Yes, I'm Still Here

I spent the past few days in Malungeni (maal-uhn-gay-ni), a rural village in the Eastern Cape. It's about 13 hours drive from Cape Town, outside the city of Mthatha (um-ta-ta). It's Rev. Spiwo's home town. He tries to keep very active there, bringing the people opportunities to take a step up and improve their lot in life. I have a LOT of things to write about, so I'll be posting separate installments on my time there. I will try to have them all done this week (because I don't trust my memory) so check back.

Since getting back really late on Friday (or early on Saturday, depending on your preference) I've been catching up on the goings-on in Gugulethu and elsewhere. Here's the updates for this week:

1. Rosie's family
I saw Nokubonga yesterday. She sent me a SMS (cell phone e-mail) asking for help with food, so we went shopping yesterday. She told me that Amanda, Rosie's 15 year-old daughter, is now living with an aunt in Phillipi, about a couple miles from the house. This is where her brother has been staying since Rosie got sick months ago. The baby, Lisa, is now living in Plettenburg Bay, about 1000 kilometers away, with other family.

It looks like everyone's fears have become reality, that the house is now in someone else's control and the kids got the short end of the bargain. Because Bonga and I don't communicate well (her English is not too good and my isiXhosa is worse) I wasn't able to get the full details on what's happening. I've asked Johanna to get someone to visit her and see what's up. I hope to know more by Tuesday.

2. Mogise
I got a call from his brother on Wednesday that Mogise was taken to jail. I had a bad connection so I didn't get all the information on why. I know that he was out on bail for allegedly assaulting someone, and an ex-girlfriend was all alleging a crime against him. This is a bad situation for him, since he's been sick and trying to shake his tik addiction. I'm going to try and see his sister tomorrow and get the details.

3. TAC murals
The third HIV/AIDS mural was unveiled yesterday. TAC had a march through the streets of Khayelitsha as before, although it was quite a bit longer this time and through some residential areas. Lots of people came out of their homes to watch us march by, with placards held high and songs being sung. This mural is a little different from the second one but has the same valuable information in it. I was cheered as the funder, so I'm passing along a shout to everyone who helped make these a reality (especially Brad, Anne, Coral and Al).

4. Orphans
This isn't an update really, but a reminder that the problem of orphaned and abandoned children is real and growing. This 14 year-old boy came to the Centre last week, barefoot and in dirty clothes, looking for some food and help. His mother had apparently left him in their shack (see picture) with no provisions and no money. According to Yvonne, and after speaking with him, there's been some tension at home for some time between his mother and grandmother. His grandmother moved out a while back and his mother has now taken to leaving home for days or weeks at a time, unannounced. This boy learned about JL Zwane from his teacher, who has been helping him with some food and a stove. Yvonne bought him new school clothes and some food items to hold him until she can speak with his mother and figure out what to do. Hopefully, that will be this week.

If we were to look for these children, instead of waiting for them to find us, we'd probably identify hundreds, if not thousands in similar situations or worse. This is the biggest challenge for me, knowing it's happening but having limited abilities to fix it. I've noticed that Americans love to take a "let's just fix it" attitude, which is why we all continue to progress as a nation and community. It's not the same here. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why people in the shacks and substandard housing don't rise up and demand better living conditions. (You'll read more about this in my Malungeni postings.) They are the majority in the country and could make a real impact if they were organized and vocal. But, most are willing to just sit back and take it. It may be that their current situation is so much better than what they had before that they don't want to rock the boat. Or, it could be that they were so beaten down by the regime of the past that they don't know they have a choice.

I believe the day is coming where someone rallies the people and demands a change. It may be as soon as 2008-2009, when the next presidential election cycle is in full swing. Or it could be in 2011, when people start looking at all the stadia and construction done for the 2010 soccer world cup, with costs of hundreds of billions of Rand, that are now sitting empty while their shacks and roads continue to deteriorate. Or, it could be in 2014, the 20th anniversary of the end of apartheid, when the young adults who never knew the old ways look around and ask why they're living in a third-world city in a first-world country. Or, it could be tomorrow. But it's coming.

More to come.