Seeing service with fresh eyes

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On September 27^th my mother arrived in South Africa for a three-week visit.  I wanted her to see so much of what the country has to offer, but it was especially important to me that she see the village where I live and work so she could have a better understanding of what I am doing here (and I also thought she needed to ride the public taxis for the full experience).  This experience was great for her, but it also really encouraged me in my service to see things through the fresh eyes of a visitor, and to hear the things that members of my community said to her.

We arrived in my village late in the afternoon on Sunday, October 1^st.  It took a grand total of one hour for this news to spread and for many neighbors, children, and community members to find their way to my door to greet her.  The kids thought she was the best as soon as she passed out Jolly Rancher candies to each of them, and she and kokwani hit it off immediately.  Some of the members of the community stopped by to tell her about the work I have been doing, which was incredibly eye-opening and encouraging to me.  I had no idea that so many members of the community knew of, or valued, the work I have been doing so much before I heard them tell my mom about it.  It made me think that perhaps some of the programs I have implemented will have a lasting impact on the community, and perhaps some of the programs will even be sustainable.

October 2^nd-4^th my project manager and I had planned a Grassroot Soccer Camp for the children.  Grassroot Soccer is a program that uses soccer drills to teach children about HIV and TB, and is fairly straightforward and easy to implement.  Evidence suggests that class sizes under 25 learners work best for such programs, so I delivered letters to each of the schools in the village that explicitly stated that only the first 25 learners to sign up would be accepted.  I gave the children two weeks to sign up, but the children from Mashangani Primary School had filled the roster in just two days.  One of the teachers at Mashangani Primary School read the letter and volunteered to assist me with the camp.  Mr. Mashaba was an absolute Godsend!  We kept the children each day from 10am until 3pm, giving them a small lunch in the middle of the sessions (so kindly prepared by my mother).  On day two of our camp there was a mobile clinic taking place in the same vicinity as the camp.  When parents saw what was taking place in the camp they asked how they might involve their own children in a future camp.  The camp was a great success, the children learned so much, and the community and my organization are already expressing interest in future camps. 

After four days I decided my mom had bucket bathed and used an outdoor latrine enough and we did the tourist destinations of Kruger National Park (where we saw the Big 5!) and Cape Town.  We had a great time, and it was nice to get away for a bit.  Since I have returned to my village every question I have received has been “where is mama?”  I guess those Jolly Ranchers really made an impact!