Its so cold!

Have got the flu again. Never thought I would get so many colds and flu here. At the moment it is very cold. Its worse than England cold because there you have coats and central heating ect.

Its only the start of winter so more cold to come. The next group are going to be so cold, sure some idiot will shorts and t-shirts thinking its Africa! Hopefully the weekend will be warm.

Why wont the annoying boy behind me go away?

Party In The Township!

Went to a braai (barbecue) in a township in Cape Town. Was so cool, like carnival without the hassle. Black, White(foreign whites; SA Whites don't go)coloured and everyone else that is not covered those three categorises.

Once you get here you are taught to fear the townships but that is were it is all happening. Felt very safe and more like Africa! Never seen so much meat in my life and really good too.

I had such a good laugh, and have made lots of SA friends now. They are all from Cape Town though not Mamre!

In Cape Town again today so hopefully going back there over the weekend!

Uncle and Nephew 2

Uncle is on the left and Nephew is on the left. Both 3 years old.

Clubbing in Cape Town

Went clubbing in Cape Town is Saturday. Start off in an Irish Pub and a couple of guys there. I we had a great chat about Southern African politcs - some people here are enlighten!

The meet a Scottish guy who could get back to the UK because of the volcano ash. He visited Charlotte and I to have dinner in an Indian resturant with him and his two daughters. The resturant was so posh and lovely and the other guys from the pub joined us too.

Then charlotte and I went for a quick nap (as we had been drinking since 1pm) and then back out on Long Street at 12:30am. The place was buzzying full of bars and clubs. Made lots of friends; could not believe how friendly everyone was. I had a really good time. Its still not Africa, more like Maimi but a good night out, is a good night out!

HIV/AIDS

It was my turn to present yesterday. Each week a group member chooses a global issues to discuss. There are 12 Millennium goals that the UN are trying to reach.

I choose HIV/AIDS because it is such a global problem that is crippling Africa, with the highest rate infection in South Africa. It is preventable and treatable, however having HIV in a developing country is far worse than having it in a developed country. I wont get into all the figures but 15,000 people a day worldwide are infected.

Knowing your status is key. But if don't have any testing facilities nearby and you can't afford to travel its not going to be a priority. Then if you can afford the life- saving drugs then why bother with testing? Also if you will be stigmatised and made to feel ashamed why would you tell people your status. All this is due to a lack of education and poverty, so being born poor means your more likely to have HIV/AIDS. Poverty is not just about a lack of money it takes away your choice too. Its not fair that just because you missed out on the birth lottery you should suffer more.

We must all be compassionate toward people who are living with this illness. HIV has no face - old, young, black, white, Straight, Gay, faithful, promiscuous. Lets all do our bit to stay safe and show love and support other with HIV and AIDS.

Robben Island

Went to Robben Island on Saturday.

Very rough sea there and back. I can't say it was good because its really not appropriate.

We had an ex- political prisoner show us around. He spent 11 years on Robben and we saw the very floor he spent on with 60 other prisoners.

Everyone thinks of Nelson Mandela and what he went through, but there were many others just as strong and inspiring. Robert Sobukwe was the only prisoner to be held in solitary confinement. The government thought he so influential that they made a new law just so they could keep him from other prisoners.

Most of the prisoners were black and some were coloured. Blacks received less food and worse treatment then the coloureds. Only one white person was ever sent to Robben Island. The authorities thought his mental capacity to be that of a black person, he was later sent to a mental hospital.

Crazy Country.

Weird things about South Africa

Young guys pull out their front teeth because it makes them look "Gangster"! They get false ones put in instead and take them out to show they are hard. It also apparently make them good kissers.

Coloured people here refer to Blacks as Africans.

There are still white only communities.

The fact that Coloured people even exist.

Very strange place.

Easter Sunday

Easter is a big deal here. My family is part of the morvian church. On Easter Sunday we woke very early and got to the church at 6am. We then all walked to graveyard where they had a service of rememberance for the past dead and the newly dead.

Then about 40 members of family came over at 10am and didn't leave till 10pm that night. It was fun, got to meet lots of my new cosins and had a good family party. I think they are getting over me being black lol!

Table Mountain - The Journey

Charlotte got cabin fever on Friday so we decided to go to Cape Town on our own by bus on Saturday. We missed the last bus of the day which was at 7:20am so had to get the mini bus to the next town Atlantis.

Atlantis is one of the list of rules - we must only go there with a local. I figured since we were just changing buses it would be ok. As soon as we step out of the mini buses I felt like a tourist and everyone could see we weren't from there. Everyone we spoke to before was unanimous that Atlantis was very dangerous. The previous group of volunteers were allowed to go, but two of them got robbed one day. They had their bags, phones and even shoes stolen.

We asked a Community Officer where to go and get the buses and then started walking in that direction. He then started following us I was very weary of him, but he escorted us to the bus stop and told us to be careful while we waited for the next bus which could be hours. I felt uncomfortable and asked him if it was safer to get another mini bus taxi to Cape Town (we had been told not to use them as the bus was safer)but right now it seemed like the best option.

He walked us back to station we had came from and on the way a man welding a club was coming towards us. I was so glad he had come with us and thanked him profusely. We got the mini bus taxi which was fine and felt very safe. In true African style we had to wait till it was full and am sure the bus would have never passed and MOT in the UK. It felt great!

Didn't plan on climbing table mountain but we wanted something to do and when we got to the base there were so many people climbing up. It was a cool, cloudy day which was great for climbing. I didn't realise how hard it was - so many huge rocks. It took 2 hours and I really straggled since I had just recovered from flu and had no breakfast that day. When we finally got to the top it was another 15min walk to shops. I had the biggest meal ever and we took the cable car back down as it had started to rain. Nice View. Glad I did it!

Weekend Trips - Cape Point

Yay!

We are allowed to leave Mamre at weekends. This weekend which is our 2nd, a group of us went to Cape Point. Its about 1 and half hours away and the furthest point south on the African Continent. Its a beautiful place.

First we stopped over at a penguin reverse; never knew SA had penguins. Then we trekked to the actual point in Cape Point. It was a lovely cliff view, but I thought Cape Point was a beach, so wont be needing the bikini I packed!

Uncle and Nephew in the Same Creche Class

"Eaton where is your bag?" The teacher said.

Eaton looks around and can't find it.

"Jay, where is Eaton's bag, you should know your his uncle."

Never laughed so much. Eaton is the naughtiest boy in my class and Jay is a close 2nd. I couldn't believe that Jay was Eaton's Uncle. They are both 3 years old, but Eaton is massive and Jay is tiny. Eaton's mum and Jay have the same mother.lol

The Creche

Impressed with the creche. Its far better than I expected with 3 classrooms and good facilities. The ages range from 2-6 years old and class sizes are decent. I am really not feeling the poverty. As I arrived for my first day of work the kids are eating breakfast. They start at 8am then have a snack at 11am and lunch at 12pm. They then nap for for an hour and a half and have a snack at 2pm.

Am teaching the 4-5 years olds, 6 girls and 10 boys in the class. They very rowdy and fight a lot with each other. They constantly running out of class and being little terrors. Of cause they all regularly need to go to the toilet too!

Their teacher Auntie Betty also smacks them and tells me to do the same. I think its good to smack (not give them beating) so I have no problem with this. However when I smack them they laugh, and when I smack them harder it hurts my hand and they laugh more. I pretended to throw one of the boys in bins outside but he thought it was fun and the rest of them all line up to have a go.

They are really sweet though and for the first two minutes of class am the biggest celebrity. I have to hug and high five them all and do a touch fists. They all speak Afrikaans, but understand English. I wish I could understand as they tell me these long stories. The other day I open a drink for one of boys and they said "thanks babe!" Maybe its a good thing I don't understand Afrikaans.

One of the kids in the older class called me a "Kaffir" which is what the Whites and Coloureds call Blacks. It basically means Shit. He got told off by the teacher, but obviously he is just a kid. I blame the parents.

The parents pay R40 a week for the creche and R30 for the transport. They all get picked up and drop of to homes is car called a Bakki. How many creche kids can you fit into a car at least 50 in back and 8 on the front Seat!

Rules, Rules, Rules

SA is a dangerous country so they are alot of rules for our protection, but all we get from our supervisors here are "here are the rules, and by the way did we tell you about the rules"? We also hear lots of negative things about the last group. They must have done some good - they are working for free in your community. Its really getting the group down, plus its so boring and western in this town. Where is Africa?
Should have gone to Kenya!

I have to be home by 8pm, No drinking - all the locals are drinking, No gossiping - its a small town they all do it, no forming relations - you don't get to befriend anyone in the community, no clubbing - that all there is to do. Also you don't get to have a library card - because the last group didn't bring books back, even though they have donated lots in the past.

Not feeling very welcomed.

Mamre - Orientation

Our first day in Mamre had a walking tour. There is really not much to see here. We are forbidden to go to the two clubs in town and the pool bar. There is also a drinking ban on all volunteers in Mamre. (The last group did a lot of drinking, so we have to pay for their sins!)

Now Mamre is not nearly as poor as I had hopped, its more of a deprived area - high unemployment, alcoholism, youth disorder ect. The people live like kings compared to the township we visited. But you should always look deeper.

Our host Mother's father had recently died and they went to the funnel that day. The next day we went with them to a family Braai (barbecue). It was a get-together to celebrate their father's life, but it just seemed like a party.

They were obsessed that I was black and made no secret of it. I felt very uncomfortable and very aware of my skin colour. I have never felt so black as I did then. They were also the most random looking family I had ever seen, they all looked adopted. Even so they seemed to really like me and Charlotte and I went to the beach with them. Thank God my charisma shines through my skin.

Spent the first week not doing much and being assigned to our work places. I will be working in the creche and with Lief en Leed - the disabled group. We went to visit some of the Leif en Leed group in their homes and I saw other side to the town. Six people in a one bedroom house. Disabled people being looked after by elderly relatives. Lief en Leed meets in the community hall on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. They weave baskets and sew things which they sell to give themselves a little income. It is their dream to have their own place where they can go all the time.

Mamre - The Disappointing Shock

Later that afternoon we traveled to Mamre a small, rural town which is 45km from Cape Town. It is a colored area where are project is based. Mamre was a lot more developed than I thought it would be and houses are nicer than in the UK.

Now SA is still very much a segregated country even after 20 years since the end of apartheid. There are Whites, Coloreds and Blacks. I had no idea who the coloured people were, I had heard they were anyone who wasn't Black or White. I and other volunteer Charlotte are staying with Aunty Freida and Paul (he says hes too young to be called Uncle). They have two daughters who are both married and have left home. That evening we were all chatting in the lounge with Uncle Matthew (Paul's brother who is always over) and Paul told me to let him know if I had any problems with people in the town. I didn't understand and he explained to me that most colored people look down on black people.

I was so upset. I came to volunteer in Africa to get a sense of belonging and to give back. Now here I was in a town far away from home where people thought they were better than me because of their skin colour and hair. The funny thing is the "coloured" people all look different - some look Mixed Race, Thai, Indian, Black, East African, Native American, White, Arab ect.

Not liking South Africa at the moment.

Thats More like It

Today was very interesting and an eye-opening. Got picked up up by a very knowledgeable driver who explained the history of SA and took us to the District 6 Museum. District 6 was a township were black people were sent during apartheid "shipped out of the towns". We learnt about the Sharpville massacre when 69 blacks were murdered by police for refusing to carry ID Cards. It is now commentated by Human Rights Day on 21st of March which is a public holiday.

We than went to a township called Langah. There we went to a hut where they brew their own beer and learnt about the conditions they live in. We all tried the beer which was a bit like stale cider. I was surprised to learn that lawyers, doctors and other professionals also live in townships as it is where they are from and feel most comfortable. They have lovely homes and the locals call their part of the township Beverly Hills.

However most people live in very bad conditions with up 14 people in one small room. We struggled to get our group in. In one block over 40 people share a single toilet. People couldn't afford the most basic of things. Their rent per room was R120 a month which is 12 pounds and they still couldn't afford their own room which shows how great their poverty is.

Our guide around the township was called Archie, is was grandad age and had never been to school but had taught himself to read. He was funny and helpful. He was trying to get R180 together so he could get his official SA Tour Guide licence. He also need 4 colour photographs and transport money to get to the office. His rent was R450 a month and with the cost of raising a family he hadn't been able to save the money.

Next stop was a the township creche with about 40 kids and 3 staff in quite a small space. The kids went crazy when they saw us and wanted to play. It was really nice being with them and they wanted to talk to us, and use us as climbing frames. The parents pay R60 a month to leave them there.

It had been an eye opening day and we were all emotionally exhausted. However there was one more stop and that was to see a spiritual healer. The room he resided in was tiny mainly due to all the bottles, baboon's tails, furs, skins and only God knows what else. I have been having nosebleeds everyday since I got here so I was hoping he had something. However all he told me about was a plant that grow miles away and was more interested in taking pictures.

In South Africa - The Arrival

Now its ironic am here because I have always said that I wouldn't like to go to South Africa, but I am here with open mind. Its Great to get the opportunity to volunteer abroad and am sure it will be interesting.

The first thing I noticed on the plane to SA was that I was the only black passenger.
Usually when you go abroad its full of people from that country, and SA is over 80% black so I was surprised. On leaving the airport you are greeted by Table Mountain which is so mighty and inspiring. It follows you everywhere you go in the West Cape. The 13 of us then drove to our hostel in an area called Sea Point. On the way there we saw beautiful house and slums. I was impressed and irritated that Cape Town was so developed. It felt like I was in Miami, not at home in Africa. We all went for a walk and all I saw were Black people in service roles while White people shopped and ate. For dinner we went further in into town and I saw more blacks, so felt better.

Next day we learnt about SA's History and Culture:the groups in SA are the Whites, Coloureds and Blacks. I was go Mamre a Coloured area, don't have a clue who they are? We then went on a walking tour met more blacks who were all sells the usually African craft. Is there a black middle class here? Visited a church that was pinnacle in the anti apartheid movement and had pictures displayed of Desmond Tutu and others. The church was reassuring as I was beginning to wonder whether Apartheid had actually happened and ended.