Couldn't Agree More

“We welcome the fact that history is on the move in the Middle East and North Africa, and that young people are leading the way.  Because wherever people long to be free, they will find a friend in the United States. Ultimately, it is that faith – those ideals – that are the true measure of American leadership.” - President Barack Obama

My scary adventure to the Northern Cape

So on Wednesday I drove to the Northern Cape for two days of visiting health care facilites that are intitiating patients on ARVs (AIDS drugs).  The logistics were a bit of a disaster.

First, I couldn't pick up my car because the rental company wouldn't accept my debit card and Bank of America still insists on shutting off my credit card every week or so because their fraud protection is maybe just a bit too vigilant.  So I had to book at another rental agency through a travel agent and got a lovely Honda Jazz hatchback with air-conditioning, automatic transmission and power steering - win for me.

The drive to Vryburg was uneventful.  I stayed at a cool B&B that was a renovated police station  It didn't have hot water but that was the least of my problems.   The next morning I set off for Loopeng.  The map looked like I could get to the site from where I was and I probably could have if it wasn't raining but the dirt roads were too muddy in the rain.  After 100 meters or so I turned back and accepted the fact that I had to drive 2 hours out of way to get there.

So 1.5 hours later I am a little stressed about being late (even though everyone in SA is late, I still insist on my own punctuality) and as I am driving along and suddenly see rocks the size of basketballs across the road every 10 feet or so.  So I drove slowly on the grass like the cars in front me were doing until the source of the rocks came into view.  About 30 kids were up ahead waving me back, yelling and holding up signs.  I drove a litle closer to figure out what was going on and all the kids surrounded my car.  5 or 6 of them had big rocks in their hands and they were gesturing towards my windshield, obviously conveying their threat to throw them.  I rolled down my window to ask the kids what was going on and they explained that they were picketing their school because their teachers were abusing them.  I begged the kids at the window to tell their rock weilding friends that I was on their side, I would turn around and drive back the other way.  I also mentioned 5 or 6 times that I am American and love protests which is ridiculous but I was grasping.  Despite my temptation, I thought explaining that I walked on the New England Patriot's picket line when I was 6 or didn't eat grapes until I was 18 would have been lost on them.  The kids cheered as I put my car in reverse and went back down the road.  I waved and honked my horn as I drove to make sure the other kids lining the road considered their rocks better used elsewhere.  About 1/2 a mile down the road, I watched as police poured out of 5 cars with automoatic weapons and stood around to figure out their next move.  I found out later that a teacher called the police because she thought a student stole 10 rand ($1.25) from her.  The police assaulted all the boys in the classroom and two are in the hospital.  I also found out later that the police fired rubber bullets and used tear gas but I don't know the details.  Needless to say, it was too scary to take pictures.

Of course there was not another paved road to the clinic.  The GPS didn't work and the local people tried to help me get there on dirt roads which was a disaster.  I drove into several working mines, stopped at a really remote B&B where no one spoke English (but they thought I was a doctor!) and finally gave up and drove back to Kuruman.  Obviously when I got back I realized I had a flat tire and had been driving on the rim for about 20 miles.  Fortunately, I realized this right across the street from a tire place and they fixed my tire quickly.  Bank of America decided to pick that day to shut off my debit card which has worked for the entire 2 months I've been here.  None of cards worked at the ATM or at the tire place but luckily I had a photocopy of our corporate card and the nice lady allowed me to use it.   

The next day I actually visited facilities, another post for another time.  Here is the map of where I was.  The Navajo Nation is the only thing I can compare it to in terms of how rural it is is and how difficult it is to navigate without addresses, etc.


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A bulgarian woman waxed off half my eyebrow

I guess I should have waited until I got back to America.  If you look closely, you can even see the tan line where my eyebrow used to be!

Update on work

The testing campaign in secondary schools has been hit a few bumps along the way but is still moving forward, slow and steady.  Some provinces have already started and KZN reports they testing over 1,400 students in the first couple weeks.  What's really exciting is that only 12 were positive.  That's only .85% in a province with a very high prevalence rate (around 25%).  That information reafirms why I think this campaign is so important to prevention as opposed to just focusing on treatment - hopefully the students who tested negative got the information and counseling they need to stay negative.  Of course, the 12 that tested positive will also get the care they need and knowing their status will help them ensure they don't pass the virus to their partners and future children.  There was an interesting article in the Washington Post yesterday (link here) that suggested DC is backsliding in its efforts to fight AIDS - very unfortunate.  In it, Mayor Gray voiced his support for increasing the schools counseling program.  Maybe after becoming an expert at HIV counseling and testing in schools here, I can help! 

The rate of infection in DC is about 3%, which is much higher than the estimated 0.4% in the US but much lower than South Africa which is estimated at 25%.   

We met with the Minister of Health last week and he reaffirmed his support for testing in schools but also stressed that this campaign will only be successful if it is integrated into strengthening school health programs in general.  That means testing for HIV is part of a package of services which includes testing for vision, hearing, diabetes, anemia, etc.  Makes sense.

The conclusion of Post's visit

We spent the last night hours of Post's time in South Africa at a log cabin at a game reserve.  The Rhino and Lion reserve was much different than Kruger, it's not true wilderness.  But it was beautiful and the game drive was really interesting.  As you can see, we played with the white lion cubs.  White lions are actually 25% of all lion births but they are rarely found in the wild because their mothers kill them in the first few days of their lives.  They are killed because they will never make good hunters because of their lack of camoflauge and they will endanger the rest of the lions.  Some game reserves take them away before they are killed and send them to live in captivity at places like this one.

We also saw lots of lions which we didnt see at Kruger.  They see the vehicle we are in as one large object that doesnt present a danger to them.  So as long as you stay relatively quiet and don't make sudden movements, you are safe.  At least that's what our guide told us.