The Happy Feet Youth Dancers of Langa

Our tour guide Chippa runs a dance club for all the children of the township called Happy Feet Youth Dancers.  The dancers performed for us and they were incredible.  They range from about 6-16 years old and they practice for at least an hour every single day in a shack that they've painted and decorated.  

Chippa is a father figure to many of these children and tries to provide them with a positive influence and teach them to have respect for themselves, go to school, protect themselves from HIV and pregancy, and just helps them to be good kids.  It is really a remarkable thing he's doing and it was an honor to see it firsthand.  We gave them candy and played with them for a few minutes after.   Chippa said what they need most is warm clothes because many of them only have summer clothes so we need to work out a plan to help them acquire some coats and shoes and sweaters.  That was interesting to me since my experience in the US is that most charities get inundated with clothes and there is an abundance of clothing for those who need it.

We also visited some families in the township.  Most people live in hostels with 9 or more people in a room about the size of a college dorm room.  Others have moved into shacks that have more room and seemed to me like a better place to live but these homes pose dangers like electrical fires so not everyone wants to move out of the hostels.  We bought some souveniers from these families and waited as Chippa bought half a sheep's head for dinner from the ladies who cook them on the street.  Chippa is a wonderful tour guide and we hope to spread the word and help his business grow. 

Cape Town Weekend!

This weekend, Becky, Jessica and I spent a long weekend in Cape Town with our favorite tour guide Chippa!  Our very full agenga included a sunset cruise on Table Bay, hiking Table Mountain (which is very hard, btw), the Cape of Good Hope, the penguins in Simontown, wine tasting at two very beautiful vineyards, beebopping and eating lunch in Stellenbosch, a tour of Robben Island and a stop at Victor Verster prison in Paarl which is the prison from which Mandela was released 21 years ago.  Along the way, we saw baboons, zebra, and seals just doing their thing in the wild.    

Becky and I had done some of these things in December when my mom and I visited but they were just as beautiful and interesting the second time and we were glad to show Jessica around Cape Town which may be THE most beautiful place I've ever been. 

South Africa's wine country is even more beautiful than Napa in my opinion; the views of the mountains from the vineyards are just breathtaking.

 

BP just watching the penguins

Behind chickens on the way to work today!

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Power Lines

I just finished a book called Power Lines which was written by Jimmy Carter's grandson Jason about his time in South Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer.  John Anzalone sent me the book because he thought it was great and it really was.  Jason writes alot about a theme you can't escape here - the incredible contrasts.  Unlike other African countries which are mostly poor, South Africa is marked by extreme wealth and extreme poverty.  The title "Power Lines" refers both to the power structure and complicated racial dynamics but also to a more literal meaning - the thousands of miles of power lines that ran through poor communities but do not stop there to provide electricity.  In the 15 years since Jason left, the country has become more electrified of course and now about 81% of South Africa has electricity. 

Jason worked in a rural village to help teachers adjust to the new curriculum that was developed post-apartheid.  During apartheid, blacks were taught in an inferior education system called bantu education.  The system was designed to provide blacks with an inferior education to that of coloureds, Indians and whites.  It's so surprise that reforming this system post apartheid was a huge priority of Mandela and the new ANC controlled government.  The government invited Peace Corps volunteers to assist in that endeavor.   

Jason was struck by the same thing I and most Americans are struck by.  Most white South Africans are middle to upper class and all live behind gates and electrified fences.  Becky and I live in a gated community with a guard, a pool and a cleaning lady and honestly, it's nice to feel safe all the time in a country known for incredible crime rates which are the highest in our province.  But it makes the immense poverty just a few miles (or kilometers) away from us more intolerable and disturbing.  It also makes our travel out to the provinces really worthwhile and I look forward to seeing more of the country.  The intense HIV campaign we are working on is being implemented in the poorest, most rural parts of the country and that certainly provides hope that the next generation of South Africans will live healthier, more prosperous lives and have more opportunities to build a bigger middle class.  With South Africa being such a young country in it's current democratic form, and black students now receiving a higher quality education and being free (at least legally) from the economic and social constraints of apartheid, it's actually pretty easy to have hope that South Africa is on the rise and destined for better times ahead.   

Limpopo

Yesterday, Laura and I went to Polokwane which is about 3 hours north of Pretoria.  We attended the provincial HCT schools task team meeting to discuss the schools testing campaign.  The meeting went very well and it seems like they will be ready to test soon. We have a new CHAI staffer on the ground there named Themba.  It seems like he is already making a big difference and doing great work.  I found out yesterday that Themba was part of a year long health care training program in Charlottesville, VA!  He was very excited to learn that I went to UVA.

After the meeting, we had a nice lunch of pap (kinda like grits without any fat), lentils, and atchar which is pickled mango.  And of course Fanta.

My South African date book and Vince Lombardi

I have this new date book which is typical of what most South African government workers carry. It's hard cover and has a page for each day where I keep my schedule and also make notes for that day. The best part about it is that there is a daily quote which are about 1/3 Nelson Mandela, 1/3 Vince Lombardi and 1/3 other. Did anyone know South Africans are really into Vince Lombardi? I did not.

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor" - Vince Lombardi

Rhode Island and CHAI

Last night, we had dinner and drinks with the Executive Management team who are all in South Africa to have a global meeting about CHAI. It's amazing how well Rhode Island is represented in CHAI. Ira Magaziner, the Chairman (Bristol), Ed Wood, the CEO (Hope Valley), and Peter Ellis, the regional director for Southern Africa (lives between Malawi and Barrington), and of course my mom (Cranston) are all representing Little Rhody across the world!

There were several other country directors there including Gerald from Kenya and Anthony from Zambia who were both really friendly and interesting. Alot of people there were part of the first group that tried to get an HIV campaign started in South Africa about 8 years ago and ran into roadblocks that were too difficult to get past. They were really excited about the progress the team here has made.

I also ate Kudu for dinner! It's a type of antelope and was pretty good but a little tough.