Tomorrow we are off to the northern parts of namibia.
We are stopping in Okahandja to visit with a family that the girls that annie knows from the netherlands worked with wihle they were here. We are going to drop off a huge food parcel and some gifts for them. After that we will do a little shopping in the market there. From there we move onto waterberg park to spend the night. It is suppose to have fantastic views and greenery. From there on saturday we wil be driving all the way up to ONdangwa in Oniipa. We will be dropping Foibe off to see her family and I will be meeting up with my family that I stayed with for my rural home stay the last time I was here.
TOday was filled with getting ready for our trip.
I have a feeling that when we get back, time will fly by because that is when we will be doing most of our giving and buying of supplies for both programs.
We are still waiting to hear back from ivan, the guy in charge of christa plans for her land about the estimates on leveling off and the dates with that so hopefully something will be resolved by the time we get back!
I will try my hardest to get to one internet cafe while we are gone, but it seems like that will be pretty difficult.
When we get back we will be staying at a place caleld Penduka. THis place does a bunch of imcome generating projects and its specifically for women and children. They also run huge TB awareness campaigns and so forth. More to come on that once we arrive!
We have rented a car and I will be going about trying my driving skills here in Namibia..
STAY TO THE LEFT!!!!!
I hope everything is going well with everyone!
There will be some great pictures to come of our adventures when we return!
byeeeeeee!
Mary
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Yummmmmy meeeeeat?!?!
-Norma
-We are trying to figure out the diagnosis here.....He was extremely depressed and while all the little ones wanted to look at their pictures after we took them. he just looked away and walked back into his house... he also when in and changed before the photo...
-Boys Playing Soccer without shoes on the Road that was filled with rocks/glass.....-The menu at FHS for Lunch
Two Girls that wanted me to take their pic...-Christine and Annie
-Playing games in the Yard at FHS...-Meeting under a tree in New Havana
-Kuku (she takes care of three children, one is her daughter's that passed away and the other two are from another woman that passed away as well from "pulmonary tuberculosis") and Pinky the dog.
-Meeting with another family- Anna and new born baby.
-School in session at FHS. One of three sections..A lot of the times when young people are dying, they won't put the cause of death as AIDS or HIV.. They will instead put something to
the effect of tuberculsis, or cardiac arrest or pneomonia. We got to actually see the death certificates of the two mothers children that the Kuku was taking care of and they had not listed it as HIV... Many reasons is the stigma or even trying to keep one's status confidential. But this in fact produces many problems because for one it is then hard to actually gain sufficient and accurate information and statistics on such matters....A day in the life of the settlements….
I can’t even imagine what it would be like to live a life that the people here do. Not having electricity and running water in your home. Having to travel over hills and down long path ways to fetch a bucket of water under a hot sun so that you can bath, cook and drink, assuming it is clean, consumes a major part of the day. Sometimes the taps are not working so many people have to travel very far, carrying the heavy weight of the water on their heads as they return home walking up and down the hills of “Hollywood”.
Or is it because generations are being born here, they don’t know any different? Many children have never been to the city, let alone have seen a white person in the neighborhoods. So they stare in awe, not knowing what to do, how to act.. Should they smile? Most sit there struck by this alien person they have never seen before in their lives. Adults being programmed on how to act, teach their children to waive, say hi and smile.
The smells of this place burn my nostrils. Its of urine, feces, dirt…. Today I smelled the animal fat that was being hung up on a clothes line outside someone house.
And the kids, they are what get me. That they can run around in this stuff, with no shoes. That they are being born into a life that they didn’t choose and have to be subject to such suffering, never given a chance to succeed and never having the opportunity to make something better because many of them will die before they are 25.
Its a completely different world over here. It is easy to separate yourself from it..
Yesterday (tuesday) I got extremely sun burned (again).... but when i cam eback i told this guy frmo the UK after her asked me how my burn was that i had been out in the settlements all day, and he said "oh in the bush??" like with the bushman and i said no.. the informal settlements and annie asked him if he had ever seen them.. he said no. So- do you think he will make the effort to see such thigns. or just take a glance, say poor them and move on to his safaris??
Finally we are getting things rolling by getting some money to abigail for food.
we met with families both monday and tuesday in the settlements and still have a good 5 more to talk to.
its hard. its so ery hard to pick and choose. who do we invest in. but we are onlt going to pick 12-20 and then the rest of the $ goes to abigail for her programs-- food, school supplies etc...
Christa- we have been in contact with Ivan- who got the plans approved by muncipality and now todayu he is going to get esitmates on how much it is to level the land adn the date we can do it..
after that the rest goes to formula, water, food as well as a printer for her computer..
out of time!
love and peace to all
please email me with any quetions or comment on here I love to hear from whoever is reading this!
mmishek1@hotmail.com
my number 0813287251
figure out the country code,,
byeeee
Monday, March 26, 2007
More pics...
Damara woman that runs business out of her home
-Dancing girl
The Lock on the Gate at FHS (5 minutes after we left and drove past it the gate was open again...
Future Techies...Checking out the video camera
A group of boys eating their lunches at FHS
-Dancing girl
The Lock on the Gate at FHS (5 minutes after we left and drove past it the gate was open again...
Future Techies...Checking out the video camera
A group of boys eating their lunches at FHS
Activities in the past few days:
Thursday: Helped Christa Set up a computer that someone donated to her.
Taught her how to enter names, addresses, phone numbers and birth weights into excel.
Had a religious discussion, where I listened about how the bible is the way. But there was more to it than that. I think, although it was not said, that there is this underlying theme in human existence that we must help one another out, regardless of our circumstances (age, sex, religion, race,class…etc…)
Friday: Attended a meeting on PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission).
It raised a lot of interesting points and questions surrounding PMTCT and HIV/AIDS in general. We watched a video about a woman in South Africa, Patience, who found out that she was HIV positive after she went into the clinic for her ante-natal care and they tested her there. This is a reality for a lot of young women here in Southern Africa. Many don’t go to the clinic to get tested until they find out they are pregnant. Imagine the feelings that arise. First the fact that the woman is pregnant is a load in itself to take on, but to find out that one is positive is something that could crush one down to the ground. And then the emotions that follow about weather or not the baby will become positive too. The sad reality of the situation is that if one has money and the means, it is quite possible to deliver a negative baby by taking all the PMTCT precautions: taking nevorpin, having a c-section, formula feeding and so forth. But this is not an option for most of the women living positive and pregnant. The only thing that is on their side is the probability and chance that through all of it that their baby will come out negative. Many don’t have the means to have a c-section, let alone afford to feed the baby formula (hence Christa’s program). Along with this is many are lacking the proper education about all of this as well as access to nevorpin. Only until recently has this been available.
Here is what happens if a woman, who is positive, is pregnant:
She is giving Navorpin during her pregnancy, before but no later than 30 weeks into the pregnancy.
In order to have the best chances possible the mother would want to have a c-section, but if that is not available (which is the case most of the time if you are poor) then she is given another dose of navorpin during the birth to reduce the chances of transmission.
Once the baby is born, it is also given a dose of navorpin to improve the chances of it to be tested negative.
Now this is where the controversy comes in. The government of Namibia has adopted a policy that advocates breastfeeding. In the discussion at this meeting, issues were raised on exclusive feeding. If the baby is exclusively formula fed after birth and is tested after 6 weeks, that test is 100% conclusive. If the baby is breast fed, they are tested at 6 weeks and it is not completely accurate, so then the baby is tested again after the mother stops breastfeeding (if tested negative) after 6 weeks and switches to formula and in the 4th month is tested again- at this time the test is 100% conclusive. The problem is that the mother, after six weeks of breastfeeding, has to switch to formula and this presents many issues. One of which is affordability of such formula as well as clean water to mix it with. So what happens is that the mother then resorts back to breastfeeding, and the chances of transmission become higher. Along with this is the cultural expectation of mothers to breastfeed and the stigma associated with formula feeding. If one is to formula feed, then questions arise as to why this is happening and rumors arise about their status. SO is one supposed to protect their reputation or their baby’s health?
Stigma is a huge issue here and many people will go to any lengths not to disclose their status, but there are a lot of movements here that are advocating “know your status” and trying to get more people to accept reality and get tested before it is too late, or rather, in order to promote awareness and education.
The meeting itself left me with more questions than it did answers, but nonetheless I learned and got to see the reality of PMTCT. I often wonder what the chances of transmission are between rich and poor people: will the rich, because they have the means to afford the medicine, excellent hospital care and formula, have a lesser chance of transmission, then say a person that goes to the state hospital, can’t afford a c-section or formula? One would think that a parent would do everything in their power to prevent their child to become sick, but what happens when they don’t even have the means to prevent such transmission? Perpetuation…..
One good thing that I got out of this meetings was that fact about the counseling and support groups out their for HIV positive mothers who are expecting. I don’t know what is on the ground here in Namibia, but listening to some people that attended, one of whom was a counselor, it is important to have these resources so that the mothers are supported and feel that they have a venue to discuss their fears and questions that they may have, so that they will remember that they are not alone. Some issues that were raised though were: the involvement of fathers- a lot of emphasis is placed on the mother but what about the father? (some groups are advocating for PMTCT to be changed to Prevention of parent to child transmission) Father’s too have a lot of fears and questions and it is important to involve them in the process. That of course is assuming if they are even around, that there are supportive fathers out there willing to take part in the process. In Namibian reality, I for one, have had a hard time seeing the involvement of fathers- I hope that I can be proved wrong with more time here.
So that was my Friday. I was overwhelmed with all the new information I had heard so I went home while Annie took three little guys (Martha’s sons) ages 9-14 into the city for their first time. I had the pleasure to be with them for a little bit while we bought them ice cream and they walked wide eyed looking at the bustling crowd, walking through the mall and streets. She took them to the park as well as out to dinner at a restaurant where she told the waiter that it was one of their birthdays. I wish I would have stayed to see their faces when they brought out the sparkling dessert!
Today, we went to FHS for Saturday activities. It was such a joy to be with all of those children. I got a bunch of video of them playing games in the yard, dancing traditionally, and just being kids. They were so interested in the cameras I had and they would laugh and smile when I would show them the pictures I had taken of them on my digital camera. They ran out of food during lunch, even after we had bought a bunch of apples for them, so a couple of girls and I walked up to a store about four blocks away and I bought 8 loaves of bread and some drinks for us for the walk back home. Kids were playing soccer on the path which was filled with jagged rocks and tiny pieces of glass because littering is a part of everyday life here. There is no trash pick up let alone recycling (you have to pay). To top this off they were all playing barefoot. This is everyday life for these kids. No shoes and even if they have shoes some choose to take them off to play soccer with a ball that is made out of balled up plastic bags, or one that has a hole and no air in it.
I got sun burned again from this 10 minute walk. When we had arrived back at the center all the kids were inside waiting. So as they left the center we gave each of them 2 pieces of bread and a few sweets. Norma, 19 came to the center for a meal. She told me she had cancer while she proceeded to take off her hat and show me the scars on her head. I could see that she also had suffered a stroke that left the right side of her body limp. She said that she had to learn how to write again with her left hand and now she just sits at home and waits out the days. She stuck around after most of the kids left and we had some bread left over so I gave her four more pieces. I can’t even imagine….
On the way home Foibe took us to the local market where we bought some veggies and fruit, along with some lunch: traditions ovambo bread, fried fish (none for me), and some pieces of sausage that they cooked right there. On our walk out we were saw some more meat being cooked (people will just be cooking it on the side of the street) and we came across this home where a Damara woman runs a makeshift business from. Hanging up on clothes lines next to a pink child’s shirt were chunks of meat and she signaled me to come into her house so that she could show me something. She proceeded to open up this freezer where I saw the rest of the cow. It smelled funky and later she told us that the power went out the day before. This woman was running an all out business out of her home. Fridges full of beer, meet for cooking and selling, economy size bags of candy, tango cards (prepaid phone recharges), soap, flour, rice, bread etc… This is how many people try to make an informal living here, by turning their homes into businesses or shebeens (bars).
This week we are going to the homes of the kids that Abigail has identified that we will help. Basically we will be profiling them so that people, or future donors, will have a chance to gain a glimpse into their home lives. As I was looking on the list, on the right side was a column that noted if the parents were alive or not. Taking a quick glance, there was at least one parent dead for each child, if not both. This is the reality of many children in the settlements here in Windhoek and even throughout Namibia. They are living with sisters, grandmas, aunties, who ever will take them…. which in most cases are women and the kuku’s (grandmas) who are the only ones still alive.
Friday, March 23, 2007
From Annie:
To My family and Friends,
It has been an exhausting first week in Namibia. We started with such high hopes of building Mount Sinai and have run into many road-blocks. Christa has the blueprint of Mount Sinai and it is quite beautiful. Her plans include a center for Mom’s to come for the baby formula as well as a counseling room, a boy’s and girl’s dormitory that will serve as a hospice for orphan children with AIDS and even a room for international nurses quarters when nurses want to come and stay to help work at Mt. Sinai. We are in the process of waiting for the municipality to approve the plans. Nothing seems to happen very fast here in Namibia. I do think it helps that American women are accompanying her to the different government organizations to assist her in the process. This is so very much needed and yet we seem to have to jump through the proper hoops to accomplish each small step. I was naïve to think it could happen so fast. We toured the land that Mt. Sinai will be built upon, but we cannot start building till we have the official OK. I realize now that we will not have the money to build the entire project. I will take home with me the blueprints so that I can share them with all involved. My hope is that we will begin to build before we leave. My wonderful friends in Holland have donated much of the money that will start the building and they have given us the idea to incorporate the press and other resources to get the word out that Mount Sinai MUST happen. Mary has her degree in political science and along with her computer skills we will help Christa start a website so that we can all communicate with her after we leave the country. When we are ready to build –first we must level the land—we are going to invite the Namibian newspaper, NBC, the first lady, and members of the community to the ground-breaking ceremony to celebrate the start of Mt. Sinai. Hopefully this will create awareness of Christa’s work. We will also help with writing grant proposals so that she can submit them to the many organizations here in Namibia in hopes of generating more funds for the building. My good friend Christa is tired but her faith in the project never seems to waiver. My heart goes out to her as I see what a struggle it is to accomplish this beautiful dream of hers. If one was to look up the word ‘networking’ , you would find Christa. She has gone to every source available to ask for assistance in Mt. Sinai. I don’t believe there is a person out there that is so dedicated to a cause like Christa is to the mom’s, babies, and children of Namibia. I know that I will not rest till I see Mount Sinai a reality!
Our second goal is to help Abigail at the family Hope Santuary Project in Hakahana community. This project is going well. I see the progress made from last year and it is so rewarding. The garden that we helped to create last year is going strong. They continue to have the plumbing problem of last year (the water pipes have burst and water is leaking), but this has worked to an advantage to both the community and the garden. The government has not fixed the pipes so people are able to collect water from this site for use in their homes and the community uses the water to water their big garden! I hesitate to try and fix the problem as it benefits the community and water is free! Abigail and Fiobe are helping to identify children in the community most at need and the money will go for school and food hampers for their families. We have decided to focus on 20 children (to start) and Mary and I will take these children on an educational outing as well as a shopping experience where we will buy school supplies, uniforms, shoes, and necessities for their families. We will also pair the children with ‘penpals’ from the U.S A.(Alex’s 3rd grade class). It is our hope that we can set up a sponsorship from the US for these children. Many of my kids from last year are now attending formal school!!!!!! We are also going to have the ‘2nd annual Easter egg hunt’ at Hakahana the saturday before Easter. This is my most favorite projects as it brings such joy to the children who need it the most. It will be an Easter party and we will serve special food that day and it will be a day just for the kids!!!
We are overwhelmed with—not enough time-not enough money-but we can do what we can do. I only wish it was more. My little baby is still at the hospital in Katutura-waiting to be adopted—now there are more babies. I only wish I could bring them all home with me. Out in the informal settlements the children cling to us like vines. I hug and kiss them and silently pray that God will Care for them. It is always the children that cause the ache in my heart. I think of starting an orphanage and know that it would be flooded with children within a day! It is the children that bear the burden of AIDS and poverty, remember them in your prayers! All my Love , Annie
It has been an exhausting first week in Namibia. We started with such high hopes of building Mount Sinai and have run into many road-blocks. Christa has the blueprint of Mount Sinai and it is quite beautiful. Her plans include a center for Mom’s to come for the baby formula as well as a counseling room, a boy’s and girl’s dormitory that will serve as a hospice for orphan children with AIDS and even a room for international nurses quarters when nurses want to come and stay to help work at Mt. Sinai. We are in the process of waiting for the municipality to approve the plans. Nothing seems to happen very fast here in Namibia. I do think it helps that American women are accompanying her to the different government organizations to assist her in the process. This is so very much needed and yet we seem to have to jump through the proper hoops to accomplish each small step. I was naïve to think it could happen so fast. We toured the land that Mt. Sinai will be built upon, but we cannot start building till we have the official OK. I realize now that we will not have the money to build the entire project. I will take home with me the blueprints so that I can share them with all involved. My hope is that we will begin to build before we leave. My wonderful friends in Holland have donated much of the money that will start the building and they have given us the idea to incorporate the press and other resources to get the word out that Mount Sinai MUST happen. Mary has her degree in political science and along with her computer skills we will help Christa start a website so that we can all communicate with her after we leave the country. When we are ready to build –first we must level the land—we are going to invite the Namibian newspaper, NBC, the first lady, and members of the community to the ground-breaking ceremony to celebrate the start of Mt. Sinai. Hopefully this will create awareness of Christa’s work. We will also help with writing grant proposals so that she can submit them to the many organizations here in Namibia in hopes of generating more funds for the building. My good friend Christa is tired but her faith in the project never seems to waiver. My heart goes out to her as I see what a struggle it is to accomplish this beautiful dream of hers. If one was to look up the word ‘networking’ , you would find Christa. She has gone to every source available to ask for assistance in Mt. Sinai. I don’t believe there is a person out there that is so dedicated to a cause like Christa is to the mom’s, babies, and children of Namibia. I know that I will not rest till I see Mount Sinai a reality!
Our second goal is to help Abigail at the family Hope Santuary Project in Hakahana community. This project is going well. I see the progress made from last year and it is so rewarding. The garden that we helped to create last year is going strong. They continue to have the plumbing problem of last year (the water pipes have burst and water is leaking), but this has worked to an advantage to both the community and the garden. The government has not fixed the pipes so people are able to collect water from this site for use in their homes and the community uses the water to water their big garden! I hesitate to try and fix the problem as it benefits the community and water is free! Abigail and Fiobe are helping to identify children in the community most at need and the money will go for school and food hampers for their families. We have decided to focus on 20 children (to start) and Mary and I will take these children on an educational outing as well as a shopping experience where we will buy school supplies, uniforms, shoes, and necessities for their families. We will also pair the children with ‘penpals’ from the U.S A.(Alex’s 3rd grade class). It is our hope that we can set up a sponsorship from the US for these children. Many of my kids from last year are now attending formal school!!!!!! We are also going to have the ‘2nd annual Easter egg hunt’ at Hakahana the saturday before Easter. This is my most favorite projects as it brings such joy to the children who need it the most. It will be an Easter party and we will serve special food that day and it will be a day just for the kids!!!
We are overwhelmed with—not enough time-not enough money-but we can do what we can do. I only wish it was more. My little baby is still at the hospital in Katutura-waiting to be adopted—now there are more babies. I only wish I could bring them all home with me. Out in the informal settlements the children cling to us like vines. I hug and kiss them and silently pray that God will Care for them. It is always the children that cause the ache in my heart. I think of starting an orphanage and know that it would be flooded with children within a day! It is the children that bear the burden of AIDS and poverty, remember them in your prayers! All my Love , Annie
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Day After Independence DAy
These past few days have been filled with rain. But here that is a blessing. Just got Annie set up here so that she can start posting things herself. We tried to put up a few of her writings, but they were saved in the wrong format, so I will try to get them up here in the next few days.
We had a braai yesterday and invited a bunch of friends over- Christa, Charlotte, their kids, my friends Solomon and Nace from when I studied here, Marybeth who is from the states but had lived here for 2 years and setting up this soccer program for over 500 kids, and many other including the girls from holland that are also staying where we are at. It was a pleasant time and we had JUST enough food. These past few days have been a little more calmer so that has been nice and being able to relax is a treat. It being independence day here yesterday there were many celebrations troughout windhoek, one inlcuding a big ceremony at the stadium, which i hear was jammed packed full with people even though it was raining on and off all day. I have tried to reflect, even though i am not Namibian, what it means for them to have 17 years of independence and if at all things have gotten better over the years. In some respects they have, in others they haven't. Its hard to be optomistic when the gov spends its money on 15 nerw mercedes and a huge state house for the president- which if you think about it, the wall that protects it (I hear parts of it are made of gold), could build 20 mt. sinai's over and over. The president here, ive heard a few say, is trying to fight corruption, but it still exists nonetheless and the problem is how do we change that?
I met Marybeth last night and she is an amazing woman. She brought up a really good point that makes me think and think. She talked about how many people rely on handouts from organization- international, national and local- so what results in this is that they are become apathetic to their situation as well as their government. So what wouldh appen if we took those handouts away. If we took all those grass roots organizations, a lot of which as NGO's, away that support these people... They would have to do something, they would have to demand change from their government.... they would not be so quick to forget that their government must help them... that they too deserve the right to the same things that gov. officials have access to. What a day that would be... So how can we get the people to realize that things must be different- that they can't live in these conditions forever and they too deserve access to food, water and shelter that is clean, affordable and nutritious. I guess we can only wait and see....
So that is it for now. I am going to try to get annie's posts up tonight for everyone.
dare I say that 60 degrees is now cold???
later,
mary
We had a braai yesterday and invited a bunch of friends over- Christa, Charlotte, their kids, my friends Solomon and Nace from when I studied here, Marybeth who is from the states but had lived here for 2 years and setting up this soccer program for over 500 kids, and many other including the girls from holland that are also staying where we are at. It was a pleasant time and we had JUST enough food. These past few days have been a little more calmer so that has been nice and being able to relax is a treat. It being independence day here yesterday there were many celebrations troughout windhoek, one inlcuding a big ceremony at the stadium, which i hear was jammed packed full with people even though it was raining on and off all day. I have tried to reflect, even though i am not Namibian, what it means for them to have 17 years of independence and if at all things have gotten better over the years. In some respects they have, in others they haven't. Its hard to be optomistic when the gov spends its money on 15 nerw mercedes and a huge state house for the president- which if you think about it, the wall that protects it (I hear parts of it are made of gold), could build 20 mt. sinai's over and over. The president here, ive heard a few say, is trying to fight corruption, but it still exists nonetheless and the problem is how do we change that?
I met Marybeth last night and she is an amazing woman. She brought up a really good point that makes me think and think. She talked about how many people rely on handouts from organization- international, national and local- so what results in this is that they are become apathetic to their situation as well as their government. So what wouldh appen if we took those handouts away. If we took all those grass roots organizations, a lot of which as NGO's, away that support these people... They would have to do something, they would have to demand change from their government.... they would not be so quick to forget that their government must help them... that they too deserve the right to the same things that gov. officials have access to. What a day that would be... So how can we get the people to realize that things must be different- that they can't live in these conditions forever and they too deserve access to food, water and shelter that is clean, affordable and nutritious. I guess we can only wait and see....
So that is it for now. I am going to try to get annie's posts up tonight for everyone.
dare I say that 60 degrees is now cold???
later,
mary
Pics.
A mother with her new baby who is wearing one of the many baby hats that Annie's friends made... Annie, Foibe and baby gift.
The meat we had at our braai(bbq) for Namibian Independence day...... Nace and I at braai
Kids in Haukahana
Mt. Sinai Formula for babies.
Christa's House where she runs Mt. Sinai
My Sunburn.
The cupboard where Christa Started Mt. Sinai
Christa's Land Our walk to
Downtown Windhoek
Christ'a Blue Prints
Oshivambo Women in Settlements Drying Meat
<---A speck of what is Haukahana (havana 1, 2, 3)
“The buddha’s teachings offer a wide-ranging conception of the human person as complete entity having a diversity of need which all must be met to ensure happiness and wellbeing. These needs fall into a well-defined hierarchy of importance, which we might here consider as threefold. At the base of the hierarchy is the physical need for the basis requisites of existence: clothing, food, a comfortable dwelling, medical care, transportation, energy, tools, and so forth. At the next level are social needs: for education, family, friendship and personal intimacy, participation in a community, and meaningful work. At the highest level are spiritual needs: for moral rectitude, mental development, and wise understanding of the true nature of life.”
I do this thing where I randomly open books and start reading. Today this is what I read. It is from the book “Facing the Future” which is a book about Buddhism and the future. It is quite apparent from this that if the base of the structure is not strong, then the rest will not hold together, it will not be whole. If one is constantly trying to fit together, to fill in the cracks that exist, then how do you expect to maintain the top? Lets assume at this point that when talking about the physical needs, it is the basic needs that are met and the bare minimum that is given to maintain a healthy and comfortable way of living. If this is met, and the base is as solid as it can be, then the next step would be social needs. But in reality, especially for many here in Namibia, the base of this structure is filled with huge holes and cracks that even climbing up to the next level can be a challenge. How is a child, for example, expected to do well in school when they are have to learn on empty stomachs, all a while worrying about the health of their relatives as well as all the troubles that their homes as well as their communities face. While we were driving away from Haukahana, Christa was telling us how the road lines up with children marching to school in the morning. Many are swaying back and forth because they are very weak from not eating anything that morning as well as days on end. In some instances, there are reports of children being hit by cars because they stumble out onto the road due to extreme dehydration and starvation. Having to travel long distances to and from their homes just to school and then expected to perform well is intolerable at best. Therefore, in some way, you can see how this hierarchy is relevant to Namibia. In addition to this is the moral rectitude that is lacked among many people in the settlements. It is not that they choose to be this way, in fact, I am quite positive that if given the resources many would not resort to such actions, but many are forced to do things that they otherwise wouldn’t do. In order to eat, they must steal. In order to send their children to school or afford things, many women sell their bodies, hence spreading and perpetuating HIV/AIDS. Poverty causes this continual cycle of sickness and desperation and until something is done to address why people are remaining in these conditions, this cycle with revolve and persist into generations to come. There has be a time when people can take no more, when they stand up and say “NO, I refuse to accept my conditions and I will do whatever in my power to change things not only for my self, but for my community and people of the world”. Individually I can see this starting, but in order for things to really take hold, there must be a mass mobilization in order to be heard and to achieve some sort of success. People must stand up so that their base is met, so that they can worry about the next level. If one is too worried about where they will get their food for the day; if they have a reasonable place to sleep as well as if one can even afford to visit a doctor, then how can one achieve success in the other areas? It is a question that will continue to plague my mind until something happens to appease the people and meet their needs.
This is not just happening here in Namibia, it is a global phenomenon that needs to be addressed.
I could go on and on how this quote is relevant to Namibia.
To ensure happiness and well-being, it is important to have a solid and comprehensive hierarchy. If one part is missing, chipped, cracked or there remains gapping holes, then it is hard to ensure one’s happiness and well-being. No wonder people have lost touch with themselves and resort to actions as well as chemicals to compensate for what is missing.
Downtown Windhoek
Christ'a Blue Prints
Oshivambo Women in Settlements Drying Meat
<---A speck of what is Haukahana (havana 1, 2, 3)
“The buddha’s teachings offer a wide-ranging conception of the human person as complete entity having a diversity of need which all must be met to ensure happiness and wellbeing. These needs fall into a well-defined hierarchy of importance, which we might here consider as threefold. At the base of the hierarchy is the physical need for the basis requisites of existence: clothing, food, a comfortable dwelling, medical care, transportation, energy, tools, and so forth. At the next level are social needs: for education, family, friendship and personal intimacy, participation in a community, and meaningful work. At the highest level are spiritual needs: for moral rectitude, mental development, and wise understanding of the true nature of life.”
I do this thing where I randomly open books and start reading. Today this is what I read. It is from the book “Facing the Future” which is a book about Buddhism and the future. It is quite apparent from this that if the base of the structure is not strong, then the rest will not hold together, it will not be whole. If one is constantly trying to fit together, to fill in the cracks that exist, then how do you expect to maintain the top? Lets assume at this point that when talking about the physical needs, it is the basic needs that are met and the bare minimum that is given to maintain a healthy and comfortable way of living. If this is met, and the base is as solid as it can be, then the next step would be social needs. But in reality, especially for many here in Namibia, the base of this structure is filled with huge holes and cracks that even climbing up to the next level can be a challenge. How is a child, for example, expected to do well in school when they are have to learn on empty stomachs, all a while worrying about the health of their relatives as well as all the troubles that their homes as well as their communities face. While we were driving away from Haukahana, Christa was telling us how the road lines up with children marching to school in the morning. Many are swaying back and forth because they are very weak from not eating anything that morning as well as days on end. In some instances, there are reports of children being hit by cars because they stumble out onto the road due to extreme dehydration and starvation. Having to travel long distances to and from their homes just to school and then expected to perform well is intolerable at best. Therefore, in some way, you can see how this hierarchy is relevant to Namibia. In addition to this is the moral rectitude that is lacked among many people in the settlements. It is not that they choose to be this way, in fact, I am quite positive that if given the resources many would not resort to such actions, but many are forced to do things that they otherwise wouldn’t do. In order to eat, they must steal. In order to send their children to school or afford things, many women sell their bodies, hence spreading and perpetuating HIV/AIDS. Poverty causes this continual cycle of sickness and desperation and until something is done to address why people are remaining in these conditions, this cycle with revolve and persist into generations to come. There has be a time when people can take no more, when they stand up and say “NO, I refuse to accept my conditions and I will do whatever in my power to change things not only for my self, but for my community and people of the world”. Individually I can see this starting, but in order for things to really take hold, there must be a mass mobilization in order to be heard and to achieve some sort of success. People must stand up so that their base is met, so that they can worry about the next level. If one is too worried about where they will get their food for the day; if they have a reasonable place to sleep as well as if one can even afford to visit a doctor, then how can one achieve success in the other areas? It is a question that will continue to plague my mind until something happens to appease the people and meet their needs.
This is not just happening here in Namibia, it is a global phenomenon that needs to be addressed.
I could go on and on how this quote is relevant to Namibia.
To ensure happiness and well-being, it is important to have a solid and comprehensive hierarchy. If one part is missing, chipped, cracked or there remains gapping holes, then it is hard to ensure one’s happiness and well-being. No wonder people have lost touch with themselves and resort to actions as well as chemicals to compensate for what is missing.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Formula V. Breast Feeding
Today has been filled with the constant theme of policy/theory vs. practice. I continue to be amazed at how these two ideas can never work hand in hand and I am constantly reminded of the struggle to attain the practices to meet such policy: as micro as Christa’s dream to build Mt. Sinai, and as macro as governmental policies on infant feeding. Although these two in many ways go hand in hand, it is important to separate them to understand why such policies are not being implemented on the ground. I have not done the proper research in the case of Namibia’s ministry of health’s policy on infant breast vs. formula feeding, but I have been getting a sense, on the ground, that these two issues are in constant competition. On the one hand, formula feeding reduces the risk of HIV transmission to the baby by it’s positive mother, while on the other hand it can also increase infant mortality rates as well as infectious diseases in that baby because, again I am not properly researched in this area, but breast milk provides anti-bodies and nutritious value that will reduce these risks. So then the question arises, if formula feeding can no doubt reduce the risk of transmission, why is it left out of the education to mothers and breastfeeding so adamantly pushed in hospitals?
Charlotte, a nurse in the natal clinic here in Katutura has attended many workshops on infant feeding and has time and time again been told to address formula feeding outside the compounds of those meetings. “If the mother has a question about formula feeding, tell her you can talk to her outside after”. She reminded us, during our discussion that HIV/AIDS is a reality of this nation and many people are choosing to push it aside…i.e. not addressing and education mother on formula feeding. While the cost of formula feeding is higher because many mothers, a. can’t afford the formula itself b. don’t have access to clean water c. because it is attach with the stigma of HIV, it is important to remember that it is a viable solution for mothers who are HIV+ and want their children to be remain HIV negative (that is if they are born negative in the first place) The ministry of health issued a policy on infant and young child feeding, concluding that 22 out of 100 pregnant mothers at HIV+, out of those 22, 30% (6.6) will transmit the disease to their child, 2 out of the 6.6 through breastfeeding and the remaining (4.6) through the uterus. Like I said I have not done extensive research on the matter, but I believe there is a drug called navoprin(sp?), that reduces the risk of transmission while the child is being born. There is so much involved here, but after talking with Charlotte, I do not see why the ministry would so adamantly push for breastfeeding when formula feeding can reduce the risk of transmission from mother to child, in fact can save the child from even contracting the disease through breast milk, if born HIV negative. Again it’s this whole policy vs practice thing. The policy here states that they are protecting mothers and their right to breastfeed. Many mothers know that their milk can transmit the disease, but because of the conditions they live in (the cost of formula, having to travel far distances for water, the stigma associated etc..) they are forced to breastfeed. So then, how many children COULD HAVE BEEN saved if they were to be provided with formula??
This is where christa comes in. She provides the formula to the mothers, but where is she getting the formula from. One place where she is NOT getting it from is the government. As you can see, (I will try to put the link this National Policy soon), the government wants nothing to do with the type of treatment and they are so adamantly pursuing the path of breastfeeding. I, being quick to judge, have many questions to why they are so against such a method, when, if you are to look at things economically, this will provide more labor power and less people that are infected hence having to be on ARV’s. If you continue with breastfeeding how many of those children could have been saved from HIV and lived a healthy life, as opposed to being exposed to it, in turn filling up hospitals and being left to die? Is it because they see it as one less child to feed? Are they so against a healthy child? Because, I would assume, a healthy child costs more to maintain than a sick child who is more than likely going to die before they reach 12.
[“This policy [breasfeeding] is founded on the Namibian constitution that guarantees the rights of women and children, including the right to adequate food and nutrition and the right to social services such as health, education and housing”.
Where are these things?
I do not see them on the ground??
If they are to guarantee the right to adequate food and nutrition, wouldn’t that include providing formula and water for mothers that want their children to remain HIV negative?
I see the struggle in Christa’s eyes and her heart works so hard for these children.
She cares so much for these children. She runs this center out of her house! She does as much as she can to make sure that they are provided for. I have seen a child, Milka, who is healthy and HIV negative because of Christa’s program. So why is the government not jumping at the chance to sponsor such programs and to provide formula for these babies??
A healthy child costs too much I presume!
The policy of Christa’s program is, in the long run without regard to limitations, to help ALL children who can remain HIV negative.
But in practice, it is a struggle.
She is struggling to build a center, she is struggling to provide formula, water and food parcels. She relies strictly on private donations, never receiving anything from her government. If the constitution guarantees these rights, where are they?
Charlotte came to us with a problem and this of course is the overflow of pregnant mothers, who once again 22 out 100 are HIV positive.
What I see here is a bunch of NGO’s trying to solve the problem. Where is the government?
I suppose I need to spend days researching all of this, but as of now I don’t see one speck of government on the ground. Where is the UNAIDS funds going? Where is US AID funds going? Have they even trickled down to the lowest grassroots level? Because that is where change happens, it is with the people on the ground. Why can’t Christa receive any help, even a little from the gov? She has petitioned and petitioned! This program of hers is amazing and yet, it is such a struggle; one that she carries on her back.
There are so many questions! I need to search for the answers some how, but this damn internet costs money.
Where can I steal wireless around here????
This is just a speck of what I have been thinking today.
More to come.
Peace,
Mary
Ps:
We met with Christa and her pastor today, who has promised to help her with getting the plans drawn up through this contractor her knows. SO, what we are trying to do is organize a groundbreaking ceremony before we go so that we can get publicity out there about Mt. Sinai. Of course Christa is well known across Windhoek, always knowing people wherever she is, so we are going to send out letter inviting people to this thing including the newspaper so that she can gain more support for her cause. I see the struggle and headaches she has, but she is a very positive person and has faith that one day her dream will come true! Hopefully one of these days there will be no limits on how many mothers she can sponsor and she will have a beautiful clinic/center to go along with her program. It is going to take some time, but it can and will be done! It’s time to rally the troops and get this woman her long awaited center.
Charlotte, a nurse in the natal clinic here in Katutura has attended many workshops on infant feeding and has time and time again been told to address formula feeding outside the compounds of those meetings. “If the mother has a question about formula feeding, tell her you can talk to her outside after”. She reminded us, during our discussion that HIV/AIDS is a reality of this nation and many people are choosing to push it aside…i.e. not addressing and education mother on formula feeding. While the cost of formula feeding is higher because many mothers, a. can’t afford the formula itself b. don’t have access to clean water c. because it is attach with the stigma of HIV, it is important to remember that it is a viable solution for mothers who are HIV+ and want their children to be remain HIV negative (that is if they are born negative in the first place) The ministry of health issued a policy on infant and young child feeding, concluding that 22 out of 100 pregnant mothers at HIV+, out of those 22, 30% (6.6) will transmit the disease to their child, 2 out of the 6.6 through breastfeeding and the remaining (4.6) through the uterus. Like I said I have not done extensive research on the matter, but I believe there is a drug called navoprin(sp?), that reduces the risk of transmission while the child is being born. There is so much involved here, but after talking with Charlotte, I do not see why the ministry would so adamantly push for breastfeeding when formula feeding can reduce the risk of transmission from mother to child, in fact can save the child from even contracting the disease through breast milk, if born HIV negative. Again it’s this whole policy vs practice thing. The policy here states that they are protecting mothers and their right to breastfeed. Many mothers know that their milk can transmit the disease, but because of the conditions they live in (the cost of formula, having to travel far distances for water, the stigma associated etc..) they are forced to breastfeed. So then, how many children COULD HAVE BEEN saved if they were to be provided with formula??
This is where christa comes in. She provides the formula to the mothers, but where is she getting the formula from. One place where she is NOT getting it from is the government. As you can see, (I will try to put the link this National Policy soon), the government wants nothing to do with the type of treatment and they are so adamantly pursuing the path of breastfeeding. I, being quick to judge, have many questions to why they are so against such a method, when, if you are to look at things economically, this will provide more labor power and less people that are infected hence having to be on ARV’s. If you continue with breastfeeding how many of those children could have been saved from HIV and lived a healthy life, as opposed to being exposed to it, in turn filling up hospitals and being left to die? Is it because they see it as one less child to feed? Are they so against a healthy child? Because, I would assume, a healthy child costs more to maintain than a sick child who is more than likely going to die before they reach 12.
[“This policy [breasfeeding] is founded on the Namibian constitution that guarantees the rights of women and children, including the right to adequate food and nutrition and the right to social services such as health, education and housing”.
Where are these things?
I do not see them on the ground??
If they are to guarantee the right to adequate food and nutrition, wouldn’t that include providing formula and water for mothers that want their children to remain HIV negative?
I see the struggle in Christa’s eyes and her heart works so hard for these children.
She cares so much for these children. She runs this center out of her house! She does as much as she can to make sure that they are provided for. I have seen a child, Milka, who is healthy and HIV negative because of Christa’s program. So why is the government not jumping at the chance to sponsor such programs and to provide formula for these babies??
A healthy child costs too much I presume!
The policy of Christa’s program is, in the long run without regard to limitations, to help ALL children who can remain HIV negative.
But in practice, it is a struggle.
She is struggling to build a center, she is struggling to provide formula, water and food parcels. She relies strictly on private donations, never receiving anything from her government. If the constitution guarantees these rights, where are they?
Charlotte came to us with a problem and this of course is the overflow of pregnant mothers, who once again 22 out 100 are HIV positive.
What I see here is a bunch of NGO’s trying to solve the problem. Where is the government?
I suppose I need to spend days researching all of this, but as of now I don’t see one speck of government on the ground. Where is the UNAIDS funds going? Where is US AID funds going? Have they even trickled down to the lowest grassroots level? Because that is where change happens, it is with the people on the ground. Why can’t Christa receive any help, even a little from the gov? She has petitioned and petitioned! This program of hers is amazing and yet, it is such a struggle; one that she carries on her back.
There are so many questions! I need to search for the answers some how, but this damn internet costs money.
Where can I steal wireless around here????
This is just a speck of what I have been thinking today.
More to come.
Peace,
Mary
Ps:
We met with Christa and her pastor today, who has promised to help her with getting the plans drawn up through this contractor her knows. SO, what we are trying to do is organize a groundbreaking ceremony before we go so that we can get publicity out there about Mt. Sinai. Of course Christa is well known across Windhoek, always knowing people wherever she is, so we are going to send out letter inviting people to this thing including the newspaper so that she can gain more support for her cause. I see the struggle and headaches she has, but she is a very positive person and has faith that one day her dream will come true! Hopefully one of these days there will be no limits on how many mothers she can sponsor and she will have a beautiful clinic/center to go along with her program. It is going to take some time, but it can and will be done! It’s time to rally the troops and get this woman her long awaited center.
Day3
It feels like I have been here forever. These past few days have been filled with too much information. It is important to know these things. To know how these women are addressing the issues that are plaguing their communities gives me a better understanding on how we can alleviate some of the burden. At times I feel it is a mere fraction or sliver in which we will be impacting, but all those fractions have to add up to something. Sometimes I feel that I need to do everything in one day. Those days are filled with frustration, anger, sadness and anxiety. I have to remember to take things a day at a time; a person at a time; a piece of bread at a time…otherwise… otherwise I will implode from all the work that needs to be done. I feel at times the burden of this world is on my shoulders, but then I remember all those people out there that feel the same way I do, that want to help, that have faith that something can be done. When I remember these things, I feel somewhat better and that I am not alone. It is so easy to slip into a hole and get depressed about the conditions of the world. That is why I focus. I try to focus on things that will make a difference, even if it with just one child. That one child can bring it to another child and so on and what, what, what (as they say here in Namibia). Today was the first day I actually was exposed to the informal settlements here in Haukahana. Yes, I went to Martha’s house, but as much as that is in the settlements, I was sheltered away in her house. Today we drove through and stopped when we saw a group of children. Imagine a sea of hills and these hills are all filled with tin houses no bigger than your average room in your house. These tin “shacks” house families, your mother, your child, your sister, your nephew. The aroma that filled the truck was of urine and feces. There are no fancy toilets (you are lucky if you have a hole in the ground to yourself). People pee and defecate outside in the open and as we were driving through, a truck ahead of us was dumping water on the road. I asked why and Christa said so that the dust wouldn’t kick up, but I suspect to wash away and cleanse some of the smell from the air.
The constant theme of extreme polarization between the worlds I see is filling my brain throughout the day. And what is even worse and complicates it even more is the issue of race. I don’t think I will ever alleviate this issue, I believe it will always be something in my mind until the day I die. The fact—which is even more apparent here than it is in the United States—that I am a white woman carries so many connotations along with it. Even more so is my identity as an American. To be American means you have things, even though you may not. The mere fact you reside on this piece of land is a privilege and with that privilege comes the responsibility to help. Many people think that because you are a part of such society that you are rich and that it is your duty to give. But even more so is that fact that you are white. Here Namibia and even South Africa where the remnants of apartheid are as strong as the day that it was so called outlawed, to be White means you have money. Its little observations that solidify this thought. The fact that when Annie and I decide to go out to eat we are surrounded by white folks, the fact that the house we stay in is taken care of by black folks, and the residents are all foreign visitors who are white. Sometimes I feel like I look way too much into this issue, but how can I when the signs are so blatantly obvious, so right in my face. And it’s not like this just here, its like this in the US, just take a look around-all it takes is a little observation and you will see it. Look at the attitudes of people, look at who shops are your super market, who goes to your movie theatres, who eats at certain types of restaurants, who drives certain cars. It’s a harsh reality that many people refuse to accept, but it is there.
That is what I see.
The fact of the matter is this world is small if you really think about it. When I drive through the settlements I see the same disparities that exist in the US. Of course we are in different parts of the world, with different conditions. But when you strip all of those circumstances away, it remains that people are suffering. Furthermore, what remains is the fact that we have two separate worlds. One filled with privilege and the other with disadvantage and as much as you reiterate the argument about merit: “if you work hard, you will be rewarded”, that can only take you so far. I see people work so hard and so hard, but continue to be left in the dust.
Without going off on a rant, I want to convey that what I see here is harsh. It is heartbreaking. But then I meet two women, Christa and Abigail, who are trying so hard to do something about these conditions and it makes me have hope. I can sit here and worry about every little problem of this world, even more so I can sit here and cry over the fact that thousands of children in the settlements will go hungry tonight, but I can wipe those tears and remind myself to focus on something tangible, something that will make a difference and that is where these two women come in. These past two days I have had a chance to finally meet these extraordinary women and hear what they are doing. There is so much to be done and we could go on days and days discussing what to do. But these women have said many amazing things that have made me think even more and have actually gotten me to focus more of my energy in something that can produce results as opposed to just throwing around my resources and hoping for the best. Abigail has suggested taking 20 children, who at this point are on no assistance ( in the past year she has had a generous Italian donor come forward and sponsor around 200 kids). Along with fixing up some things around FHS, putting a door and locks on the office, she proposed that we focus on these children so that we can see actual results in the years to come. To sponsor kids from grade 4 to say grade 12 is amazing. TO provide them with school fees, uniforms, food parcels, hygiene baskets and water cards would be the most productive way to go about things, as opposed to throwing our money into FHS. Which too, would still be a good thing to do and would be workable, but in this way, we can actually see these kids grow, to know their home lives and to map their progress over the years. In this way, the results can be seen and we can watch these kids grow. More so, Annie brought some letters with her from a 3rd grade class in the US and to set up a pen-pal systems over the years can create a better understanding, on both ends, about this world. I mean did you know about some children in Namibia in 3rd grade? It is amazing and I truly think that this will be very successful. This to me seems more workable than to just throw the money into FHS, because at this point FHS is receiving a lot of funding not only from the “Italian program”, but also from a few government programs. Of course even though they are receiving this funding, much work still needs to be done and it is my hope that little things will be addressed to make this a solid program. Abigail is trying her hardest to make this a transparent and accountable program and I can see it with my own eyes that things are starting to take shape and come together. The Saturday before Easter, when all the children of the community come to FHS, we will be having an Easter egg hunt along with many other activities and a great meal. I have a feeling this is going to be very joyous and happy occasion. At this point we will be able to meet the 20 or so children we will be helping as well as meet their families. I will for sure be videotaping this experience for it is a once in a life time opportunity! To top it off, we will be profiling these children by taking their pictures and having then write letters and telling us about their home lives, favorite things and school subjects, etc… That is what we have so far with Abigail. She said something that hit me and sparked many thoughts in my brain. She said something to the effect that if you want to really see progress and change you need to give things to the children. If you give things to the parents you can never guarantee that things will trickle down to the kids or that it will be allocated as well as saved as it should be. She spoke about how children have a better sense of what is needed and will give you truthful answers when you ask then such questions. Another point she brought up that makes a lot of sense is the idea that many people that live in poverty here don’t look to tomorrow. They focus on today, because tomorrow may never come, especially if they are sick. So when you give them things such as money or food, it is hard for them to save and think about the future. So she is holding a workshop in the coming weeks for families to attend that teaches skills in saving and budgeting. TO know how to allocate funds or foods, to learn how to generate income and actually have some sort of savings so that they can plan for the future is an important skill and that is what she intends to convey through such a workshop. It is a valuable tool and I really hope that someone gets something out of it! There are so many things that Abigail is bringing to the community and she is really trying to build a working system that can sustain the future generations. I agree with her that it is important to reach and educate the children so that in things can be better in the coming days.
On to Christa. Today we went to the land where she intends to build Mt. Sinai. To think that she started this in a cupboard in the hospital, where it was moved to her house and now to this gorgeous building that consists of so many amazing rooms and facilities is truly a blessing. I saw the plans of the building today and it is very, very impressive. On the 14th, she is going to have her monthly pick ups, where they mothers and their children come get the parcels and formula and for check ups and things like that. Of course she is constanly checking on all the mother and children. Her son, Sam who is my age is amazing for he actually picks up these women and their children because it is too far of a walk for them to visit her. He is truly a blessing and I can tell that he has a great heart and helps her a lot. Tomorrow we are meeting with the bishop of her church so that we can discuss when we can break ground and finally get things started. She needs to get bins to put the materials in so that people don’t steal any of the stuff. It is our hope that before we go we will see some actual building being done. Again, the progress I see and the fact that it would be superb if we could just work straight through the weekend and get this building up. But, of course, I have to remind my self, one brick at a time. I am excited to get things started with her and to actually be able to meet the women and children that make use of her program. Like Abigail, her logistics are in order and it is just the time and money that is needed to put everything in together. One day, I have faith, that it will happen and hopefully if I return a year from now I will be able to walk into Mt. Sinai center and see all the wonderful work she has accomplished over the year. I get way excited thinking about it!
SO that is what we have been up to the past few days at the very least. My eyes have seen so much, my ears have heard many things and I continue to be overwhelmed by all the work that these two women are constantly doing in their communities on a day to day basis. Both of them have said they rarely have time to themselves, yet I see it in their eyes that their hearts wouldn’t settle for anything less. They are such astonishing women and I am blessed to be a part of their efforts!
To top all of this off, I got to go see my mother that I stayed with in Katutura the last time I was studying here. It was wonderful to see her again and she was so shocked and surprised to see me in her house once again. Oh and what a beautiful house it has become. She is such an amazing women, she refused to settle for the second best furniture when I was there, so we sat in plastic chairs. This time it was filled with furniture and her walls were decorated with the gorgeous tile. Ahh! It was soo good to see her. I told her I had been here about 4 days and she said “why didn’t you come home?” I think I am going to stay with her soon for a couple days or even for a week, she is just such a strong woman and we had great conversations when I stayed with her. So I am very excited to reunite with her and discuss the past years. I have a feeling a lot has happened.
The constant theme of extreme polarization between the worlds I see is filling my brain throughout the day. And what is even worse and complicates it even more is the issue of race. I don’t think I will ever alleviate this issue, I believe it will always be something in my mind until the day I die. The fact—which is even more apparent here than it is in the United States—that I am a white woman carries so many connotations along with it. Even more so is my identity as an American. To be American means you have things, even though you may not. The mere fact you reside on this piece of land is a privilege and with that privilege comes the responsibility to help. Many people think that because you are a part of such society that you are rich and that it is your duty to give. But even more so is that fact that you are white. Here Namibia and even South Africa where the remnants of apartheid are as strong as the day that it was so called outlawed, to be White means you have money. Its little observations that solidify this thought. The fact that when Annie and I decide to go out to eat we are surrounded by white folks, the fact that the house we stay in is taken care of by black folks, and the residents are all foreign visitors who are white. Sometimes I feel like I look way too much into this issue, but how can I when the signs are so blatantly obvious, so right in my face. And it’s not like this just here, its like this in the US, just take a look around-all it takes is a little observation and you will see it. Look at the attitudes of people, look at who shops are your super market, who goes to your movie theatres, who eats at certain types of restaurants, who drives certain cars. It’s a harsh reality that many people refuse to accept, but it is there.
That is what I see.
The fact of the matter is this world is small if you really think about it. When I drive through the settlements I see the same disparities that exist in the US. Of course we are in different parts of the world, with different conditions. But when you strip all of those circumstances away, it remains that people are suffering. Furthermore, what remains is the fact that we have two separate worlds. One filled with privilege and the other with disadvantage and as much as you reiterate the argument about merit: “if you work hard, you will be rewarded”, that can only take you so far. I see people work so hard and so hard, but continue to be left in the dust.
Without going off on a rant, I want to convey that what I see here is harsh. It is heartbreaking. But then I meet two women, Christa and Abigail, who are trying so hard to do something about these conditions and it makes me have hope. I can sit here and worry about every little problem of this world, even more so I can sit here and cry over the fact that thousands of children in the settlements will go hungry tonight, but I can wipe those tears and remind myself to focus on something tangible, something that will make a difference and that is where these two women come in. These past two days I have had a chance to finally meet these extraordinary women and hear what they are doing. There is so much to be done and we could go on days and days discussing what to do. But these women have said many amazing things that have made me think even more and have actually gotten me to focus more of my energy in something that can produce results as opposed to just throwing around my resources and hoping for the best. Abigail has suggested taking 20 children, who at this point are on no assistance ( in the past year she has had a generous Italian donor come forward and sponsor around 200 kids). Along with fixing up some things around FHS, putting a door and locks on the office, she proposed that we focus on these children so that we can see actual results in the years to come. To sponsor kids from grade 4 to say grade 12 is amazing. TO provide them with school fees, uniforms, food parcels, hygiene baskets and water cards would be the most productive way to go about things, as opposed to throwing our money into FHS. Which too, would still be a good thing to do and would be workable, but in this way, we can actually see these kids grow, to know their home lives and to map their progress over the years. In this way, the results can be seen and we can watch these kids grow. More so, Annie brought some letters with her from a 3rd grade class in the US and to set up a pen-pal systems over the years can create a better understanding, on both ends, about this world. I mean did you know about some children in Namibia in 3rd grade? It is amazing and I truly think that this will be very successful. This to me seems more workable than to just throw the money into FHS, because at this point FHS is receiving a lot of funding not only from the “Italian program”, but also from a few government programs. Of course even though they are receiving this funding, much work still needs to be done and it is my hope that little things will be addressed to make this a solid program. Abigail is trying her hardest to make this a transparent and accountable program and I can see it with my own eyes that things are starting to take shape and come together. The Saturday before Easter, when all the children of the community come to FHS, we will be having an Easter egg hunt along with many other activities and a great meal. I have a feeling this is going to be very joyous and happy occasion. At this point we will be able to meet the 20 or so children we will be helping as well as meet their families. I will for sure be videotaping this experience for it is a once in a life time opportunity! To top it off, we will be profiling these children by taking their pictures and having then write letters and telling us about their home lives, favorite things and school subjects, etc… That is what we have so far with Abigail. She said something that hit me and sparked many thoughts in my brain. She said something to the effect that if you want to really see progress and change you need to give things to the children. If you give things to the parents you can never guarantee that things will trickle down to the kids or that it will be allocated as well as saved as it should be. She spoke about how children have a better sense of what is needed and will give you truthful answers when you ask then such questions. Another point she brought up that makes a lot of sense is the idea that many people that live in poverty here don’t look to tomorrow. They focus on today, because tomorrow may never come, especially if they are sick. So when you give them things such as money or food, it is hard for them to save and think about the future. So she is holding a workshop in the coming weeks for families to attend that teaches skills in saving and budgeting. TO know how to allocate funds or foods, to learn how to generate income and actually have some sort of savings so that they can plan for the future is an important skill and that is what she intends to convey through such a workshop. It is a valuable tool and I really hope that someone gets something out of it! There are so many things that Abigail is bringing to the community and she is really trying to build a working system that can sustain the future generations. I agree with her that it is important to reach and educate the children so that in things can be better in the coming days.
On to Christa. Today we went to the land where she intends to build Mt. Sinai. To think that she started this in a cupboard in the hospital, where it was moved to her house and now to this gorgeous building that consists of so many amazing rooms and facilities is truly a blessing. I saw the plans of the building today and it is very, very impressive. On the 14th, she is going to have her monthly pick ups, where they mothers and their children come get the parcels and formula and for check ups and things like that. Of course she is constanly checking on all the mother and children. Her son, Sam who is my age is amazing for he actually picks up these women and their children because it is too far of a walk for them to visit her. He is truly a blessing and I can tell that he has a great heart and helps her a lot. Tomorrow we are meeting with the bishop of her church so that we can discuss when we can break ground and finally get things started. She needs to get bins to put the materials in so that people don’t steal any of the stuff. It is our hope that before we go we will see some actual building being done. Again, the progress I see and the fact that it would be superb if we could just work straight through the weekend and get this building up. But, of course, I have to remind my self, one brick at a time. I am excited to get things started with her and to actually be able to meet the women and children that make use of her program. Like Abigail, her logistics are in order and it is just the time and money that is needed to put everything in together. One day, I have faith, that it will happen and hopefully if I return a year from now I will be able to walk into Mt. Sinai center and see all the wonderful work she has accomplished over the year. I get way excited thinking about it!
SO that is what we have been up to the past few days at the very least. My eyes have seen so much, my ears have heard many things and I continue to be overwhelmed by all the work that these two women are constantly doing in their communities on a day to day basis. Both of them have said they rarely have time to themselves, yet I see it in their eyes that their hearts wouldn’t settle for anything less. They are such astonishing women and I am blessed to be a part of their efforts!
To top all of this off, I got to go see my mother that I stayed with in Katutura the last time I was studying here. It was wonderful to see her again and she was so shocked and surprised to see me in her house once again. Oh and what a beautiful house it has become. She is such an amazing women, she refused to settle for the second best furniture when I was there, so we sat in plastic chairs. This time it was filled with furniture and her walls were decorated with the gorgeous tile. Ahh! It was soo good to see her. I told her I had been here about 4 days and she said “why didn’t you come home?” I think I am going to stay with her soon for a couple days or even for a week, she is just such a strong woman and we had great conversations when I stayed with her. So I am very excited to reunite with her and discuss the past years. I have a feeling a lot has happened.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
COmments....
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I am trying to load pictures today, but the internet cafe that I am at is not as sphisticated as the one down the street, which is closed today because it is Sunday. The city is dead after 1pm.
We have no water at Rivendale because the pipes broke as well as no internet. ??
Hopefully by monday everything will be fixed up and ready to go.
I got to see my mom that I stayed with in Katutura when I studied her and I wish I would have gotten her surprised face on camera. I couldn't find her number so I decided to drop by anyway and see if she was around. She turned the corner and saw me and just threw her arms in the air and was soooo happy. I told her I had been here for a couple of days and she said "why didn't you come home right away?" I am going to stay with her for a couple of nights when we return from the north. She is such a strong lady that always has good things to say. Her son Mokoena who is about 10 has grown SO much, and is a lot taller and I am still waiting to see her other son owen, who is about 27, he is a hardworker and was so great to me while i stayed there, taking me out and making sure I was safe.
We met with both christa and abigail these past few days and now have a better sense of what is needed within both their programs. To sum it up, I willpost more tomorrow because i can't access the files on my jumpdrive here, is that Abigail saw it best fit to focus on a group of about 20 kids that are at this point on no assistance from any donors (she has an italian donor that recently signed up to take care of about 200 or more kids school fees unifroms and food parcels/hygene packs.) So we will be helping these 20 kids and we will be able to map the progress over the years all the way up to grade twelve. Annie brought a bunch of letters from a group of 3rd graders so we were all thinking that we could set up a penpal system as well as profile these kids that we will be helping so that we can see their progress over time, know about their home lives and about them-their hopes, dreams, favorites things etc... That is the jist of it but there is a lot more to it. The saturday before Easter we will be hosting a huge Easter egg hunt along with a bunch of other activities as well as a huge lunch for all the kids and staff. THis of course I will get on tape. More to come with that.
In terms of Christa, we went yesterday to see the land that she will be using to build mt. sinai. It is HUGE! we also saw the blue prints for the actualy plan of the building and it looks spectacular...to think that she started all thisfrom a cupboard in her office at the hospital, where ithas moved into her OWN house and now to this fantastic building. So what we are basically planning on doing it getting her started with building, so that we can break some ground before we leave. TOmorrow we meet with her and her bishop to discuss these plans as well as someone that is donating some bins so that she can store the materials in order to keep them safe from people that would want to take them. ON the 14th the mothers are coming to pick up their monthly good parcels and formula, so we will be there that day. We will also be assisting in purchasing more food, formula, water and so forth for the mothers.
I will also be so fortunate to be able to go the hospital and maybe see a live birth as well as get to take a tour of the hospital and witness the conditions aroudn the place. It is the state hospital, it is obviously NOT private and this is where the people go when they are sick, need emergency care etc... its a very modest place, but it probably gets the job done as best as it can with such limited resources.
Time is up. OFf to go grocery shopping for the week.
I will post more pics this week.
It has been a tiring, both mentally and physically, past couple of days and I am happy today I get to rest and compose myself for another exhausting week.
peace
mary
Right now it will say "0 comments". click on that and it will instruct you what to do next.
I am trying to load pictures today, but the internet cafe that I am at is not as sphisticated as the one down the street, which is closed today because it is Sunday. The city is dead after 1pm.
We have no water at Rivendale because the pipes broke as well as no internet. ??
Hopefully by monday everything will be fixed up and ready to go.
I got to see my mom that I stayed with in Katutura when I studied her and I wish I would have gotten her surprised face on camera. I couldn't find her number so I decided to drop by anyway and see if she was around. She turned the corner and saw me and just threw her arms in the air and was soooo happy. I told her I had been here for a couple of days and she said "why didn't you come home right away?" I am going to stay with her for a couple of nights when we return from the north. She is such a strong lady that always has good things to say. Her son Mokoena who is about 10 has grown SO much, and is a lot taller and I am still waiting to see her other son owen, who is about 27, he is a hardworker and was so great to me while i stayed there, taking me out and making sure I was safe.
We met with both christa and abigail these past few days and now have a better sense of what is needed within both their programs. To sum it up, I willpost more tomorrow because i can't access the files on my jumpdrive here, is that Abigail saw it best fit to focus on a group of about 20 kids that are at this point on no assistance from any donors (she has an italian donor that recently signed up to take care of about 200 or more kids school fees unifroms and food parcels/hygene packs.) So we will be helping these 20 kids and we will be able to map the progress over the years all the way up to grade twelve. Annie brought a bunch of letters from a group of 3rd graders so we were all thinking that we could set up a penpal system as well as profile these kids that we will be helping so that we can see their progress over time, know about their home lives and about them-their hopes, dreams, favorites things etc... That is the jist of it but there is a lot more to it. The saturday before Easter we will be hosting a huge Easter egg hunt along with a bunch of other activities as well as a huge lunch for all the kids and staff. THis of course I will get on tape. More to come with that.
In terms of Christa, we went yesterday to see the land that she will be using to build mt. sinai. It is HUGE! we also saw the blue prints for the actualy plan of the building and it looks spectacular...to think that she started all thisfrom a cupboard in her office at the hospital, where ithas moved into her OWN house and now to this fantastic building. So what we are basically planning on doing it getting her started with building, so that we can break some ground before we leave. TOmorrow we meet with her and her bishop to discuss these plans as well as someone that is donating some bins so that she can store the materials in order to keep them safe from people that would want to take them. ON the 14th the mothers are coming to pick up their monthly good parcels and formula, so we will be there that day. We will also be assisting in purchasing more food, formula, water and so forth for the mothers.
I will also be so fortunate to be able to go the hospital and maybe see a live birth as well as get to take a tour of the hospital and witness the conditions aroudn the place. It is the state hospital, it is obviously NOT private and this is where the people go when they are sick, need emergency care etc... its a very modest place, but it probably gets the job done as best as it can with such limited resources.
Time is up. OFf to go grocery shopping for the week.
I will post more pics this week.
It has been a tiring, both mentally and physically, past couple of days and I am happy today I get to rest and compose myself for another exhausting week.
peace
mary
Friday, March 16, 2007
We were lucky enough today to be picked up by Abigail and brought to the center with all the things that Annie had brought with her in her suitcases. Thank you Eunice, the customs officer, for cutting us a break and not making us pay for all the things we brought.. stethoscopes, toys, jewelry, baby hats, blankets, clothes etc… The second we drove into the center Annie jumped out of the car and the kids swarmed her, surrounded her and proceed to give her the most fantastic hugs I have ever seen while I watched and took a couple pictures from the distance. All of a sudden, after Annie pointing at me, I had about 30 kids running towards me to greet and hug me. Was it because I was white and they knew that I may have something to offer them? Or was it out of true genuine happiness and joy that they decided to bombard me with their love?
This went on for a good twenty minutes. I sat down on the stoop and they took over. Surrounded by little ones they were touching my hair and skin and I gave me sunglasses to a young girl and I took my hair out and they proceeded to run their tiny little fingers through my fine, thin hair. Some of them for the first time feeling the touch of a white woman's course hair. Finally, after being helped up by a few children, we gathered in the school yard where they proceeded to sing songs. I forgot my video camera today, so tomorrow I will bring it so I can record the harmonious voices! After interrupting their day, the teachers called them back inside and Annie and I proceeded to make our way up the hill to her friend Martha’s house in the Haukahana settlement. Her house was no bigger than a couple of bedrooms at my house, but she managed to make it warm and inviting. Veronica, her 9 year old daughter who is HIV positive, greeted us. I saw the maturity and responsibility in her eyes. She proceed to go fetch her mother and we waited while she came back.. Martha, who is in the picture in the brochure in the front, was weezing from the walk up the hill. She was all smiles and hugged “ Ms. Annie” and was so pleased to see her. I sat inside with her daughter Milka, two (see pictures) while Annie and Martha tried to discuss as best they could without an interpreter about how they had been, how martha’s health was and what she had been up to. Annie has been sponsoring Martha by giving her some money to buy things and Martha was explaining to Annie how she has been using the money- buying school clothes for her children, paying off water bills etc... THe joy of that meeting was watching Milka play around the house. She went outside to go to the bathroom and after her clothes got a little wet, she went inside and changed into her beautiful pink shirt and teal pants. It took a little while for her to warm up to me, she instantly remembered annie, but after giving her a few funny faces and hiding from her with my sunglasses she opened up just like any other 2yearold. We played and she took out her skateboard and enjoying the rides up and down the floor. I took out a pack of stickers that I brought for the children and gave her a section. Her eyes lit up and she kept repeating something in Oshivambo and pointing to the stickers, calling " Meme (may-may), Meme (mother, mother) and holding up her stickers to show her. The stickers were of cats and dogs so I started making those noises in which she proceeded to copy me and say the words for cat and dog in oshivambo. Just like any other 2 year old in this world, she took pleasure in the simple things and laughed when we played hide and seek and wanted to show me things. It was very hot out so it was nice to seek some refuge from the sun in Martha's house. Our time was up because we had to go fetch our things from the school before it was locked up so that we could go to the hospital and deliver to Charlotte the hats, blankets and some clothes that Annie's friends so graciously made for the little babies in the AIDS and ante-natal wards. Charlotte was out sick for the day so we dropped off the hats and one of the nurses or what they call sisters asked if we wanted to see the babies. Of course!! we said. The ones they brought us to were all in incubators except one. This one, (see pic) was "not sick" meaning he didn't have HIV and the mother had put him up for adoption. We asked if we could hold him, he was so tiny and precious. All I could think of when I held him was how this boy could take any path in life. It all depended on his parents, on who would want to take responsibility for him. The mother was undergoing counseling to make her final decision. She already had two children and felt that she could not support a third under the conditions that she was living. Valid reasoning.. There is so much behind that though. For instance, one fo the girls that annie has worked closely with over the years had a baby a couple of months ago and only told annie a few days before she arrived. Annie was saying how she was depressed and sad last year because she didn't have a child, like many of her other friends her age (22). She felt incomplete. Now she has a baby girl, gift, and meeting her for the first time I saw the joy in her face, yet I also saw how scared and worried she was when her and annie finally met again face to face. I saw it in her face that she knew that annie would be a little disappointed in her because Annie had given her resources to go to school and get a job and things like that. My point is, these women/girls are faced with a dilemma. They are faced with two separate cultural choices to make. Do they choose the path that most girls in their communities do, have children-many of whom are left without fathers and continue to be trapped OR break out of that cycle- choose to use protection/birth control and use education as a tool to break free from the cycle that is plaguing their communities... So many things go through my mind, and their is only so much you can do because in the long run it is their decision. It comes down to choice and as much as one can say you can get stuck in a cycle (which is SOOOO true), it takes courage and strength to step out of that and take a different road. I just hope that women all over the world realize that it is okay to be strong and break free of the cultural expectations that society holds on them...ie having babies to be complete.
This went on for a good twenty minutes. I sat down on the stoop and they took over. Surrounded by little ones they were touching my hair and skin and I gave me sunglasses to a young girl and I took my hair out and they proceeded to run their tiny little fingers through my fine, thin hair. Some of them for the first time feeling the touch of a white woman's course hair. Finally, after being helped up by a few children, we gathered in the school yard where they proceeded to sing songs. I forgot my video camera today, so tomorrow I will bring it so I can record the harmonious voices! After interrupting their day, the teachers called them back inside and Annie and I proceeded to make our way up the hill to her friend Martha’s house in the Haukahana settlement. Her house was no bigger than a couple of bedrooms at my house, but she managed to make it warm and inviting. Veronica, her 9 year old daughter who is HIV positive, greeted us. I saw the maturity and responsibility in her eyes. She proceed to go fetch her mother and we waited while she came back.. Martha, who is in the picture in the brochure in the front, was weezing from the walk up the hill. She was all smiles and hugged “ Ms. Annie” and was so pleased to see her. I sat inside with her daughter Milka, two (see pictures) while Annie and Martha tried to discuss as best they could without an interpreter about how they had been, how martha’s health was and what she had been up to. Annie has been sponsoring Martha by giving her some money to buy things and Martha was explaining to Annie how she has been using the money- buying school clothes for her children, paying off water bills etc... THe joy of that meeting was watching Milka play around the house. She went outside to go to the bathroom and after her clothes got a little wet, she went inside and changed into her beautiful pink shirt and teal pants. It took a little while for her to warm up to me, she instantly remembered annie, but after giving her a few funny faces and hiding from her with my sunglasses she opened up just like any other 2yearold. We played and she took out her skateboard and enjoying the rides up and down the floor. I took out a pack of stickers that I brought for the children and gave her a section. Her eyes lit up and she kept repeating something in Oshivambo and pointing to the stickers, calling " Meme (may-may), Meme (mother, mother) and holding up her stickers to show her. The stickers were of cats and dogs so I started making those noises in which she proceeded to copy me and say the words for cat and dog in oshivambo. Just like any other 2 year old in this world, she took pleasure in the simple things and laughed when we played hide and seek and wanted to show me things. It was very hot out so it was nice to seek some refuge from the sun in Martha's house. Our time was up because we had to go fetch our things from the school before it was locked up so that we could go to the hospital and deliver to Charlotte the hats, blankets and some clothes that Annie's friends so graciously made for the little babies in the AIDS and ante-natal wards. Charlotte was out sick for the day so we dropped off the hats and one of the nurses or what they call sisters asked if we wanted to see the babies. Of course!! we said. The ones they brought us to were all in incubators except one. This one, (see pic) was "not sick" meaning he didn't have HIV and the mother had put him up for adoption. We asked if we could hold him, he was so tiny and precious. All I could think of when I held him was how this boy could take any path in life. It all depended on his parents, on who would want to take responsibility for him. The mother was undergoing counseling to make her final decision. She already had two children and felt that she could not support a third under the conditions that she was living. Valid reasoning.. There is so much behind that though. For instance, one fo the girls that annie has worked closely with over the years had a baby a couple of months ago and only told annie a few days before she arrived. Annie was saying how she was depressed and sad last year because she didn't have a child, like many of her other friends her age (22). She felt incomplete. Now she has a baby girl, gift, and meeting her for the first time I saw the joy in her face, yet I also saw how scared and worried she was when her and annie finally met again face to face. I saw it in her face that she knew that annie would be a little disappointed in her because Annie had given her resources to go to school and get a job and things like that. My point is, these women/girls are faced with a dilemma. They are faced with two separate cultural choices to make. Do they choose the path that most girls in their communities do, have children-many of whom are left without fathers and continue to be trapped OR break out of that cycle- choose to use protection/birth control and use education as a tool to break free from the cycle that is plaguing their communities... So many things go through my mind, and their is only so much you can do because in the long run it is their decision. It comes down to choice and as much as one can say you can get stuck in a cycle (which is SOOOO true), it takes courage and strength to step out of that and take a different road. I just hope that women all over the world realize that it is okay to be strong and break free of the cultural expectations that society holds on them...ie having babies to be complete.
Anyways.... it was a long day filled with two opposite ways of life.
The thing is.. I can remove my self from it. I have the opportunity to take a step in it and then leave to my comfortable bed by the pool, to eat a huge meal and feel full with tons of left overs that could feed a family of four. They dont have that choice, they are in it. It is something that haunts me and that stays with me where ever I am in this world. To see such complete polar opposites yesterday reminded me how easy it is to separate yourself from such things. To live your comfortable life and not even think about those that are suffering out there. To close your eyes to it, to not recognize it. Its right there, even in the US, it is there. So what do you do then? For me, I just can't ignore it. I am here to observe and what I see is this:
two completely different worlds.
One filled with privilege
One filled with despair, hunger and disease.
Yesterday I met both abigail and christa and they are just amazing. Two different missions yet they converge in so many ways. The underlying themes are so prevalent in their work. Women, children, AIDS hunger, education counseling, health, water etc...
Their work is loaded with social welfare issues and the one thing that is the most important theme, i believe is education. educating on health issues educatiing women on their choices-sexually, mentally, physically.. all that stuff.
Making sure the children and fed and are receiving good health care.
AHHH! the differences between things. The fact that hospital just recieved linens for their beds/rooms.
Things are growing no doubt..
Christa started her program in a cupboard and now she is building a place.
Abigail is finally trying to formally put things together by applying for a social welfare organization status so that things are more accountable and she can receive more money/grants.
Slowly and surely these women, who have feverishley worked, are strengthing their programs and trying to reach more people.
FHS currenly pays for over 140 kids school fees.
All the kids last year that were int he program are now in formal school and now she has another 200 kids she feeds and is trying to get into school. GROWING GROWING GROWING. and its with your help that this is possible.
Today we meet with abigail to discuss a plan of action. Where things will go and how they will be divided up.
Yesterday we shortly met with Christa and discussed building, which will start next week. On April 14, all the women and children will be coming to collect their monthly stipend (formula food water....) so I will for sure video tape that.
Saturday we will be at FHS will all the children of the community where they will sing songs, play football, eat and be happy. I will be video taping that as well!
Its been so amazing here and So many thoughts are run through my head every second of the day. Its been a blessing and I am extremely grateful to be here and witness this amazing work that these women do!
Although it is in the works, i see the progress being made and I see it coming together so well! Like i said before, little by little, child by child we can change this world. It is wonderful to have see these women and to know that we all want this world to be a better place. Through the struggles it can happen. I have faith.
I hope all is well with everyone. It is sunny, hot and beautiful!
More to come.... I need to go get new adapters for the electronic stuff we brought because everything already blew out. BOOO!
PEACE!
Mary
Thursday, March 15, 2007
WHere ever you go there you are!
Ahh. Im here. FINALLY! it is amazing, beautiful gorgeous green and brown.. we brought the rain with us! which is a good thing. Can't write much now, but today was filled with extreme polarization. A day in the settlements, a drive at night through the rich areas. Too many emotions, but the kids hugs solve it all.. If you ever need love, I tell ya go to a school here and they will bombard you with hugs and affection.
I am going to write tonight and post it tomorrow with some pics of our day today. I finally met both Abigail and CHrista and they are so amazing, they are so committed to their causes and it inspires me to go out and do something.
More tomorrow.
!!!!!! I cannot contain my excitment, this is finally happening and im so grateful for everything and everyone that has made this possible
Good night.
mary
I am going to write tonight and post it tomorrow with some pics of our day today. I finally met both Abigail and CHrista and they are so amazing, they are so committed to their causes and it inspires me to go out and do something.
More tomorrow.
!!!!!! I cannot contain my excitment, this is finally happening and im so grateful for everything and everyone that has made this possible
Good night.
mary
Monday, March 12, 2007
Leaving on a Jet Plane
We leave here in t-minus 4 hours to amsterdam for a 8 hour flight. Then another 10 hour flight to jo'burg. Get there around 945pm, spend the night and take off the next day at noon.!!! A good 36 hours of traveling is always good for the soul.
I would like to give a huge THANK YOU!!! to all those that made this possible, who donated their time and money in helping this cause out.
More importantly, I would like to thank my mom for driving me every morning to work so that I could make enough money to support myself on this trip. Love ya ma!
What would this world be without moms???
ANd also, my family for supporting and helping me in making great decisions about my life. Love ya fam.
I must go now and get everything in order...
THANKS again everyone! for everything!
Peace,
Mary
I would like to give a huge THANK YOU!!! to all those that made this possible, who donated their time and money in helping this cause out.
More importantly, I would like to thank my mom for driving me every morning to work so that I could make enough money to support myself on this trip. Love ya ma!
What would this world be without moms???
ANd also, my family for supporting and helping me in making great decisions about my life. Love ya fam.
I must go now and get everything in order...
THANKS again everyone! for everything!
Peace,
Mary
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