third Month developmental voluntary service "
Baphumelele Children's Home in Khayelitsha near Cape Town, South Africa
Freddie Abel
Tuesday afternoon. Children's screams and police sirens, along with the blowing of the wind. I'm lying in bed sick again and listen out the window.
After three months here in South Africa, where children and orphanage in Khayelitsha near Cape Town Baphumelele, exotic everyday life here has become. The novelty is gone, the magic of Africa disenchanted.
This is not meant negatively, it is only the normality which is established.
Leaving the city you will meet beautiful nature, you go to the Long Street or to the Waterfront in Cape Town you can experience luxury, international presence and a touch of colonial times, proceed to the Township sees violence and misery, but as much openness and helpfulness.
Baphumelele in Xhosa means "progress" and that's what it is here also advanced. Although the children have put a lot back here while many surveillance cameras were installed and a highly complex high-tech baby hatch was built, which was not even used yet ...
But this is Africa. The relations are different, the Standards are not comparable with ours.
We volunteers are an integral part of Baphumelele, just as important as the management and caregivers of children, but hineinzufinden in the ranking at the bottom and it is not always easy in the African system of respect and hierarchy. We work hard and long to get up often at night, do many tasks with just as much responsibility and autonomy.
Although our work here is much appreciated and it is not always easy, motivated and committed to go to work, it's exciting with so much responsibility Built to handle the task.
Accommodation for us nine volunteers (eight from Germany, one from America) is pure luxury for Townshipverhältnisse. Steinhaus, electric stove, refrigerator, toilet, bathtub, running water - often warm and a car, we can go to Cape Town at the weekend. Without wishing to complain here we are almost too many volunteers in a small space. We share the room with several work a lot in common and have lots of fun together. Only the privacy is completely on track. Even on weekends we often share a dormitory in Cape Town with strange snoring. Go on holiday which, you realize how relaxed living together, but still no one wants someone away. For my girlfriend and I find it hard to keep our relationship here, almost impossible!
The work consists of many areas we have divided among us:
comes twice a week a doctor to check us and the children. Our "medicine-girls" here and help prepare the whole medicine. The responsibility here is very great, for example, forget the kids who are HIV +, the dire consequences. Attached to our home a nursery (crèche) and a pre-school (Grade R). In this two more volunteers to help the teachers. For the already mentioned Respite Care Center (Bonita House) day shall have made many trips to hospitals be. In the "Bonita" get AIDS and tuberculosis patients afflicted medicine and food and a hygienic environment but also quiet previously. Our American Mitfreiwillige (thanks to which we often speak English) will help the "Social Work Erin" in the office. The task of Social Workers is to take care of the legal situation of the children but also to make reintegration (return to families, etc.). However, this is, in spite of "anthroposophy" means - is more illusion than reality - rather inadequate, because some children have to go back into the same bad environment from which they came, after they had been here long, but no clue the tough life outside the pale pink walls of Baphumelele.
I'm with two other guys from mainly repairs, shopping, get donations and drive the Social Work Erin over the place (home visits etc.). Although it is a bit like "girl", but it's really fun because you come around a lot. Just get frustrated sometimes the repair, because there are very few tools and no materials, and other stops only temporarily.
The more time I hope for more composure in the group and also for myself
The time is here in Baphumlele super exciting, funny, intense, full of emotion, demanding, beautiful and rich in experience I want to be in any other project. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to wade, but it met with an equally proud when you finish a complicated thing successful.
Sometimes, it was generally as a volunteer in question. Then you think: "What am I doing here, what could not locals?" And "What has this got to do with a development policy? But the answer is no one to answer so quickly. We are indeed the cheapest work force here far and wide but we are needed.
Now it's late at night, but still warm because it's almost summer. There still overcome. The wind makes the heat bearable, but he sweeps the Sand through Khayelitsha. He has been everywhere. The child cries are silent, only occasionally drowned out by a police siren at night. Shots I have not heard in a few days. All are in the houses for fear of violence. Sometimes one wonders whether even the criminals are afraid of themselves, so empty it seems. Now plays in the lives of only in homes, in our.
Yes, it's morning again in Khayelitsha.
Thank you for your support and interest - no matter what kind!
I hope you are well.
greetings to Germany, I miss Käs'-noodles!
your Freddie
(Freddie)
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