ISP

First of all, the living conditions on the Durban coast are still very sweet. I wake up around 5:30, when the sun is still down and eat my breakfast as the sun comes up. Waking up that early might be normal for my brother Daniel, but challenging coming from a “lazyass,” which is the word that my mother uses to describe me when I won’t get my “lazyass” off the coach. When I get back from my independent work, I run along the beach. The beach might be the only place in SA where you see all the different racial groups in one location. After my runs, I attempt to cook, which actually has been a lot easier than I thought it would be.

I am in week two of my independent study project. It’s been interesting and challenging so far but I am having a great experience and getting some good information. In the morning I hop on a taxi, which are minibuses filled with people with one man driving while another hangs out the window yelling and holding up one finger which means “to town.” My first day, I did have a little run in with some “tsotsis,” (gangsters) in town, but don’t worry mother, it was ok and I am fine. I didn’t know where I was going then, but I now know to take one taxi to a taxi rank and then hop on another to Wiggins. I definitely get some looks for generally being the only white person, and because I am getting on a taxi at 6 AM to Wiggins which is also highly unusual. I tell the driver to drop me off at the “eskoleni” (school), and help the guys and girls make breakfast for young primary students who are orphans. It’s a pretty nice way to spend your morning.
After one morning last week, I sat in on a meeting with about 3 different NGOs and the local municipality. They were meeting about the “Health and Wellness Campaign” which was in the Wiggins sports fields last Saturday. It was interesting seeing the meeting, and then watching how the event unfolded. While it drew a good amount of people, most were very old, and it lacked young people. After observing how my organization can attract kids, I thought that the municipality should have listened to kids more about what will attract other kids. It was still a good experience seeing all the people getting tested for HIV/AIDS and spending some more time with the guys. It also happened to be my birthday, so I left early to get ready for a good night. I spent the night with my buddies from SIT and my Indian home stay brother and sister. We eat a delicious Italian meal by candlelight because of load shedding. If you don’t know, South Africa is in a serious power crisis.
This week has been pretty eventful as well. The leader of the organization had to leave for a week right when the organization was going to start going into schools and teaching “life skills.” I thought it would be a bad thing, but it has been nice and informative to see the guys/girls work without him around. We have gone into schools everyday, and I have been very impressed how they can control and excite a class. They ask the teacher not to be in the class so the kids feel more open to talk about things like puberty and sex education. I just observe, and get up sometimes to answer questions about America. I get asked a range of questions from “why do people wear baggy clothing?” to “Are there shacks in America?”
On Tuesday, I didn’t go into the classes and instead went with a member of the organization to Westville Prison. We met two other guys from another organization, and headed off for a meeting with the principle at the school and six social workers. I was told walking in that it was the largest prison in the southern hemisphere. The entire meeting, there were sounds of the prisoners banging and singing. The meeting was to plan an event for Youth Day with the juvenile prisoners. The three men I was with were very impressive and all previously been in Westville as inmates. We went over ways in which the organizations could provide entertainment and information to the kids. We briefly talked afterwards about how the meeting went and headed back after a long day.
I am falling asleep around 8 or 9 every night, but soon I will have to concentrate on writing the paper. I also extended my ticket so I can travel for 6 days in Mozambique after the program ends. Looks like I will be leaving on the 21st and arriving in NYC on the 22nd. Thanks for all your birthday wishes, and happy Passover.
Sala Kahle (Stay well)