67 minutes to change the world

Disclaimer: the content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. government, the Peace Corps, or the South African Government.

Today I joined the caregivers from the Home Based Care in my village as they commemorated Mandela Day by offering 67 minutes of service to those in our community.  Mandela Day began in 2009, and is celebrated on Nelson Mandela’s birthday each year (18 July).  According to un.org: By devoting 67 minutes of their time – one minute for every year of Mr. Mandela’s public service – people can make a small gesture of solidarity with humanity and a step towards a global movement for good.  It is such a small part of just one day, just a little more than an hour.  Can you imagine what would happen if every person on the planet gave just one hour in the year to work towards making the world a little more pleasant for just one other person?  Talk about a ripple effect!

So today we went out to the community.  The caregivers split into teams and each team went to the home of a different patient.  The teams assisted the patients with sweeping their yards and with light housework.  The people we visited were so happy; except for one kokwani who asked my colleagues if I was there to shoot her (I look pretty menacing with a gogo broom in my hand).  Our work was completed almost as quickly as it began, and the yards and homes looked great.  

In just 67 minutes we can make a difference in the life of another, but often we are so caught up in looking for a “dare to be great” moment that we miss all of the little opportunities that are just in front of us.  Wouldn’t it be fabulous if we stopped looking for moments and started taking action?  To quote Archbishop Desmond Tutu: do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.  What can you do with 67 minutes?  Happy Mandela Day!

June without the gloom

Disclaimer: the content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. government, the Peace Corps, or the South African Government.

The Explorers Club wrapped up and we were able to use the projector to show the children Moana.  The caregivers were amazingly inventive as they figured out ways to suspend the sheet we were using for a screen and to cover the windows so it would be dark for the show.  The kids were very excited to watch the movie, and each child even got a little sweet to celebrate the end of the term.  As I have mentioned before, things have a way of not quite going according to plan, and this was no different.  The sound on the projector, which always seemed loud enough when we tested it, was no match for the wind, the birds, and the fidgety children.  Luckily we were able to hear the songs well, and we have since managed to acquire speakers that should help us to better hear our next movie.  Adding the creativity component to the Explorers Club was amazing.  The children are loving coloring and when they write their names on their pictures it is assisting us in identifying those who might need literacy help.

The kids were absolutely tickled when we adults sat down to color with them

Zazi for the caregivers also wrapped up.  We enjoyed lively discussions and many laughs as we worked our way through topics such as relationships, gender-based violence, sexual health, and healthy living.  The discussion about diet modifications was not met with enthusiasm, as salt and sugar are a big part of the diet here.  One of the things I have found to be the same in both the US and South Africa is that the food that is affordable to those who are struggling financially is rarely the food that promotes health and well-being. 

Certificates for the caregivers after the completion of Zazi

I had the opportunity to attend the South African AIDS Conference in Durban from June 13-15.  The conference was amazing.  I found the sessions fascinating, and am so impressed at the advancements being made here in South Africa in the fight against HIV.  The sessions I attended covered so many topics: vaccine trials, topical ARV trials, phylogenetics, universal test and treat, and so many more.  A particularly interesting study observed the risk-taking behavior of participants as far as alcohol was concerned.  In the study, some participants were given alcohol, some were given a non-alcoholic beverage that looked and smelled like alcohol, and some were given water.  The study found that risk-taking behavior increased in people who consumed the non-alcoholic beverage but thought they were drinking alcohol and becoming drunk.  The conference reminded me why I first became interested in working with HIV, and inspired me to continue working in this area after the completion of my service.

Me and fellow PCV, Kolbi, taking a quick picture at the conference

July will be a very busy month, with both a camp and a conference pulling me from the village, but there should also be some time for preparation for term three.  Term three will include conducting Zazi sessions for both the home based caregivers and for the secondary school girls, more of the Explorers Club, and in-service trainings for both the home based care and the drop-in centre on HIV and TB.  It will be a very busy term, but I can’t think of a better way to get through the winter.

The kids are already enjoying their winter break...these boys chased me down the street to ask me to let them color.  Of course I said yes!