I do have time for this though

And I hope you will make time for it too:

http://www.firstgiving.com/mattweger

Friday - Last day in the townships

On Friday we went to Delft.  I found myself quite saddened at the thought of this being our last day in the townships.  There are so many wonderful people and programs here for people in such need like I have never seen.  I do not have time right now to detail out the day - but I will tell you it was again enlightening.  Here are a couple of photos to tide you over until I can write it up properly later this evening.

This is the team at Delft.  Besides me is Costa and next to
Mike is Latisha (I need to confirm her name!)

My wife said she wanted to see me in a hairnet - so here it is!

I'll tell you how I met this little one.

I loved Costa's tee-shirt: Men Making a Difference.  And he is.

The large shadowy figure on the left is non-other than our very

own Brian "Dancin' Fool" DiMasi

I promise to detail it out yet tonight!

Correction

So it turns out that yet again I've been miss-stating something.  I'm told that the children are saying "sharp" "sharp" - not "shoot", "shoot" (as I first thought), nor "shoop", "shoop" as I second thought or "shop", "shop" as I third thought but "sharp", "sharp".  I now believe that I have this right. If someone can either confirm or correct me once in for all I would greatly appreciate it!

Cape Town / Mfuleni Part 2

So I last left off on our family visit in Mfuleni which was yesterday afternoon.  After we walked through the community back to the center we had two options for volunteering - either work in the garden or help out in the computer lab with some students that were coming in after school to complete homework and exercises designed to help them learn to use the computer.

As a computer geek - I opted to stay inside on the beautiful day and help kids on the computer.  Honestly, it felt like the most relevant thing for me to do.  The center in Mfuleni had about 15 computers and had need for at least 30.  The computers that they had were unfortunately outdated and while they operated they were slow and showing their age.  I'm hoping my Microsoft friends read this and want to make a difference here (HINT HINT). 

Many of the children had to double up in front of one computer and share.  Enough that it stood out to me.  Here are some pictures of children doubled up on the computers.

This one wouldn't boot up... but I did get it to work.

These two saw me take the picture of the other girls and wanted their photo taken too... very cute.  And yes, they were sharing a computer too.

These young men were playing a game together that taught them how to type.  They'd nudge each other for the ability to hit the key on the keyboard.

Ok - I think I've added enough evidence of need.  Now I just hope this gets to

my Microsoft friends (Hi Pete!)

It was nice to be able to help them learn how to use the computer and search the internet.  A few weeks back I went to an event at home where the former CIO at Google came and gave a talk.  A part of his presentation had an animated picture that was a map of the world with 'lights' showing where Google searches originated.  At the time he built the slide the entire continent of Africa was just flat out not on the map for Google searches.  I'm happy to say that I helped a good number of young people understand how to use that tool.

What I found to be hard was what I helped them search for.  One group of the young men in the room had homework assignments from school to research / learn about Adolph Hitler.  I guess the only thing I can say about that is history is always relevant and better known than not known.

The other thing that I spent a lot of time with a few of the young people was helping them search for what the rash that people with AIDS can get.  There were two young people sharing a computer (a girl and a boy together) wanting to know what the rash looked like.  For a split second I was embarrassed - they were so young - and then I made it my mission to help them find what they were looking for and teach them how to find it on their own.  We found photos.  I left them to review.  I made sure they found everything that they were looking for and knew how to find it. 

But it did break my heart to think why they were wanting to see it.  I hope it is simply out of fear - and that there nothing to worry about. 

We had a very busy day in Mfuleni.  After the computer center there was an art class going on, a soccer game on one side of the building and running and games going on on the other side.  The area is very sandy.  It is mostly made of white sand that you'd find on a coast - at some point a long time ago I guess this area was underwater.  There was so much broken glass and rubble in the sand - and so many of the children did not have any shoes on their feet.  I was afraid they were really going to hurt themselves, but they played hard.  Here are some of the photos from the afternoon:

This was actually on the drive in to the community.   There was a whole group of children pushing old tires down the street.  I found out later (and should have guessed) that there are a lot of uses for old tires including backyard gardens and maybe even just toys - as they have none - quite literally none.  I think of the toys my children have in our basement that they have outgrown and want to pack them up and ship them here the minute I get home.

This is a view of the community.

More of the school kids rolling tires.

This was a view of the wonderful vegetable garden at the center.  They grow a lot of vegetables and have programs that they are starting to try to help people grow their own food.  The soil is very, very sandy so it is hard to do and takes a lot of fertilizer to get it to grow.

Little girl enjoying a hot meal provided by the center.

Children playing soccer

He had just been running as a part of the running exercises. 

They were racing through the sand (see the bare feet?) on a course that had been set up.  Working together and having a blast.

This is Betsy - and behind her is Mike.  They both worked in the kitchen helping prepare the meals for the afternoon.

I spent time in with the children in the art class.  They all drew large self-portraits of themselves.  I asked one little girl to show me her painting and they all lined up behind her for their picture with their self portraits.  It was just like before with the little ones - pose, pose, pose.  I loved it.  Here are the pictures:

This is our team with the leaders of the Mfuleni MaAfrika Tikkun site. There are plans for a larger community center there - as well as an Early Childhood Development program like that in Orange Farm.  I know it will provide such a huge benefit for the community.  I'll write more about the impact I've seen later (not that I haven't already).

Cape Town - Part 1

Before I start into Cape Town - please help us by donating for MaAfrika Tikkun here: http://www.firstgiving.com/mattweger.

We left Joburg for Cape Town today.  MaAfrika has centers in both towns and we wanted to learn what they do here.  We headed for the home office immediately after getting off the plane.  From there we met Catherine - who is the head of the office in Cape Town and she fed us lunch and kept us on track to get out to Mfuleni to spend the afternoon (thank you Catherine!).

Cape Town is again a city of amazing contrast.  In the heart of the city you have an area as nice as the nicest parts of Columbus, Ohio with actual scenery to surround it (Table Top Mountain and the Coast) including a vibrant waterfront with restaurants / shopping and yes, even a ferris wheel.  Just 10 minutes away and you have a community like Mfuleni.

This is where the home office for MaAfrika is in Cape Town -
see the beautiful mountains in the back?

Prior to leaving, Catherine set our expectations about the center as compared to Joburg.  The centers in Cape town are not as mature as the ones in Joburg.  They are more at their beginnings v. what they can be (and what they have planned).

We left home office and drove about 10-15 minutes away for our visit to Mfuleni (pronounced like mmm-Fu-lean-ee) where we would spend the remainder of the day.  Our agenda had a new twist to it - in that we would be again leaving the centers and going out into the community this time for a 'home visit' as well as other plans.

Mfuleni was a bit different than the townships of Joberg.  There were parts of this area that had established small houses with stucco siding that looked like what I would have called homes.  Then in the newer 'sections' (called sections with numbers associated - like section 9) where people had not yet established themselves there were the shacks that we had seen in Alex / Orange Farm.  Only this time we were going to go into one of them. 

After meeting the team at Mfuleni we were assigned to a team of young women whose job is to go out into the community and assist the people in their homes that are considered in a vulnerable state (with room in the definition of that word for life's realities).  Here is a picture of the team:

At Mfuleni as we met our partners for the day.

I was partnered up with Linda (in the photo above she is up and to the left in a pink shirt).  I thought that was only appropriate as my loving mother's name is Linda.  We headed out into the community and then split up to go on our assignments.

As we walked to our assignments.

Linda and I walked through the township to the home of a man who lost his wife in November of this past year.  She considered them a tough client as they are recently having to cope with life without a mother and a wife.  We entered the gate of the home (I don't want to call it a shack now because it is their home) and I saw two young children in the doorway to the house.  I tried to say hello, get them to say hello but they were very, very shy.  Linda brought me inside where I met the father, and a few other neighbors that were there.  In all there were 5 children, 1 baby (that I didn't see right away), 3 women, the father and me in 1 room home. 

The floor was made of a vinyl tarp covering the sand/dirt beneath.  It was as clean as it could be but was made of everything from cardboard, to wood, to sheet metal.  I want you to picture going to the local dump at home, picking up materials that you find and then making a house out of it and living there.  That's what this was.

I would like to say that we all connected immediately and had great conversations about everything.  In truth - it was hard.  I came into the house.  Sat down in the only chair as the father stood beside me and the women/children on the beds in front of me.  Linda led the children in a song, then described for me what she would do there on her regular visits.  It was clear (not for her not trying because she very much did) that this was not a regular visit.  She sang another song and then we had a few moments of quite silence.  I tried to engage the children by singing the first children's song that came to my head - itsy-bitsy spider (which they did not know).  I did the hand motions, and they watched / listened and we laughed and talked about it for a bit.

After a bit more silent time (with all 11 of us in a house that would fit in our laundry room) - the father and I started to talk about sports.  He loves soccer.  We were able to connect together when we talked about sports.

One of the mothers also wanted to know more about me / us - so I did get to talk to her about my daughter Frances, my son Nolan, my wife Sarah and our home in Ohio.  They didn't seem to like the idea of snow on the ground. 

Then it was time Linda and I left the home.  As we were almost all "dismissed" I asked the father if I could have a photo with him.  I was touched when the young mother (and a beautiful little girl who remained incredibly shy the entire time) came back from down the street to join in the photo.  The mother was the one who wanted to know more about me - she is the one on the left of the pictures below.

This one has the incredibly shy little girl on the far left

This is the family with Linda.  They all came together closer

with Linda in the photo which I felt was a good sign - that Linda's

and MaAfrika Tikkun's efforts to help were taking hold.

This was only the first part of the day.  We returned to the center and spent the rest of the afternoon helping school children in the computer room, playing sports in the yards, making food in the kitchen, helping with art classes.  I will write to tell you more about that in the next entry.



Diepsloot part 2

I think I last left you with Chondra - this beautiful little boy, just so you are reminded, here are his photos again.

He still hadn't talked to me just yet, but would just look at me

with his beautiful eyes, point to a part of the bike and smile...

He wanted to wear my helmet

With some friends

The boy in the back with the hand guestures - I asked

him what it meant, he said it meant hope/peace.
We first met this little boy when Thomas had arranged for us to go out on a bike ride throughout the townships.  I have to again admit that this made me a bit nervous.  Here I am - a suburban white boy from a privileged life going for a ride on a bike that might as well cost as much as a house throughout the township of Diepsloot.  Sorry.

Thomas and a few of the leaders from the Diepsloot community and children that have been riding the road bikes provided by Safelite invited us to join them on a ride.  We all suited up - Mike & Betsy (who both did the Vegas tri and the London tri) and me and Brian (who go on rides all the time at home - and yes, Brian, you are much faster that I am if you read this).  We hopped on the the very nice road bikes (thus the house comment) and headed out into the township. 

Here are some photos that Musa took for us from a car/truck (didn't they have these in the US in the 70s?) as we followed:

Thomas in front

Here is Chondra - we kept talking through each part of the bike as he talked. 

He would point to the seat, I would say "seat", he would point to the frame, I would say "frame",

he would smile and look at me but not say a word.  Only later - when I bribed him with a cookie

did I hear his voice and his name

As we headed out

Riding in the township

Riding in the township

This is Mike, I'm not sure what he is doing, but this is Mike

We had to stop - as one bike got a flat riding down the side of

a VERY busy road.  I think Brian described the traffic as the
most terrifying ride of his life.

We did make it out of the incredible congestion of the township (there are people everywhere you look) and on to the country roads where these boys and girls have trained with Thomas (sorry for picture overload, but the young man who lead our team in the photos above was the runner last year - and the FASTEST overall in the Belron London Tri and the young women in the photo below represented MaAfrika Tikkun at the tri in London (wonderful to see them again):

Once out on the country roads the beauty of the country set in.  It is not that unlike the rural fields of Ohio - farm fields in the distance, fresh clean air.  We had a wonderful ride.  I greatly appreciated Thomas's efforts to pull it together as he wanted to demonstrate for us the value that he has seen through the Safelite Cycling program.  They have logged miles / miles on the bikes and have even competed recently in a 94.7km race (for a local radio station).  This is something that even 3 years ago would have been unheard of. 

With the terrain of the local roads - we do need to find a way to get them some hybrid / mountain bikes to train on in addition to the road bikes.  Here is the storage unit that they have where they care for the bikes:

There are quite a few hanging brackets to fill with hybrid / mountain bikes. 

As with Orange Farm - I entered the facility with a ball in my stomach.  It is smack dab in the middle of an environment that even after seeing it - I can't understand what it would be like to live there.  By the end of our stay, the last thing I wanted to do was leave.  To be there - with these beautiful children who seem so full of promise and hope (which in my heart I hope their future holds) - was where I wanted to be.

Diepsloot

After Alexandra we left for Diepsloot.  We met Xomadi (I think that's how it was spelled) who is the program director for the Center in Diepsloot at the event in Alex and then all headed over to Diepsloot in one car.  It took about an hour to get there.  Musa came with us again.

In Diepsloot we all volunteered.  The first stop was to help children with homework in the computer center.  We entered the computer center and met Mduduzi who headed up the area.  They explained that children were coming in that needed help with their homework.  A group of mostly young children came in and sat down - among them was a young man named Prince. 

Prince wants to be an accountant when he grows up and had some accounting home work that he wanted help on.  I'm not sure I was the best person to offer help but we spent an hour together reading his book and completing exercises on keeping books / records and ledgers of transactions.  I was very impressed with how much he knew already.  I did my best to help him.  We did take a few minute break to Google 'Prince the musician' (he had never heard of Prince - aka the one who turned himself into a symbol) and wanted to see who it was.

Prince studying his for 3rd accounting class (he is in the 11th grade)

Betsy helping out

Mike working with children on their math tables

Brian and who Brian called "the math genious"

I will write more about Diepsloot and tell you about my cycling trip / afternoon with the children.

I will leave you with this photo - Chondra - who became my buddy for the afternoon: