Finally some visual aids...

....and the rain continues. Winter is in full effect: heavy rains, high winds and no insulation or heat ANYWHERE! It's one thing to be cold, it's another thing not to be able to get relief from the cold... and that's the reality of millions of people in the Cape Town area. Yesterday, the rains were so heavy at times that the roads in Cape Flats became quickly flooded. Cars were stuck, people were wading in water up past their knees through intersections. At one point, I had to drive up on the sidewalk in an effort to get around a massive flood... this morning we heard that over 10,000 people were flooded out of their homes in one area of the peninsula.



Yesterday we had a really cool time visiting some of the other sites that the YMCA is involved with. First we went to the Mitchell's Plain courthouse (where we could not take pics, and Becky almost got thrown out of court b/c the bailiff thought she was a journalist!) and met with the YMCA volunteers who work as counselors for victims/witnesses. They prepare them for court, help them with witness protection, etc. We were able to sit in a court room (although it was all in Afrikaans!) and observe the process... guys in for drugs, assault, etc. And we took a tour of the cells below the courtrooms... yikes. Sister Moses (below right) was scared we were going to get trapped down there! Apparently some guys escaped from these same cells last weekend... but they appeared to be contained yesterday. The place was dismal and depressing.

We also visited the Y's ARV (Anti Retro Viral) Clinic and learned about the counseling they do with HIV patients who are receiving treatment. Amazing stuff... and then headed to the non-medical site and met with the crew below... these women work day in/day out bringing people in for on the spot HIV tests. They are actually present with people doing pre/post test counseling as they face a moment that may change their lives. They aim to test 20 people a day and usually reach their goal... this was a particularly great group of women to meet with... they are doing such intense work and maintain such a positive outlook.

Part of the process for qualifying for ARV includes meeting with a patient advocate~ someone who visits the home, assesses the situation, counsels the patient and advocates for the patient within various arenas... Amena, below in the white head scarf, is a patient advocate for the Y. She is a true dynamo and shared lots of stories about patients and the trials and tribulations of the job. Amena spoke with such passion about her work... it was AWESOME in the true sense of the word. She and Sister Moses took us to visit one of her patients... Lydia, 63 years old, who has been living with HIV since 1997 and just began taking ARVs 2 years ago. She is doing incredibly well and was so sweet, inviting us into her home to sit and talk with she and her best friend of over 30 years. It was a very cool afternoon of women hanging out!!

Here's the crew! Becky, Teran, Luzille, Amena, the nurse, and Sister Moses (who coordinates all of this great work for the YMCA... she is a sweetheart deluxe.)
And here is one of our all time favorite sweeties: Mwaka! Also known as Mo... she and Becky have become great friends and Mo (a Y peer facilitator) is someone neither of us will ever forget. She is hilarious, loving, spontaneous, and all-around wonderful. Mo is engaged to Andrew (a Y volunteer from England) and is awaiting her visa/passport so she can move to England and get married. Andrew is also great... and we hope to be invited to the wedding!!
In the last post, I wrote about some of the peer educators from Samora Machel... here are a few of the kids from the group at Zisukhanyo. They also worked as volunteer counselors during the holiday program a few weeks ago. In the front are Sidwell and Ziyanda (stay tuned for a poem written by Ziyanda..she's quite talented.)
This is the group at Heideveld High where Becky and I ran the session on gender roles. They were so into it... here the girls are brainstorming ideas about "the ideal woman". Today at the weekly peer education facilitators meeting, Sandile noted our session as a highlight for him. It was a highlight for us as well!

And last, but not least... here are Janna, Mayran and the fabulous Gabriel Spiro. These guys are my hosts and incredible friends. I have fallen in love with Gabriel, who is so sweet. Janna and May are pretty sweet too... don't get me wrong, but the baby takes the cake.

Much much love... and send some positive energy for sun/warm weather here!