Movin' on...

Russ and I wrapped up our volunteering in early March. After 4 1/2 months in South Africa, it was hard to say goodbye... we have made a lot of friends in Ndawana and Underburg.

There were a lot of exciting developments while we were volunteering with Edzimkulu. Ndawana now has a clinic, with running water and solar power, which is pretty amazing! Some of our ARV patients are now able to receive their ARV's and be monitored by a volunteer doctor, right in the village, instead of relying on Canadian volunteers to transport them to the hospital. The program is in the process of transferring all of the ARV patients to the village in the same way. An official ARV rollout site is also in the works for Underburg, which would mean that HIV treatment will be much more readily available to people in Ndawana and other isolated villages in the area. And Russ developed a database for tracking the health information of all Ndawana patients, which will allow better patient treatment and quicker times between diagnosis and treatment for those who require it.

In other news, my car tire playground project is in the works. We built playgrounds for the creches in the village (preschools) to improve the children's level of stimulation, and it is so cute to see the little punks scrambling around on their first playground. I was able to meet a lot of the families with children with cerebral palsy in the village, and worked with the mothers and home based care workers on earlier identification and stategies for development. We managed to get some children who previously spent all of their time in bed or on the floor, up sitting in wheelchairs...with some creativity required! And I worked with therapists in the surrounding area and the home based care team, to try to improve the access of folks in Ndawana to rehabilitation.

Before we left, Russ and I and our fellow volunteers Dave, Kathleen, and Carolyn, threw a party for our co-workers in Ndawana. There will be pictures to follow when I'm back in Canada! After we left Underburg, we headed to Ballito and hit the beach, checked out a Sharks (rugby) game in Durban, and spent our last Saturday night in South Africa at a goth metal bar. Wha? Enough said.

Then we moved on to Johannesburg where we had 2 days with my sister, Colleen, whom I haven't seen in 5 months! Colleen is spending 2 months of her medical residency there... It was great to spend some time with my sis, and also great to not get mugged or shot in big scary Joburg:) Just kidding, we had a good time in the city.

Now we are in Egypt, on the last leg of our journey. It is allegedly spring here, but it is still roasting hot...sure beats an Edmonton spring (suckas!) We spent a few days on the Red Sea, where we were the only non-Russian-speaking folks, but the scuba diving was incredible. The water is so clear, it was unbelievable... Being as graceful as I am, I sadly dropped my prescription diving mask to the bottom of the Red Sea, where it is currently enhancing the vision of some bottomfeeder or shark....wah.

Anyway, I have seen the Pyramids, Sphinx, and Abu Simbel, checked out the shisha establishments, and wandered the streets and bazaars. I think the photos will do more justice than my descriptions could so stay posted for those! Egypt is hot and dry, beautiful and lively... I am having a great time but am looking forward to stepping on home soil (ummm...or concrete...)

A Week in the Life of Khetiwe (that's me...)

Monday Feb 5, 2007 - Orphan feeding. Edzimkulu has monthly orphan feeding days, where we provide basic nutrition to families caring for orphans. We have over 100 families receiving food packages in the village. Starting at 6:30 am, volunteers load crates of food (beans, rice, mealie meal, porridge, soya mince etc) into 3 vehicles and a trailer, loading them to the max. Once loaded we drive out to Ndawana and drop the packages off to families on the list. It can sometimes be a full day process as we often need to make a second trip into town. It's fun, though - people are always in a good mood when there is food involved!



Tuesday Feb 6, 2007 - Weekly hospital trip. On Tuesdays we drive about 40 patients to the nearest hospital, 1 1/2 hours from the village. Most of these patients are HIV positive and are going to start on ARV treatment. This is Anati, one of our youngest patients on ARV's. Upon our arrival to the hospital, my coworker Thanda, whose health deteriorated rapidy in the last months, collapsed and was rushed into the doctor and admitted. My coworkers, Nstiki and Babalwa, and I spent some time with her on the women's ward, a sad place where most of the women are in their 20's and 30's, emaciated and looking so near to death that it hurts to look at them. I cannot begin to describe that place; I will never forget the reality of a dying generation in Africa. We had to return to our other patients, but went to see her again before we left, giving her sips of juice and promising to see her soon.

Wednesday Feb 7, 2007 - Most of the day I spend preparing for a cerebral palsy workshop for our Home Based Care team. There are several children with CP in the village. Access to therapy is limited to once a month in a town an hour away, if the mothers are aware of these services, which most of them aren't. Access to specialized seating and orthotics is even more difficult.

I drove out to the village with some of my coworkers who have come into town for driving lessons (having a drivers license will not only reduce reliance on foreign volunteers but is also very empowering for women in the village). We visited a sick HIV patient and her baby, who needed to be tested for HIV as soon as possible.

Thursday Feb 8, 2007 - Thanda's story.



At 2 in the morning, my coworker and friend Thanda died. She was 32, and died alone, in the hospital, on the ward that looks like a stepping stone to the grave. Myself and the Edzimkulu team, and all the Home Based Care workers that worked with her, found out before her mother. Her mother was away preparing for the funeral of another family member.

I spent the morning weeping with the women that I work with, the women who have all lost loved ones to AIDS, the women who are so strong but who can only take so much grief. Thanda had 2 children, the youngest of which had TB meningitis when I first arrived here. Thanda was afraid to start ARV's because she did not want to cause her mother heartache. Of 5 children, Thanda's mother has only 2 still living. Beautiful Thanda laughed easily and had a smile could fill a room with light...

Grandmothers are called gogo's here. The gogo's suffer more than anyone else, I think; they watch their children die, and are left to raise their grandchildren. Sometimes they then watch their grandchildren die.

At times of grief it is hard to remember how much things are improving here in Ndawana. There used to be about 8 funerals a week. Now, after a few years, our team has helped to reduce stigma, people are getting tested, and people are starting on medications that can keep them alive and healthy. It is getting better here. It really is.

Friday Feb 9, 2007 - we stayed in town today, with some of the team coming in for drivers classes. I worked on some homemade, low budget toys for the children that I visit. Most families cannot afford toys; often children are quite understimulated, especially the ones with disabilities. We had our weekly team meeting, starting off with a prayer and song, in Zulu, for Thanda.



Saturday Feb 10, 2007 - Thanda's funeral. This is the first funeral that I have attended in the village. The night before the funeral, the family and neighbors gather for an all-night vigil, singing and praying at the home of the departed. We did not attend the vigil, but arrived the next morning for the funeral, held under a tent at Thanda's mothers home. The service was a 3 hour affair, in Zulu, with passionate preaching/yelling, singing, dancing and clapping. After the service everyone gathered for a meal. When we went to say goodbye to Thanda's mother, the gogos had all gathered in one room and were laughing, eating, and visiting. It was a nice way to leave.

Monday Feb 12, 2007 - Back out in Ndawana. Our new clinic for HIV management is almost done...just the finishing touches of renovations. We started construction of our new playground for the creche children (preschoolers) - to be made out of old car tires and bright paint. While we painted the tires we listened to the Zulu station on the radio; Zanele entertained us with Zulu dancing and her amazing singing voice. The best times in Ndawana usually involve singing... In the afternoon I went on home visits with Noluthando and Nonthlanthla, 2 home based care workers. We visited 2 children with severe CP, one of whom was quite badly neglected. I wish that I could stay longer here, there is so much to do and never enough time.

South Africa: the tourist route:)

See all my photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlinr/

After our scorching hot African Christmas, Russ and I headed off
travelling for 2 weeks, a break from our volunteering.We started off in Durban then took the BazBus to Coffee Bay, the hippy haven of South Africa.

Coffee Bay for New Year's Eve was packed...there was a huge party with African dancers and drumming, followed by a DJ. And dudes with fire-sticks. In the new year, we went to check out the Hole in the Wall, a famous geological delight, and hiked back to Coffee Bay along the cliffs overlooking the ocean.



We moved on to Storm's River, a beautiful tiny little hamlet near the Tsitsikamma National Park. We went on a treetop canapy tour, which involves hurtling through the indigenous forests, where some of the trees are 800 yrs old, on ziplines 30 m in the air. We also cycled 11 km uphill to get to a lookout point, then hiked for an hour to buy beer, then cycled home. The highlight was a hike in the Tsistikamma Park, right alongside the ocean, where we saw a whale jumping and frolicking in the
water. There were also dolphins...and a unicorn (okay, I made that part up). Oh, yeah, and Russ did the highest bungee jump IN THE WORLD. I would have, but my bladder was full, and there were no toilets on the bridge, you know....



Moving on to Knysna, I will summarize in a few short phrases: good seafood, bad food poisoning.

Stellenbosch is one of South Africa's famous wine regions, so that's what we did...drank wine. We went on a vineyard tour where Russ, our German friend Jens and I, got good and properly drunk on delicious wine and champagne. And there was cheese...that's all I recall about Stellenbosch. Just kidding, it is a beautiful city with a gorgeous university campus.

And then on to Capetown, where we stayed for a week. Capetown is a very happening city, there is so much to do. We managed to arrive there during the Capetown Jazzathon, so there were afternoon and evening concerts right at the waterfront. Loooovely...drinking wine at a Mexican restaurant (in Africa...go figure) while listening to live African-style jazz.



I feel like I'm writing a travel guide. We checked out Robben Island (a historical must-see), the townships, the Kirstenbosch Gardens, the markets, and of course Table Mountain, where we caught the sunset and drank wine. We took a tour of the Cape Peninsula, saw the African penguins at Boulder's Beach, and hiked to the Cape of Good Hope. Great city...



And then, back to our "home"...the least touristy part of South Africa!

Christmas Day

Christmas in Ndawana...



On Christmas day, women in the village start cooking early in the morning. They prepare large amounts of food...stew, pap (mealie meal), rice, butternut, dombolo, cake, custard and jelly. They prepare enough food for all of their guests, since after church, neighbors will visit each house. Children open their presents if there are presents; usually gifts are practical gifts of clothing, not the latest toys as you would see in North America.




Alcoholism in the village is rampant. For some, Christmas is little more than a drunken stupor...we arrived in the village at 8 am and already the bottle stores and taverns were busy. Ndawana used to have Christmas concerts and community celebrations, but in recent years those have been cancelled due to excessive drinking of some community members, and associated violence.

We spent the hot, sunny Christmas morning with Zinkle, Thokozo, Emihle, and the house mothers Lulu and Thanda...the kids were excited and gave us a fashion show after they checked out their new clothing. We made an attempt at going to church, but the service was delayed..and delayed...so we went home and spent the rest of the afternoon in the sun.

Christmas In Africa

It looks like we are having a green Christmas here in South Africa
(surprise, surprise). I have to say I miss snow! Just a little. It doesn't even remotely feel like Christmas! The weather here changes as quickly as Alberta weather, since we are in the gorgeous Drakensberg mountains. I have worn long underwear and a toque on at least 2 occasions. Who would have thought, in Africa. But we have just as many roasting hot days...my nose is permanently sunburnt.



Russ and I are both having a great time volunteering. With Edzimkulu, I have been working in the Orphan Support program (arranging and delivering food packages to children who have lost their parents to AIDS, and assisting with grant applications), and the Health program, where I work with patients with HIV and/or, helping them access ARV's, as well as working with children and adults with disabilities in the village. The village we work in, Ndawana, has about 5000 people spread over 40 hilly km. Homes have no running water, no phone lines, and most have no electricity although the community centre has solar power. The roads are dirt and have potholes large enough to swallow innocent little girls like me:) Imagine being in a wheelchair on that terrain.

In the last 3 months, I have had so many experiences that I will never forget. I have learned to drive on the left side of the road, been stopped by police holding semi-automatic weapons twice, had Zulu/Xhosa cooking lessons, been given a new name, and I have thought "I am so lucky to be here" thousands of times. I have learned to wrap my tongue around 2 "click" sounds and am struggling with a third. I have had my
heart stolen by a neglected 9 year old girl with cerebral palsy. I have met witches and sangomas (traditional healers). Oh yeah, and I climbed a big mountain. And I'm only halfway through my journey! Crazy...

Second Best Baby Ever!

...next to my nephew Brendan, of course. This is a small, jolly baby girl named Emihle. She is the one tied to my back in the picture...



That is how the ladies here carry their babies. Emihle is an orphan who has come to live at Edzimkulu's new orphan house (a better name than "orphan house" is pending...)She has TB and so she snorts and wheezes like a little piglet; it is very endearing. She is quite spoiled...with 2 house mothers, 9 female home based care workers, 5 female team members and of course Russ and I, in the near vicinity.

How I Ruined Russ' Birthday...and other stories

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

On Wednesday I drove a VW Combi (van) full of 22 ARV patients and their caregivers to the nearest hospital, which is 45 min away from where I live and 1.5 hrs away from the village. This is a weekly occurance; we are able to do HIV testing and counselling in the village, but need to go to the hospital for ARV's and TB meds, etc. For now...we are hoping that will change in the new year. When we finally left the hospital at 5:30 (the patients load into the van at 7 in the morning), we got a flat tire. So...we had 5 HIV positive men working on changing the tire - a testament to the benefits of ARV treatment if I've ever seen one! Eventually we were rescued by Jim (co-director of Edzimkulu).

And that's where it all began...

Russ' birthday fell on the next day, Thursday. We had big plans for his South African birthday...a dinner party, cake, good times (or so we thought). Again, I was out driving in the VW van; this time I had 6 home-based care workers with me and we headed out to a village to do outreach HIV testing.The day started off well; we went to see a co-worker whose baby had recently contracted TB meningitis...baby was healing well and her hemiplegia was resolving. Good news!

We did our testing...and then I ran out of gas. Bad news!

Or so I thought.

Lyn, who works in another NGO in the area, came to our rescue and went to get petrol.
Then the battery died...we boosted...it died again...I taught my colleagues every single english swear word I know. Just kidding. Or am I?

We hitched a lift to the nearest town and took pictures of ourselves leaping while we waited to be rescued. Sooooo funny...



Then Jim and Russ, the Birthday Boy, rescued us. In South Africa, if you leave a vehicle on the side of the road for long, it is likely it will be stripped of parts by the time you return...so we towed it. With a Mazda bakkie (SUV).

And then the tow rope snapped. My bad...

After leaving the broken VW in front of a random police station we headed home, in the dark.
And then the fog rolled in...

They call this the Mist Belt. We drove 30 km/hr. On the highway.

Happy 29th Birthday, Russ:) (worst birthday ever...no supper, no cake, no seatbelts, home at 10 pm).

But he did get sung an exuberant Happy Birthday song from Nobulala, Babalwa, and Nonceba in the back of the truck:)

In the end, I hadn't run out of gas, the alternator had crapped out. For the record...