Blog 2 from Cortney in South Africa
Today was the day I have been looking for since we came to SA. It was all the emotional pieces I have needed in my life in one. We woke up expecting to go to a family’s home to provide home health care. I expected it to be a little like what Simon and Ryan Seacrest did this season on Amerian Idol, however it was nothing like that. We first drove a good distance out to one of the townships. We stopped at a primary school for children about age 3 to 13.
They were beautiful. I couldn’t help but laugh. When we took out our cameras I don’t think I could stay on my two feet they were so excited to be photographed. Of course they were taller than me (yes even the three year olds) so I was on the bottom of the pack for most of the pictures. I had this one little girl that I called supermodel. She was beautiful. I am pretty sure she was a clone of me, because she couldn’t stay away from the camera and was just loving the whole pose thing. Her little friends were so cute too. They all wear uniforms there, but they all vary how they wear them so they can individualize it. There was also this little boy whose little white shirt was half tucked in and everyone was stepping on him so I picked him up so I could get a picture with him…of course we both almost fell and got beat up by the 6th graders because we were both 2 feet tall.
We got to meet this amazing volunteer Paul who did all the woodworking at the school. He made beautiful window frames and doors. I stayed after just to go up and shake his hand and tell him how beautiful his work was. I think it is amazing the work that his hands created from nothing. Just to touch his hands felt like a privilege, and to know that he did that with no pay back is more amazing to me. That would be rare for you to find where we live. We got to see the room of computers they had for the entire school of 1,024 students and 27 teachers…I think it held about 23 if I remember correctly. All I know is that I throw a fit when my computer does not work for a day. I am just uplifted today.
Every time I would walk out of the classrooms, Supermodel and her friends would yell my name and do their poses. If I could take them all home with me I would. Janel had a great idea to have them sing a song so we could record them on our cameras. So all the smart people that have good cameras got some great footage. They made us sing to them though, so we sang the national anthem and if you thought my story before was bad….whew.
After our school visit we went and drove around the township and saw shacks and mothers with babies on their backs, children running in the dirt with no shoes on, dogs eating out of piles of garbage, broken cars on in front yards, if you can imagine it, we saw it. And to top it off in the distance we saw the most beautiful mountains. It was like beyond all that poverty there was something to look beyond. There was something to forward to. That is what the principal said as well. He said that the country of South Africa had come so far and surpassed so many bad times that no matter what may come in its way now…they can surpass it again.
Shortly into our drive we stopped at a middle aged man’s living quarters. It was a place that I guess was built for him. The foundation and support was given to him and he had to provide the rest of the interior furnishing. It was actually very well put together inside. It was however very cold. Obviously there is no central heating or air. He was diagnosed HIV+ in 2000 and was still living with it, and trying to provide a healthy lifestyle for himself. We asked him a few questions about his living conditions and then as I thought we were leaving I shook his hand and he held onto it and I said thank you for letting us come into your home, but we were not done. One of our guides had told us she was thinking last night and went to her computer to write.
She had typed up something from John 15 in the Bible. She read it and I think we all started to cry. Then we all sang the Lord’s Prayer. I don’t think it mattered what religion you were at that point. The words just came to you. We all shook his hand and hugged and left on our way. Even though we didn’t do a single bit of actual hands on nursing care, I think that this is what we came here to do.
I felt very whole today. I think we all did. I think it was the first day that as a group we didn’t really feel tooooo much tension as well. At least I didn’t.
On a lighter note…after all of that we went to the craft fair and got some pretty cool stuff, learned how to talk down prices, and hang with the locals. Tonight we might get to kareoke, and tomorrow I think we are going to a club because I really want to learn the local music.
Tomorrow we get to go to a traditional healer…I can’t wait. I am going to allow myself to be a guinea pig if they need one. All I know is I am glad that I am not a boy, because I will tell you a story later on how they do circumcisions here when boys are ready to be men.
I would also like to note that I have not taken a shower since I have been here. HOWEVER, I have taken a bath…that is because there are no showers. I only have a bath in my room. I now appreciate the fact that sponge baths are not at all comfortable for my patients. When I get home…I will be requiring a 1 hour shower and a massage from head to toe from the plane ride. — Cortney