Just a few things!

March 6, 2012

Today we arrived in New Castle for our supervisor workshop. My supervisor was the only one to not show. I guess my living arrangement did not pass safety requirements so it sounded like my org just kind of stopped doing it. The supervisor was supposed to take me to site tomorrow but they can’t come fetch me so the PC supervisor Matseke is going to take me. He is going to come to my room later and tell me more.

March 13, 2012

I don’t really even know where to start! I have had yet another emotional week. We all expected this week to be hard. Traveling to site is a new scary and exciting thing for a PCT. The main reason for traveling to site is to get an idea of the organization you will be working with and to see the housing that will be provided. I arrived in Empangeni KwaZulu Natal on the 7^th.  Matseke took me to see my org, which is The Empangeni Child Welfare. I was excited to see this but very discouraged that I would be living in a city.  I meet Zama and Hlengiwe who are both social workers. I was also introduced to Ingrid; she was doing social work but now is going to work on starting and sustaining projects with me.  Later they took me to a bed and breakfast. Because my housing was not considered safe I was not allowed to stay there. Later Natalie came to visit me and take me to get some food.  She is a chair member for the welfare. It was great to get to meet everyone because we have been anticipating this for a very long time.  I am excited to work with the org and I feel that I really can help. 

I was really really disappointed to not be in a village. Times can be very hard in a rural village but I have loved learning about the culture and they way of life for many South Africans. I have loved the cultural exchange that I have received in the village and I don’t feel it is going to be as strong in a city.  I never thought that I would join the Peace Corps and be placed in a city.  I have access to almost everything I would ever need.  About 50% English speakers and 50% isiZulu speakers surround me.  I have heard that I am going to be living with one of Natalie’s friends in a granny flat. They are an elderly French speaking couple.  Until the Peace Corps approves the safety of the flat it is only temporary. I am eager to meet them and I am glad I will at least have a small family to be around.

I am trying really hard to put away my disappointment about being in the city. My number one reason for joining the Peace Corps was to volunteer and I have to remember that. The cultural exchange I believe will still happen, just maybe in a different way.  There are a few villages around me and I have asked if I can work directly with them.  It seems that it won’t be a problem. I don’t want to loose my isiZulu because I have worked so hard on it. The villages will be the best places to practice and I love seeing the look on peoples face when I start talking to them in isiZulu. It is such a rewarding feeling.  Nelson Mandela once said, “ If you talk to a man in language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” From what I have experienced in my interactions, this is a very true statement. I look forward to learning more of the language and hope to keep improving.  Natalie has a Gogo (grandmother) that brought her up and she lives in the village. I went and meet her and she said I could visit her whenever I would like. I think I will use those opportunities to learn about her culture and that of others in the KZN area.