Ahhhh it has been so long since my last post. I think I need
to start writing these more often! There is a lot to cover.
After I last wrote, my routine of settling into site was
pretty much the same. Lots of meeting with school staff (there are six schools
in my area all of which I want to help out at), meeting with health care
providers, locals, attempting to integrate, and writing my community needs
assessment. It felt great to be busy and hear from actual people about what my
community needs, and to start brainstorming projects. As of now, I know I definitely
want to teach dance classes, help teaching Life Orientation (health class) and
English in some of the lower performing schools in Digwale, volunteer at local
crèches (pre-schools), help a group of women develop their exercise program,
and brainstorm ways for my organization to develop funding strategies so they
do not have to rely solely on Department of Social Development, which is often
unreliable in my province.
Even though the integration phase was pretty hectic, I was
able to take two small weekend trips to take a little break from village life
which was nice. The first trip was to Nelspruit with two other volunteers, Lane
and Leah. Nelspruit is a lush and green travel destination which has a ton of
gorgeous waterfalls and is also very close to Kruger National Park. We did a
lot of relaxing, eating, and drinking and got to meet some locals who drove us
all around to see some gorgeous views as well. I also got to go to
Bronkhorspruit, which is a town about an hour from me. It has a dive bar/hostel
called the Sinkshack and a Buddhist Temple (random, I know) and me and some
other Education volunteers went for the weekend in April. Education volunteers
came the June before I arrived, and they are the closest proximity to me in
terms of visiting. I have to say, I have loved getting to know them! George,
Sharon, Lily, Eva, and Carolyn are their names and I feel very lucky to be
close to such awesome people. Our weekender was just an overnight trip, filled
with lots of eating, drinking, and dancing as well haha. Sometimes that is all
you need!
By the time it was time to head to Pretoria to catch a ride
back to Mosesetjane for phase 3 of training, I could not believe that seven
weeks had gone by! I remember sitting in my little room thinking, this time is
going to go by so slowly since I cannot start any projects until after I
swear-In, and sometimes, it did, but overall once I started scheduling meetings
it just flew! I found it really hard to believe that I hadn’t seen some of my
cohort in almost two months.
It is hard to explain how much the support and friendship
from other PCV’s truly gets you through some of the hardest times in your
service. Volunteers and friends who were so far away from me, sometimes even a
two day trip to get to, I talked to every day and we shared our highs and lows
and made each other laugh via text message. It was such an emotional experience
to give those first few hugs and actually see other Americans in person! Volunteers from Mpumalanga and KZN provinces
were able to stay the night in Pretoria on April 26th before
traveling back for training. We all ate and went out together to some local
bars which was so much fun! Needless to say, the next morning many of us were
definitely struggling. Finally, buses arrived and we were on our way to
Mosesetjane to be reunited with our host families! It was so sweet to watch
each volunteer get dropped off and their host siblings run out giving them huge
hugs, so thrilled to see them. I was last, and was welcomed home with a huge
braii (barbeque) where my host brother Alfred was cooking steaks and chicken.
My family had bought wine, pre-made salads, and all of this food for the
occasion and we all spent the night talking, laughing, and catching up. It is
crazy how relative everything is. I remember
sobbing my first night with the Kekana family during phase one of training,
missing my real mom and dad and siblings, and coming to them that night truly
felt like coming home from college on a weekend for the first time or
something. Don’t worry family, not replacing you, just giving examples haha. I
slept so soundly knowing my friends were blocks away, my family was there with
me, and that I had the comfort of human connection all around me. I am not
saying I don’t have that option in Digwale where my site is, but it is
definitely different!
Training has been pretty similar to the old format,
presentations and technical trainings on health outreach. The last two weeks of
training, we got bussed in to a lodge where our counterparts and supervisors from
site were staying, and we worked together to create sustainable income
generating activities, community development projects, etc. Right now, we get up at 5 AM every day and get
bussed to Shikwaru Lodge, about an hour away where we meet with our counterparts
and supervisors from site to do workshops together.
One of the most exciting experiences this past month
happened when I got to meet the Peace Corps acting director, Carrie Hessler-Radelet.
She came to see our training class on her way to the airport and gave us such
inspiration with her stories of service. She emphasized the capability of
people to touch each others’ hearts, and really rejuvenated a lot of us who
were feeling pretty tired! Her visit just reaffirmed how truly happy I am to be
here, and how much I know this is exactly what I should be doing.
The last meaningful part of phase three was SWEAR IN!
Finally, I thought it might never come! We were all so happy to say our oaths
and celebrate the end of being trainees, and now I am in Pretoria for the
weekend and will attend a conference on Orphans and Vulnerable Children
tomorrow in Durban where I will actually be presenting! I am happy to be able
to see a new part of South Africa and learn more about the populations I want
to help.
I think that is about all the information I have for now,
and sometimes I feel pictures speak more loudly than my descriptions, so enjoy
them! J
Love and miss you all so much!
h
Pictures include the director visit, swear in, my host family in mosesetjane, our retreat in the mountains, some random site visits, etc.! Hope you enjoy
