from experience on the ground. This is why I love organizations like AIDS Foundation who have big donors doling out the big bucks to South Africans who in turn fund small organizations and help build capacity. This is also why I am starting to like Peace Corps when the volunteers are good. Sure, it's still my internationals butting in, but you have to be here for 2 years so you actually have the chance to learn about your community before you help to start make the big changes you dream about (or at least that is the hope). But, I digress. Anyways, the point is that I like the program, I am excited to have it at my centre, it should make a big impact, and that I am a big big snob who thinks she knows everything. Phew! The End.
So Cape Town was amazing (as always) but, again, I saw it with completely different eyes from the last time I was there in 2006 now that I have a real grasp on SA politics and culture. Cape Town has to be one of the most beautiful cities anywhere. Seriously. It doesn’t really feel at all like an “African City” but like Europe (according to people who have actually been). People are always hailing Cape Town for this and saying “why can’t the rest of South African be like this???” White South Africans (who share this view, and there are many—I swear I’m not being racist…everything in South Africa has to do with race…everything) tend to point to the fact that the Western Cape (the province where Cape Town is) is the only province not run by the African National Congress (ANC), but instead by the Democratic Alliance or DA (who, for the record, my Zulu friends refer to as “the white party”). Yeah I will give everyone the fact that the CBD of Cape Town and surrounding suburbs is amazing. Imaginary scenario:
Person coming into Cape Town: "But hold up—what were those miles and miles of shacks that I passed on the way from the airport?
Cape Town Tourism person: Ohhhhh that’s nothing, look over there, isn’t Table Mountain just absooooluuuutely breathtaking?
Back to real life: I feel like Cape Town has followed the model of American cities that are trying to revitalize their downtowns. They make everything uber expensive and push all the poor people to the outskirts of town. Cape Town has successfully done this to the extreme, to the point where you actually have to drive about 30 minutes to get to the township of Khayletshia (sp), one of the biggest townships in SA. On the way there, there are thousands of shacks clustered together. In this visit Grassroot Soccer had us pay a visit to Khayletshia to visit with some coaches they had recently trained as well as take a walking township tour. These tours are always a bit awkward for me, because it feels like what a game park feels like (observing the wildlife?), however, these are PEOPLE and these are their HOMES and shouldn’t be gawked at. Whatever. Anyways, the group that took us around was this group of 12 men who started an crime prevention group that holds night soccer (6pm-2am, Friday and Saturday nights) to keep youth (primarily guys) from doing drugs and drinking on the weekends---which is really really cool. They decided to start the tours 1) for some badly needed cash 2) to have a township tour where you actually GET OUT OF THE CAR and WALK AROUND. Usually people just drive through (like a game park, seriously), take pictures, and get out of there before they get robbed (this is how it was actually described to me by one of the Khayletshia tour guides, who found this ridiculous)—just so they can say they have been to “real” Africa. Puuuhhhhleeeaaasee. On the tour we went to a traditional shabeen (bar) where they drank traditional beer (only the men) and then a run of the mill shabeen (like in my village) where they sell marketed/normal beer. Then we visited a turf soccer field at a primary school built by an American NGO. The best thing about the soccer field for me, besides the 45 children kicking balls around and running, were the kids age 5 or 6 just rolling on the grass having a good time. This makes sense because there is no grass in Khayletshia, only sand and dirt. It was nice to walk around and to get to talk to these guys about their experiences. Also, just for the record, even though Khayletshia is a township crammed with shacks next to each other with tiny paths to walk down, I think it is beautiful. I haven’t seen it in other townships really, but Khayletshians take pride in where they live, and so paint their houses an amazing array of primary colors. It’s nice. I guess the point of a township tour is to remember that this poverty still does exist, so I guess there is some good coming out of it, even if some idiots don't get out of their cars.
So, after a harrowing flight back from Cape Town to Durban in which I threw up 5 times (gross). I arrived at my destination. I was supposed to go to a rugby game that night, but instead slept for 18 hours at my friend’s house while they all went to the rugby game…fun. I’m fine now—please don't worry. I think I had food poisoning. My stomach is really weak right now, like I said before, so even the smallest bacteria messes it up. Note to self: stop being obsess with sushi...
On the drive back I was kind of dreading going home. It’s always hard to go back to the “3rd world” after living it up in the “1st world” (I know these aren’t politically correct terms, so sue me) no matter how short the time is (this includes only one day). However, I was pleasantly surprised at my arrival that I was SO HAPPY TO BE HOME! I was at home finally in my bed in my house in my village with my family. Days later this pleasure has yet to cease. It’s a wonderful feeling to be missed by people who actually care about you. My coworkers were all really excited to see me and joked that they thought I would never come back (looks like I need to prepare them for August in advance…). I am now back at work, in the middle of everything with a full page of things to do. I am currently writing my organization’s annual report for the donors and stakeholders. Fun fun. Actually, I am enjoying myself because since there has been no petrol for the generator at work I have been working from home. I never get time to myself at home--so it being empty means I can BLAST my music as loud as I want and sing loudly and do all those bad or embarrassing things you can’t do around roommates. Even with all that, I worked on it for 7 hours and got a lot done.
So, I have A LOT OF WORK TO DO before my trip to America in August. This is an exciting development which I am actually proud of from time to time. The buildings are almost complete (see picture) meaning that soon I get to set up the club room and paint the walls with a mural and then get to set up the computer lab. Hooray!
building that will have the computer lab
building that will have the club room and bakery. this is the one i have fundraised a lot of the money for and put a ton of effort into.
<3
therese
1 comment:
This was a wonderful post. Thank you for it.
I'm proud of you (but, then, I'm your mom) for being a person whom people in your village describe as not having the annoying attitudes which they associate with Americans.
Thank you for being that kind of person!
BSSP (your site) sent me copy of the first quarterly newsletter. Its design made it easy to read, it was colorful, and the photographs were well chosen--kids, the director, the landscape, new buildings. The photograph I liked the most (of course, since I'm your mom) was the one of you and your two co-workers, Musa and Jabu.
If photographs tell the truth about people, this photograph described what you described in words in your blog post -- you, Jabu, and Musa all seem to be equal co-workers -- equal in commitment, in energy, in age, in world view. It is as you wrote -- you came there to work to be a part of the staff among a group of sophisticated and dedicated and skilled young people working hard, using a non-profit organization as a tool to try to solve the problems they have grown up with in their area and want to help to solve.
Looking at that picture and reading your description of returning to work, it feels like you are accepted as part of a team, and not looked to as some sort of missionary-type bringing American know-how to the masses.
This, to me, is very good. It feels like you took your energy and knowledge and commitment to a far away place where you met people with knowledge, energy and commitment at the same level, and locked arms with them and went to work. So the gift you are giving is truly yourself, who you are, just as Musa and Jabu are giving the gift of themselves. You came along and joined the work they were already doing, to help get the tasks done.
This is a model of the Peace Corps which I am happy to support, as opposed to some "white man's burden" model, which I surely hope doesn't really exist, anymore. (although some of your blog comments about the soccer project indicated that some of that attitude might still be present).
Speaking of Jabu and Musa, I would enjoy knowing more about them. Tell us more about many of your staff people. The newsletter implies that the majority of people "in charge" at your site are women. Is that true? How did the people who work there, with you, decide to work there? What were they doing before they got there? Do they intend to stay there a long time, or, like you, will they move on to other things?
Knowing these things about them would give me idea of what your generation of activist South African women is like.
I always like to read your descriptions of where you have been and how it feels to be in these places--I'm talking "attitudes" in addition to physical descriptions. I do get a feel from reading your blog that you feel "at home" in your village. That's great!
Thanks for all your thoughtful comments. I'm learning a great deal, reading this blog.
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