Hamba Kahle Tata Madiba

"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner." Nelson Mandela

In the early hours of the morning on December 6th, I arose to the unfortunate news that Nelson Mandela had passed away December 5th at the age of 95. I, along with the rest of the world was very saddened by the death of this astonishing South African civil rights leader. President Obama remembers Nelson Mandela as "A man who took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice."

Nelson Rohilhala Mandela: July 18, 1918 - December 5, 2013

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandela

To pay our respects, several of us walked to visit the Union Buildings where Mandela gave his first inaugural speech in 1994. It was extremely touching and I was humbled to be amongst South Africans during this moving and unforgettable time. Many people had brought flowers, signs, and memorabilia. There were gatherings of people singing songs to tribute what I believe to be the most influential man in the world. Here is a video  I managed to catch of one of the several songs that were sung. Most of this song is saying "there is none like Nelson Mandela." It is originally a Christian song and this version is sung in Sotho. My apologies for the poor quality.

“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.” Nelson Mandela

The next day we went to see “A Long Walk To Freedom.” Mandela wrote this book and it has recently been made into a movie. I highly recommend everyone sees it. After we watched it, we again headed back to the Union Buildings. We were able to write in a memory/condolence book. I wrote about my admiration of him for his dedication to his people and his country; and my hopes that people around the world will live by his example of utmost forgiveness, peace, and equality for all. It was a humbling experience to be in the country during this time.

A young girl who was proud to be adding her handwritten note at the Union Buildings

“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Nelson Mandela

Below, I have pasted a tribute poem on behalf of the American people written by Dr. Maya Angelou

His Day is Done

Is done

The news came on the wings of a wind, reluctant to carry its burden

Nelson Mandela’s day is done

The news, expected and still unwelcome, reached us in the United States, and suddenly our world became somber Our skies were leadened

His day is done

We see you, South African people standing speechless at the slamming of that final door through which no traveler returns

Our spirits reach out to you Bantu, Zulu, Xhosa, Boer

We think of you and your son of Africa, your father, your one more wonder of the world

We send our souls to you as you reflect upon your David armed with a mere stone, facing down the mighty Goliath

Your man of strength, Gideon, emerging triumphant

Although born into the brutal embrace of Apartheid, scarred by the savage atmosphere of racism, unjustly imprisoned in the bloody maws of South African dungeons

Would the man survive? Could the man survive?

His answer strengthened men and women around the world

In the Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, in Chicago’s Loop, in New Orleans Mardi Gras, in New York City’s Times Square, we watched as the hope of Africa sprang through the prison’s doors

His stupendous heart intact, his gargantuan will hale and hearty

He had not been crippled by brutes, nor was his passion for the rights of human beings diminished by twenty-seven years of imprisonment

Even here in America, we felt the cool, refreshing breeze of freedom

When Nelson Mandela took the seat of Presidency in his country where formerly he was not even allowed to vote we were enlarged by tears of pride, as we saw Nelson Mandela’s former prison guards invited, courteously, by him to watch from the front rows his inauguration

We saw him accept the world’s award in Norway with the grace and gratitude of the Solon in Ancient Roman Courts, and the confidence of African Chiefs from ancient royal stools

No sun outlasts its sunset, but it will rise again and bring the dawn

Yes, Mandela’s day is done, yet we, his inheritors, will open the gates wider for reconciliation, and we will respond generously to the cries of Blacks and Whites, Asians, Hispanics, the poor who live piteously on the floor of our planet

He has offered us understanding

We will not withhold forgiveness even from those who do not ask

Nelson Mandela’s day is done, we confess it in tearful voices, yet we lift our own to say thank you

Thank you our Gideon, thank you our David, our great courageous man

We will not forget you, we will not dishonor you, we will remember and be glad that you lived among us, that you taught us, and that you loved us all

Lala kahle Tata Madiba

Hatfield, Pretoria December 6th, 2013

Union Buildings December 7th, 2013

Union Buildings December 7th, 2013

Just a Few Things

Wow I have been majorly slacking on the blog update! I am half way through an amazing vacation and I wanted to touch on some things that were happening prior to vacation. I will do another post once I am back at site.

Several times in past posts I have mentioned the Grassroots Soccer program that I have been doing. I finished an intervention at Crossroads Teen Centre. The teens seemed to enjoy the twist to HIV education and we actively engaged in the program. I am glad that I had such a great group of teens participating.

I decided to play touch rugby again this year with the girls and boy was it a blast. We once again went undefeated and took the championship against Select Sports. I have had such a wonderful time playing with these girls and I have learned so much about the sport. I was really lucky to have joined a team while in service, it gave me a sense of belonging and I have made a lot of friends.

Thank you to those of you donated to the Books For Africa Project that I am doing. After several set backs with shipping, the books have finally arrived safely! I have 33 boxes of books totaling 1,460 books! I could not have done it without those who donated! I will share all of the details once the libraries are set up and complete! I can’t wait to dig in and start setting them up. Thanks again to all of you who contributed.

I am once again a proud Auntie to two new little nieces. I can’t wait to meet them and I am so happy they are both doing well.

Allison Mae Edwards was born October 22, 2013 at 12:21 PM. She was a big 8 lbs 13 oz and 21.5 inches long.

McKenzie Marie Killam entered the world November 13, 2013 at 3:11 PM. She was a healthy 7 lbs 3 oz and 20 inches.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. May you all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Girls Leading Our World

I knew at some point before, during, or after Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) I would get this feeling I call the "warm fuzzies." The feeling that I did something good. I was right. On the way back from camp, I am in a khumbi with 21 young laughing and singing girls, listening to extremely loud Zulu music, all while surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Zululand. This is the moment I realized that I just had the highlight of my service. Camp GLOW for me was an amazing experience. Being able to bring 24 young girls aged 12-17 together for 3 days was an absolute joy. 

 

"Camp GLOW is designed to encourage young women to become active citizens in their community. The mission of Camp GLOW is to promote gender equality, develop leadership skills, improve self-esteem, increase knowledge of women’s health issues, and support aspirations and career goals. Camp GLOW promotes the belief that each young woman can make a difference in her community and offers adolescent girls self-development opportunities in a fun and friendly atmosphere".

Our three main goals for our camp were to help campers better understand gender roles, health education and skills, and to learn the importance of making and achieving goals. We also taught about: self-esteem, role models, journal writing, leadership, managing emotions, steps in making a good decision, and volunteerism.

Along with the educational aspect, we also had a fun filled camp. We had a blast on our nature hike, made memories making s'mores while chilling around a campfire, and swam like fish. We did several crafts, played board games, and ate far too many sweets. 

During our nature hike

The participation in all of the lessons, crafts, and activities was outstanding.  The campers showed a great deal of attentiveness, eagerness to learn, and maturity during sensitive topics. Camp GLOW Empangeni brought together girls from 8 different schools; thus building friendships among different communities. A handful of these girls who were not prior members to Crossroads Teen Centre have now become members. This will help give them activities to do after school and keep them off of the streets. 

 I hope these 24 campers will act as a catalyst for healthy change and female empowerment throughout the leadership and volunteerism skills they developed at Camp GLOW. I am confident that they will continue to have a positive impact on their communities beyond the boundaries of Camp GLOW. 

Things are on the up and up!

Well this girl has been majorly slacking on her blog updates! Fortunately, things have been very busy for me! In late July, I made the official switch to Crossroads Teen Centre for my organization. I have been nothing but happy with my decision and am so excited for the next very busy 6 months. Yes, only 6 months, can you believe it! “Crossroads Teen Centre offers Christian-based recreational, social and educational programmes, projects and activities in a safe and stable environment. We equip high school learners to better meet the challenges of the world so that they can maximize their potential and confidently lead the way for their peers to experience the same.” Each day of the week we try and have a different activity. For example: Monday’s, I have continued to do my girls club; Tuesday’s I just started a computer class which teaches Microsoft Word; Wednesdays Bennie and Nici offer KFC which is essentially bible study; Thursdays is fitness and health day, and Friday’s I do my Grassroots Soccer HIV Program. 

After a session of Grassroots Soccer HIV Program

On top of these activities, there are also several other programs: Gr8-Gr8ter for 8th graders, Matrics Uploaded which focuses on the needs of the Grade 12 learners, and Reshape which is made up of a variety of programs focused on the holistic growth of the members. The teens are also able to come each day and do their homework and research on the computers, get help with homework, play pool or chess, chill in the “chill room,” get assistance on their University applications or bursaries, and all kinds of other stuff. It really is a great centre and I am so excited to be with them. Check out the website if you get a chance: http://www.crossroadsteencentre.co.za/
In July, I was invited to assist with a “Me and My Team” camp that was composed of the teen committee members. We spent 2 days at the Heatonville Adventure Park and had a blast! Since I was just coming into the org, it was a great chance to take a step back and see how the teens interacted with each other.

"Me and My Team" Campers

The focus of the camp was on team building, self-esteem, and devotion. We had plenty of fun team building activities and lots of singing and dancing around the campfire. I had activities planned for the campfire, but I was blown away the way the teens got around the campfire and sang, danced, and laughed. All of the teens were involved and they did it for hours. I also taught them how to make s’mores! They loved them! It was such a fun few days and really got me excited to be working with them! 

Beauty and Zandile enjoying s'mores

Shortly after camp, Nici invited me along to an AGM (annual general meeting) for Uthungulu Community Foundation. The cool thing about it, was that we got to listen to King Goodwill Zwelithini speak. He is the King of Zululand and it was neat to listen to him.  He also did a handover of funds to Crossroads and several other organizations. 

Nici also invited me to tagalong with her family to go to her cousins wedding. The wedding was in a small German community about 3 hours from Empangeni. It was really fascinating to see the wedding in the German culture.   Nici’s other cousin Ingrid is one of my good friends went to her family farm for a braai. They braaied up some sheep intestines and also had beef tongue! I can say it was the first and only time I will be eating that! Most definitely not my flavor!

No comment!

I ended up staying a few nights at Ingrid’s family’s farm and it was such a blast. I think I annoyed them with all of the questions I had about the farm. It was so interesting to me and it was such a beautiful place. It was a perfect weekend and a well needed getaway!

On our way home, we hit up the uMfolozi Hluhluwe Game Park. We actually saw a lot and I saw my first cheetah in the wild. It was so fascinating. We also saw elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, buck, wildebeest, and buffalo. I have not got the pictures yet sorry!

Besides keeping busy with Crossroads activities and having fun with my friends, I am still involved with my girls club from Richem Secondary School.

Thanks mommy! We loved the Pop Tarts and Cinnamon red hots!

I am also still teaching just not as often because of the school schedule. I also have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Books For Africa books that many of you helped support. We will have 3 libraries total and I can’t wait for them to come. When the books come and the libraries are setup, I will do a separate blog post. Touch Rugby practice has started and games start in a few weeks. That is always a blast. I have been very lucky to meet so many friends. That will be all for now. Watch for a post coming in early October! Good things are coming!

Whats Happening on My Side of The World!

Wow it has been along time since I last blogged! Lilly, a fellow PCV wrote in her blog “there is a point in Peace Corps where it gets hard to blog, because things that used be weird or strange have become normal life.” I totally agree with her; the monkeys are overaly annoying, the language is easier to speak and understand, bananas grow in the backyard, and I have acclimatized to the crazy weather and am freezing when its 70 degrees. Overall things on my side of the world have been going pretty well. I finally am feeling good about the work that I am doing and have really been enjoying it.

Richem Girls Club

In the first stages of applying for PC, I asked myself what were some of the things I wanted to do as a PCV. One of my main ambitions was to start a girls club. Well after a year of being here, I finally decided that with or without a counterpart this was something I was going to do. I have started two different girls clubs and I love it. The first one is at Richem Secondary School where I have been teaching. I have about 13 girls and they are a great bunch of girls. The second group is at Crossroads Teen Centre. I have been helping them here are there since I arrived in Empangeni, but I am so excited to be there on a weekly basis. The thing that I love about both of these clubs is that the girls are not forced to be there. It shows me that they are interested in bettering themselves and building stronger relationships with their schoolmates. I have become very passionate about female empowerment and HIV education and these girls groups are a perfect place to infuse that into each of our lessons. Each meeting we spend about a half hour discussing the day’s topics and then spend the rest of the time talking about anything and everything. Some topics include: gender roles, self-esteem and empowerment, assertive communication, a females changing body, money management, and managing emotions. The girls have also decided some of their own topics and seem really excited to continue. I look forward to keeping the clubs going!

I love working with the youth and I have decided that this is where I will focus the rest of my service. I have continued to teach Life Orientation at Richem Secondary twice a week and started a Grassroots HIV Soccer program at Crossroads. I have really enjoyed teaching and the craziness that comes with it!

I have made some friends within the Rotary Club of Empangeni and have told them if they ever needed a hand to just shout. Well they did and I was so excited about it. They hosted a Rotary Family Health Day and it allowed people to come and get health screening. Some of the screening included vitals, HIV and cholesterol testing, rape crisis, medial male circumcision, pap smears, Polio drops, MMR injections, and TB testing. They had a great system going and overall they were able to screen a little over 400 people. Another really inspiring thing they did was handed out several wheelchairs. This particular gogo had what looked like Parkinson’s and it severally hindered her walking. She walked to us using a 20-liter water container. She would put in out in front of her, walk a few steps to it, take a break, and do it again. Walking was very troubling for her and you should have seen the look on her face when she was sitting in that wheelchair. All I can say is everyone better watch out cause I bet she is still cruising the streets in her new ride.

I still have a few other updates but this will be all for now. I can’t believe I only have a little less than 10 months left. Time has flown by but I couldn’t do it without all of the support from home! Love and miss you all!

The Beautiful Ponta De Milibangalala

Several of my friends were headed to Mozambique for the Easter Holiday and I was lucky enough to tag along. Oh my…what a beautiful place and definitely a trip that I will never forget.

Bright and early the Landrover was packed and we set off for the small coastal hideaway of Ponta De Milibangalala in southern Mozambique. Our trip started out smokin…literally. An hour into our long drive our spirits were high and our excitement to get there was overwhelming, when the next thing we know the Landrover is smoking! We pulled over and waited for a Landrover mechanic to come and take a look. We received bad news and had to get towed back to Empangeni. After several repairs, it was determined that the Landrover had a blown head gasket. We were all pretty bummed out and thought that we were not going to get to go. Luckily, our crossed fingers worked and a bakkie (truck) was lent to us. We repacked and off we went…again. However, we left too late to be able to cross the boarder so we found a place to camp in Kosi Bay. Kosi Bay was where I discovered something so odd…pineapples do not grow on trees! I feel a bit better knowing that this is a pretty common misconception but my friends sure thought I was crazy!

We packed up camp at the crack of dawn and headed to the Mozambique boarder. Well like us, a gazillion other eager travelers were anxiously waiting at the boarder. Finally, after a few hours of lines and waiting we were on our way to Ponta De Milibangalala. Once we were into Mozambique, we drove on a freeway that will make you never complain about Utah road conditions again!

It was pretty muddy and wet! With the sand, we had to drive pretty slowly and it took us almost three and a half hours to drive approximately 70 km (43 miles). Our camping spot was located in the Maputu Elephant Reserve and once we got to the reserve I asked Janien to fetch me a monkey apple that I kept seeing. They were everywhere and I was interested in them. I was in the process of spitting the bitter and disgusting piece out of my mouth when Chris informed me not to eat it because it was not going to be good. Just a bit too slow! While passing Lake Xingutu, there were a few hippos and I made them stop to take some pictures. I still get excited about these things! We stopped at a small shop to get some drinks and see the ever so intriguing pineapple plant up close. I was so fascinated when I saw one that I had to get a picture with it. I am a dork and now I even want to grow one!

After setting up camp, we eagerly took off to the beautiful blue ocean. Our first day was pretty chill swimming and hanging around camp.

The next morning us girls decided to take a hefty walk on the beach to meet the boys and kiddos at a point on the beach where they were fishing. Upon our arrival, we were quickly informed that we should have gone with them because they saw the only herd of elephants that was seen all weekend! I had been anxiously waiting to go proper snorkeling and the time finally came! Chris took me and it was so amazing! To be able to swim amongst several schools of fish was an incredible feeling!

We saw so many different types of fish and even a stingray. The only problem with the stingray was it startled me a bit and I was so excited that I saw it, that I quickly scared it away with my underwater screaming. Earlier that morning, the boys had been searching in the rocks for some crayfish. It was really cool to watch them and to see them catch some. They were able to catch a few along with muscles and clams. We were able to eat them for dinner and boy was it yummy!

After dinner, we set off to go night fishing. Several of my friends are big into fishing and I was so excited to go and see shoreline fishing. Not only was I excited to see it but also to fish in the dark. We fished for a few hours under the moonlight and we were all able to catch some. I caught two fish; a very pretty fish called a speckled snapper and a grey grunter.

There is so much that goes into fishing and I don’t think I could ever learn it all. That’s why I will just go with these guys; let them do the hard work and I will reap the benefits!

We spent our last day in Mozambique soaking up the sun on beach. I went for a nice long walk on the beach and met the crew at the point again. Since it was low tide, we spent some time searching in rock pools for seashells.

After collecting numerous seashells, Janien and I set out to snorkel again.

Look close and you can see all of the flag tails!

Like the day before, we were able to swim in schools of fish (flag tails) and see so many amazing tropical fish. I saw another stingray and managed not to have a little freak-out! The colors were amazing and it was really cool to see it try and hide itself by flapping sand over it. Next thing we knew, we were both getting a bit dizzy from being in the water for so long. We snorkeled for almost two hours! After lying on the beach for a bit we all set off for the water again. We swam for a few hours and I still can’t get over how warm the water was.

That night, I had to share my American camping tradition of making smores. Most of my friends have never had them, let alone even heard of them. I was excited for the kids to see what they were and to take apart of something that is such a camping tradition in my family.

Even with the replacement of graham crackers for Marie biscuits, they were still a big hit and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Since we had spent the whole day at the beach, we figured we might as well go back to watch the moon come up and the stars. We had such a great time at the beach and shared many laughs.

We were all pretty sad to pack up the next day and begin our trip home. It had started pouring rain so it really was not very fun. I am so lucky that I was able to go on this trip and to have such great group friends! This will be a trip and experience that I will never forget.

HIV Prevention, Mid-Service Training, and PCV Seder Dinner

After teaching high school age learners all about sex and HIV, I have a new found respect for teachers and their patience! Besides a few moments of frustration while teaching, I had a blast and am looking forward to substance abuse and prevention next term. I have finished my first term in which I taught about HIV/AIDS. I spoke with the learners about HIV transmission, affects on your body, HIV/AIDS prevention, and support. By far my favorite lesson was female and male condom demonstrations. Boy was that a kick and I really felt like they learned from it. I drilled into their heads that abstinence was the best thing for them, but if they were going to have sex they needed to know how to properly use protection. It was a fun hands on lesson and a lot of great questions were asked. I loved asking the boys who thought condoms were too small and when someone said they did, I would stretch it up my forearm. The look on their faces was priceless!

I remember sitting in PST (pre-service training) thinking about the PCV’s who were going to MST (mid-service training) and thinking that it was so far away. I wondered how I would ever make it there! Well, last week I finished my mid-service training with the rest of SA25. MST is a time where all of the PCV’s from SA25 gather together for training, medical, and dental appointments.

I was really excited to see the rest of SA25 and see what they were up to and how life was going for them. We were broken up into two groups where we took turns in training sessions or medical/dental appointments. It was nice to have some new training and also have time to spend with the other PCV’s. I can’t believe it is only 9 months away until we meet for our COS (close of service). They say time flies when you’re having fun!

A few of our PCV’s are Jewish and wanted to celebrate the Passover with SA25. Since we were all together for MST we had a perfect chance to have a Passover Seder dinner. We even had the pleasure of having our CD (country director) join us.

Niki and Lilly did an AMAZING job hosting this dinner and teaching us all about the Passover and the purpose of the Seder dinner. We each brought something to share and Niki and Lilly provided the traditional Seder dinner items.

I thought that it was really neat that they allowed all of us to participate in the dinner. Lilly’s grandmother used to hide the matzah (thin, crisp, yeast free bread)and whoever found it was given $20. So to pass on the tradition, Lilly hid the matzah and offered R50 (about $5.71 but a big deal to PCV’s!) to whoever found it. Well you all probably know I hate when things are missing and I went mad until I found it. Lilly gave us the clue that “it’s where I would be” and I figured out that it was in the bookshelf!I was very excited to have been the one to find it!

It turned out to be an incredible evening and I am so lucky to have the chance to be exposed to all of these wonderful traditions!

To finish off MST, our VSN (volunteer support network) (yes PC loves acronyms!!!) put together a PC Prom. The theme was “Party in The USA” and you had to dress like your date.

It was a night full of laughing and dancing. Vivian, our eldest SA25 PCV (79 and a rock star) really showed us kids how to dance! It was so fun to dance with her.

Each of us were also given an advent calendar that was made by our “mama bear” Susan. Susan was our PCVL (Peace Corps Volunteer Leader) and she is getting ready to head home after her 3rd year of service. We took a picture for her as a group to really thank her for taking the time to make this for each one of SA25.

Love and miss you all!