Wow! What a difference a few extra hours of sleep makes! Yesterday was a designated “rest” day and I did just that. I took about a 3 hour nap in the afternoon and then got about 9 hours sleep last night. I really feel refreshed and recharged. Everyone knows how much I love my sleep and 5-6 hours a night just wasn’t cutting it! I’ve been walking around feeling like I had oatmeal for brains the last few days.
I’m enjoying a light breakfast this morning with my host “father.” Actually, he is more like my grandfather! Ken and Maureen must be in their late 80’s. Ken is a sprightly guy, but you can see that Maureen is definitely slowing down. She seems a little confused much of the time and asks me the same questions over and over. Ken tries to patiently answer her questions, but you can see his frustration. It must be really hard to watch someone you love start to deteriorate like this. It makes me glad that all my grandparents passed on before they lost their mental acuity.
I sense that we might have hit a bit of a low point in our trip. Some of the newness has worn off and we’re no longer running on adrenaline. We’re starting to hear much of the same information over and over again. People just assume that we don’t know much about South Africa, but actually by now we’ve seen and done more than most locals. For example, my current hosts have never been to Kyetlitsha, the 2nd largest township in South Africa, and we’ve already been there on several occasions. We’ve also had opportunities to meet with and talk to local business, government and community leaders about local issues in very in depth and substantive conversations. People mean well, of course, but I think we might be getting a little weary of the repetition.
I think some of us are also starting to really miss home and our friends and family. Perhaps it has been because we’re finally having a break in our schedule and actually have time to think about home. And I think we’re finding it a little bit challenging to have very little control over our time and schedule. Lately, it seems like we’re not quite sure about where we are going, how we will get there, when we will return, when we might get fed, etc. It is just a bit unsettling when you are used to making all those decisions for yourself. And of course, all the time we are in a fish bowl, being watched by everyone around us, so we must put on a smiling face and seem pleased with everything.
It’s not that we aren’t enjoying ourselves, or aren’t grateful for everything that everyone is doing for us. We most definitely are. However, I think that it is probably normal that at some point in the trip we will have some down moments. I don’t want to sound like I am complaining, but rather convey how this kind of travel experience can be challenging and frustrating, as well as incredibly exciting and enriching. We haven’t had time to discuss this as a team, so perhaps I am the only one feeling this way. Or maybe it’s the rain . . .
April 22 - ELECTION DAY!!!
The past few days have been really busy and I haven’t had much time to write. But today we are enjoying our first real “rest” day since we arrived and I’m hoping to get caught up. Ah, let’s see … where to begin?
Today we moved from our host families in the Newlands area (good-bye Jenny & Johan! I had SO much fun with you!) and have moved in with new families in an area about 20 miles outside of Cape Town called Somerset West. It really is a suburb of Cape Town but has a bit more rural feeling. It is still very close to the coast, but you can see more rolling hills here. I’m staying with an older couple, Ken and Maureen Baard.
Today is also a very important day in South Africa. It is the day of their national elections and a public holiday. This election is very significant in that it is only the 4th democratic election since the end of apartheid and for the first time the ruling party (ANC) is being seriously challenged by the opposition parties. The ANC and its leaders have been accused of a great deal of corruption and ineffectiveness, but even still, it seems likely that the ANC will win the majority of the votes. We’ve all heard very strong opinions about this election and there is great frustration about how poorly the government is running.
We passed several polling stations this morning and the lines outside of people waiting to vote were all really long. It is encouraging to see that even if people don’t believe that the election will go the way that they would like, they are still taking part in the democratic process and making their voice heard. The election results won’t be announced until Saturday (today is Wednesday) and it will be interesting to see how the public reacts to the results. Everyone seems to think it will be peaceful. I’ve really enjoyed reading the local newspapers and talking to people about these elections. I even watched a bit of the final debate between the parties and their candidates last night on TV. It was really interesting and very different from our own presidential debates. Much more informal and argumentative!
We’ve continued our busy schedule the past few days. On Monday, I spent the day with Jo Maxwell, a well-known 71 year old “community organizer” (my description) and “Queen” of the local Red Hat Renegade. Jo is a real spit-fire! Full of vim and vigor and not afraid to voice her opinion of anything and everything! She’s written over 1200 letters to the editors of the local papers and had developed quite a positive reputation and the trust of the community to take action. If she writes that she needs clothing, school supplies or money to fund one of her projects, complete strangers give her donations. She’s started a project to create sleeping bags and mattresses out of newspapers and plastic tarp, has implemented a feeding program to provide a nutrient enriched cereal called “ePap” to preschool children, and is working on a new project to provide food parcels to seniors at a very low cost by buying the food in bulk and passing on the savings to them. Jo was incredibly inspirational. She has overcome a number of personal tragedies and has proven that you are never too old to make a difference.
Yesterday we were toured around the western coast area by Angela Muspratt-Williams and Jody (?) of the Melkbos club. We drove up to a relatively new “living history museum” called !Khwa ttu that celebrates the culture and history of Africa’s first people, the San. In the past, the San were called “Bushmen” which we learned is a derogatory word. We enjoyed a homemade lunch of fish and chips at the home of Rotarians Joe (80 yrs old!) and Corina. In the afternoon we visited the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, part of Escom, the largest utility in Africa. Koeberg is the only nuclear power plant in the continent of Africa. And later that night we presented to the Melkbos Rotary Club and were joined by Nikky, one of the GSE team members headed to Germany next month. Whew! What a day!
We continue to enjoy the hospitality and humor of our South African Rotary hosts. Everyone has been so welcoming and gracious. I can’t believe we’ve only been here for ten days. It seems like we’ve done and seen SO much!
I’m not sure when I’ll get a chance to post this on the blog. My family doesn’t have wifi here and I haven’t yet assessed the internet situation! But at least I have some time to reflect and write.
Today was a big sightseeing day. We woke up to a steady rain and the temperature had dropped considerably from the weather we have been enjoying. But like true desert rats, we loved the rain and it didn’t prevent us from making the most of the day. We did and saw so much today, so I won’t go into great detail, but here was our itinerary:
Drove up to the Silver Mine nature reserve for a look out over the city
Drove through the Masiphumelele (you should here me say it in Xhosa. My accent is EXCELLENT!) Township and looked at several Rotary projects
Drove up to the Slangkoep Lighthouse
Saw wild baboons walking in the road
Entered the Cape of Good Hope National Park and drove to the southernmost point in Africa
Saw huge Eland (a type of giant gazelle the size of a big horse) in the hills
Climbed to the top of the Old Cape Point Lighthouse to view the area where the Atlantic and the Indian oceans meet
Had a great lunch in Simon’s Town at a restaurant called Bertha’s
Visited the Boulders National Park to see the African penguins
Had a fabulous dinner at home with my host family. My host is a chef and the meal was SUPERB!
If you haven’t seen BJ’s photos, check out the link in his blog. One of these days I hope to be able to upload some of my own, but right now I MUST sleep!!!
It takes a really long time to upload photos here. I'm going to put up just a few (I hope) but go to BJ's blog to find a link to a Photobucket site where I think he has uploaded a whole bunch of his pics.
Yesterday was a really intense day. It was scheduled as an occupational day. In the morning I had a great visit to the St. Lukes Hospice and met with their Fundraising Manager, Ed West. I was really surprised to learn about the various fundraising strategies they use. They have some really innovative ideas that I’ve never even heard of in the U.S. Most were not relationship based development strategies, but rather “fundraising gimmicks” (for lack of a better word) but still incredibly effective and raising LOTS of money.
From there I met up with the rest of my team (minus BJ) and we visited TSiBA University. I think Randy has a good description of that program in his blog. It is a really innovative and interesting Business Adminstration degree program for students who otherwise would never have a chance to get a college education. They offer full tuition to all students and a really holistic approach to ensure a high success rate among the students. Barb and I got really excited about a potential project idea to collect used college business textbooks and ship them to this school.
We went back into Kayetlitsha for lunch at a little restaurant run by a vocational training program, and then on to an HIV/AIDS program called Umtha Wellanga (Rise & Shine). This organization is the result of two amazing women, one white and one black, who were both personally affected in very different ways by HIV. As a way to channel their anger, frusteration and energy, they founded this program to provide support to people living with HIV and AIDS. One of their program involves placing children orphaned by parents with AIDS into foster families. I found the comparisons with Arizona’s Children Association (one of my clients) really interesting.
After this busy and intense day, I was dropped off at my host, Jenny Howard’s new culinary school called Chez Gourmet. It is a new business and she’s got a beautiful space and great vision. Later that night we all attended another braai hosted by the Newlands Rotary Club. I’m starting to learn a lot about the culture of the braai. The men stand around the grill and discuss the proper techniques for preparing the meat, and the women organize all the salads. We didn’t eat until about 9:30 at night, and although most of us were ready to eat our arm by then, it was well worth it! It was a really fun evening and we met and talked to so many fun people. I was home about 11:30 and went straight to bed!
So that was yesterday! I actually started this post intending to write about TODAY! But rather than go on and on, I’ll just quickly bullet out today’s itinerary:
1) Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
2) Fish & Chips lunch in Hout Way
3) A boat ride out to Seal Island
4) Groot Constancia Estate vineyards
5) Rotary dinner party at my host’s home. Potjie (Poy-kie) was served!
I don't even know where to begin with today's post. My brain feels so full of images, emotions, information and ideas that it literally feels like it might explode. I feel like I need to plug an 8GB flash drive into my head to download all the information I've run out of room to file.
Without going into descriptive detail of what we've done the past 48 hours (I need more time to process before I can even begin to describe it all), I'll just say that today I had several lightbulb moments. The first was that when I came here to South Africa, I think I arrogantly had the attitude of "Let me learn about the problems here to see how I can help." After the past five days I've realized that I have FAR more to learn than I have to offer.
The second, and I'm still really figuring this one out, has something to do with processing all of the information and ideas we're developing and realizing that this visit is really the first step. This GSE trip is about making connections and igniting fires that can be followed up with later when I return home and can sort it all out in my head.
That said, all I have left to say is that this experience has so far been AMAZING. I am overwhelmed with the openness, hospitality, generosity, honesty and amazing sense of humor of the South African people.
Today our team was able to visit three different projects that have been sponsored by local Rotary, two of which have also been the beneficiaries of funding from our own Rotary District 5500. Each organization was really incredible, and I could write extensively about each one. But I’ll try to just capture general impressions of each.
The first organization was Includid, a residential living facility for adults with intellectual disabilities. It is really a remarkable program where individuals who had previously been institutionalized in horrible hospital settings now live in a collection of small group homes on a large property. The people there live “mutually independently” (a phrase coined by BJ that I think really expresses their community) and each does what they can to contribute to the running of their little households. They also learn to perform work tasks such as gardening, knitting and paper making. They were excited to see us and proud to show us the products of their work.
The second organization is one that is very close to Rotary’s heart and now our own. It is Nonceba, a counseling center for children who have been sexually abused. Unfortunately, this is an all too common problem in South Africa as some believe that having sex with a virgin child will get rid of AIDS. They have just opened up a beautiful new facility in one of the township areas outside of Cape Town. During our tour we met several children who were living there and receiving treatment. One little guy of about 2 years old came over to me with open arms and next thing I knew I was holding him and playing with him. I was so moved by his vulnerability and situation, but willingness to reach out to a stranger. Despite the horrific things that have happened to him, he is still just an innocent child wanting to be loved. As a mother, it was a very emotional experience for me on many levels.
Finally, we visited Illitha, a “crèche” or pre-school for children ages 2-5, located in the informal settlement (slum) of Khayelitsha. I can’t even think about this place without a huge smile coming to my face. These adorable kids, living in the midst of the most horrible squalor you can imagine, were full of life, energy, curiously, love and hope. They loved having their pictures taken and gathered around me to see the images in my camera. They also sang songs for us - preschool classics like the Hokey Pokey and Twinkle Twinkle, as well as a few others new to us. They were so adorable!
Tonight we will present to our host club, the Sea Point Rotary Club.
Ugh. I’m dealing with terrible jet lag. For the second day in a row, I’ve woken up at 4:30 AM unable to fall back asleep. So, I’m trying to make productive use of this time that I should be sleeping by writing a bit.
Yesterday was a very full day. It was our first vocational day, meaning each of us had our own unique schedule of tours and site visits to organizations related to our own professions. I had a great day visiting the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust (the fundraising arm of the largest children’s hospital in the Southern Hemisphere), an organization called Iyanthelo (the South African Institute for Advancement, dedicated to developing a culture of philanthropy in South Africa), and a job training and human development organization called Learn to Earn, located in a township (slum) outside of Cape Town. Without going into great deal about each (and I could - each were truly amazing organizations!), it was a really incredible day and I realized that we could learn a lot from how organizations are working here. They are doing some really innovative things here in terms of philanthropy and programs.
We also had our first of about 10 presentations to a local Rotary Club. Our visit was to the Hout Bay Club at the Atlantic Fishing Club (a restaurant located right on the wharf). This particular group of Rotarians was very funny and made us feel quite welcome. Our presentation went well and was well received, I thought. They seemed to be quite surprised at much of the information we shared and I think they learned a lot about Arizona.
I’m hoping to spend time later today really working on uploading some photos to this site. It hasn’t been easy to readily access the internet. Also, I don’t have phone service at the moment and so I’m also not getting my emails. I hope to resolve that in the next few days.
April 13
This will be a birthday that I’ll never forget! I woke up feeling well rested about 6:15 am after a really good night of sleep. Rather than going back to bed, I found myself up and out with my hosts, Rodney & Mavis Mazinter, to take their dogs for a walk up in the mountain area near their home in Camp Bay. We had brisk hike up to an area known as the Glen and then a beautiful drive back down along the beach. Camps Bay is gorgeous. The area reminds me very much of La Jolla, CA. We came home and enjoyed a nice relaxing breakfast outside on their patio overlooking the ocean. Soon, we were collected by BJ’s host father, Gavin Schachat, who took us for a drive along the coast along Hout Bay to Chapman’s Peak. There were many cyclists along the road enjoying the most specatular views. I immediately thought of Leo and how much he would enjoy this ride. Really gorgeous! Although the rest of the day was scheduled for us to rest, our team agreed that we must see Robben Island before we leave Cape Town and our hosts were all very accommodating. We met up at an area known as the Waterfront and enjoyed a wonderful lunch outside. We then boarded the ferry to take us across to Robben Island. I had really been looking forward to this after having read and re-read Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. It met and exceed my expectations. Our tour guides were former political prisoners on Robben Island and spoke not only about the history of the island and the prison, but also shared their own personal stories. It was very moving. I was surprised to learn that not only are many of the tour guides former prisoners, but many continue to live on the island. I was struck by how forgiving these men were of the treatment they received, and they spoke passionately about the importance of reconciliation. They talked of being friends now with the same men who were their guards while they were imprisoned, and how apartheid not only robbed them of their freedom, but that of their captors as well. I came away with great respect for the South African people, that they are able to put this terrible period of history behind them and to not hold negative feelings in their hearts for each other. Our trip to Robben Island made a great impression on me and will put the rest of our visit here into context. After our tour, we all returned to the Mazinter’s home where they hosted a wonderful welcome “braai” (BBQ) in our honor. We enjoyed tasty grilled meats and yummy salads on their patio with the ocean as our backdrop. We were given gifts from the Sea Point Rotary Club of the book “Playing with the Enemy” (soon to be a film with Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon!) and an audio tour guide of the Cape and its history. And as a final, wonderful surprise, I was presented with a delicious homemade birthday cake prepared by the Mazinter’s housekeeper Daisy and the entire group sang Happy Birthday to me! I will wrap this up so I can post this to the blog and load some pictures from the day.
I just have to share this quick story that really illustrates one of the main reasons I am taking this trip. On Monday, my 6 year old daughter Quincy came home from school all excited. "Mom! Guess what! I checked a book about South Africa out of the library today!" "Really?" I asked. "How did you find it?" "The librarian asked me what I am interested in, and I told her 'South Africa', so she helped me find this book!"
In that moment of her sharing her excitement for discovering a part of the world that most 1st graders know nothing of, it hit me. THIS is why I'm taking this trip. For the rest of her life (not to mention mine!) South Africa will mean something to her. She will remember this far away place as somewhere her mother went and she will care about what happens there. The world is suddenly smaller.
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