Umntu Ngumintu Ngabantu: A person is a person through other people

A Young Life Lost

            Today a little boy died.  He was five years old.  He was found in the township of Nyanga by a health worker and brought to the public hospital.  For about a week, he was treated for severe malnutrition, AIDS, and all the other symptoms that come from being neglected.  He was marked by the hospital social worker as  “without family”.  He was placed in a bed in the Peds section of the hospital.  His limbs were grossly under weight and he was unable to keep food down the first few days.  The CCS intern, placed at the hospital, was shocked by the little boy’s condition. 

            She shared her experience with our close-knit group.  Last week, we all pulled together to lend her support when the boy was brought in.  She elegantly coped with witnessing the pain of this young human being.  With each day, she pushed to comfort him and encourage him to keep some food down.  By the weekend, she was reporting that he was keeping food down and able to keep his eyes open.  She asked me to look into activities that might help him feel more comfortable.  With hope, she and I researched art therapy techniques for children with terminal disease and unique mobility needs.  We were both working on creating a list of activities that might make this little boy feel loved and hopeful, but no amount of planning can prepare you for heart break. 

            After picking her up from the hospital today, she informed us that the little boy had passed away.  I could see the tears in her eyes.  She had worked so hard to be more than a doctor in training.  She had worked to give the little one a sense of belonging.  Even now, as I write, I can feel a pain in my own chest.  A pain that makes me remember other young people that have died.  A pain that leaves me wishing that I did believe in an after life. The sort of pain that comes from loss….the loss of a unfinished life. 

Reflection on Difficult Moments

            Though I have had many successes this week, there have difficult moments.  Many of the people in the house faced challenges at their placements this week including witnessing a child dying of AIDS and neglect.  I, myself, have been haunted by stories of incest, rape and the atrocities faced by humans around the globe.  Our group had to come together this week to process these unbearable realities.  With the help of our supervisors and one another, some of us were able to talk about our experiences at placement.  Though I was quiet during the session, I reflected on how in the past few weeks I have been pushed and challenged by statistics, accounts, and my duel identity of tourist/social worker. 

            As a young person, I knew I wanted to work with people.  I wanted to help all young people have the opportunity to have happy safe lives.  With this ideal, I have aimed to become an effective social worker.  But many times, my own beliefs about human kindness are faced with darkness.  The sort of darkness that wakes you up at night when you see it in others or in yourself.  When I am faced with this darkness, I find myself standing in a gray area that stretched farther than I can see. 

            When I find myself in the gray abyss, I think about my challenges and my strengths:

            I am challenged by each account of pain.

            I am challenged each account of betrayal. 

            I am challenged by my own memories. 

            I find strength in the little wins.

            I find strength in running it off.

            I find strength in talking with others and journaling.

            By the end of the day after long talks and take out Sticky Toffee Pudding, our group pushed through a horrible day to a pretty good night. 

The Week End

Rhode’s Monument and a winding walk

            Our quartet headed to brunch on Saturday morning at the Rhode’s Monument Café.  After a beautiful, but rainy hike, we shared an amazing meal.  Over Eggs Benedict, Scones with clotted cream, Cappuccinos, and my lone espresso, our group shared intense ghost stories.  With each bite, sip, and story I began to see the complexity hidden behind the beautiful faces of my newfound friends. The sadness of our stories and the warmth of each other left me with an aching feeling in my chest.  The type of ache that leaves you with the feeling of being both hopeful and sad.  After leaving brunch, the sun broke through the cloudy sky of Cape Town lighting our trail down. 

            We hiked down Devil’s Peak to the University of Cape Town’s School of Dance fundraiser.   Unfortunately, we stood in line only to find out that the fundraiser performance of the Black Swan was sold out.  After our group disappointment we strolled through Rondebosch and stopped by a used bookstore.  I happily perused the poetry section and found two collections of South African poets for 43 Rand ($ 6.14).  Maybe I should facilitate a poetry session with my 13-year-old youth group? 

             With my new treasures in hand, we went back to home base. 

Professional Development

Professional Development

            As usual, the Safe Line office was buzzing with clients, office chatter, and the ring of incoming phone calls.  Through the ringing and conversations in both Afrikaans and Xhosa, I researched, planned, and discussed group activity ideas with the staff social workers.  After a week of planning, I completed my children’s group plan on Thursday afternoon.  My plan was divided by session and theme.  Under each session I included the outline for the session including activity descriptions, a supply list, and the purpose or goal that session. 

            I printed off a copy of my plan and handed it to Safe Line’s director.  The director slowly sipped her tea and looked over the plan.  As she flipped through all ten pages, she asked me to explain certain activities or crafts.  At the end of the plan, she looked over at me and told me that she loved my plan.  She said that she was interested in how I wrote my plan and asked me to host a staff training session for this coming week about group planning and using art therapy.  I left the short meeting with a feeling of pride and a very very long “to do” list.

            After the staff meeting on Friday and throughout this weekend, I have worked on planning a quick workshop on creating a group plan using a logic model.  I have also worked on making examples of the crafts I am hoping to work on with the children.  I can feel the weekend and time slipping through my fingers, but I can also see a clearer picture of the “Social Worker” me forming.

            Please see attached copy of the Children’s Group Plan. 

                

Sushi & White Wine

            After Friday’s lunch, the CCS home base was quiet.  Most of the crew left that afternoon for a weekend trip around the Western Cape of South Africa.  The remaining three interns and I had stood at the gate to wave goodbye to our friends as their white van sped off.  I knew I would miss the busyness of the group, but I also knew that soon the group would be gone.  Within the next week, all of the group except the remaining four interns would be back in their home countries.  I turned to head back in the quiet house. 

            With an almost empty house, the four of us decided to plan a relaxing weekend together.  For our first “night of bonding” we headed out to dinner.   After our group “foodie” debate on the sunny porch, we decided that we all wanted some good sushi.  We headed out to the small, but posh Wakame. 

            Over white wine and “fashion” sushi, our quartet laughed, shared, and talked until late into the evening.  Back at home we fell asleep piled on bunk beds and bean bags as Julie & Julia played in the background.

Plan, Plan, Plan

Planning for Group Work

            Growing up, I can remember acting in children’s plays, attending drama camp, and being apart of many extra curricular activities.  In all of these activities, the person in charge would guide us through fun games and ice breakers.  As a young person, I had no idea what an important role those seemingly meaningless games played in my development.  The skills and understanding I gained from simple games have given me the ability to work effectively with others. 

            Now, I am shedding the role of participant observer and moving onto the role of facilitator.  Yesterday and today, I have spent my time planning out my children’s group’s sessions.  After going through a pile of examples and literature, picking out and adjusting themes and activities.  As of right now, with little information on the identified children, I have planned for 10 sessions and one final event.  The purpose of the group is to present the identified children with the opportunity to gain and practice coping skills, self-motivation, and relationship building.

            I have planned the sessions around these 10 themes:

1.     Trust and Group Building

2.     Understanding Yourself and Others

3.     Team Work and Relationship Building

4.     Feelings and Stress Relief

5.     Expression Yourself

6.     Your Support System

7.     Self Esteem and Self Image

8.     Supporting Yourself and Others

9.     Your Future

10.  Presentation to Families and Community Members (EVENT!)

11.   Message in a Bottle & Evaluation

            Each session will follow a similar outline including a Check-In, Activity, Short Discussion, Theme Activity, Feed back, and Closing.  The outline will be adjusted according to age group and theme.  My goal is to have all 10 of my hand written outlines processed by tomorrow.  Until then, does anyone have any more suggestions?    

           

Hot Cross Nuns

         On Tuesday night, after a long day of planning and meetings, the crew made our way to University of Cape Town’s Baxter Theater to see Hot Cross Nuns.   Not Your Midnight Mass is a famous South African A Cappella group.  Our crew sat down in the black box theater expecting to see a comedy about nuns.  Well, turns out, that the performance was hilarious, but had nothing to do with nuns.  The group performed songs like Nature Boy, Cannon in D, and Working Class Hero using only their voices.  The group and myself left the theater pleasantly surprised and sore from laughing.

            Throughout the performance, I thought of how brave performers are to put themselves out in front of the world.  I also thought about all of the performers I have known in my life.   To one particular performer and friend I want to say:  Happy Birthday, Nick. 

"Go with the flow even when it is bumby"- Scott, CCS volunteer

 I was back in the field today.  The community team did the child education program or biblio. at Hugueriot Primary in Mitchell’s Plain.  Our team presented the biblio to about 150 children in Grade 2 and Grade 3.  For each presentation, I took minutes, pictures, and helped present on South Africa’s Emergency number: 107.  The lead community worker is beginning to trust in my ability to present information. 

            After our presentation, our group had to wait a long time before being picked up by another worker near Mitchell’s Plain. Once we returned to Safe Line’s Athlone office I had a quick discussion with the director about the children’s groups I will be conducting.  She talked about how the office is still waiting for the school in Mitchell’s Plain to confirm the number of children and the dates, but she wants me to begin to work out my group work outline.  There was discussion that I would be hosting up to five different groups for 10 sessions each.  Though I have already begun to plan the sessions, I am concerned about planning for some many children with a range of behavioral and abuse histories.  I feel that I can’t plan an effective group without talking with the school, building relationships with the children, and conducting a needs assessment.   I sincerely hope that I can gather more information about the youth before I implement my groups.

Weekend Adventures

I visited the Cape of Good Hope.

Cape Point:  Where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean meet.

Robben Island: Nelson Mandela's cell is an example of one of many cells on Robben Island that held political prisoners that fought for basic human rights. 

Play Therapy

Play Therapy

            Today, I continued to research and plan for the upcoming children groups.  I found several articles and training manuals that discussed play therapy with children who have been sexually abused.  Play therapy is therapy that recognizes that playing is how children learn about their world, concepts, and learn how to problem solve.  Play therapy empowers children by giving them choices and control through toys, role-play, creativity, and story telling. 

The principles of play therapy are:

1.     Develop rapport

2.     Accept child completely

3.     Free to express

4.     Alert to recognize feelings

5.     Therapist maintains a deep respect for child’ problem solving abilities

6.     Child leads the way

7.     No hurrying the therapy along

8.     Therapists anchors everything in reality

            I also have begun compiling lists of activities and exercises that help individuals build strengths.  Trauma leaves children leaves children with emotions they are not also equipped to express or understand.  Many children withdraw, act out, regress or behave in a variety of ways that are inappropriate for their developmental stage.  Play therapy can help a child feel safe while they relearn or learn for the first time to enjoy being a child. 

The Importance of Knowing the Numbers

The Office

            The day started slow on Thursday.  The director explained that I will receive intake training next week and will begin managing several children’s groups.  In preparation for taking on these responsibilities, I began to review policies and refresh my memory on Play therapy techniques, definitions, and group planning.  I sat in the Auxiliary Social Work room with my colleagues and sipped bad instant coffee from my giraffe mug.  My colleagues enjoy teasing me about how I take my coffee black and how I pronounce their names with my “hard vowel” American accent.  I can tell that they like having me around.    

            While my colleagues chat in Afrikaans and work around me, I go through binder after binder of Play Therapy material, Safe Line Policies, and articles about working with traumatized individuals.  I review key definitions for the various types of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, neglect, child labor, human trafficking, and structural abuse.  I also review the key physical, behavioral, and psychological signs of Rape Trauma Syndrome. 

Human Trafficking

            Slowly, I work my way through the binders.  I came across one article by Susan S. Creston about human trafficking in South Africa from 2007.  The article compiles statistics from organizations such as UNICEF, IOM (International Office of Migration), and Molo Songololo.  The article states that 12.3 Million people are trafficked worldwide.  About 1.2 million of the humans that are trafficked are children (under 18 years old).  The majority of the people trafficked through coercion, force, and false promises are forced into commercial sexual exploration.  South Africa, like many countries (including the United States), is a hub for human trafficking.  It is estimated that South Africa, trafficked up to 38,000 people in and out of the country in 2007.  I filled up page after page of my Choco Cat notebook with information, stats, advice, and activities until my hand hurts and the bus arrives to pick me up.

HIV/AIDS Workshop

            In the afternoon, our group sat down with the program director to discuss HIV/AIDS in South Africa.  The program director has a background in public health, working with HIV/AIDS organizations, and handling international aide for HIV/AIDS organizations.  Her presentation went over the stats, definitions, and her own experiences. 

            To begin, The Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that invades a human’s cells through blood to blood contact through sex, child birth, and any other blood to blood interaction.   Once infected with the HIV virus, one can live in Stage 2 for years without any symptoms after the Window period.  Eventually, HIV wears down your immune system leaving your body open to infections and disease leading to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

Here are some quick stats about HIV in South Africa:

·      70 % of the world’s HIV + population live in southern Africa (including countries such as Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and many more) due to poverty, strain of HIV, migrant work, gender power relations, and high levels of sexual violence.

·      There are 6 million people out of 48 million are HIV + in South Africa.

·      Only 600,000 people are receiving Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) with 1.7 million in need of ART.  

·      There are 1.4 Million children who are AIDS related orphans living in South Africa.

            The information and statistics above were an important part in helping me to understand what an integral role HIV/AIDS has played in shaping South African people’s lives. With so many middle aged and young people dead or dying from AIDS, the elder generation is taking on the responsibility of taking care of young children and the government is taking on the responsibility of caring for orphaned children.  As our program director said, “The truth is that this is a story of loss”.

           

 

           

Election Day

 Local Election Day

            Today, South Africa hosted its local elections.  All week the news blared and people talked about the election.  Who would win?  The DA or the ANC?  Some people discussed how they would vote other discussed that they refused to vote.  It should be interesting to see who will win Cape Town.    As a result of elections, all work places were closed including all intern placements. 

Table Mountain…..oh wait….

            With no placement, several volunteers and I decided to climb Table Mountain.  Excited about seeing the view of the towering mountain surrounding Cape Town, my partners in crime cabbed it to the specified trail and started our climb.  Some where between gasping at breath taking views, snapping pictures, and talking our group lost our way to Table Mountain.  As far as we can tell, the specified trail was not for Table Mountain, but for Devil’s Peak.  The climb was steep, amazingly beautiful, and about 6 hours long (we originally expected a 2 hour hike).  After a while our group thought we were lost, but found our way back to the main road.  Even with our mix of possibly three trails and sore legs, we had a great time together.  We climbed boulders, took time to enjoy the view, and had a picnic with Auntie Lynn’s sandwiches.  By the end of the day, my feet are sore, but I had a great time.  I guess I will save Table Mountain for another time. 

Take-out

            With elections, the house manager gave our group money to buy ordered in take out food from Mr. Delivery.  We each carefully wrote down our orders, Stephanie tallied the cost, and I called the service with our order.  Of course, after talking with the attendant, I found out that we couldn’t order from that restaurant anymore.  The house exploded in laughter and frustration as we struggled to find current menu and order food.  By 8:00 pm, we had a new list of orders.  I dialed the number and crossed my fingers that this would work……  The attendant picked up and I began our order.  From the start, I had to navigate the list and ask people to change orders after the attendant informed me the restaurant did not serve certain dishes.  After many thank you’s, order changes, and hurried page flipping (Thank you to all that made that happen!) we ordered our food!!!  About 30 minutes later, we enjoyed our feast of Indian, Thai, and Chinese food with only a few order mistakes (my order and one others).  Overall, out food adventure was a good show of team work and what we will all do for good food!

Jump in

Leisbeck Primary

            The community outreach team headed out to Mitchell’s Plain again.  The team had set up a line of presentations from Grades R-3 at Leisbeck Primary.  I was assigned to take minutes and take pictures for Safe Line.  Victoria and another community worker presented the children with information about their bodies, health, and a little about what Safe Line does though activities and songs.   The children sing and follow along. 

            The second graders come into the classroom for their presentation.  The other community worker and I switch places.  She begins taking minute while I sing along to Victoria’s songs and help answer the children’s questions.  Even though I am still learning the words to the songs, I jump and sing along with the kids.  The session goes very well.  I am so happy to finally start participating in the educational outreach program! 

            After we returned to the office, I quickly meet with the director of Safe Line.  She is working on a calendar for me and told me I will be running four youth groups with children identified as having been sexually abused by a school in Mitchell’s Plain.  I am beginning to compile activities and icebreakers to plan a 10 session group for four specific age groups. 

The Water Front

            I had a lovely dinner with several volunteers at the Water Front.  We walked around the bay, went in shops, and had a nice dinner out on the deck.  I eyed a beautiful Ferris Wheel on the board walk as we searched for dinner.  After deciding on a restaurant, I tried some Springbok appetizer and enjoyed some good conversation. 

           

Tours and Reflections

With the arrival of new volunteers, the CCS staff organized a discussion about the history of South Africa and several introductory tours to the city and the townships.  Stephanie and I had not had the opportunity to do a city or township tour because of our special start date.  I was very excited about getting a better feel for the ins and outs of Cape Town.

The City Tour           

            Sunday, May 15^th, we started the day with our program director.  She narrated a presentation on the incredible history of South Africa.  She discussed colonialism, the Land Act, Apartheid, and community leaders.  She also discussed the importance of youth activism in pushing against Apartheid and the very public murders of many children and youth.  I was particularly excited to hear about the integral role youth activism.  I hope to come across more resources on the South African youth movement and where it is today. 

            After lunch, our newly formed group ventured out with our guide, Ferris, to tour some of down town Cape Town, vistas of Table Mountain, and the Water Front.  Ferris pointed out historical landmarks that I had only read about.  Just as the sun was beginning go low, we made our way up the look out mountain for the best views of the city and all of its natural wonders.  Even with the autumn fog that had settled over the city, the views were spectacular.  After twisting down the mountain, we stopped by the Water Front to briefly explore the beach area and take in the views. Being me, I climbed down to the tidal pools to watch the sunset.  The entire tour improved my mental map of Cape Town.   

The Township Tour

            Today, Mama Rose took us around some of the townships: Athlone, Nyanga, Longo, and Bontiville.  I got the opportunity to talk with her about some of the living conditions within a majority of the Townships.  She said that the apartments, or hostels, hold a family per room (sometimes 2 families per room) with only one toilet and sink per building.  She also said that the South African government is slowly renovated the hostels and building up to 30,000 new houses with water and electricity a year.  Though many people are still in deplorable living conditions, there is a positive urban housing movement in Cape Town. 

            After our brief introduction to some of the Townships, we visited some community sites.  We stopped by a preschool to listen to young ones perform beautiful songs.  We also stopped by a truly amazing service organization, Etafeni.  Etafeni provides skill training, life skills classes, health care, day care, and host a craft works program for women living with HIV/AIDS.  The Craft Works program allows women with HIV/AIDS to sell goods while receiving health care, obtain child care, and receive emotional support through counseling.  For more information about their mission and programs, please go to their website at www.etafenitrust.org. 

            After today, I am starting to see the many sides of Cape Town.  Yes, there is a almost unbearable financial divide, but there is also vast community-based action and community development.  

 

Lunch on the Lawn

 We end our time with Mama Rose with a lunch on the lawn in front of the CCS home base.  The sun shines through the home's gardens while we eat, chat, and begin to get to know one another......

The First Weekend

The Biscuit Mill Market

            Around mid-morning, I tagged along to the Biscuit Mill Market with some of the other volunteers.  Biscuit Mill is like a local Farmer’s Market that caters to tourists and privileged locals.  The market is set back in an old biscuit factory.  There are two giant tents devoted to selling fresh food, flowers, and cuisine.  When you walk into the tent you can smell freshly baked sweets, meat pies, and anything else you can dream of.  I start my morning by breaking away from the group and grabbing a 20 R ($ 2.50) Mango Lassi (fresh mango and yogurt).  Though I had heard of a Lassi, I tried my first one today and it was amazing.  I continued to explore the tents.  I noticed many families, American tourists, and college students eating at large tables set in the middle of the tent.  I also noticed that many of the people were drinking wine, champagne (Bubbles), or Sangria at 10:00 am.  Everyone seemed to be having a great start to the day.  I decided to follow my heart and try a few sweets (of course!).  I tried a warm croissant from a vendor and a Lemon Meringue Tart from another.  The croissant and Tart were both amazing, though I thought the tart lacked in lemon flavor. 

            After walking through the tent and gathering my treats, I took a look in the surrounding shops and wrote in my journal.  The surrounding shops sold art, furniture, and gourmet food items to wealthy locals and tourists.  I enjoyed looking at all of the beautiful items, but my mind kept wandering back to the poverty present in Cape Town, in Detroit……

            The day ended around 12:00 pm.  Though I had a lovely time eating and walking around, I was challenged by the obvious divide between the served and the underserved. 

New Arrivals

            Today, the new volunteer began to arrive.  They are expected to have 10 new people in the house by the end of the day. 

   

Sea Port

 Around 6:00 pm on Friday, the outgoing volunteer group, Stephanie, and I went to Sea Port.  Sea Port is another area of down town Cape Town.  The outgoing volunteer group wanted to take out one of the volunteers before she leaves South Africa.  We stopped by the boardwalk.  It was dark, but I could still see the waves crash against the black, ragged rocks.  The air smelled of salt and fish.  Soon, we found our way back to Cedar’s a nearby Lebanese restaurant.  The food and South African wine was delicious.  We ate plates of falafel, pita, spiced eggplant, cabby, tuboli, and Hummus. Several of the volunteers also enjoyed a Hookah at the end of their meal.  The group seemed to have a great farewell dinner. 

            After a long dinner, I was dragged to Long Street.  Long Street is the down town area with many dance clubs and bars.  I observed a number of western tourists buying expensive alcohol and dancing in clubs.  After a few hours, I was very happy to get back to the home base. 

Community Outreach

Community Event

            Friday, I observed and assisted the Safe Line Athlone office coordinate a community event in Bontiville.  Recently, Safe Line has hosted Parenting Seminars in several areas.  The community workers invite women to attend one of the three different sessions offered for the week.  The attendees from all three sessions are then invited to a community event.

            We arrive at the Assembly of God church to set up for the event.  Unsure of where to go I walk into the kitchen.  There I found many of the workers feverishly spreading egg salad and cheese on bread.  The workers were preparing the food for the reception after the performances.  I join in and begin squishing cheese onto white bread.  I listen as the workers plan what to do with the food and how to finishing setting up.  One of the workers says that we are expecting 138 people.  By the end of the event, only 60 of the participants attended, but none of the sandwiches were left. 

            The event consisted of several programs such as a Safe Line intro video, a dancer (60 years young and amazing), a devotional singer, and a guest speaker, Ann, from the Future Factory.  The Safe line workers also performed during the event to show their appreciation to the community after Ann’s speech.  The safe line workers stood in a long line in front of the crowd.  Each one of the workers said his or her name and his or her position at Safe Line.  After each of the workers was introduced, the director stepped forward and pointed to me in the crowd.  She motioned for me to come and introduce myself.  Awkwardly, I introduced myself as the new intern from America and joined the workers in line.  The workers beamed as loud music began to play from the church speaker system.  Suddenly, Lena whispered to me to follow what she does.  I realized that I was about to participate in a performance that I was completely clueless about.  Lena began to lead the workers in song and motion.  All of the workers enthusiastically sway and sing.  I clapped along with the music and hoped that no one noticed me at the end of the line.  Soon, the performance ends and the programs continued with closing statements and community testimonials. 

            After the program ended, I helped the workers serve food and clean the kitchen.  In between collecting dirty plates and cups I talk with one of the board members, the Pastor, about my internship and how easily South Africa is stereotyped.  He joked that he hates Americans because they donate money to organization with little thought.  He talks about how Americans want to save “Africa” by donating sums to any venue.  He describes that other areas, such as the UK, require all organizations to go through a professional proposal process.   Though he prefaced his comment as just a joke, I could tell that he is frustrated at how South Africa (and the entire continent of Africa) is stereotyped as unprofessional, under developed, and uneducated.   

            After my discussion with pastor, Jim picks me up and we head back to home base for lunch.  On our way back to home base, I reflect on some of the stories I heard during the community event.  Stories of fathers raping their own children.  Stories of a little girl being set on fire after being sexually abused.  The stories float around in my head sticking into my long term memory.  I leave the work day behind with this final thought:  Cape Town is the sex crime capital of the world.  One in three women living in Cape Town have been sexually assaulted. 

Educational Outreach

Outreach:  Yellow Wood Primary School

            Community workers scurried around the Safe Line office gathering supplies and people for today’s educational outreach program.  I stood against the wall of the office hallway offering to help and greeting my new colleagues.  Everyone smiles and says morning, but deny my request to help.  I can see the director running in and out of offices taking phone calls and talking with other workers in Afrikaans.  I stay flat against the wall and observe.  Victoria, a community worker, and the director rush past and inform me that I am going to observe a community outreach program.  The program is a presentation for young children about hygiene, their body, and safety.  Six of us pile in the five-seated Safe Line Car to head to Yellow Wood Primary School in Mitchell’s Plane. 

            After a long car ride, we arrive at the primary school.  The school is large with an office area in front, cement play courtyard and surrounding classrooms.  The windows have bars and the walls are painted a sunny yellow with colorful posters. The principal, a tall man in a suit and pink tie, meets with us briefly to discuss detail with Victoria.   After their talk, he shows us the office areas and sits us down in the teacher lounge for tea while we wait.  After tea, a teacher tells us that the teachers for grade R (Kindergarten aged) and Grade 1 are ready for us.  We are led to a small, but colorful classroom.  About 60 Grade 1 children file in one by one and sit on a mat at the front of the room. 

            Victoria begins by introducing all of us and describing some of Safe Line’s mission to the young ones.  She starts the program by teaching the children several songs she repeated throughout the program.  She moves into knowing your body by asking the children to identify body parts she points at on a volunteer.  Eventually she talks to the children about what is considered to be your private parts.  She teaches the children about the vagina and penis.  She also talks about how no one should touch your private parts because it is your body not their body.  She repeats over and over that each one of us is “special.  Our body is special”.  She also discusses safety issues and hygiene with the children.  I only observed for today, but I look forward to helping conduct one or more the school programs.  The program is clear and age appropriate.  I am in awe of Victoria’s skill, confidence, and enthusiasm.  We repeated a similar program for grade R before heading back to the Safe Line office in Athlone.   We return to the office around 2:00 pm.

           

Cavendish & Water Front Malls

            I returned to home base late this afternoon.  Auntie Lynn had saved a plate of lunch for me.  After my late lunch, I read for a bit and decided to join one of the other volunteers on her way to the Cavendish Mall.  The volunteer needed to print out some picture for her last day at her placement.  I walked around the mall and purchased a map of Cape Town including the Townships.  I have noticed that many of the tourist maps don’t include the name of Townships.  Eventually I receive a text letting me know that there is a problem with printing the pictures.  I head down to the photo lab to meet the volunteer.  She tells me we have to head to another mall, because she can’t print her pictures here.  I agree to go with her.  In my opinion, the best way to see someplace you don’t know is to run errands.  We taxi over to the Water Front mall.  The mall is large with many upscale stores.  On the drive, I see all of down town Cape Town lit up like a string of lights.  The points of light spread out and end at the shore.  Soon we arrive at the mall and the volunteer prints out her pictures.  I can tell that she is relieved that she can give each of the children she works with a picture before she leaves.  I think about my own experience leaving organizations and children I have worked with.  Service work is difficult.  Social Services are difficult to receive and to give.  The emotional exchange can be overwhelming.  I have to remind myself everyday to focus on the little wins that fit into the big picture.

Finding solid ground: Day 2

 Safe Line

            After dropping off all of the volunteers and Stephanie, Jim drops me off at the Athlone Safe Line office around 9:00 am.  I wave goodbye to Jim.  He waits to leave until I am in the office.  Today the office is quiet.  There are two small girls playing in the waiting area, but no workers.  I smile and greet the girls before heading to the back office area.  Finally I come across the director and the community workers.  The community workers are busy preparing for the last parenting class.  The lead worker takes me and another community worker aside to go over the outline for the session.  She assigns the other worker and me with tasks to lead.  I am assigned to lead the line activity and assist with the “dream collage”.   The worker is very open to sharing information and tasks with me.

            After we finished planning, we had to wait for the driver to come to Safe Line to pick us up.  The other community worker and I sat on the two couches in the kitchen area of the office.  She shared her insights into the upcoming local elections, the lack of housing development over the past 20 years, and the limited resources available for NGO’s.  She also shares that the government has a welfare program like the State’s TANF Temporary Aid for Needy Families AKA the Bridge program) that provide parents with 260 Rand per child a month for food.  260 Rand is about $USD 37.00 per month.  We continue to talk about our frustration until the car arrives.

            We packed all of our supplies and headed to the nearby petro station.  I lean across the workers to see the petro (gas) prices in South Africa.  The worker tells me that petro is 9.95 Rand ($ 1.25 USD) per gallon and Diesel is about 10.05 Rand (~$ 1.35 USD) per gallon.  We discuss the increased price of oil while waiting for the petro attendant to fill up the driver’s car.  Soon we merge back onto the road and arrive at the Assembly of God church. 

            Several women are waiting for our group inside the Assembly of God church.  We quickly set up two tables and chairs.  The lead worker introduces the topic of protecting your family and writes out names tags.   The church is cold this mid-morning from the rain.  The women gather around to listen to the worker talk about Safe Line in Afrikaans.  I enjoy listening to the rhythm of Afrikaans.  It is similar to listening to a mix of English and Dutch with a unique tempo.  After a few minutes of talking about Safe Line’s services, the workers lead an icebreaker (“You are invited to a picnic” name game).   After the icebreaker, the lead worker introduces the activities. 

            The first activity has the women create two group collages about their dreams when they were younger.  The women cut out pictures of jewels, cars, houses, and food.  Then each of the women present on the images they pocked out.  One woman expressed that she dreams of having soap that smell good.  Another woman pointed out a picture of money and said she dreams of having enough Rand to feed her family for the week.  Sometimes it is difficult to comprehend how incredibly privileged I am to have access to clean water, soap, and food. 

            After presenting their images and breaking for tea, we have the women stand in a line and close their eyes.  Today I read the scenarios and questions about how they speak to their child and another worker read the child’s reaction.  For example I read, “You are angry at your child and tell them to shut up.  If you say this to your child please step forward.” while the other worker reads the child’s response, “When you tell to shut up you are teaching me to not tell you anything and hide my feelings”.  We then end the activities with the “Mirror box”.  The “Mirror Box” is where you tell the women that there is something incredible and unique in the box.  You then show them what is in the box.  In the box there is a mirror and you can a reflection of yourself when you look inside.  Many of the activities focus around building the women’s self awareness and self-esteem.  We end the day by talking with women about how it is important to be open with your child and supervise your child.  As we clean up, I talk with the other workers until the CCS van comes to pick me up for lunch. 

The Green Market

           After lunch, the other volunteers invited us to join them on their excursion to the Green Market on Long Street in down town Cape Town.  The volunteers show Stephanie and me how to call a taxi from the home base.  The taxi whisks us through Cape Town.  I have my first glimpse of the ocean from the car.  About 15 minutes later, we arrive in the downtown area. The downtown area looks similar to any other large city.  There are tall buildings interspersed with street level department stores and beautiful gothic churches.  The Green Market is a collection of vendors selling.  The venders clump together under blue tents to sell cheap jewelry, art, scarves, and knick-knacks to tourists.  The goods are bright and colorful, but clearly made for foreigners looking to bring a piece of the generic “Africa” back with them in their bags.  I enjoyed walking through the vender and down town, but refrained from buying meaningless mementos.  As sun set closes in, we call a taxi and head back to

First Day of Placement: Safe Line

 Getting to know the routine

            My alarm began buzzing at 6:00 am this morning.  After hitting the snooze button for the second time, I dragged my self from my warm bottom bunk bed and gathered my bathroom supplies.  The day starts early at CCS Home Base.  I can hear the sound of starting showers and the clinking of coffee cups as I walk back to my room from the bath. I meet the other volunteers in the dining room.  They are each busy filling water bottles, drinking coffee, and preparing for the day.  There are five volunteers currently staying in the house.  Soon this shift of volunteers will be gone and a new group will arrive.   I join the group filling a cup with coffee from one of the two coffee makers and grab some yogurt from the fridge under the water cooler.  The dining room is small, but bright with four rows of long tables.  The tables are covered with colorful vinyl table clothes with images of football (futbol). The back wall is a picture window and the other three walls are covered in maps of South Africa.  I survey the posters as I drink coffee and listen to the SABC (South Africa Broadcasting Network).  I look at my watch: 7:40 am.  The bus is set to leave the base at 7:45 am.  In a flurry of activity, the other volunteers began grabbing bags and water bottles.  I gulp my coffee and drop my dishes off.  The other volunteers, Stephanie and I head to the bus.

            The driver, hear by known as Jim, drops each of the volunteers off at their placement. We drive out of the suburb of Rondebosch and deeper into Cape Town. Each of our placements is set in various townships at day cares, hospitals, Intimate Partner Violence Shelters etc. The bus passes many cars and buses full of people on their way to work.  Some of the townships are set up like neighborhoods I have seen in Detroit in a block style.  The houses are small, but sound with small fences (no barbed wire).  As the bus heads closer to another township named Khayelitsha the houses change.  The structures that people live in look small like a shed made from jagged pieces of wood or siding.  The Roofs are slanted and the houses are so close you could hear your neighbor speak.  These shantytowns don’t allow access to water electricity and many other basic human needs and rights.  Jim says that over a million people live in Khayelitsha.        

            After dropping Stephanie off at her placement in Khayelitsha, the bus heads back to Athlone.  Athlone is the township where my placement, SAFE LINE, has one of their four offices.  SAFE LINE serves a majority of Cape Town’s need for better child protection. 

First day of placement

             The bus arrived at a small office building with a sign hanging above the door stating “Safe Line”.  The main gate was open.  The office entered into a lobby with chairs and children’s puzzles.  Two small boys played with the puzzles.  My supervisor through CSS, T, began playing with the boys while we waited for the Safe Line director.  After being introduced to the director, I was quickly introduced to all the staff.  There were about 12 women working in the office.  The director pointed out that they take walk ins, process intake calls, compile statistics, case manage, assist with prosecution of perpetrators, and conduct therapy with the children who have been sexual abused.  The organization is a National Government Organization (NGO) with many (maybe to many) responsibilities. 

            After my quick tour, the director introduces me to the community team and says that I will be observing a parenting group in another township.  I drive off the two community workers and arrive at the Assembly of God church.  The church is large inside, but almost hidden by the flat front and black bars.  We head inside to wait for the women who have been invited to come learn how to protect their children from child sexual abuse.  I talk with the community workers while we wait.  The lead community worker is very helpful.  She tells me about the history, funding, and problems faced by Safe Line. 

            As more women arrive, about 15 women and two babies, the community worker begins her seminar.  She discussed how as a parent it is important to encourage a trusting relationship with your child. The seminar consists of several group-building exercises, parenting exercises, and listening exercises.  She talks in Afrikaans with a few words of English.  The women are more comfortable talking in Afrikaans.  Some of the women are very cautious around me.  They seem unsure of my intentions because of my outsider status, white skin, and American accent.  I am sensitive that it will take a while for the women in the group to view me as someone that they can trust.   I’ll see what tomorrow brings. 

           

Learn to “trust in the process”

            As I move into my second day, I remind myself to trust that I will make mistakes and I will build genuine relationships.  For now, my two goals for this week are to 1.  Observe and ask questions that will help me better understand SAFE LINE and child protective services in South Africa. 2.  Be myself, Be kind, and Listen. 

Destination: Cape Town, South Africa

After 32 hours of travel, I have arrived safely in Cape Town.  

Arriving
My journey started early on May 7th. My loving parents drove me to the Atlanta International Airport from our home in Clemson, SC at 6 am EST.  A few hours later, my parents and I shared in the moment we each face when leaving loved ones.  I then began my lone journey through a mesh of security checks, searches, lines, and waiting.  My first flight left at 12:05 pm EST landing in Washington Dulles.  I then went from Dulles to Amsterdam landing in Amsterdam at 2:30 am EST (7:30 am in Amsterdam).  As May 8th began, I met up with my fellow MSW intern, Stephanie, and we boarded our flight to Cape Town, South Africa.

My flight landed in Cape Town at 9:30 pm (3:30 pm EST).  After shuffling through customs, I collected my bag and met up with the Cross Cultural Solutions driver.  The house lights shown bright in the dark as we headed onto the highway near the airport.  The driver made kind small talk and pointed out Townships that were hidden by the dark.  Eventually the van whipped through the narrow streets of the Rosabank suburb, where the CCS homebase is located, and dropped us off.  Stephanie and I were buzzed into the home by a security guard and shown to our room.  The room is large with to bunk bed sets and 4 cubby-like closets.  I chose a bottom bunk and cubby.  Before the haze of jet lag took over, I organized my clothes and possessions in preparation for a fresh start in the morning.  Though my body is foggy, I am filled with the feeling of both excitement and terror.  The excitement and terror of jumping in and challenging everything you thought you knew.


The first day
I awoke to my first day in Cape Town to the voices of other volunteers in the house preparing for their day.  Slow to warm, my body was dehydrated and sore from travel.  I felt much better after a banana and some water.  Overall, my body is adjusting to the time change well.  At 9 am, I met Luanne and Tahira.  They are the heads of the CCS program in Cape Town.  As MSW, they will be supervising Stephanie and I during our time in Cape Town. 

We started our orientation by reviewing safety policies, house rules, and expectations for long term interns.   As discussed, Cape Town is an urban area with many suburbs and 11 nearby Townships. The city is full of many beautiful sights and has been influenced by many different communities from around the world.  The city also deals with high levels of crime, poverty, and HIV/AIDS rates.  As discussed with Luanne and Tahira, as interns, we must be aware of the safety issues and keep curfews, and common sense in mind at all times while traveling and at our placements.

My placement for the next three months will be at SAFE LINE.  SAFE LINE is an child protection agency focused on the prevention of child abuse and child sexual abuse.  They serve children from 2-18 that have experienced child abuse, sexual abuse, and sexual assault.   As far as I know, I will be assisting the local social workers in daily field work and forming a 10 session group for some of the children that SAFE LINE serves.  My placement will start on Tuesday (May 10) going from 8 am to 1 pm the first two weeks and extending into the afternoons later in the month.  The placement will be challenging because I am working with a vulnerable population and hosting my own group.  These are tasks I have never tried before, but I look forward to meeting the staff and learning more about the agency.  I also look forward to meeting the  children.  I hope that can build on each of their strengths during my time with them.  Right now, I am focusing on learning more about the agency and exploring my new environment.  In the past I have jumped in without looking, for my experience in Cape Town with SAFE LINE I want to observe, support, and produce thoughtful projects. 

After our discussion about placement and lunch, around 2:30 pm, Stephanie and I took a well deserved walk to Rondebosch.  Rondebosch is the suburb that host the University of Cape Town and many stores.  The walk was short and sweet, but gave me a chance to see the area and Table Mountain from afar.  We passed by the nearby train station, saw the entrance to the University, and stop in a few shops.  I also picked up some more Rand at a ATM for the coming week.  The streets are narrow and the architecture reflects European influence left from colonialism.  The housing and apartment complexes are all surrounded by tall fences, barbed wire, or an electric fence, but the streets are quit with only a few people rushing off.  The sidewalks are asphalt lined with arching trees and flowers curving through the hilly terrain.  Even when Cape Town's winter weather is dreary I will take comfort in the site of Table Mountain and surrounding hills.

Tonight, I will end the day reflecting, collecting project ideas, and resetting my body.  

As a side a note, I will not be posting any pictures for the next few weeks as I will be focusing on building rapport with community members, clients, other volunteers, and staff.