DAY THREE (ALREADY)

DAY THREE (ALREADY)
An introduction to work.
Today I woke up with a head resembling a beacon, a beacon that would save a thousand ships. I shouldn’t have, well, I know I ‘shouldn’t’ have, but what I mean is, I shouldn’t have. I’ve been wearing factor twenty sun cream (nivea, soft on the skin) and a wide brimmed hat. But still I woke up with a head like a beacon. I checked the temperature today and it all made sense…..35 degrees, in the shade. This place is really hot. Johan tells me it can reach 40 odd to 50, with no breeze. I’m glad I won’t be around for that. That is ridiculous.
This morning was the start of the reason why I’m here. Lindsay and I had an informal meeting in her office, behind the iron protective door! From the run up to this trip and to this point, I’ve met some people whom I can only describe as ’doers’. Firstly, Jo Buckley, she never seems to stop and seems to be constantly getting one event or another of the ground or completed. Today I met Lindsay. Not the Lindsay from yesterday, but the Lindsay whom is dedicated to making under privileged Black Africans lives ’better’ (that’s probably not the correct word to use but hopefully you know what I mean). As Lindsay started to try to explain what Unite and Pride n Purpose was all about and how expansive the problems are that effect the day to day lives of the communities living in and around the reserve. I finally started to get a picture of how hard and tirelessly she works and how important the charities are and just how complicated ’simple’ projects can become before being implemented. There has to be a path of communication between Lindsay, the Community Council and the Chief of the area. These are still tribal lands and the Chief, well, he’s the Man, they don’t get any higher.
I for one thought that one of the best preventative measures for the eradication of HIV and AIDS would be to simply for communities stop having ’promiscuous sex. The main problem with this Lindsay explained and one which has to be worked around with most projects, regardless of size or severity, is that I’d looked at the problem from a purely ’western’ point of view. Most of the African village people still look to spiritual and cultural beliefs systems that have been passed down from generation to generation and its very difficult to ‘undo’ those beliefs. For instance, the Santana (local tribal village) believe that if they contract HIV, its not through unprotected sex, it’s a ’curse’ bestowed on them from a dead ancestor. I asked ’why have so many kids then?’ the answer is again a cultural one. Its considered a show of wealth, fertility, masculinity and femininity to have lots of children. Also the state pension is inadequate so to have plenty of children gives the parents long term security later in life as there is more chance of being looked after if there is more children.
Promiscuality isn’t a word associated with having many sexual partners, its excepted (I think expected) for the men in the tribe (very male dominated culture) to have loads of women ‘on the go’. Lindsay explained that the men can have several wives, girlfriends (all know about each other) and mistresses (these are secret….but aren’t they always!) and he gets to have his fun with all of them. They in term one of these women might have a ’bit of a moment’ with another man and so, if undetected in any one of these people aids spreads like ’wild fire’.
Finally, people don’t consult a doctor if they only feel mildly unwell . By the time they are very unwell its often to late to save them. In some cases though it could be possible to save them but they won’t take the medicine .
Deep eh.
On a lighter note there are loads of projects that have a really positive outcome. One is a young guy called Cornelius. He’s a very gifted artist who makes all sorts of trinkets out of beads and other ’simple’ materials. The charities have provided Cornelius with funding, advertising, marketing and a business plan for future growth and Lindsay says he is becoming a great success story and is looking to branch out and employ more of the villagers at his store. In the future there is a very real and likely chance that he will progress from local stalls, shops and lodges and start an internet sight. I’ve already ear marked him for some business, with the usual Unite/PnP discount of course.
What’s my role in all this?
I should imagine by now my mates are reading this thinking ’Jesus, after reading all the above, what the hell have they trusted in his hands? Well I’m sure you’ll be happy to know all my projects are ‘doable’ as Lindsay puts it. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into them. Firstly I’ll be taking guests to the village to plant trees. Sustainable fruit trees for the villages to use the fruit for themselves and then trade or sell the extra as an income. Then its onto Hazyview, the nearest village to buy materials required for other projects. Later in the week I’ll be meeting Sipho, a young lad from one of the PnP built houses, we’ll be working together repairing a number of roofs, gutters and Jo Jo tanks (rainwater catching tanks, 2500 litre capacity). After that I’ll be repairing a Jungle Jim climbing frame and then finally, finally for now, I’m going to put together a photographic and written document that will be required for future installation and repairs of the complete Jo Jo tank system/structure. I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous that I might struggle in meeting expectations with a few of these and reading it back now I’m sort of crapping it a little! Knowing my look the guttering will fall on someone’s head, the Jo Jo tank will send the trees swimming into the bush and the Jungle Jim will ’Jungle Jim’ some little kid all the way to A&E!
Just a few last things. Today whilst we were in the office a ‘pack’ of warthogs casually strolled past the door munching on the grass before bobbing off into the bush. Funny looking things. Will they ever evolve to grow into that head of theirs? Then Lindsay got a call from Johan and drove me to the end of the village drive (its not safe to walk anywhere, as illustrated next). When we arrived two huge Rhino’s were grazing in the grass. Massive, built like tanks. Johan explained later that they started to make a ‘shit’ mound. This was to mark their territory . If some one had left a mound of crap that big, I don’t think I’d be inclined to mess with them either. Oh yeah, the bull elephant found his way into the guests lodge garden and proceeded to demolish trees to get his hungry mouth on some nice green leaves……three trees later, he got to them!
Tomorrow, out and about (maybe even in less words).