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Emanuel
Entry 17 of 24 | show all | print this entry |
By tomorrow I will be in Swaziland for two whole weeks. The access to internet is a little bit frustrating, but other than that I have really enjoyed my new placement.
To get anywhere in Swaziland you have to drive. The way most people get around, and the way that I have been getting around are in the kombis. They are big vans, and seat about 10 people comfortably, and 20 people normally. You hop in, and when you get to your destination just hand them over the money. I'm usually listening to some pounding hip-hop that the young kombi drivers seem to preference. I have almost met a lot of people on my drives through swaziland. let's just say the men are real friendly here.
I have been getting a lot of marriage proposals. I usually feel like I have a good excuse because men are often asking me to be their number two wife, and you know i just can't settle for less than number one. that's the response i often dish out in the kombis. I also met this man Ishmael who is a hairdresser and spent the entire ride telling me about his hair dressing skills. i guess he has been trained be the greatest in europe, and specialized with my type of hair. he was also looking for volunteers with straight hair to get their hair cut by his students. i do need a haircut, and a free one was tempting. i may still call him.
the orphanage has been great. i am learning all the kids names and personalities. i will have to admit that i enjoy working with the youngest kids most. I sit them down separate from the rest to teach them colors and shapes for an hour or less. I hold up a crayon and say, "okay, what's this color?" and Naliswa, and Knulu look at it and go "mmmmmmmmmmm" until I say "orange". and then they shout "orange" back. it's actually real fun. with the older kids i really struggle, i still don't know how i read- and i haven't the faintest clue how to teach children how to read a language that can't speak. any ideas? i have started with rhyming words... we'll see how much sinks in.
a new boy was placed at Emanuel today, which was really exciting. long story short he's been on the radar of the program i am working with. he is really sick, and HIV positive. the person that is suppose to be looking after him doesn't care for him at all... it's just a whole sad story that i shouldn't re-hash. anyways the clinic wouldn't give him medicine if he didn't have a caregiver to administer the medication. makes sense, although frustrating because he was sick, had no one to care for him and couldn't get medicine because no one would care for him. but someone pulled some strings and he walked into Emanuel today with only the clothes on his back. he looked really scared and tired. i tracked down the head lady and told her that he needed to go to sleep or eat or something. so he got a meal, which i think he desperately needed. i actually came into Mbabane to get him some clothes.
another point of concern is i'm not sure the kids are getting fed enough and i am starting to suspect that the donations to the orphanage are finding their way into the two care givers personal cabinets. i have talked to my director about it, and now i am suppose to report any strange behavior to her. i'm not sure how much that is going to fix.
I leave this tuesday for cape town, which according to many is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Latest Comments (1)
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happy easter (reply)
Apr 9, 2007 22:55 EST by ozzie91
hi annie....we missed you over easter but are really enjoying your blogs...thanks. it's hard to imagine what your facing on a daily basis and the lack of resources. the petty corruption (and the fact the original dollars have probably been skimmed all the way from the top down) must be frustrating. that's the way the economy works in some parts of the world and change is hard to imagine let alone ... show all
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7 votes 
