I thought today was going to be another lame day at work. I was only right for about half the day, thank God. The morning was incredible slow again, especially since my boss has been in Joburg for the past couple days and is thus “unreachable.” Unfortunate when you’re trying to get assignments from him. So great, I was expecting another dilly-dally day. Rebecca saved me. She took me and two other interns to Khayletsha for the afternoon to sit in on a briefing in the township. Getting there was a little bit of an adventure. I hadn’t taken the mini-buses here in Cape Town until this afternoon. They are wicked cheap if you’re trying to get out to the townships, but also probably wicked sketchy if you’re on your own. It was such an experience too see the mini-bus station (which was surprisingly organized) and to ride out in a crowded vans to the townships. The five of us crowded into the very back of the bus, which served for some good TAC bonding. The office here is so ridiculously young. Rebecca, the head of the PCR department in our National Office, is probably the spunkiest/most intense person I’ve ever met, is only 27.
From what I could see, Khayletsha is a township worse off than Langa (the one we visited as a group). The majority of it is very dirty, filled with crowded shacks and weak looking buildings. Our first stop was the TAC office in Khayletsha where we spent some quality time talking as interns about relationships, traveling, and the massive stack of boxes filled with condoms in the room. After a cup of tea and an hour or so of waiting, we discovered that the meeting was being held elsewhere, so we packed back into a minibus to drive over to a local library.
The meeting consisted of informing the people present on TAC’s Resources for Health Campaign that is being launched this July. The purpose of the campaign is to push the government to meet the health system promises that were made to South Africa despite the global economic crisis. These promises include having 80% of all HIV positive people on treatment and reducing the infection rate by 50% by the year 2011. Frankly, I don’t see these promises being met, but I fully support the optimism and belief that they can be fulfilled if the government focuses it’s money in the appropriate areas of this society. It was moving to see how these people, who are mere community members of Khayletsha, are so motivated to mobilize their community in this fight against HIV/AIDS. I’m thankful that Rebecca took me today, I feel like I learn so much from sitting in on these briefings and from seeing the actual communities that are being impacted by the decisions and actions being taken in the National Office. It always helps to have a face in your mind while doing service work.
I didn’t get back from Khayletsha until almost five which meant that I had to walk home alone from work, which I HATE doing. I ended up being fine except for a man who decided to follow me until another man told him to lay off and stop bothering me. I powerwalked in the heat wearing my NorthFace fleece and carrying my probably 40lb backpack uphill, at least 1.5 miles all the way back to the B&B. And then I collapsed on my bed before starting to skype.
Today is the first day I’ve really started to miss home. I guess there’s just been a lot going on in my head and I want to be right beside the people who always help me deal with them. I feel very separate from everyone right now. It was bound to happen, and it happened while I was abroad, too. It even happens at Duke sometimes. I'll get over it soon, but I need to snap out of this funk asap, hopefully by tomorrow. Between spending time in the township, feeling like I have to sprint home from work to avoid getting followed, missing my family and friends who I can't constantly talk to, and dealing with life, for the first time I feel like the thousands of miles from home.
Just know that I’m missing you all very much, but don’t worry, I’m still having an awesome time here while I save the world. Joke. But I am trying though, one little step at a time.
Ukuthula,
Lynn
We miss you too
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Mom