A few more pictures

Just wanted to add a few cute pictures. The top one is of kids participating in a Memory Box Children's Camp, and the second is our school coordinator, Mr. Nkosi Dlamini, working with his Soul Buddies Support Group.

Tembe and Tholulwazi

Jim and I had a great weekend in Tembe Elephant Park. We stayed from Friday to Sunday. The park was beautiful, but unfortunately it rained almost the entire time we were there. It was quite out of the ordinary and really bad timing because in the rain, the animals all hide deep in the bush. So, after three three-hour game drives, all we saw were giraffe (3), one elephant, tons of buck, and then small animals like monkeys, birds, etc. It was a little disappointing not to have seen any rhino, water buffalo, or lion, but it was still a great time. We ate delicious food and got to know a Dutch doctor named Joast from Manguzi and his girlfriend, Judith. They are a fun couple, and Judith is actually going to start volunteering with Tholulwazi. She is very artsy and has agreed to work with our HIV Drama Group. She has been in lots of plays in the past and has great ideas for this drama to really influence people’s decisions and desire to test. She is also very computer savvy, and I think she’ll eventually help with maintaining the Tholulwazi website and database.

On Saturday, between game drives, Jim and I had to drive back to Manguzi for a funeral. The Zulu family Jim lived with last year is going through a very tough time. His “sister” just had a baby three months ago named Nigagela, and she has been very sickly. She has been in and out of the hospital until finally last week she was admitted and then discharged because she was doing better. However, the next night, she was brought back to the hospital with her stomach swelling and her not being able to urinate or pass anything. Then slowly her organ systems just started shutting down, and she passed away. Jim and I first heard this story and didn’t understand. What was wrong with this little baby and could anything have prevented this? After talking with a few people, we started to guess what may have actually been happening. Jim’s “sister” (the mother of the child) is a nurse at the hospital, but all throughout her pregnancy she refused to test for HIV. So, we suspect she is HIV+ and so was the baby. We often hear that teachers and nurses are the hardest people to convince to test, and it is so heartbreaking. There are drugs here in South Africa – AZT and Neviropene – that if given to a pregnant HIV+ woman, they can prevent mother to child transmission up to 90% of the time. But, people here are so scared to test and for other people to know they tested or know they have the disease that instead they sacrifice the health of their children because of their own fears. Another suspicion about the baby’s death is that when the child’s stomach was swelling during its final hospital visit, there were markings around the child’s belly button. The doctors suspect the family brought the baby to a witch doctor who poisoned the child with an herbal enema. Sadly, this is not uncommon. Our area is filled with “Sangomas” or witchdoctors who do all types of “healings” which usually aren’t good – especially for children because they have no way of measuring dosage for people.

Anyhow, because of all these factors it was a difficult funeral to attend – the death of an innocent child, as well as the discovery that a close friend is HIV+. For the funeral, the tradition is to first meet at the mortuary, sing songs, and then load the casket to go to the funeral. During this time, some family members bring branches from a specific tree and wave them over the body. They believe the soul of the person is captured in the branch and then they bring the “soul/branch” back to their house so the person can live in their house forever. This goes along with a lot of the culture’s reverence for their ancestors – often to the point of worshipping them.

After the time at the mortuary, everyone drove in a line to the father of the baby’s house, where there was an enormous tent set up. People wail at this place, expressing their grief very publicly. Then, there is a service in the tent and a big meal. We didn’t stay for the entire ceremony; however, because we had to get back to Tembe for the game drive. Overall, it was a strange weekend for us – great because of our little getaway but emotionally draining because of the funeral. But, I guess that is just how things are here – we are exposed to heartbreaking suffering, poverty, and disease – but we still have to carry on.

This week at work we are all planning for the Christmas party. Yesterday we got 5 boxes of candy donated which will be great for the kids and a different store donated three boxes of clothes. Additionally, we have a 2-week Life Skills Course taking place in the center and in the library with a total of 100+ high school students. Finally, Jim and I are doing some training with Joi (the old Program Coordinator) on maintaining the website and using photoshop. So, as usual there is a lot going on, but I can’t complain because next Friday we go on leave for two weeks. We hope you all are having lovely holiday seasons and getting ready for Christmas.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

So, somehow it is already December, and the Tholulwazi year is coming to a close. The time has really flown, but it has been exciting. The entire staff is gearing up for our annual Orphan Christmas Party (which will take place on Dec. 20), and Jim and I are struggling to finish all the end of the year reporting. It is really insane how much you must do to run a business. Especially when you just have two people to do all the finances, human resources, program management, reporting, fundraising, organization projecture, website, database, etc... But, we are learning a lot, and I guess it is a very real introduction to the world of NGOs.

It has been a while since I posted, so let me back track a bit. Jim and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with about 40 other people from the Manguzi Hospital. Another American and her parents cooked a feast, and by the end of it we were stuffed. It was tough being away from home, but my family took lots of pictures of their Thanksgiving to help me feel like I didn't miss it totally. The following week, we went out to a beach called Bongah Neck around 7pm to watch loggerhead and leatherback turtles lay their eggs. We walked for nearly 3 hours to find them, but it was beautiful to watch. The turtles were enormous and kind of prehistoric. I really felt like it was a once in a lifetime experience.

The following weekend, Jim and I went on an amazing bike trip. We went with two other couples and we cycled around 30 miles uphill (in incredible heat). The plan was to cycle up to this place called Waterfall Cave and camp out. Then, the next day we were going to cycle back. But, after a series of unfortunate events ending in our support vehicle breaking down and thus not being able to deliver our camping gear, we packed all our bikes in a car and drove back down. Jim and I were the only amateur cyclists and gosh - we were dead! It was such hard work, but we did enjoy some beautiful views.

This week we have just been working long hours and getting excited for this weekend. We are going to Tembe Elephant Park (a game park with tons of animals including the big five - rhino, lion, elephant, buffalo, and leopard). While we are there, we will stay in this great little wooden cabin and enjoy exciting game drives (driving around in open vehicles to look at the wild animals) and delicious meals. It will be quite luxurious! The place is running a special this weekend which is why we are able to do it.

Anyhow, that is about it for us. I just want to ask that you all keep Jim's old Zulu family (the Ntenbanes) that he used to live with in your prayers. His "host sister" just had a baby about 2 months ago, and the baby passed away yesterday. It has been really difficult for the family, and they need lots of support.

Hope you all have a great week!

Durban Adventure

Hi all. I hope this blog finds you well. Jim and I have just returned from a 5 day trip to Durban (a big city about 4.5 hours away from our home in Manguzi). We left last Saturday afternoon and just returned Wednesday night. We had to make the trip for a gender advocacy conference hosted by Oxfam in Durban, but the workshops were only 2 days long - so we went up early to make a little vacation out of it.

When we drove into Durban, we were like kids in a candy store - surrounded by malls and restaurants. We have been in rural Manguzi for the last 2 months, and we were so spoiled by the modern material world we found in Durban. We had a great time - staying at a fun hostel called the Hippo Hide and taking trips to the mall and to different restaurants. We also saw the movie 300 at the IMAX. It was a nice break from the rural life.

We checked into the hotel for the conference on Monday night, and it was an awesome place. It was a little dated, but it was right on the beach. The food and accommodation were included for all conference participants, and the restaurant there was pretty delicious. We were definitely enjoying ourselves. Tuesday morning the workshop didn't start until 10:30, so we had the morning to lay on the beach and soak up this great life. The sessions were really informative and challenging. The facilitators really posed tough questions for us as Program Coordinators, and I think we still have a long way to go to become "gender aware" and "gender active." But it was great to discuss issues surrounding gender that we have with our own staff and the communities we serve.

We headed home on Wednesday night, and worked yesterday and today. I am currently working on a 2-year funding proposal from AVERT UK, an excellent HIV/AIDS organization. The report is a lot of work, but it is fun to plan for two years of Tholulwazi programs and to be part of the creative process. Jim and I are so blessed to work at Tholulwazi and are learning an unbelievable amount about running a business, budgets, proposals, management, conflict resolution, and the Zulu culture. It really is an amazing experience for us, and we have to always remember to be grateful.

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and an even better Thanksgiving! (Luckily, we have a few American friends who are really great cooks - and we are planning to have a feast as well).

Happy Halloween

Just wanted to drop a line to all you blogger fans out there. Another week has managed to fly by, and Jim and I continue to really enjoy our work and time here. Last weekend, we had the wonderful opportunity to attend a retreat for Christian medical professionals in Mkuze (about 2 hours away). The weekend was held at a beautiful lodge, and we camped - which was really fun. It really served as a great way for Jim and me to meet new people and grow in our faith. We got back to Manguzi on Sunday afternoon and did a little work in preparation for the new work week. Over the course of last week and this week, we have been quite busy with donor visits. Last week, Annabel and Pete of AVERT UK traveled a long way to visit us at TU, and this week Mr. Vusi Khoza of Oxfam Austrailia drove up from Durban for a visit. We had a wonderful time and learned a great deal from both donors. These visits are extremely helpful in further developing and improving Tholulwazi, as well as teaching Jim and me so much about non-profit management. We are incredibly lucky to be receiving such valuable experiences.

Life outside of work continues to go pretty well too. For the past 3 weeks, we have not had running water and our rain tank has gotten quite low - but last night, the taps turned on. It was great to have it, as it has been extremely inconvenient without it. But, we are managing, and really you start to adjust to nearly anything. Anyway, just say a few prayers for the water. The rest of the week should go by as usual - we have to buy food parcels and pack them on Friday in preparation for the Monday distribution. I also have to write a 12-month report to Absa Foundation (one of our funders), a new proposal for 2008, and a 2-year proposal to AVERT. I have been working on these things for a little while now, but I really want to get them done soon so I can start spending some time outside of Tholulwazi shadowing the doctors at the Hospital.

K, gotta run. Work is about done for the day, and Jim and I are going to go jogging before dinner. We hope and pray you are all doing well, and please drop us an email if you have a second. We love keeping in touch with everyone from home.

A few people have asked me to post ways YOU can get involved with the work Jim and I are doing in South Africa. So, here are a few things we need help with:

Database Design Assistance: None of the current TU staff has the skill set to design a database that would allow us to keep track of the many orphans in our care as well as our home based care volunteer activities. Currently we use a paper filing system that is laborious and disjointed. It would make an enormous difference to our organization if someone were willing to design such a database for us.
Playground Equipment: We would like to create a safe and fun place at the TU Centre for children to play after school so that they are not vulnerable in the hours between leaving school and returning home for dinner.

2nd Vehicle: TU is currently operating all its many projects using only one vehicle. All employees are allocated specific days and times to use the vehicle for their programs. If we had a second vehicle we would be able to do far more on any given day.
Electricity!: Electricity from Eskom continues to be our biggest challenge. Without electricity, we are confined to paper systems, food can not be refrigerated, HIV videos can not be shown, faxes can not be sent, we can not email or do a myriad of normal organizational activities. It hinders our every-day activities continuously.
Creche/Daycare: We plan to open a small education based creche for orphan and vulnerable children who are too young for school. We currently do not have specific funding for such a project so any donations of books, children's tables and chairs, art materials, puzzles, and toys would be greatly appreciated.

Donatations from the United States can be sent through Camp

Tax deductible donations can be made through Umbono, a 503-1c organization in the United States. I will make these details available as soon as I get a hold of them.

Financial donations can be made directly to SA via:
Tholulwazi UzivikeleABSA BankAccount No. 4066314041Branch No. 632005Swift Code: ABSAZAJJ
Tholulwazi Uzivikele is a registered non profit organization(Reg no 015-411 NPO)Public Benefit Status number: 930021528

This account is fully audited and has signatories comprising of hospital staff members and key community leaders.

Other great ways to help:
We are always in need of the following basic items:
Households Items:
Food
Blankets
Clothing
Toys
Shoes
Baby care items
Toothbrushes
HIV Educational Resources: Books, training materials, DVDs, movies, tv series etc.

...Ok, so there are a few ways you can get involved with Tholulwazi Uzivikele and help the desperately impoverished community of the KwaNgwanase area of South Africa. I hope you are all doing well. Time is flying for Jim and me. We are working today (Saturday) because we have a great group of visitors from Concord, NC here in Manguzi. So, we will be taking them out to do some home visits in the bush - to see how the people are living first hand. While we are out we will also be distributing food parcels to the most needy families we encounter.
Today's busyness is representative of this whole month. Jim and I have so much going on with work and with outside commitments (bible studies, etc). But, everything we are doing is really exciting, and we are really enjoying working hard.
As the mangoes get plumper and redder and the rains begin to fall here in Manguzi - we continue to miss all of you back home. Love to all.

Trick or Treat

g,
Hi all. It has been a little while since I last posted, so I wanted to just take a quick second to write a bit about what is going on with Jim and me these days. Work has gotten more and more busy every day, and Jim and I are starting to find ourselves working quite long hours. But, we don't mind as we love the work we are doing and can usually rest assured that our efforts do in fact save people's lives.

But, we still have time for a little play (see picture above). A few weekends ago, Jim and I went with some friends out to a beautiful desolate horse ranch, and went to a beach called Black Rock from there. It was such an incredible place - with the roaring Indian Ocean, distant whales on the horizon, and great paths for walking. It was a wonderful, relaxing day.

Sadly, it has been a few days since things have been so relaxing because Jim has been pretty sick. He has had four different fevers (all of which have broken), muscle aches, and gastro issues. I think he is finally on the mend, but you never can tell with this type of sickness. I think the lab is going to run some more tests on him - and hopefully that will lead us to getting some medicine and feeling better. In the meantime, we have spent lots of time in our house – working on Tholulwazi stuff, reading, and enjoying a few Smallville episodes (courtesy of a Nielsen Family Care Package). I have also had time to plan our Christmas holiday. Jim and I unfortunately will not be able to return to the US for the break, but instead we are taking a 2200km roadtrip down the coastline of South Africa from Manguzi to Capetown. The drive should take 3-4 days with a good amount of stopping, and we are bringing tents to camp along the way. I am really excited about the trip, and can’t wait to see more of this incredible country.

But, the excitement of this trip still doesn’t change the fact that I am really going to miss home over the holidays. It will be the first holiday I have spent away from my family, and I am going to miss our time together, our traditions, and all the craziness that comes along with family holidays. But, I guess it is part of working abroad and part of growing up.

Speaking of holidays, I hope you all enjoy Halloween. Sadly, SA doesn’t celebrate this great holiday. I really love dressing up and eating (I mean) giving out candy to trick-or-treaters…but I guess this year I’m just gonna miss out. So, have a spooktacular Halloween and eat a reese cup for me!