Thursday April 23 – 2009 – Saturday April 25, 2009
Thursday
In the morning we visited a project called Bizweni – a day care for disadvantaged children. It is funded by benefactors and the local Rotary Club (Helderberg). The children were certainly in need and beautiful – one boy was nearly blind but wanted me to put my camera right up to his face so he could see the image. He laughed and was so very pleased that he could see. Another two children at this center were of note. A young boy was several emotional, psychologically and physically handicapped – twisted bones, unable to communicate and in dire straights. His twin sister is also at the center. She had never uttered a word in the household (her mother’s home) but once she joined this program and started receiving a little attention began to chat and interact with others. The woman running this program was very sweet and kind – she asked for nothing. She got into this project because she adopted an impaired child and found the need to be so great she opened a center and now is serving and helping scores of children.
Visited a project called “Eagles Rising,” today. It is a place for blacks and presumably “colored” people that are high school graduates from the townships to go and live for a year. The purpose of the school is to develop spiritually, as well as socially and find ways to be employable. One person was not good at studies but could sing – they ended up singing with an orchestra in Johannesburg. They try and find the best way to support a child and the plan is specific to the needs of that particular child.
Eagles Rising was very Christian based. This is not a bad thing and one of the tour guides made a point to point out that one of the students is a Muslim but it is very Christian based. The ground, are beautiful, with a nice swimming pool. Women and men are housed separately, and the founder (she was not in today) has a large separate residence. The boys in the center are kids that have resisted joining gangs and the woman have been sexually abused or live in fear of rape. This country – these townships are very sad. This is a great project opportunity for a religious group.
In the evening we attended the Rotary Club of Strand for a social evening. It was a quiet and pleasant evening. My host family, Trish and Barrie, attended with me. I don’t know if I have mentioned that Barrie and Trish’s son is married to an American woman named Tiffany – she is a singer of note and they seem very proud of her. She lives with their son in Nashville. Trish was kind enough to cut me a CD.
Friday, April 24, 2009
This was a very busy day – it was a vocational day for the team but me and Gunter (the German team leader) were accompanied by Trish for the much of the day. The following are the projects and activities in which we participated:
Community Day-Care Centre Sir Lowry’s Pass: We drove to a soup kitchen in a pass near by. We met a remarkable woman – several years ago she was on a stipend from the government. She decided to use her stipend to make soup for her hungry co residents of the township. People would start lining up at 4 AM in hopes of getting a little soup at 11 AM. She started fundraising and now has a building that was (in the past) a railroad station. She now feeds 400 people at both breakfast and lunch. She has a bright smile and great warmth about her. She also allows the room between meals to be used by teachers who work with adults to learn Africons and English.
We went to a medical clinic named Macassar – Community Health Centre and there we met Laura - a remarkable young white occupational therapist. She gave me a tour and during the tour she showed me a coffee shop in the facility ran by a woman that has developmental issues.
The coffee shop is called EQUA – Libra Coffee Shop. There was no way to make coffee or tea in this shop! The two burner heater had been stolen – she was selling potato chips from a bag. The woman went on to tell us that if she had a convection oven, a heater and a deep fryer she could have a successful business but that it may not happen. She also cooks at this little shop soup with vegetables from the garden. She was upbeat and very kind while we were speaking.
I asked Trish to take me to an appliance store when we left the center and I purchased a convection oven with two burners on the top as well as a deep fat fryer for her business... Trish will deliver it this Tuesday. It is nice to be able to make a little (very little) impact for such a small price.
We went to the Hector Peterson Memorial Library where children of all ages were working very hard on their studies – and working on computers. All the negative things we have seen and in the middle of the project were these children working at 4:30 in the afternoon on studies and learning. I was very pleased.
Next we went to a labor museum where we learned about the displacement of families in order that the men could work in the mines (DeBeers) in the area. Our guide was very passionate about the problems facing the workers and the problems in the community.
We visited Khanyolwethu High School were we visited a lab of 60 computers donated by Rotary Clubs in the area. The school was very clean and comfortable.
We then visited EmfundesweniPre-PrimarySchool and one of the most impressive gardens I have ever seen! What a great job by this woman. She works in an eco-friendly way to harvest rain water as well as using the slope of the land to use water in a constructive manner. She is very enthusiastic and articulate about these children and her work.
We visited an AIDS orphanage in the late afternoon – one of the cottages where the children are houses is called Ubunto House and is funded by the Rotary Foundation in cooperation with clubs in the UK, Germany and Gordon’s Bay
To top off the day we went to a very fine restaurant L’auberge du Paysan and presented to the Somerset West RC, Strand RC, Helderberg RC, Helderberg Sunrise RC and Gordon’s Bay Rotary Club with the German team. It was a lot of fun – and we once again had a great experience with the German team.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Today we visited Solms Delta Vineyard – I have to run to a party now – and will finish this blog in the morning!
The Vineyard was purchased by a clinical psychologist that was born in South Africa but moved to Great Britian. He returned to purchase a vineyard. The long and short of it is that he not only purchased the farm but also went out to find blacks and their families that had worked at the facility during slavery and apartied. He was successful in finding them – he then made arrangements, at his own financial risk, to have these people purchase shares in his business and they now own 33% of his business. He owns 33% and his partner 33%. He is a very impressive man.
I purchased a bottle of wine for my host family – took a tour of the facilities. The South Africans are very intrigued by me and the fact that I do not drink. I am fairly sure that they see this as a weakness – but as you all know I am not concerned with such matters.
Last evening we had another braai at the house. The GSE team had a “private” affair with the local Rotaract group and the leaders were asked to leave them alone. I am sure they had a great time.
At our braai – we had eight people (in addition to ourselves) and it was a very different tone than the Rotary braai’s I have attended. The jokes were a little racier – the drinking (except for me of course) was a little more active but the food was wonderful.
I did fail at my job as the BBQ team – Barrie “sacked” me because I was not paying enough attention – it was good natured and the South Africans do take BBQ seriously – it is important that you never give a SA resident (especially male) tips on how to cook the meat at a braai!
I will go now. I think we are taking the team to TableMountain this morning. It is the last chance we have to go to that location as we are beginning tomorrow to move inland. We have today been here two-weeks.
I am thinking more of home and how it will be nice to be somewhere that it is easier to hear people when then speak. Everyone here is wonderful but with my hearing loss it is very difficult to hear. Barrie and Trish have shown great patience with my constant “I’m sorry but I cannot hear you.”
Well enough for today. I hope this posts for me when I make the attempt in a minute. I
I will write again (hopefully) in a few days. It is always questionable if I will have Internet access or not. I have not been able to open my computer to outlook since arriving here – but luckily have my BlackBerry and am able to see my e-mail and write short notes back.
Take care – hope you are all well and happy!
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