Human Road Kill

I have no pictures for this blog, and it's quite a disturbing one (yes, worse than the baboon one), but I'm still going to post it.

This morning was the last day of my Cape to Addo tour so we started out around 5 am for our 6 hour drive back to Cape Town. I think I've written previously about the road conditions here and how crazy people drive. Pedestrians are the last of their worries. I'm not exactly sure how to convert kilometers to miles, but the average speed is around 130 kilometers/hour.

This morning we had been driving around half an hour when we came to flashing lights in the road. It was still dark, so we couldn't see much, but the police were guiding traffic around the side of the road and carrying on about their normal business. As we pass, I see something that looked rather large to be an animal laying in the middle of the road. As we get closer and the headlights highlight more of the road, I was able to make out a human leg and body, along with a separate leg over on the side of the road, and a lot of blood.
As a child, I don't think I ever really understood the meaning of 'smashed like a bug'. But, after seeing this man, I can totally understand what it means. The only thing not smashed was his head.

It was really depressing seeing this person, who was obviously homeless (he didn't have shoes or a jacket), smashed in the road without anybody really worrying about it. In the States, the police would at least cover the body or stop traffic from passing and viewing it. But, here it is such a common occurrence that they just motion traffic around and go on about their work.

When asking if it was a common occurance and why people didn't act shocked by it, the guide just laughed and said, "It's a different world here, lady."

Baboon Attack

I have never been afraid of animals. In fact, I love animals and have always had a very special interest for monkeys.
When arriving in South Africa, I was told to beware of the baboons, who are huge and have been known to attack and kill humans. I didn't think much of the warning, thinking that they only attacked when scared, threatened, or hungry:)
I never thought I would actually run across a baboon while here. But, while on my Cape to Addo tour this past week, I visited Tsitsikamma National Park and had a very close encounter with one of the monkeys!


The picture above shows the bridge that we had to cross to climb to the top of Tsitsikamma. You can see the baboon just chilling out on the bridge. We all thought that the baboon would wander off by the time we got to the bridge, but it seemed he was waiting for us to come across.
As we walk across the bridge, the baboon walks away from us and waits on the other side of the bride for us to come across. As we approach the end of the bridge, the baboon still sits, not afraid at all.
At this point, I was more than ready to turn around and let the baboon have his bridge. I didn't want to be in the statistics of the # of people killed by baboon attacks in SA. But, the others in the group chose to go on, and I didn't have much of a choice unless I wanted to be stuck in the forest alone.

I can say that I have never been so scared in my life. This baboon is standing about two feet away as we walk past and completely invade his space. As we walk past, the baboon opens his mouth and growls at us, showing his HUGE teeth. It sounds like something from a movie, and it still doesn't seem real.

I forgot to add that I was carrying a bright orange bag over my shoulders.

I walk almost past the monkey and that's when he decides that he really really wants my bag. He comes running over to me, opens his mouth to intimidate me, and snatches at my bag. I have never been quite as scared of an animal as I was of this baboon. As it snatches at my bag, all kinda of thoughts are running through my head: should I give it the bag (which has my passport, money, and credit cards in it. I don't see what the baboon would really want with the bag), should I run, should I stand still, should I make lion noises(just a quick thought:). Thankfully, as I am thinking (and simultaneously standing still) the baboon decides he is tired of snatching bags for the day. He leaves and roams about 10 feet away to his rock cave (we really were invading his space).

I don't think I will ever cross paths with a baboon again. If I do see one, I will definitely give it it's space and let it be. Apparently the baboons at Tsitsikamma are bag snatchers. They have their own personal staff to look after them and make sure they aren't a) snatching bags, or b) breaking into the guests cabins stealing food.

Smart, Dangeorus Monkeys! I still don't know what he might have wanted with my bag! Except maybe to go trade it in for some bananas.

'Cause this is Africa

Becasue this is Africa! That's what everyone says right after they tell you how dangerous something is.





"Hold your bag when you walk down the street and never make eye contact with the mini buses, because this is Africa."





"Take three or four friends with you to the ATM, because this is Africa."





"Never leave your window rolled down while stopped at a red light, because this is Africa."





"Don't take your camera out even if you want a picture, because this is Africa!"


Today was my last day with the kids at Home of Hope. I will miss the little guys, but I can't say that I will miss all the bites, head butts, smacks, falls off the playsets, massive fights, or the dirty nappies!

Beach Walk

I have never walked so much in my life! I just thought Croatia was a lot of walking. Here in Cape Town, you have to walk 30 minutes to get anywhere! Thirty minutes doesn't seem like a lot, but when you add in the walk back and all the sketchy buses and people that you are having to run from, it adds up!



But, I really wanted to see Blawbaurgh beach before I left. So, me and Laina decided the walk was worth it. We set out after work to walk to the beach. We walked through a homeless village, a mini bus parade, and a Chinese shop where all the drug lords hang out. Then, we made it to the beach. Once we got there we were debating if we really wanted to concur the walk back. It was a great beach! Kinda deserted, but great. I have never seen a sport as cool as kite surfing. If I didn't have a fear of water, I would definitely give the sport a go. These people get air born for up to minutes at a time, and they go so so fast. It looks bloody awesome, as all the British folks would say.

Table Mountain is still the most amazing thing to me. In the picture above you can see the 'table cloth' directly above the mountain. This happens almost everyday. Rarely is Table Mountain completely uncovered by clouds. Some days, if you didn't know that Table Mountain existed, you would be completely oblivious to it. The clouds just take it over. Directly beside Table Mountain is Lions' Head.

Just thought I would give a quick post on the beach walk! :)

Hope

The kids that I have had the chance to meet through my experience with Home of Hope are absolutely adorable! Yes, they can be annoying little ankle bitters who wipe snot all over you, but they can also be so so so sweet. I stopped a moment today to think of the kids and the future that they might have. All of these kids have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and most of them are HIV +. So, they are going to have a tough life. Home of Hope is trying to help these kids and give them a better chance in life, but in the long run there's only so much you can do. It's very disappointing to know that these kids, who have no say in the disorders they are put in this life with, are very likely to end up living under the bridges like the street people that we fed a few nights ago. The possibility that these kids will grow up, finish high school, get a job, and be able to take care of themselves is very very slim. It's nice to be able to help these kids grow and develop into the best person they can be, but there's only so much you can do.


I got the chance to volunteer with a girl from New Jersey who is studying Anthropology/Biology back in the States. She is writing a thesis on FASD, so she is very aware of the problems that these kids face. She is studying the differences in the prevalence of FASD in the US and SA. She was telling me that in the US, FASD is controlled through awareness and counseling. The highest prevalence in the US is with the Native Americans because they were moved about so much in the previous years. According to her, they had nothing better to do than to drink and they did not know of the risks. Whereas, here the kids that are suffering from the disorder are mostly orphans, street kids, and kids of the townships. One reason behind this is lack of awareness, and another is lack of care! Some of the children's mothers are mentally retarded themselves and just don't understand, and others no nothing else to do but drink.
The awareness of FASD is still very low here in SA. But, the problem is just beginning to be recognized. So, maybe in the near future awareness can be raised for this disorder and more children can be sparred from the effects of it.

How much of a difference can a few volunteers really make? We were talking about this earlier and came to the conclusion that we will not even think about it. Some days it just seems so tough. We make all of these sandwiches and take them to the street people, but then we just leave and all these people are just left without a warm place to sleep and a decent meal or medical care.

We spend so much time wiping these kids noses and trying our best to help them reach their highest potential, and then we just leave and the kids continue on with their life.

I absolutely love this picture. We worked a while to get all of the kids in one area around me. The final product turned out priceless! :)

Snotty Noses

I never want to wipe another snotty nose in my life! Especially a green, slimy one! It's winter in South Africa, so all the kids are passing around various flues. All six of the kids at the orphanage bring along green snotty noses every morning. So, my entire day was spent wiping nose after nose after nose after nose. Even though the kid in the picture looks so cute, innocent, and clean, in real life he's actually a snotty nosed little bugger! Don't get me wrong, I love him to death, but the snotty noses are turning me off a bit for the moment.


Snotty noses aren't the only thing that I am tired of....fights are another! Breaking up arguments seems like my life's work, second to wiping noses. I do not understand why one toy can be so darn important. These kids will kill each other over one freakin lego, when there's about 500 other identical legos in the toy box. I just don't get it!
OH! and there's one kid that has decided it's so much fun to bite me. Every morning as soon as he gets a break from fighting the other kids, he waits for a moment when am not looking and bites me. Crazy, crazy kid. I have so many bruises on my legs where he has bitten me. He's worse than a dog, when he bites he just won't let go.

The little boy in the photo below has grown on me. At first, I absolutely HATED him. He would not listen to anything I said and he would head butt me as often as possible. He would try to kill the other kids, and he's autistic so he's pretty capable! But, one day I had some one on one time with him (which is rare), and he won me over! Not to say that he's gotten any better...but he's a pretty cool kid. He still head butts me for fun and tries to kill his friends and the dog, but we sort of have an agreement now.

Kids are cute, but I definitely don't think I can handle a career dealing with them.

Peninsula Tour

This Sunday I was able to participate in the Cape Peninsula tour. It was absolutely fabulous! Getting out of Cape Town was so nice, and the tour led us to some much safer, nicer areas! We got to drive up Table Mountain, through many beaches and marinas, to Boulder's Beach penguin colony, and down to the most south western point of Africa. The tour took about 8 hours form start to finish. I have some favorite pictures that I want to share:

Penguins at Boulder's Beach:
Wild ostriches along our drive:

I LOVE the rainbow above the mountain:

Table Mountain and Lion's Head:

Street Feeding Experience

Last night I had the opportunity to go street feeding with Ursala. It was a very eye-opening, emotional experience for numerous reasons! But, let me start at the beginning:


Street feeding is where a group of volunteers puts in about 150 Rand a piece (which is about $20) to buy bread, fruit, and such for the homeless. On this particular street feeding, we ended up making about 200 sandwiches, buying about 100 bananas, and 100 oranges. We loaded the car up around 7:30 and went into Cape Town to begin the feeding. On the way in, Ursala was explaining to us what to expect and how thankful the people would be for the food. We were all a bit nervous since there was only seven volunteers going, and she told us that we would be greatly out numbered.


When we got there, Ursala honked several times and people just came running out of different directions and lining up in front of us. It was shocking at first, seeing all of these people who had no place to call home lined up in front of you. I think we all looked at each other with tear-filled eyes at this point. But, we held it together and handed out the food to these unfortunate people. As we handed out the food, the people really wouldn't speak to us much. A few of them said thank you or nodded a bit, but the majority just took the food and went off to eat it. Some of the people even asked why we didn't bring more, or why we didn't bring them soup or tea since it was cold! This was very difficult to respond to, since we were told they would be thankful for anything we gave them. It seemed strange that they should be picky, considering we were giving them the first bit of food they had gotten in days.

Right as we were finishing up handing out food, we heard a ruckus behind us where Ursala was giving out the clothes. Two men had gotten in a fight over the last sweater that Ursala had. The men were literally getting in a fight like you would see on WWF. It was ridiculous! It was a bit scary since we were greatly out numbered by these people and all of them were getting in on the fight. But, someone that drove past saw the fight and called the police, who arrived within minutes. Apparently, there's a new politician in office here in South Africa who is forcing police to be very strict with the street people. So, everyone of the men were lined up under one of the bridges and checked for passports (which none of them had). We left after that, but Ursala said they would either end up in jail or sent back to their home country. It was very disappointing that we had started out hoping to help these people, and we ended up only causing trouble because of a simple sweater. It was very eye-opening to be reminded by these people how much we take for granted. At home, we would never have to argue over a sweater, or fight for food. We also have a home to go to, and a warm blanket to climb under at night. In our circumstances, it's very hard to reason how these people could argue over a sweater, but for them, it is like a million dollars!

The next bridge that we went to was home to a group of about 30 street people who all looked after each other like family. These people had boxes set up with little doors between them, and in each box a husband and wife lived. They also had boxes where sisters and brothers lived. These people were SO nice and thankful for the most part!

There was this lady named Zelda, who is dying of AIDS. She chatted with me and another volunteer for about thirty minutes(which was a great accomplishment considering she could barely speak), telling us about her life and how she ended up on the street. It was a heartbreaking story! She had grown up in a township and had been abused and raped at a young age. So, when she was a teenager, she ran away and had nothing else to do but live as a street person. She is know 66 and still living under a bridge. She is such a nice lady and had so much to tell us about life! It was just heartbreaking that she had no medication for her disease, and she was just SO sick! Telling her bye was the worst! She wanted a picture with us, and she begin to cry in the picture because she realized that it might be the last picture she would ever be in:( She ended by telling me she loved me, and not to forget it! Such a great lady with such a horrible life! I don't know how such terrible things can happen to such great people :(

There was another man who was completely unforgettable. I got to have a conversation with him for about 20 minutes. He mainly wanted to talk about politics, which I'm not great at, but I was able to relate when he asked about America's new president. There was one time where he asked me about some politicians name in America who had moved from South Africa. Of course, I had no clue who he was speaking of! He thought it was crazy that I had access to all of those resources (I suppose he was speaking of the Internet) and I didn't know all these things. (I think I'll definitely be looking them up after that:) He said if he had the chance he would know all of their names. Such a great man! But, all the political talk is not why this guy is sticking in my head. Toward the end of our conversation he begin to talk about his life. He ended up on the streets because he didn't want to be stuck in a drug neighborhood, which he had grew up in. He said that he left when he was twenty because he didn't feel safe walking down the street he had grew up on any longer. Apparently, when he was in his teens the area changed and drug lords took over the area. So, at twenty he had nowhere else to go but the streets. He has now been on the streets for twenty five years and said that he felt like it was the only place he could go. If he went back to live with his family, he said he would feel unsafe (which is a lot to say if you would prefer the streets) and he really didn't want to go back. But, the saddest part of the whole chat was when he started talking about death. Apparently he too is dying of a condition which he chose not to name. He told me that he didn't really fear dying, because he really had nothing much to live for anyway. He said that he didn't want a funeral, he just wanted to be thrown into a hole. His reason was because he had came into this world with nothing and he wanted to go out with nothing. As he was telling me this, tears filled his eyes. I kept wondering if it was the talk of death, the reality of dying, or the reminiscing of his life that brought him to tears. All of it was enough to upset me.

How can some people be so unfortunate in life? Sometimes circumstances that can't be helped at all, like which family you are born into, control your life and tape you to a poor way of life. Zelda and this man are both examples of unforgettably great people that have been faced with terrible challenges in life. They both left us with a hug and told us never to forget that they loved us and that God would bless us forever so we didn't have to live the same life that they had.





The experience was shocking, unforgettable, emotional, and a bit scary all at the same time. There were many unforgettable people that would just completely break your heart! The experience was very humbling and it brought to light all of the items that we fortunate people generally take for granted. While I do not think I am up for another street feeding project, I will never forget this experience or the few people that I was fortunate enough to get to spend time with!

Declining Patience

Patience!!! I have always had a lot of it when it comes to kids. But, something has changed in the last week and half, and now I feel like I have no patience to spare. I think it is the combination of the kids and the adults (who are by far crazier than the kids) that really gets to me. After trying to deal with two adults with opposing views, and then coming in and trying to entertain six kids ( by myself!) , I feel completely zapped of all patience. A kid can look at me the wrong way, and I feel like changing their light to yellow (which means you're about to be in big trouble mister!) !

It seems like things change day to day. Home of Hope is going through many changes right now, and they are very unorganized at the moment. They are throwing different hours on my everyday, and I just never quite know what to expect. This is also testing my Patience in every way possible. I know it must be difficult on the kids, who need routine, to come in and find something different everyday. So, hopefully with much collaboration between the owner, the teacher, and myself, we can get things straightened out and get the kids and incoming volunteers into a regular routine. It would be great, for me and my patience, if all this hard work actually led to something visible in the next couple weeks.

I can not leave this post about patience with talking about Bubba. I can't remember if I mentioned Bubba in previous posts, but I will just start from the beginning just in case. Bubba is the mother of the owner of the orphanage. She is about seventy years old (but she's a feisty one!), and fosters four kids herself. She lives in the house connecting the orphanage that I am placed in. Two of the kids that I care for in the daytime are her daughter's foster kids. So, needless to say, she feels that she must have input in my day to day involvement at the orphanage. She meets me every morning at the gate (when I am trying to struggle four little ones inside so they don't get flattened by cars) and begins to tell me what I will do that day. She is SO incredibly hard to deal with! She started off this week with telling me that I must watch her kids until one because she was supposed to have the mornings off. Well, this begin an argument between her and the teacher, because I was also supposed to help the teacher between 12-1. After much fuss, Bubba won (probably because she's ancient!) and I am now watching her kids until one every afternoon.

But, now I have to tell the part that really caused me to loose my patience!

Today, Bubba asked me to bring the kids to her house and feed them lunch because it was warmer and the kids were too cold in the orphanage. So, I carried the kids over, gave them lunch, and put them down for their naps. Then, I stayed and talked to her for a bit while I waited on the teacher to get back. When the teacher got back, I got my bag and was going to walk back over to the orphanage to help her out with organizing the classrooms. But, Bubba had other plans. She grabbed my bag, put it back down on the table and said, "No, your bag stays with me until one. (It was 12:45 at the moment). That way I know that you don't leave until you are supposed to leave." I was totally shocked by it, because I was going to end up being there much later than one as it was. So, I ended up explaining to her that it was my bag, with my stuff in it, and that it was coming with me. If she really didn't trust me and wanted to assure that I didn't leave before one, she could have just looked out the window at the car sitting parked in her driveway!

Ugh! Patience!!! It is so hard to keep sometimes.

This is a very short video of the kids going crazy. I had to cut it short because one was playing with a plug and one had to "go make a wee".

Everyday is different. Some are good, some are trying, and some are just completely exhausting! I am now scared to say that I have a technique down that works with the kids, because as soon as I do, they prove me wrong (what a child-like thing to do). But, I can see the difference that can be made in these kid's lives by my effort and patience with this project! So, it will all be worth it in the end! ~

Success with the Kids

Today was my first day alone with the kids! Adele, the other volunteer, finished her time up with Home of Hope and went back home today. So, at first I was a little nervous, considering the kids try to run over me in as many ways they can. Over the weekend, I pondered several techniques to use with the kids, since I am not good at raising my voice with them. No good technique really clicked; so, I decided to just play it by ear and see what happened. If things got out of control I would just go to the nearest corner and roll into a ball until I thought of something better to do.


But, the day begin rather smoothly, and came out of 9 oclock with only a scratch, bite, and smack in the face from a giant Lego train. I was rather pleased with the little boogers. But, then 10 o'clock came and they decided that I looked ready for more. So, the trouble begin. It always begins with one. Little Harry, who is nearly two, decided to get up first. After Harry came Gunda, then Lutho, then Timba, and so on. At first I tried raising my voice with them and when that didn't work I simply set down and waited for them to wonder about me. It took only a minute for them to start wondering why there was no screaming going on. After that, it was like magic. One followed my lead to sit back down, then the other, then the other, until all of them were seated and waiting to see what all of the quietness was about. Once they were all seated, I begin to talk in a really low voice and see if somehow it might work. And it did! The kids were so used to hearing screaming that they calmed down and listened when I spoke quietly to them. I was amazed.

After that one incident (which nearly terrified me), things flowed smoothly the remainder of the afternoon. I am happy to report that I came out of my first day alone with only a scratch, bite, smack in the head, and one nice kick. Believe it or not, that is a good day!!

It is only the beginning of my second week, and I have already had so many crazy, wild, funny, and great experiences. I am hoping that this quiet talk technique continues to work...but, I'm sure the kids will pull something else out on my just to add to the fun. One thing I have learned is that no day is ever the same with kids,whether special needs or not.

More on Culture

People: Cape Town is a little mix of everyone. You have about 80% black (which can be tribal South Africans, township people, ect.), and 20% white (this group consists of native South Africans, and a mix of Europeans). Among the black population, the people can distinguish groups. For example, they can tell which township someone is from, or which tribe they are a part of. The different groups do not get along with each other generally. I have seen a lot of hostility among the different groups.





The white population is still somewhat thought of as the ruling class. After apartheid when many white non-native people stayed around to claim land and such, the blacks were kicked off their land and treated as slaves. Since this happened in the recent past, hard feelings still stick around.





Overall, hateful attitudes remain among many of the different groups in South Africa.




Poverty: poverty is a huge problem among South Africans. Especially the township people, who make up about 70% of the entire South African population. The townships people live either on the street, or if they are lucky enough they get the opportunity to pay 20 Rand a month to live in government housing. Government housing is a new option for the township people. The system works by providing each family with one bed. And there are 4 beds per room, and about 4 rooms per apartment. So, about 16 families live in one apartment. However, these families are so thankful for any housing, even if it is shared with numerous other people.






Language: Cape Town is filled with languages. Locals generally are at least bilingual. There are about eight common tribal languages in South Africa, and then there's English, Afrikaans, German, and Russian. Then, when you add the tourists into the mix, you have just about any language you can think of. Walking down the streets is amazing. You hear so many different languages.

Religion: Most South African are Christians. They hold Sunday as their day of worship. Alcohol sales are prohibited and everything on their days of worship. You see the strongest beliefs in the townships areas. Even though these people have nothing, they still have faith in God and believe that he can help them overcome all of their problems.

Another majority religion in South Africa is Muslim. There is even a street in Cape Town devoted to Muslim places of worship, eateries, ans shops. Other religions and tourists are not welcome on this street.

Food: You can get any foods you please in Cape Town. They are very similar to Western countries, in that they have just about anything you want. In the city, you can find Chinese, Turkish, Mexican, and American restaurants, along with any other types of foods you could possibly want. Vegetarians can easily survive in Cape Town. Meat is a common meal, but meat substitutes are also available. Restaurants usually even have veggie burgers and fake chicken and sandwich meat.

Overall, Cape Town is very similar to Western style countries in terms of culture. The big difference is the townships, poverty, and arts and crafts.

I will be making a visit to a township in a couple weeks and will learn more then. That's all for now!

Culture of Cape Town

Basic Culture:

Cape Town is filled with many different kinds of people. The only population that I haven't seen yet is American.

One thing that you can count on in Cape Town, especially the Western Cape, is an overwhelming homeless population. When walking down the street, whether in Table View (where the volunteer house is) or in the city, you can never fail to see atleast fifty locals hanging out under every bridge. They have boxes, blankets,matresses, and clothes EVERYWHERE. You pass fields with clothes scattered everywhere.

Walking through the city at night is horrifying because of all of these people. They stand inside of narrow little pasageways and reach out at you when you pass by and then continue to follow you down the street screaming that they are going to take your bag. And this happens when you are in a group of seven.

I got to learn a little more about Cape Town from a taxi driver names John. He has lived in Cape Town all his 67 years and he has een a taxi driver for 52. He told us about the overwhelming homeless population, and the high crime rate in the area. He told us to avoid mini busses, as these busses are where people get rapped, robbed, and murdered at. He also told us never to wlak alone, and to try to be out of he city before dark even if we are in a large group.

When John heard that I was American, he told me to be extra careful and to try and pull off anoher accent. He was such a nice little old man, and I think I have found my taxi driver for the next 8 weeks:)

More info to ome on culture . . . .

Culture of child rearing and schooling:

Cape Town is an interesting place. The culture here is very different than in the U.S. The Capetonians believe in saying what they think, and they don't really care what others think of them. From what I have seen and heard, they believe firmly in independence from a very youg age. When I was talking to the owner of Home of Hope, she was asking me about American culture and, ofcourse, telling me her opinions about it. She felt that Americans were ruining their future generations by spoiling their children too much. She also felt that American teenagers were the way they are because of too much affection.

Elenore's views reflect a lot of the South African ways. Many South Africans feel that Americans have went about things in a way that has left our society screwed up.

I got to pull of a visit to the top of Table Mountain via Cable Car yesterday. I'm not brave enough to hike it yet. John told me that it was straight up, dangerous, and even that experienced hikers had trouble with it. But, I got some decent pictures from teh top. Check out the cute little guinea pig looking creatures:

First Days at Home of Hope

I started on my volunteer project this Tuesday. The first few days of Home of Hope have been fun, sad, and shocking all at the same time. I started out with the impression that Home of Hope was an orphanage that had volunteers to provide the babies with care, love, and extra attention. But, on the first day of my project, the long term volunteer that serves as the teacher of the younger kids explained to me that the project had changed up a bit in the past few months. Now, Home of Hope functions as three foster homes, with a total of 18 children in their services right now. So, instead of actually needing volunteers to do the care of the children, they need volunteers to help with the day programs for the children. There are two day programs, one for the younger kids and one for the older kids. I am on the project with the one to five year olds.

I get picked up at eight o'clock every weekday morning and I go pick up four kids from their foster mother's house and carry them to the house that they have their day program. At the house, we meet two other kids, making a total of six. There is one 16 month old, one 22 month old, one 2 year old, two 3 year olds, and a 6 year old who participate in the day program.

The first shock was picking the kids up from their foster mothers house. I am so accustomed to safety laws and rules about infant seats and booster seats in the States, that I guess I didn't even think about kids being thrown in the car without any safety belts at all. Even the one year olds! They are just thrown in the back.

The second shock came when I picked up one of the babies and started to carry them into the house. At home, this would be common way, especially when the child was in danger of running into a road. But, immediately after I picked the child up I was told to put her down and make her walk. It was shocking at first. So, I made a point to ask why later. Apparently, it's customary in South Africa to build a child's Independence from a very early age. So, the children are never really held or allowed to sit in your lap at any age. Because of this early Independence building, babies are learning to crawl and walk at a much earlier age. During my orientation, I was told that volunteers who come tend to bring their Western ways with them and generally carry the kids around too much and baby them more than needed. So, part of being a volunteer is to respect the South African culture and force the kids to build Independence by not allowing them to sit in laps or be carried around.

The first few days have been very shocking to me, and after the second day or so I seriously thought about switching projects so that I could work with some of the animal ones. I did not necessarily agree with the way the babies were being treated and I wasn't sure that I could stand eight weeks of watching it. But, I talked to several people about my thoughts and ended up settling with a different conclusion after speaking to the owner of the orphanage, Elenore. Elenore explained to me that one of the reasons that the children were treated without too much affection was because of their circumstances in the foster home. The foster mother generally cares for 6 children. This allowes very little time for individualized attention. With this idea, I was still a bit upset. But, then she gave another, more reasonable explanation. She explained that the children were all orphans, of course, and they all have FASD. Being orphans, they could be allowed to move back with their parents if they aren't adopted, or if their parents come back for them at any time. These poor kid's parents live in the townships of the Western Cape, some of the poorest regions in the world. The parents spend everything they have on alcohol and drugs, and they are completely incapable of caring for themselves, much less a child. So, if these children did end up going back to their parents, they would be forced to fend for their selves completely. This reason sparked a little more meaning for me. These babies and kids started out with a tough life, and are most likely going to continue with a tough life throughout. So, building independence in these children is the integral step to survival for them.

After about three days of my project, I had so many thoughts going through my head. I was thinking about poor Timba, who I have already gotten attached to, and little Harry who tries his best to sit in my lap every chance he gets, and KlanKlan who does his best to jump on every last nerve I have left in me. Then, I was left to think about how hard of a life these kids have been through. Many of them were found in dumpsters, or in boxes by the beach, and are forced to live with FASD and HIV from the very start of their life. I just couldn't stop thinking about all of them and their circumstances, and I kept wondering if I could stick around for 8 weeks and watch them and keep thinking and worrying about them.

After my meeting with Elenore, though, I decided that sticking around for 2 months could REALLY help these kids and that being firm with them would allow me to get control over activities and really help them learn and build new skills. I dropped the idea of moving projects, and decided that being too nice to the children would only hurt me and them in the long run.

So, somehow I am going to have to learn to be firm about discipline and "really let these kids know I'm the boss" (according to Elenore). If I can establish a leadership form of trust with these children, I think that I can really make a positive impact over my 8 weeks.

I still can't help but to think about how these kids would be if they would have been fortunate enough to grow up in the US, to normal middle-class families who loved and cared about them. What would they be like if they didn't have to face all of the challenges that they do? I guess sometimes it makes the child stronger, and without all the challenges they wouldn't be the child they are. All of them are great children, they just have many many challenges to face that cause them to have many many problems. But, after only a week, I am already attached to them and their little tiny hands, runny noses, and sticky fingers. They are going to jump on every nerve I have in me, plus some, but in the end it will make both me and them stronger.

I never thought orphanage work would be such of a challenging, rewarding experience that would push me to new levels, but this first week has shown me that this experience is going to be one to remember for many different reasons, both positive and negative.

More on arrival and first impressions..

Note to anyone thinking of entering a foreign country: always have your return ticket printed out and with you. I didn't even think about printing my return itenerary with me, and I almost didn't get into SA. They had me stopped for 20 minutes (after a 28 hour plane ride) trying to figure out why I was showing them an AVIVA paper that said the person traveling was Sammie. Obviously my name wasn't Sammie becaue my passport had Samantha on it, not Sammie. But eventually they must have gotten tired of it because they gasve up and stamped my passport and let me go through. It was an adventure though.

The first very stupid thing that I did happened at the airport getting into the car. I was getting in the front seat and I go to get in the normal passenger side for the States, but I end up getting in to the drivers side. The stupid thing is that I was so tired and jet lagged thatI didn't even notice. The AVIVA man laughs, hand me his keys, and asks if I am already ready to drive. :)

The second crazy thing that I did was expect all of the Brittish people here at the AVIVA house to understand my twangy American English. They still laugh at me everytime I talk. But, apparently there is an American guy coming in net week, so I want be the only one being laughed a

A note on Cape Town:

So far, I have been into the City Centre, the market, the orphanage, and the cinema. My first impressions are that Cape Town is a beautiful city, but it is over taken by crime and overall hate of Americans. It's really funny how the people respond to my accent versus how they respond to the Brittish and other European accents. I would never dare walk down the street by myself, or get into a mini bus or taxi. I'm very thankful for the group that I am with. I am also trying to copy the Brittish accent so that I can pass as one while I am here. :) IT would help me out a lot!

The AVIVA house where all the volunteers live is in Table View, which is about a 25 minute bus ride from the City Center. The bus that takes you between Table View and the City center is apparently brand new, and it is a fairly safe center filled with security gaurds and such (except for Americans, and even the security guards hate us). But, anyways, on the bus ride we get to pass through a lot of the rougher areas of Cape Town and get to see the 'real' Africa. It is just like you see in pictures, except much more real and much more depressing. Before, I thought the bums in Birmingham were sad, but these bums do not even relate to those. There are about 100 of them under one bridge. And they have acres of land beside the bridges that are covered in trash, clothes, and maybe even bodies, who knows.



But, Cape Town is the perfect place to experience a bit of African culture, see how real Africans live, and still survive through it all (if your smart, and not American). I am defintely getting a good taste of South African culture and I'm not exaclty sure how I feel of it, yet. I'm also learning ot speak with a great fake Brittish accent:)

Arrival in Cape Town, Oh, and some penguins

First, I have to say that 28 hours in planes and airports SUCK! They especially suck when you are stuck with a lady and an 18 month old baby (who decided it was fun to scream during the whole 7 1/2 hour plane ride) sitting beside you. Also I would never suggest joining in on a 12 hour plane ride just for the heck of it. They aren't the best way to spend your Saturday night. BUT, I can totally say that all the plane rides were worth it! Cape Town is gorgeous!

There are 12 volunteers at AVIVA House. I am the only American volunteer at the accommodation, which has proved to be very funny thus far. English accents are very difficult to understand, especially when you are running on about 3 hours of sleep within a two day period. But, everyone is very nice and welcoming.

Today I got to go to the Sancoob Penguin and bird sanctuary where we cooked for a group of 40 children and got to tour the center. Apparently penguins are vicious animals, but I did get the opportunity to pet one penguin who was known to 'only nip' at hands. I have pictures of me and the penguin, but they are on someone else's camera, so I will upload those later. For now, I just have some of the penguins:

The Adventure

May 21st I will be leaving for 10 weeks in Cape Town, South Africa.
To be even more specific, the Table View region of Cape Town.
Table View is home to Table Mountain, which is known world wide for its flat top and endangered flora and fauna. Common activities at Table Mountain National Park include the cable car ride, hiking, rock climbing, and caving.
Table View is also known for its awesome beaches, which are filled with penguins.
It is also known for the great African wildlife that fill its land like buffalo, elephants, leopards, lions, rhinos, penguins, and many endangered species.

Despite all the great activities, beautiful beaches, and unique wildlife that Cape Town provides, it also has a darker, more depressing side. Many South African locals are living in immense poverty and are faced with terrible living conditions and an out of control HIV epidemic that continues to grow. According to the Southern African Regional Poverty Network, 57% of the South African population is below poverty level,which has remained the same since 1996, and the gap between rich and poor is continuing to grow.
Because of their poor conditions, many South Africans are left unable to care for themselves or their children. These conditions lead to many orphaned children in the area. Many of these children have HIV, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and many other disorders due to the lack of needs, education, and nutrition in the villages.
The reason that I am traveling all the way to South Africa is not to see the beaches, experience the nightlife, or to see the wildlife. I am going to volunteer 9 weeks in an orphanage and special needs school for children of the desperately poor township regions of Cape Town. (Even though I might be a little excited about the other stuff, too.) The orphanage that I will be at is called Home of Hope: http://www.homeofhope.co.za/

After the 9 weeks in the orphanage, I will be partaking in a week long Cape to Addo park safari. My itinerary:
17 Jul 2011 Cape to Addo Tour - Day 1
Day 1 - Departing Cape Town at around 8:30am, our exciting journey begins as we join the world famous whale route in Gordons Bay for a stunning drive along the picturesque R44 mountain pass overlooking False Bay to the vibrant coastal town of Hermanus. After an opportunity to take some photographs and a picnic lunch on the seafront, we continue to Birkenhead Brewery to sample some fine beers before moving on to the southernmost tip of Africa in Cape Agulhas National Park. After a visit to the lookout point we make our way to the harbour where there is an option to embark on an exciting ski-boat cruise to search for dolphin and whales (June to November). After our cruise we take a walk back to our accommodation along 'Die Plaat', the longest beach in the Southern Hemisphere. This day is designed to be a relaxing one for you to get to know your fellow travellers, to get used to travelling in our vehicle and to settle into the comfortable routine of life on tour. , Included Activities: Beer tasting at Birkenhead Brewery, Optional Activities: Shark cage diving, Ski-boat cruise (possible whale viewing June - Nov).





18 Jul 2011 Cape to Addo Tour - Day 2
Day 2 - Driving inland this morning our journey takes us north through rolling wheat fields to the Langeberg Mountains and on to the pristine semi-desert environment of the Little Karoo. Shortly after Barrydale on Route 62, we stop at Warmwaterberg Spa for lunch and a relaxing swim in 43-degree natural hot springs. In the afternoon we drive through Ladismith and Carlitzdorp to the capital of the Little Karoo, Oudtshoorn. Known as the ostrich capital of the world, Oudtshoorn is situated in a beautiful valley between the Outeniqua and Swartberg Mountains. Here there is an option to view and ride one of these prehistoric birds on a working farm or go on a guided tour of the Cango Endangered Wildlife Ranch for an opportunity to pet cheetah, cage dive with crocodiles and view many rare and endangered animal species. , Included Activities: Entrance to Warmwaterberg Hot Springs Optional Activities: Cango Ostrich Farm, Cango Endangered Wildlife Ranch, Pet a hand raised cheetah (including photos), Cage diving with crocodiles






19 Jul 2011 Cape to Addo Tour - Day 3
Day 3 - We begin the day with a short 20km drive to the magnificent Cango Caves. Here we'll embark on a 1-hour guided tour of the cave system to view its massive caverns and a wonderland of stalactite and stalagmite formations, millions of years old. Cango Caves is a world heritage site and one of the great wonders of the natural world. After our visit to the caves, we leave the Karoo and travel 60km to the coast through the magnificent Outeniqua Pass. Entering the Garden Route for the first time in George and take a leisurely drive up the coast to Knysna, rated South Africa's most beautiful town. Here we'll take a walk to the entrance of the lagoon to explore the captivating scenery surrounding the famous Knysna Heads. In the afternoon we drive to the highest road bridge in Africa at Bloukrans Bridge. At a height of 216m this is also the site of the highest bungy jump in the world! For those wishing to take the leap, this is your opportunity! Included Activities: Standard or adventure guided tour of Cango Caves, Optional Activities: Bloukrans bungy jump (216m), Bloukrans bridge walking tour






20 Jul 2011 Cape to Addo Tour - Day 4
Day 4 - This morning you have the opportunity to explore the Tsitsikamma National Park, either via a hike across the suspension bridge at Storms River Mouth or by means backwater tubing. Tubing is a unique, four hour fun adventure, filled with splashing, swimming, rock jumping, kloofing and hiking (seasonal). The National Park, declared in 1964, encompasses a marine reserve made up of 80km of coastline and offers magnificent scenery. Approximately 30% of the park is covered in fynbos, scattered amongst the forest vegetation, boasting a wide variety of beautiful flowers, including proteas and heath. Many species of forest, fynbos and sea birds are present. We stop off at the fun waterfall zipline at Tsitsikamma Falls Adventures. This "foefieslide" tour takes you on 8 cable rides over the Kruis River and down a ravine over three waterfalls. Afterwards we make our way inland towards Addo and our accommodation for the night, in the Sundays River Valley. Set in a wild and scenic location on the banks of the Sundays River, we take the time to relax under the African sun as well as explore the river by canoe. Around the campfire tonight, this is what you've come to experience... Wild Africa at her enigmatic best! Included Activities: Canoeing on Sundays River, Optional Activities: Entrance to Tsitsikamma National Park, Tsitsikamma Blackwater Tubing, Tsitsikamma Falls Zipline.




21 Jul 2011 Cape to Addo Tour - Day 5
Day 5 - Up early this morning, we begin our Addo Park Safari along a network of winding roads stopping regularly for photographs and information on the animals we encounter along the way. On our game drive we'll also disembark from our vehicle at the main lookout point for a spectacular view over the evergreen wilderness that is Addo. After our game drive we'll take lunch at the park restaurant before a leisurely drive down to the coast and Port Elizabeth. Proclaimed a National Park in 1931, this malaria free, 145 000 ha. Park, extends all the way down to the Indian Ocean and is home to the densest African Elephant population on earth, totalling over 500 elephant. Addo Park is also famous for being the only park in Africa playing host to the Big 7 i.e. Elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, the Southern Right Whale and the Great White Shark. A major sea port and tourist destination, Port Elizabeth is set along the beautiful shores of Algoa Bay and is fondly referred to as the Friendly City. We then head for the pristine beaches of Jeffrey's Bay! Renowned the world over as one of the best surfing waves on the planet, we'll take time out to view the waves at 'supertubes' before exploring the town and visiting the ever-popular surf wear factory shops i.e.: Billabong, Rip Curl, Roxy, Quicksilver and more. You have to chance to rent a board to experience the waves for yourself or do a surf lesson. Included Activities: Entrance fee and 3 hour game drive in Addo National Park, Optional Activities: 2 Hour game drive with 4x4 vehicle in Addo National Park, Surfboard & wetsuit rental, 2 Hour surfing lesson, 2 Hour beach horse ride.




22 Jul 2011 Cape to Addo Tour - Day 6
Day 6 - This morning we begin our relaxing journey back to Cape Town with our first stop for the day at the Crags Orphaned Elephant Sanctuary for a truly wonderful close encounter experience. Here you have an opportunity to walk, feed and ride an African elephant while receiving instruction from a knowledgeable African guide. After the Sanctuary we continue down the Garden Route, stopping occasionally to take in anything we may have missed on our way up. We arrive at our accommodation overlooking the sea at Myoli Beach in Sedgefield. Situated right on the beach and close to the Swartvlei Lagoon, here are loads of water sports and other activities to partake in for the remainder of the afternoon before a delicious dinner. Optional Activities: Elephant walking and feeding, Monkeyland, Paragliding, Kite/Wakeboarding lessons, Various board rentals at Myoli Beach.




23 Jul 2011 Cape to Addo Tour - Day 7
Day 7 - After breakfast below the ocean in Sidgefield, we start our journey back to Cape Town. We visit an Aloe factory in Albertinia and enjoy a wonderful scenic drive via Swellendam and Sir Lowry's Pass. We arrive in Cape Town early Saturday afternoon.




Needless to say, I am super excited about this summer experience (technically its a winter experience in South Africa, but winters there are filled with moderate temperatures, with a low around 50 at nights, and a high around 70 in the days.)I can't wait to see what this experience has to offer!!! My accommodation has wifi, so I should be able to keep the blog updated every few days or so. Stay tuned for updates!