Lots of Catching up to Do....

The weekend has breezed by... Becky and I have had a tremendous one! In fact, there's lots to catch up on.

Last week we were incredibly busy with YMCA visits~ we went to some more schools and even were able to visit 2 primary schools to see what the Community Health Workers are up to. These are YMCA employees who are stationed in primary schools with school nurses. They do lots of preventative education programs with students and regularly measure students height/weight to monitor for malnutrition. We were able to meet 2 phenomenal women who clearly love their jobs. Janine, at Ridgeville Primary, served us a beautiful lunch and gave us loads of information about the position. In her k-8 school there are about 500 students and only 12 teachers!!! Carmelita, at Spring Valley Primary, introduced us to a class of 5th graders (over 40 kids) who allowed us to ask lots of questions and, in turn, asked us lots of questions... perhaps the most impressive thing about all of these students was the way in which they greeted us: each with a firm handshake and great eye contact... very cool.

The primary schools are filled with a joy and feeling of optimism much more palpable than the high schools that we have visited...

Last week we also spent time with Bertram, an amazing Y employee who runs programs in Ravensmeade, an area outside of Cape Flats, but a (sort of) branch of the Y. He took us to an area called MC Beukas~ a small government sponsored settlement of "wendy" houses (small pre-fab wooden shack/houses) established for blind people. While this was set up with the best of intentions, there are 20+ families living in this tiny area with ONE tap for water (which, by the way, is located outside in the mud... so imagine being BLIND and needing water...hmmmm)
Initially, they also had no electricity, which is one of the things that Bertrum has helped them with... they now have electricity at least.

He also took us to check out the library where he is starting an afterschool program (2 days a week) and will be working with low-literacy students from the local primary school during the days. Bertrum is a go-getter and initiates work for himself! He is doing great stuff...

In this particular area there is a big field with a make-shift circus tent-like structure in the middle of it~ about 17 families live in here (also with one tap). We went over to speak with them and they allowed us to check out the inside of this giant tent~ which is basically just beds lined up~ it was shocking. After all of this rain, everything was soaked and moldy, and it was actually hard to breathe inside. Apparently this group of people is refusing to move into housing that they are being offered... it's complex.

Last week we also went back to our beloved Heinz Park and met with Aunty Rosie again... we dished up some food and handed out more blankets to elderly and sick people that Rosie had identified in the community. It was pretty intense to visit these families~ sick dad dying of AIDS lying in bed surrounded by his small children~ puts some things in perspective.

Rosie, as we have said, is really something... she is so positive. She is 66, has 8 children, 24 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and knows EVERYONE in Heinz Park. During the day she does a "feeding scheme" at the primary school (a beautiful new building)...

We were also able to visit our good friend Sonia at Heinz Park primary school to check out the sign language dance class she teaches. The kids were so cute! They were so serious about learning the signs for the song and were very proud to show us their moves.

The weather over the past 3 days has been absolutely beautiful... well deserved after all of that rain! And Becky and I have been taking full advantage. Friday we visited the District Six Museum which was phenomenal~ a beautiful and intimate memorial to the families who were forcibly removed from their homes in a funky/vibrant area (it was funky and vibrant b/c of them!) and relocated to the Cape Flats. These families literally watched their homes in the downtown of Cape Town be bulldozed so that a "whites only" neighborhood could be created. We were particularly interested in visiting the museum b/c we have spent all of our time in the area where people were forcibly relocated during Apartheid. (Auntie Rosie lived in District Six, for example)

The museum was a work of art...

Appropriately, while we were there, some protesters marched by (on their way to Parliament) to demand refusal of relocation from their homes in Langa (one of the original townships) to government homes in Atlantis~ a newly established area WAY outside of Cape Town. They were singing beautifully and peacefully marching to make their point: awesome.

Friday we were also able to stroll along Long Street which is in downtown Cape Town and peruse some shops, eat a nice lunch, and then visited the V & A Waterfront which is the tourist mecca of Cape Town~ shops in the harbor, boats everywhere, etc... before heading back to Janna's house for a nice Shabbat dinner and relaxation.

Saturday was another beautiful day! Becky and I hung out on Kloof St., had coffee in Lakeside (which is where Ricky lives) and then met up with some of the women from the YMCA for a tour of Khayelitsha~ a township in Cape Flats of over one million people, almost all of whom are black Africans. (Mitchell's Plain is predominately "colored" people because during Apartheid these groups were also separated...)

We picked up Monique and drove to Thabisa's house, in Khayelitsha. We hopped into a taxi (an experience in itself!) and drove all around the area (we also picked up another friend: Ayanda, who also lives in the area)... the drive was awesome: it is a vibrant, HUGE place~ overwhelming to the senses!! People were out everywhere: hanging out, braaiing (including sheep's heads!), selling their wares, chatting, dancing, etc... I loved it.

We visited with Thabisa's uncle (who is a traditional herbalist/healer) and then went to find Vivian Zilo who my friend Monica said I needed to meet! Monica met Vivian on 2 of her trips down to Cape Town and had some cards for me to deliver...
Vivian is one of those incredible people that made me feel like I had known her forever the moment we met. She embraced me in a giant hug and then led us all through small alleyways to her house. Vivian started a true grassroots enterprise about 3 years ago: she runs a soup kitchen out of her house, which has evolved into a support group service. When her house burned down last year, Monica and others have raised money to help her rebuild... she is currently living in a new house and they are in the process of building a bigger place which will serve as a shelter/orphanage for kids in need. She was so excited to tell us about all of her projects and showed us her newspaper articles and pictures of her volunteers (2 of whom are from UCONN!)

Meeting Vivian was a treat...and I am really excited about all of the work she is doing. She just got officially registered as a non-profit organization and her projects are growing...

Saturday night we went to the Grand West (a massive casino with a movie theater, restaurants, and an ice rink!) because the girls (Monique, Ayanda, Thabisa, and Luzille) rarely get to go out and Thabisa wanted to try ice skating for the first time. So, Becky and I brought them out! In Cape Flats there are very few women who drive (none of the women at the Y drive) and so they depend on taxis~ which stop running at night. Needless to say, their independence is limited and I have become somewhat of a taxi-driver for everyone at the Y on this trip!!!

And today... it was almost HOT. We went for a power-walk along the beach front in Sea Point (Becky has been sleeping over at Janna's for the weekend) and then Becky and I headed for the Green Point Flea Market to do some souvenir shopping!! FUN... we ended up checking out the bead/wire works guys in Constantia b/c we heard they are incredible. It was true: these Zimbabweans (who now live here due to the dire circumstances in Zimbabwe) are incredible craftsman and I went NUTS. The whole influx of Zimbabweans is a huge issue here~ tons of refugees coming to a country to where the residents are struggling to survive. It presents lots of problems and is the talk of the town.

We finished off our day watching the sun set over the ocean in Camp's Bay, sitting on the beach. Not bad.

We have one more week! Becky and I have lots of work we are putting together for Ricky and the Cape Flats Y~ recommendations, reflections, game and song book, and we are working on a staff manual for him. In between working on that stuff, we have some more sites we want to visit and a few little sight-seeing things to do! It should be a packed week...

Needless to say, we continue to be overwhelmed. Our perspectives are constantly changing~
It is intense.

Much much love to you all!!

PS: a special shout-out to Margaret Antonitis (also known as Maggie A) one of my amazing co-workers and friends from Classical... she sent along a HUGE care package full of magazines and bubbles and candy etc... THANK YOU! what an awesome treat.