Today we finally made it to IMBEWU, the Non-Governmental Organization we will be working with during our time in Port Elizabeth! We started off in the office early this morning where we met the staff of the camps. We sat down with Ashley and the president of the NGO, Mike (who visited us in Switzerland). They welcomed us with some sweet bread and coke. Apparently, the South Africans would choose coke over water and it is almost the national drink.
Ashley and Mike told us more about the goals of IMBEWU. The organization started by realizing that many local kids did not have the opportunity to go to school or would not have food for lunch while they were there. IMBEWU started sponsoring kids by paying their tuition and providing meals. Eventually they expanded to run sports camps for kids when they were out of school, teach children about proper health practices and improve the leadership and business qualities of their students. They are also working on expanding their goals to keep up with the housing initiatives of the government to eliminate shacks in the country before the 2010 World Cup.
Unfortunately, some of the people who are running the organization are not educated with proper business practices of proper book keeping and budgeting. They have many grandiose ideas but are unsure of the steps it will take to follow through, and don't really have a concept of what marketing can do to gain the attention of potential donors—that's where we come in! One of our goals for the summer, in addition to helping with the sports camps, is to develop a marketing plan to attract local and international donors.
After discussing the status and needs of the organization, we split into two groups. I went with Katie, Anna, Sally and Brittany to one of the local schools to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls, while the boys and Clara went to the soccer fields to help at the holiday camps.
The room we painted hasn't had a fresh coat in almost 20 years, so we had to start by preparing the walls, scraping off the rubber cement from years and years of hanging artwork and filling in cracks with putty. Preparing the walls was an entire days work. Luckily, Anna brought her iPod so we jammed out and had some fun.
We made it back in time to watch Garrett play a game of basketball (shirtless!) with some of the kids and for me to be invited to play a game of netball with some of the girls. I had no idea what I was doing because they took all of 2 seconds to explain the rules to me. It is something like basketball, but with an ultimate frisbee/handball twist. They all clapped when I knocked the ball out of bounds one time and what I lack in Athletic ability I made up for in height. It was so much fun to join them and they were so excited to have me play along.
I had a chance to read my book and rest up before dinner when we got home and made a very yummy spinach, onion, garlic, mushroom and pepper omelet with sweet chili sauce for dinner. We joined the Swiss kids for drinks at Primi. I think we are finally starting to become better friends with them and integrate as an overall group instead of separately like we once were.
More play time with the IMBEWU kids tomorrow—SO excited!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Xhosa Clicks and Township Times
We started out the morning in a very difficult manner—attempting to learn the local xhosa language. It is completely different from any western language. There are three different types of clicks throughout the vocabulary, and each is pronounced differently depending on the word. It was overwhelming, but a lot of fun to try our best at the native tongue.
Our teacher taught us about some of the cultural traditions of the locals and the proper way to greet people without being offensive. I know it will be very beneficial in getting to know the kids of IMBEWU to find ways to attempt to make a connection through a proper greeting.
We had a chance to eat lunch and use the computer lab before boarding a bus to tour the local townships. Our tour guide grew up in the township ans still lives in one of the upper middle class areas today. As we drove along, it was still amazing to see all of the creative ways people have put scraps together to create shelter for themselves and their families.
We stopped at the new Red Museum to walk through the exhibit on the history of the township and to learn about the people who were most influential in the eventual overthrow of the Apartheid rule. Our guide then walked us through one of the neighborhoods and told us about the way of life of the people who live in the shacks. No toilets. Scarce running water. Fear of theft and rape. Even with all of the reasons to want to give up on life, all of the people seemed happy and carefree.
We drove through miles upon miles of township. We saw women selling “Smileys” on the side of the road (roasted goat head) and took in the sights of all the local businesses with handmade signs. There were areas of obvious devastation and some streets looked like they were better off than others. Our guide showed us the houses that were built under the Nelson Mandela presidency—cookie cutter concrete houses painted in a rainbow of colors. He said that although some of the homes were in better condition than others, it was difficult to request people to move from the shacks of squatterville because the new houses were out of the way for jobs and food.
A woman selling ceramics welcomed us into her home/studio and I bought a little clay mask for 50 Rand (~6 bucks). A group of kids and beggars kept close eye on the gate as we went in and out and were excited when we asked to take their picture. Everyone loves to see themselves on camera. We walked past a pack of newborn puppies yelping for food. Their eyes were closed and they looked as though they were born the day before. It is sad to think about what kind of condition they are in and how low their chance of survival is in the townships.
After stopping on a lookout point on top of a mountain to view the entire stretch of township houses, we went to a local “shebeen” to get a beer and pass some time before our dinner reservations. Alcohol is a concern in the townships, but we stopped to grab a refreshment at a bar that was attached to someone's home. It cost less than a dollar for a bottle of Windhoek (a Namibian lager). These sort of businesses are common in the townships.
Finally, we sat down for dinner in a second Shebeen down the road, where I ordered a Savanna Dry (a South African cider) and indulged in one of the best meals I have had in a few months. The cook prepared us a meat-heavy menu with several types of sausage, bar-b-qued pork, stewed beef, vegetables, bean “chackalaka” and rice. It was so flavorful—I went back for seconds. We were joined by Miss Port Elizabeth, who obviously had a good time talking to Kinan. She welcomed us to the city and wished us good luck in the rest of our initiatives.
It was still early when we returned to the Langerry Flats, so we walked to the liquor store across the street and purchased a bottle of Amarula—a South African liquor similar to Bailey's. We played pig, discussed what we had seen that day and hung out for the rest of the evening until we called it an early night for our early morning.
Our teacher taught us about some of the cultural traditions of the locals and the proper way to greet people without being offensive. I know it will be very beneficial in getting to know the kids of IMBEWU to find ways to attempt to make a connection through a proper greeting.
We had a chance to eat lunch and use the computer lab before boarding a bus to tour the local townships. Our tour guide grew up in the township ans still lives in one of the upper middle class areas today. As we drove along, it was still amazing to see all of the creative ways people have put scraps together to create shelter for themselves and their families.
We stopped at the new Red Museum to walk through the exhibit on the history of the township and to learn about the people who were most influential in the eventual overthrow of the Apartheid rule. Our guide then walked us through one of the neighborhoods and told us about the way of life of the people who live in the shacks. No toilets. Scarce running water. Fear of theft and rape. Even with all of the reasons to want to give up on life, all of the people seemed happy and carefree.
We drove through miles upon miles of township. We saw women selling “Smileys” on the side of the road (roasted goat head) and took in the sights of all the local businesses with handmade signs. There were areas of obvious devastation and some streets looked like they were better off than others. Our guide showed us the houses that were built under the Nelson Mandela presidency—cookie cutter concrete houses painted in a rainbow of colors. He said that although some of the homes were in better condition than others, it was difficult to request people to move from the shacks of squatterville because the new houses were out of the way for jobs and food.
A woman selling ceramics welcomed us into her home/studio and I bought a little clay mask for 50 Rand (~6 bucks). A group of kids and beggars kept close eye on the gate as we went in and out and were excited when we asked to take their picture. Everyone loves to see themselves on camera. We walked past a pack of newborn puppies yelping for food. Their eyes were closed and they looked as though they were born the day before. It is sad to think about what kind of condition they are in and how low their chance of survival is in the townships.
After stopping on a lookout point on top of a mountain to view the entire stretch of township houses, we went to a local “shebeen” to get a beer and pass some time before our dinner reservations. Alcohol is a concern in the townships, but we stopped to grab a refreshment at a bar that was attached to someone's home. It cost less than a dollar for a bottle of Windhoek (a Namibian lager). These sort of businesses are common in the townships.
Finally, we sat down for dinner in a second Shebeen down the road, where I ordered a Savanna Dry (a South African cider) and indulged in one of the best meals I have had in a few months. The cook prepared us a meat-heavy menu with several types of sausage, bar-b-qued pork, stewed beef, vegetables, bean “chackalaka” and rice. It was so flavorful—I went back for seconds. We were joined by Miss Port Elizabeth, who obviously had a good time talking to Kinan. She welcomed us to the city and wished us good luck in the rest of our initiatives.
It was still early when we returned to the Langerry Flats, so we walked to the liquor store across the street and purchased a bottle of Amarula—a South African liquor similar to Bailey's. We played pig, discussed what we had seen that day and hung out for the rest of the evening until we called it an early night for our early morning.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
A History Lesson
Not too much to say about today. A taxi picked us up at 8:30 and we went to campus for our first day of lectures. Mrs. Natalie Mansvelt, a South Africa native and social worker, taught our first lesson in the importance of Community Development vs. Community Service. She spoke about the effectiveness of programs that are created using the input of the community, and not entirely focus by outside observers. She also talked about sustainability and the long term benefits of developing programs using certain principles. She was very interesting to listen to and invited a lot of participation and feedback into the session.
We broke for lunch and had a quick session in the computer lab before going to our afternoon history lecture. Dr. Herbst spoke about the history of South Africa by comparing a variety of views of when history began. He discussed the importance of re-writing history, in a way, to include perspectives of all cultures. To many people of South Africa, the country's history began with the arrival of the Dutch in 1652—but of course there were many indigenous cultures that have been in the area for thousands of years before that time period. He gave us background to some Apartheid beliefs and invited us to look for certain qualities during our time in Port Elizabeth. His perspectives on re-evaluating and re-interpreting history were fascinating.
We bussed back to the apartments and decided to take a walk to the beach to enjoy the sunset. I heated up leftovers from last night's dinner and sat down to catch up on all of my blogging! A lesson in the Xhosa language, township tour and traditional Shabeen dinner are set for tomorrow!
We broke for lunch and had a quick session in the computer lab before going to our afternoon history lecture. Dr. Herbst spoke about the history of South Africa by comparing a variety of views of when history began. He discussed the importance of re-writing history, in a way, to include perspectives of all cultures. To many people of South Africa, the country's history began with the arrival of the Dutch in 1652—but of course there were many indigenous cultures that have been in the area for thousands of years before that time period. He gave us background to some Apartheid beliefs and invited us to look for certain qualities during our time in Port Elizabeth. His perspectives on re-evaluating and re-interpreting history were fascinating.
We bussed back to the apartments and decided to take a walk to the beach to enjoy the sunset. I heated up leftovers from last night's dinner and sat down to catch up on all of my blogging! A lesson in the Xhosa language, township tour and traditional Shabeen dinner are set for tomorrow!
Cheetah Attack?
A taxi bus picked us up at 8:30 Monday morning and drove us to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Campus where Tarin gave us a tour and told us the best (or worst) places to eat lunch if you wanted to have a run in with a monkey—yes, monkeys live on campus! She showed us around the campus before introducing us to a tour guide to give us an introduction to Port Elizabeth. We learned a little about the history of the city, the derivation of the name from a former magistrate's late wife, and the economy of the city. He finally drove us to the highlight of the day, the Kragga Kamma Game Park.
The nine of us piled into a Land Rover 'Bakkie' with a game park diver and we drove around the reserve to see all of the animals. Although not as legitimate as a real safari, the game park was a cool way to see a bunch of the native African animals without being too afraid of danger or having to drive too far. We drove right up to herds of Water Bok, Zebra, Wildabeast and Impallas. A giraffe crossed our path and we grazed along with a blind white rhino. The animals were so beautiful and the landscape looked like it was glowing in the sunlight.
As we made our way off of the vehicle and back to the lodge, an ostrich took interest in Brittany's shiny camera and chased her all the way down the hill and almost into lodge. It hung around outside the glass door—waiting for Brittany—until it finally gave up and ran off to peck at something else. Brit got so scared and the whole situation was hilarious.
We paid 50 Rand (just over 5 dollars) to play with some tame cheetah cubs that were a part of the facility. They were so cute and were purring as we walked in to say hello. Their fur was course and thick and I think they enjoyed the attention for a little while but got a little rambunctious. One of them wanted to play with Katie and took a swipe at her leg as she was bending down for a picture, leaving a mark on her thigh. I took my picture, kicked around the basketball with one of them and peaced out before it decided I would be its next 'playmate.'
I napped as we taxied back to the apartments where we decided to cook separately but meet up for dinner. I made stir fry with rice, onions, garlic, red and yellow peppers, mushroom, chicken and a chopped stir fry mix seasoned with sweet chili sauce. YUM! Ashley brought over some wine and cheeses for the group and we spent the rest of the night enjoying each others company and drinking wine.
The nine of us piled into a Land Rover 'Bakkie' with a game park diver and we drove around the reserve to see all of the animals. Although not as legitimate as a real safari, the game park was a cool way to see a bunch of the native African animals without being too afraid of danger or having to drive too far. We drove right up to herds of Water Bok, Zebra, Wildabeast and Impallas. A giraffe crossed our path and we grazed along with a blind white rhino. The animals were so beautiful and the landscape looked like it was glowing in the sunlight.
As we made our way off of the vehicle and back to the lodge, an ostrich took interest in Brittany's shiny camera and chased her all the way down the hill and almost into lodge. It hung around outside the glass door—waiting for Brittany—until it finally gave up and ran off to peck at something else. Brit got so scared and the whole situation was hilarious.
We paid 50 Rand (just over 5 dollars) to play with some tame cheetah cubs that were a part of the facility. They were so cute and were purring as we walked in to say hello. Their fur was course and thick and I think they enjoyed the attention for a little while but got a little rambunctious. One of them wanted to play with Katie and took a swipe at her leg as she was bending down for a picture, leaving a mark on her thigh. I took my picture, kicked around the basketball with one of them and peaced out before it decided I would be its next 'playmate.'
I napped as we taxied back to the apartments where we decided to cook separately but meet up for dinner. I made stir fry with rice, onions, garlic, red and yellow peppers, mushroom, chicken and a chopped stir fry mix seasoned with sweet chili sauce. YUM! Ashley brought over some wine and cheeses for the group and we spent the rest of the night enjoying each others company and drinking wine.
Fear is Temporary, Regret is Forever
I woke up at 6:30 on June 5 with a wee bit of a hangover, but more just a thirst for water that we didn't have available in the apartment. I went to the kitchen to boil something I could drink and watched the sunrise of the porch as I waited. After drinking down the hot but still thirst quenching glass I went back to bed for a few hours.
Kinan and Anna rented two cars for the day, and after a not-so-quick stop at the grocery store for staples, we carefully made our way to Tsitsikamma National Park and Blourkrans. The two hour drive was highlighted by the learning of the new traffic laws—such as driving on the left side of the road, driving on the shoulder to allow others to pass, and watching out for baboons (and yes, we did see a pack of fighting baboons crossing the road). We finally got to our destination and huge sign welcomed us as we pulled off the highway just before crossing the dooming bridge in the distance—FACE ADRENALIN—fear is temporary, regret is forever. I walked to the office, pulled out my card and signed a safety form before allowing myself to really think about what I was getting myself into. What was this crazy activity you ask?
I BUNGY JUMPED off of the Guinness World Record Highest jump!! A 700 foot free fall before bouncing back to the top and falling again. I have pictures and video to prove it! Go to www.faceadrenalin.com to check out the place I jumped.
The whole thing is sort-of a blur. I was fourth or fifth to go out of the five in our group that were jumping and spent so much time purposely not thinking about the crazy act I was getting myself into, that I had jumped and it was over with before I could even process it. All I remember is asking the guys who tied me up if they had double checked everything and then 5-4-3-2-1-JUMP and I was flying off of the bridge toward the water below. No sooner could I take a breath than I felt myself tug back through the air and fall again—it was so exhilarating! I am so ready to go skydiving whenever I get the chance. I think I am addicted to Adrenalin. Anybody want to join?
We walked the see through catwalk back to the parking lot and made our way back to Port Elizabeth. No body remembered to ask Ashley how to get back to our apartment from the bridge, but we eventually made it with only a few minor detours and hesitations. We heated up leftovers from the night before and went to bed early. My head hurt a little from the blood rushing, but as far as I can tell no major injuries from the situation:-)
Kinan and Anna rented two cars for the day, and after a not-so-quick stop at the grocery store for staples, we carefully made our way to Tsitsikamma National Park and Blourkrans. The two hour drive was highlighted by the learning of the new traffic laws—such as driving on the left side of the road, driving on the shoulder to allow others to pass, and watching out for baboons (and yes, we did see a pack of fighting baboons crossing the road). We finally got to our destination and huge sign welcomed us as we pulled off the highway just before crossing the dooming bridge in the distance—FACE ADRENALIN—fear is temporary, regret is forever. I walked to the office, pulled out my card and signed a safety form before allowing myself to really think about what I was getting myself into. What was this crazy activity you ask?
I BUNGY JUMPED off of the Guinness World Record Highest jump!! A 700 foot free fall before bouncing back to the top and falling again. I have pictures and video to prove it! Go to www.faceadrenalin.com to check out the place I jumped.
The whole thing is sort-of a blur. I was fourth or fifth to go out of the five in our group that were jumping and spent so much time purposely not thinking about the crazy act I was getting myself into, that I had jumped and it was over with before I could even process it. All I remember is asking the guys who tied me up if they had double checked everything and then 5-4-3-2-1-JUMP and I was flying off of the bridge toward the water below. No sooner could I take a breath than I felt myself tug back through the air and fall again—it was so exhilarating! I am so ready to go skydiving whenever I get the chance. I think I am addicted to Adrenalin. Anybody want to join?
We walked the see through catwalk back to the parking lot and made our way back to Port Elizabeth. No body remembered to ask Ashley how to get back to our apartment from the bridge, but we eventually made it with only a few minor detours and hesitations. We heated up leftovers from the night before and went to bed early. My head hurt a little from the blood rushing, but as far as I can tell no major injuries from the situation:-)
21 somewhere above the ocean...
Kinan, Garrett, Brittany and I met up at Dulles and flew to JFK where Katie and Anna joined us for the 15 hour flight to Johannesburg. Surprisingly, the trip was not as difficult as I had expected because I was so exhausted. The planes had a touch screen movie system so I watched 17 Again (Zach Effron..woowoo) and Garden Sate (So Good!) I read a little bit of my book, 'The Time Traveler's Wife' (thanks Rachel for the recommendation), and played tangrams with Garrett. I drank some wine with dinner(woo 21!) and pretty much slept the rest of the way. Not bad at all.
We arrived in Johannesburg and had to recheck our baggage for the PE flight, on which I had a very nice conversation with a man who lobbies for labor union support around the world. Katie and I, who were on the early JoBurg to PE connection, got our bags and were picked up by Ashley and Nuela and taken to our new home for the next month!
Ashley Matthews has been living and working in Port Elizabeth for three months. She and several other people from Virginia Tech are completing a marketing research project at IMBEWU about the importance and lack of health education in township children. She completed her masters in Marketing Research with professor Brinberg, who organized the trip. Nulea is the international students coordinator from NMMU and is so friendly and helpful. She is British South African and has a very kind personality.
We went back to the Langerry Apartments where we have 2 bedrooms, a full kitchen and a bathroom between 3 people. There are three apartments between the nine of us here. I am living with Katie and Brittany in a second floor apartment with a balcony an a view of the beach. We each got a set of five different keys to ensure the safety of ourselves and our stuff, and there is a full time security guard and reception to make sure we make it home in one piece:-)
Katie and I hopped in Ashley's car and drove around Port Elizabeth. She took us to the township and demonstrated how nobody pays attention to traffic laws as she blew through several stop signs. She had to learn how to drive manual transmission and on the left side of the road in order to get around the city so it was definitely an interesting experience to be riding shotgun on the opposite side of the car. We made it safely back to the apartments and the rest of the VT students had arrived from Johannesburg without half of their luggage. We found out the Swiss students were late to arrive in JoBurg and would have to spend the night. We hung out for awhile before deciding to settle in to our rooms, shower up and hit the town for my birthday dinner!!!
Primi is a fun little restaurant two blocks down the road with a selection of standard foods (American, Italian, Steak) and some great cocktails. I ordered a Funghi Negri Pasta dish (Spaghetti with Black Mushrooms), garlic flatbread and a Frozen Margarita to start. By the end of dinner the group had ordered me a BJ shooter, a Mojito, a 'Black Label' Beer, and a B-52 shooter. I was feeling pretty happy for my 21st birthday—especially after the jet lag and long plane ride—when our waiter asked if I would like to do a 'Flaming Kitchen Shooter'. Of course I couldn't turn it down.
He took my hand and pulled me into the kitchen. The staff dressed me in a plastic apron and hairnet, brushed flour on my face, handed me a mop, scrub brush and a pan and took me back out to the main restaurant. Needless to say, I had no idea what I had gotten myslef into. They helped onto a chair and sang chants to me through construction cones before lighting a martini glass on fire and burning the blue liquid inside. They handed me a straw and just as I was almost finished with the drink they poured five shots into the glass and continued chanting. Now that is a twenty-first birthday!
My friends made sure to be extra careful as we walked home and put me to bed with some exciting plans for the next day!
We arrived in Johannesburg and had to recheck our baggage for the PE flight, on which I had a very nice conversation with a man who lobbies for labor union support around the world. Katie and I, who were on the early JoBurg to PE connection, got our bags and were picked up by Ashley and Nuela and taken to our new home for the next month!
Ashley Matthews has been living and working in Port Elizabeth for three months. She and several other people from Virginia Tech are completing a marketing research project at IMBEWU about the importance and lack of health education in township children. She completed her masters in Marketing Research with professor Brinberg, who organized the trip. Nulea is the international students coordinator from NMMU and is so friendly and helpful. She is British South African and has a very kind personality.
We went back to the Langerry Apartments where we have 2 bedrooms, a full kitchen and a bathroom between 3 people. There are three apartments between the nine of us here. I am living with Katie and Brittany in a second floor apartment with a balcony an a view of the beach. We each got a set of five different keys to ensure the safety of ourselves and our stuff, and there is a full time security guard and reception to make sure we make it home in one piece:-)
Katie and I hopped in Ashley's car and drove around Port Elizabeth. She took us to the township and demonstrated how nobody pays attention to traffic laws as she blew through several stop signs. She had to learn how to drive manual transmission and on the left side of the road in order to get around the city so it was definitely an interesting experience to be riding shotgun on the opposite side of the car. We made it safely back to the apartments and the rest of the VT students had arrived from Johannesburg without half of their luggage. We found out the Swiss students were late to arrive in JoBurg and would have to spend the night. We hung out for awhile before deciding to settle in to our rooms, shower up and hit the town for my birthday dinner!!!
Primi is a fun little restaurant two blocks down the road with a selection of standard foods (American, Italian, Steak) and some great cocktails. I ordered a Funghi Negri Pasta dish (Spaghetti with Black Mushrooms), garlic flatbread and a Frozen Margarita to start. By the end of dinner the group had ordered me a BJ shooter, a Mojito, a 'Black Label' Beer, and a B-52 shooter. I was feeling pretty happy for my 21st birthday—especially after the jet lag and long plane ride—when our waiter asked if I would like to do a 'Flaming Kitchen Shooter'. Of course I couldn't turn it down.
He took my hand and pulled me into the kitchen. The staff dressed me in a plastic apron and hairnet, brushed flour on my face, handed me a mop, scrub brush and a pan and took me back out to the main restaurant. Needless to say, I had no idea what I had gotten myslef into. They helped onto a chair and sang chants to me through construction cones before lighting a martini glass on fire and burning the blue liquid inside. They handed me a straw and just as I was almost finished with the drink they poured five shots into the glass and continued chanting. Now that is a twenty-first birthday!
My friends made sure to be extra careful as we walked home and put me to bed with some exciting plans for the next day!
Hello South Africa
So I know that I got a little behind on my blogging from Europe, but I promise to add my entries as soon as I find time this Fall. I kept a journal the whole time, so really all it will take is the time to transfer it to my blog so I have a full online recollection of my travels!
In the meantime....I'm in South Africa!!!
I am currently sitting in our Port Elizabeth beach front apartment, overlooking the sunset on the ocean. I know...rough life right? I almost feel guilty writing about my past few days here because they have been an absolute adventure but don't really speak to the overall mission/reason I am on this trip...but we can get into that later.
In the meantime....I'm in South Africa!!!
I am currently sitting in our Port Elizabeth beach front apartment, overlooking the sunset on the ocean. I know...rough life right? I almost feel guilty writing about my past few days here because they have been an absolute adventure but don't really speak to the overall mission/reason I am on this trip...but we can get into that later.
How did it begin? Well, last March I was sitting in a Virginia Tech classroom with my professor, David Brinberg, as he was going over a few items about my upcoming trip to Lugano, Switzerland. After going through details like our schedule, some cost information and visa requirements he mentioned that he had been working with an NGO in South Africa with a marketing research project. He said there was an itty, bitty, minuscule possibility that he would be able to pull together a program with students from Lugano to continue studying abroad and assist him in his efforts. He asked if anyone would be interested in learning more—and here I am a year and a half later.
The program is 4 weeks, from July 4 to August 4 and is a mix of social marketing and community outreach. We are studying at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and interning at IMBEWU, an NGO in the township ten minutes away. I will explain more about our efforts as I encounter them throughout the month.
So just a quick catch up from the last time I wrote—we came back from Lugano on April 30. I got over the jet lag superfast and started work on the soonest day possible. I worked at Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia as their Marketing and Fundraising Intern. They kept me busy at 35+ hours a week preparing and organizing several donor and fundraising events throughout the summer. The mission of Habitat to prevent homelessness around the world and the basic model of volunteer manpower and corporate fundraising to reach out to undeserved populations by providing a hand up, not a hand out, was inspirational. I got to learn, from first hand experience, the challenges and triumphs of working in the non-profit arena and everyone I worked with were very supportive of my learning the ropes and trusting my input and ideas.
After about 8 weeks, I packed up in a half-day's time and brought way too much stuff with me on the 23 hours of travel time to Port Elizabeth, South Africa...on my 21st Birthday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)