Because I'm volunteering I get the great benefit of doing a few touristy things for free when I'm not working. For example, right across from the village is Monkey Land, Birds of Eden and the Elephant Sanctuary. I've been to Monkey Land and Birds of Eden and they were both really fabulous!
In Monkey Land, the monkeys aren't in cages so they can run right up to you. You're not allowed to touch them or feed them, but you can get pretty close. There are all different kinds of monkeys to see. There was also a really neat suspended bridge that we walked across. The monkeys make the craziest noises! I would never have thought the noise I was hearing was monkeys! There are also a lot of baboons running around everywhere. And I don't mean Monkey Land, I mean literally everywhere- in the streets, in the fields, everywhere...
Birds of Eden was also really neat. I saw some crazy looking birds and again, they're all flying everywhere (no cages) so I got some pretty close pictures. I can't wait to be able to upload the pictures to my computer to share them with all of you. I don't have the cord to do it though, so I have to wait until I'm home.
The one thing I am doing that has nothing to do with volunteering and isn't free is bungy jumping. I'm going tomorrow morning at 10am and my stomach already hurts! It's the world's highest bridge to bungee jump off and when you spring back up and fall again, it's the second highest bungee jump! Crazy huh?? It's called Bloukrans if you want to look it up. It's 710 feet high!!! Wish me luck!!!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I know it's been a while!
Sorry! I had all intentions of writing daily and then time just flies by!! I was afraid it would! I can't believe I left home a week ago and I only have one week left!!!
So, I have been very busy working in the village. Katie and I put in a solar water heater for an elderly woman. It ended up being a three day project because of needing parts and having to drive in town to get them. The woman was so appreciative! Katie is also very appreciative of my help. Because she is the only person with Dollars for Change there are things she can't do unless she has a volunteer. It feels good to know that one woman is now able to have hot water in her sink and even shower with hot water because I'm here volunteering.
Katie and I also worked with a couple this afternoon that had never used a computer before. They are really sweet, kind people who want to learn how to use a computer to help them in the job market. The unemployment rate in the village is over 50%, so anything they can put on their resume to make them stand out helps.
I was amazed at how hard they worked and how eager they were to learn. When I have typing class with my fourth graders, usually after 15 minutes they're bored, but I worked one on one with the man and he typed for almost two hours! Because I'm here, we were able to work one on one and really give each of them our full attention.
We also met with a woman today that makes knit hats, mittens, scarves and rugs. They're for sale at Rocky Road for back packers to buy. I've been telling everyone to buy them and one couple bought almost everything she has made so far! When Katie phoned to tell Johanna (the knitter) she was screaming into the phone "thank you, thank you!" She also has a soup kitchen in her home so that kids can bring a cup and get free soup. Katie and I picked up supplies for today to knit more and to make some improvements in her home.
I had this idea before I came that people who live in shacks that don't have running water or a toilet must be depressed and hopeless. Every person I have met is so positive and upbeat. They have a real will to survive and better their lives and their childrens' lives. It's amazing to see people living on so little and appreciating so much!
The children in the village are so smart! The Social Club (as the kids call Katie's after school group) is in the middle of an HIV session. I'm amazed at how much they know and how willing they are to talk about the social issues in the village around HIV/AIDS. They went as a group last year to get tested and talked about what it felt like. Katie and I have played some great games with them to learn the vocabulary. At the end some of the kids were hanging out playing with my hair. One girl, who is in the fourth grade was asking me a bunch of questions about how old I am, if I'm married, if I have kids, etc. When I told her I was engaged she was so excited! I told her the wedding is going to be next July. She said she would love to come to Maine to do my hair the day of my wedding! When I explained to her that it's about 27 hours away, she was a little surprised, but said she still wanted to come. =)
Now that I've spent quite a bit of time with the kids and am getting to know them, I realize that some of the connections will last a lifetime for the kids and myself. We're talking with them about serious issues and educating them on things that their parents don't know (or wont' talk about). Katie does such important work and continues to give invaluable time to the village.
The rest of this week will consist of working with the couple who is learning to type again, installing solar water heaters and working with the Social Club. There are always small projects that various people need our help with as well that pop up randomly. I'm so happy to be here meeting amazing people and hopefully impacting some of them.
So, I have been very busy working in the village. Katie and I put in a solar water heater for an elderly woman. It ended up being a three day project because of needing parts and having to drive in town to get them. The woman was so appreciative! Katie is also very appreciative of my help. Because she is the only person with Dollars for Change there are things she can't do unless she has a volunteer. It feels good to know that one woman is now able to have hot water in her sink and even shower with hot water because I'm here volunteering.
Katie and I also worked with a couple this afternoon that had never used a computer before. They are really sweet, kind people who want to learn how to use a computer to help them in the job market. The unemployment rate in the village is over 50%, so anything they can put on their resume to make them stand out helps.
I was amazed at how hard they worked and how eager they were to learn. When I have typing class with my fourth graders, usually after 15 minutes they're bored, but I worked one on one with the man and he typed for almost two hours! Because I'm here, we were able to work one on one and really give each of them our full attention.
We also met with a woman today that makes knit hats, mittens, scarves and rugs. They're for sale at Rocky Road for back packers to buy. I've been telling everyone to buy them and one couple bought almost everything she has made so far! When Katie phoned to tell Johanna (the knitter) she was screaming into the phone "thank you, thank you!" She also has a soup kitchen in her home so that kids can bring a cup and get free soup. Katie and I picked up supplies for today to knit more and to make some improvements in her home.
I had this idea before I came that people who live in shacks that don't have running water or a toilet must be depressed and hopeless. Every person I have met is so positive and upbeat. They have a real will to survive and better their lives and their childrens' lives. It's amazing to see people living on so little and appreciating so much!
The children in the village are so smart! The Social Club (as the kids call Katie's after school group) is in the middle of an HIV session. I'm amazed at how much they know and how willing they are to talk about the social issues in the village around HIV/AIDS. They went as a group last year to get tested and talked about what it felt like. Katie and I have played some great games with them to learn the vocabulary. At the end some of the kids were hanging out playing with my hair. One girl, who is in the fourth grade was asking me a bunch of questions about how old I am, if I'm married, if I have kids, etc. When I told her I was engaged she was so excited! I told her the wedding is going to be next July. She said she would love to come to Maine to do my hair the day of my wedding! When I explained to her that it's about 27 hours away, she was a little surprised, but said she still wanted to come. =)
Now that I've spent quite a bit of time with the kids and am getting to know them, I realize that some of the connections will last a lifetime for the kids and myself. We're talking with them about serious issues and educating them on things that their parents don't know (or wont' talk about). Katie does such important work and continues to give invaluable time to the village.
The rest of this week will consist of working with the couple who is learning to type again, installing solar water heaters and working with the Social Club. There are always small projects that various people need our help with as well that pop up randomly. I'm so happy to be here meeting amazing people and hopefully impacting some of them.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Day 2
I tried to think of a better title than "Day 2" but I came up with nothing, so I'm going with it. =)
So, I started the day with an amazing hike over a mountain and around a beach. Rocky took four of us. Rocky is the owner of Rocky Road, the place I'm staying. There is a girl from Germany that I'm sharing a room with. She's here volunteering for three months and just finished secondary school. There is also another couple here for two days. They're backpacking through South Africa. So, all of us went and it was absolutely amazing. I am blown away at the scenery here. It is also pretty nice that I hiked in shorts and a t-shirt and it's the middle of the winter here!
Katie and I met with the kids after school today and Frya (my roommate) came with us. Katie asked them to write down everything they know about HIV. I was very impressed with how much they know. It was really interesting to hear their perceptions and talk about how the people in the village perceive things as well. One girl said that people don't want to get tested because the nurses at the clinic gossip in the village about who's getting tested and about the test results. Most of the kids in the group got tested last year when they did an HIV and AIDS awareness week. They talked about how it felt to get tested. It was a great conversation and the kids were respectful. There was a big discussion around why they know so much and the rest of the people in the village know so little about HIV. One girl said it's because people don't want to learn about it because they're scared.
I'll be working with the kids again tomorrow and possibly at a camp this weekend for kids learning about the environment, so that'll be great. The little kids are SO friendly! They will run right up to you and hug you. The girls love to play with my hair! It's funny to hear them chatting away to me in Africans and when I say "What?" they just laugh hysterically. They can understand English for the most part, but they can't speak it well, yet. They start learning English in first grade, so the kids in the group are fluent.
The weather has been awesome. It's really warm during the day - low 70s and cold at night! When the sun sets I definitely have long pants on and a fleece jacket. There is always a fire going inside at night, which is really nice.
All right, I've been in front of my laptop for quite some time now responding to emails and typing this, so I'm off!!
So, I started the day with an amazing hike over a mountain and around a beach. Rocky took four of us. Rocky is the owner of Rocky Road, the place I'm staying. There is a girl from Germany that I'm sharing a room with. She's here volunteering for three months and just finished secondary school. There is also another couple here for two days. They're backpacking through South Africa. So, all of us went and it was absolutely amazing. I am blown away at the scenery here. It is also pretty nice that I hiked in shorts and a t-shirt and it's the middle of the winter here!
Katie and I met with the kids after school today and Frya (my roommate) came with us. Katie asked them to write down everything they know about HIV. I was very impressed with how much they know. It was really interesting to hear their perceptions and talk about how the people in the village perceive things as well. One girl said that people don't want to get tested because the nurses at the clinic gossip in the village about who's getting tested and about the test results. Most of the kids in the group got tested last year when they did an HIV and AIDS awareness week. They talked about how it felt to get tested. It was a great conversation and the kids were respectful. There was a big discussion around why they know so much and the rest of the people in the village know so little about HIV. One girl said it's because people don't want to learn about it because they're scared.
I'll be working with the kids again tomorrow and possibly at a camp this weekend for kids learning about the environment, so that'll be great. The little kids are SO friendly! They will run right up to you and hug you. The girls love to play with my hair! It's funny to hear them chatting away to me in Africans and when I say "What?" they just laugh hysterically. They can understand English for the most part, but they can't speak it well, yet. They start learning English in first grade, so the kids in the group are fluent.
The weather has been awesome. It's really warm during the day - low 70s and cold at night! When the sun sets I definitely have long pants on and a fleece jacket. There is always a fire going inside at night, which is really nice.
All right, I've been in front of my laptop for quite some time now responding to emails and typing this, so I'm off!!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
First day in South Africa
So, I survived the 26 hour trip and my first day in South Africa! The flight wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be. Good food, lots of movie choices and free drinks made it just fine.
Today I woke up and opened my curtains to see an absolutely beautiful flowering tree and surrounding mountains. The grounds are beautiful- really cool outdoor bathrooms, tents, gardens, etc...
I went to the village where I'll be working this morning. It's hard to describe because it's such depressed conditions, but the people are surprising positive and upbeat. The unemployment rate is sky high, so you see many people hanging around and tons of kids running every where.
Katie and I met with the Social Club (a group she runs after school for kids in grades 5-9 and a few younger kids with older siblings). They were all super friendly and excited to have another volunteer helping out. The little kids were adorable- they haven't all learned English yet, so I couldn't understand the younger kids, but they chattered away anyway and played with my hair. All the older kids know English very well from studying it in school.
We went to the beach in the afternoon and it is by far the most amazing beach I have ever been to! It's winter here, so it wasn't warm enough to swim, but we walked around and took in the scenery.
I'm back at Rocky Road where I'm staying now. Relaxing in their outdoor seating area around a fire. It's pretty relaxing. Backpackers stay here too, so I've met a bunch of really awesome people. Everyone is so friendly!
Looking forward to getting to work tomorrow!
Today I woke up and opened my curtains to see an absolutely beautiful flowering tree and surrounding mountains. The grounds are beautiful- really cool outdoor bathrooms, tents, gardens, etc...
I went to the village where I'll be working this morning. It's hard to describe because it's such depressed conditions, but the people are surprising positive and upbeat. The unemployment rate is sky high, so you see many people hanging around and tons of kids running every where.
Katie and I met with the Social Club (a group she runs after school for kids in grades 5-9 and a few younger kids with older siblings). They were all super friendly and excited to have another volunteer helping out. The little kids were adorable- they haven't all learned English yet, so I couldn't understand the younger kids, but they chattered away anyway and played with my hair. All the older kids know English very well from studying it in school.
We went to the beach in the afternoon and it is by far the most amazing beach I have ever been to! It's winter here, so it wasn't warm enough to swim, but we walked around and took in the scenery.
I'm back at Rocky Road where I'm staying now. Relaxing in their outdoor seating area around a fire. It's pretty relaxing. Backpackers stay here too, so I've met a bunch of really awesome people. Everyone is so friendly!
Looking forward to getting to work tomorrow!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Almost All Packed!
So, I think I'm forgetting something. Probably because I am. =)
I'm feeling really excited, anxious and sad all at the same time. Most of you reading this probably already know that Corinne, Ayla and Sophie have been away for six weeks. They just came home on Wednesday and now I'm leaving for two weeks. I would have planned it differently if I was able. I know that it's going to be amazing life-changing experience, but it's still really hard to leave Trevor and the girls. I've also been told that the internet connection is too slow to able to skype, so that is a bummer. The six hour time difference will make it difficult to call home, but I'll make it work!
I get on the plane in Portland tomorrow at 2:20, fly to DC and board a plane that I'll be on for 17 straight hours. Don't you think they'll serve me a meal? I know airlines are pretty stingy though, so don't worry, I packed a few snacks. =)
Just got interrupted by Sophie crying and screaming for "momma jenn" because she doesn't want to go to bed. Makes it hard to leave for sure!
Ok, so back to the flight, then I'm shutting this laptop down. 17 hours on a plane- I leave DC heading to Senegal, we stop in Dakur, but aren't allowed to get off the plane. We leave after an hour then head to Johannesburg in South Africa. I have an hour and a half lay over then I fly to Port Elizabeth, where I have someone coming to pick me up at the airport. The good news is from DC on, Katie (founder of Dollars for Change) will be on the same flight. If we're lucky, we might even have seats near each other!
Ok, I'm off to re-check my suitcase and think of the things I've forgotten. The next post will be from South Africa!!
I'm feeling really excited, anxious and sad all at the same time. Most of you reading this probably already know that Corinne, Ayla and Sophie have been away for six weeks. They just came home on Wednesday and now I'm leaving for two weeks. I would have planned it differently if I was able. I know that it's going to be amazing life-changing experience, but it's still really hard to leave Trevor and the girls. I've also been told that the internet connection is too slow to able to skype, so that is a bummer. The six hour time difference will make it difficult to call home, but I'll make it work!
I get on the plane in Portland tomorrow at 2:20, fly to DC and board a plane that I'll be on for 17 straight hours. Don't you think they'll serve me a meal? I know airlines are pretty stingy though, so don't worry, I packed a few snacks. =)
Just got interrupted by Sophie crying and screaming for "momma jenn" because she doesn't want to go to bed. Makes it hard to leave for sure!
Ok, so back to the flight, then I'm shutting this laptop down. 17 hours on a plane- I leave DC heading to Senegal, we stop in Dakur, but aren't allowed to get off the plane. We leave after an hour then head to Johannesburg in South Africa. I have an hour and a half lay over then I fly to Port Elizabeth, where I have someone coming to pick me up at the airport. The good news is from DC on, Katie (founder of Dollars for Change) will be on the same flight. If we're lucky, we might even have seats near each other!
Ok, I'm off to re-check my suitcase and think of the things I've forgotten. The next post will be from South Africa!!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
What I'm doing and Why I'm Going...
WHAT: I'll be spending two weeks in Kurland Village, South Africa in August 2011 with Dollars for Change, a non-profit organization. I'll be helping with three projects Dollars for Change has started: DFC After School Group, The Kurland Housing Upgrade Project and the Solar Water Heater Project. Please click on the Dollars for Change link for more information about the organization and the projects referenced above.
WHY: As a teacher, I am fortunate to have time in the summer when school is not in session. It seems only right that I take that time to help others. I want to be a part of the Dollars for Change mission: making a positive and lasting impact on impoverished communities throughout the world by supporting and implementing development projects specific to the community's needs.
WHY: As a teacher, I am fortunate to have time in the summer when school is not in session. It seems only right that I take that time to help others. I want to be a part of the Dollars for Change mission: making a positive and lasting impact on impoverished communities throughout the world by supporting and implementing development projects specific to the community's needs.
Did you know...
300 million people in Africa are living on less than $1 a day?
That's the population of the United States.
Hope: A belief in a positive outcome.
I'm going to Africa to help make a difference.
That's the population of the United States.
Hope: A belief in a positive outcome.
I'm going to Africa to help make a difference.
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