Itipini

Karen Langley, my friend and fellow YASC volunteer, has spent the past year volunteering at a medical clinic in Mthatha, South Africa.  The clinic where Karen works serves a shantytown community called Itipini, which was built on an abandoned landfill.  The word “itipini” actually means “dump” in isiXhosa.  Last month the municipality demolished the shacks of those who were living in the community leaving hundreds of people homeless.  You can follow more of what is happening at Itipini on Karen’s blog.  Please keep Karen and the Itipini community in your prayers.

Karen with some boys from the community

A Few Aspects of Life

Most of my time during this YASC year has been devoted to the work at the school and life at the monastery.  However, there are other aspects of my life here that may seem much smaller compared to the actual work I was sent here to do but that I find just as important in deepening my relationship with the people around me and in helping to keep me motivated. Here are a few of those aspects:

Themba

Learning South African Slang – Ask any of my friends back in the States and they’ll tell you that I love repeating nonsensical sayings and phrases throughout the day.  Well, I’ve been able to keep to my old ways thanks primarily to one of the workers at the monastery named Themba.  Themba works on the grounds crew at the monastery and he also drives the combi (bus) for the school.  He is one of those people who always has a smile on his face, and I have never once found him in a bad mood.  One of my favorite things about Themba, besides his many nicknames (Tata Sima, Umfundisi, Tata Umfundisi, Bhuti, Mr. Fix It), is the pleasure he gets out of teaching me all sorts of South African and Xhosa slang.  I have a great time practicing all the many different greetings and sayings with him and the rest of the grounds crew at the monastery.  I love yelling Xhosa slang at Themba and crew across the monastery grounds as I make my way up to school in the morning. 

Baboons and Puff Adders – These two are a little more serious because these animals can be quite dangerous, and I’ve seen both of them on the monastery grounds.  In fact, I had an encounter with a snake in the chapel at the monastery and it took me nearly 30 minutes the get the creature out of the church!  I’ve been told to especially keep an eye out for these animals when I go for runs around the monastery.  I just think there’s something exciting about living in an area where you’ll see baboons on the side of the road and never know where a Puff Adder may be lurking.

Makhulu

Watching Wrestling with Makhulu – Nomhamhasi, also known to many as Makhulu (grandmother in Xhosa), has been like a second mother to me since I have been in South Africa.  She works at the Holy Cross School, has helped raise more than 10 children (most of whom aren’t her own), and is a strong presence at the monastery.  She is a warm person to be around and she loves to give big hugs. When not at school, I often like to make trips to here home in order to sit, chat and drink tea.  Makhulu is also a huge WWE wrestling fan, and lately I’ve had a great time sipping tea at her home as we watch wrestling. 

Practicing Xhosa – I’ve been taking lessons with a teacher in town and my Xhosa is still terrible.  But, I’m always picking up on new sayings and commands working at a school where the language is predominately spoken.  The students and the teachers enjoy trying to teach me the language.  The teachers especially get a kick out of hearing me struggle through pronunciation of the language and we always have a good time in between class working on my Xhosa.   

There are certain aspects of life that we often tend to overlook but help to deepen our relationships with the people and things around us and help make us who we are.  

First Additional Language

Most South Africans can speak 2 often 3 different languages, and Grade 1 is when a second language is officially introduced in the classroom.  Now that I’ve been around the class for 6 or so months, Ms. Ntombekaya Myeki, the teacher I work with at the Holy Cross School, has given me more opportunities to do all the planning and instruction of what the Grade 1 curriculum calls First Additional Language.  The First Additional Language is often English, although it can be one of the many other official languages of South Africa: Afrikans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sesotho, Swati, Setswana, etc.

The home language of the Holy Cross students is Xhosa, and now they are just starting to learn English form the lesson plans I put together.  Most of the instruction is simple and aimed at exposing the children to auditory learning through simple greetings, songs, days of the week, months of the year, Simon Says (which is by far the kids favorite), commands, etc.  They are also starting to learn to ask simple questions, and the kid’s love practicing their knowledge of simple questions on me and the other native English speakers: “Bhuti, may I go to the toilet?”  Although, one little girl hasn’t quite got this question down and still asks, “Bhuti, may I play in the toilet?”

On top of the First Additional Language, I sometimes help lead simple writing and spelling exercises when Ntombekaya is working individually with students.  All the words the kids are learning are in Xhosa (imela, isele, amasi, etc) so half of the time I don’t even know the word I’m teaching the children, but rest assured Ntombekaya is the one who actually generates the list of words I help the kids learn to write, so I’m not teaching the kids anything too wild!

It’s been a lot of fun and it’s always so awesome to see the process of learning unfold with the kids.  

Working on English with Thembilihle.

Phonics instruction. 

School Blessing

We so often take comfort in knowing that there are people in our lives who love and care for us.  It gives us a sense of stability and reassurance knowing that there are others who support us and take interest in our well-being.  This past Saturday, in an effort to show the Holy Cross students that they are loved, cared for, and supported, hundreds of people from the Grahamstown community and from different parts of the world came to be a part of the blessing and celebration of the new Holy Cross School building.

The Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, and the Bishop of Grahamstown, Ebenezer Ntlali, came to offer their blessing over the school and to preside over the blessing service that was held in a huge marquee right outside of the school.  It was a grand event with speeches, beautiful singing, a delicious meal (that was cooked by the students’ mothers starting at the crack of dawn), hugging, laughter, and tears of joy.  The Holy Cross Students were seated in front for the entire service and were the center of the celebration.

My favorite part of the whole event was when the children lead the procession into the service.  Hand in hand, the children marched/danced down the isle singing a song they had practiced for weeks in preparation for the event.  After the procession was done and everyone was seated, Archbishop Makgoba paused before he started into the liturgy of the service and asked the children to stand and re-sing the song.  However, this time he also invited the entire crowd of around 300 people to join in.  Everyone present stood and sang to the tune of the song the children had practiced for weeks prior to the event.  It was a fun and heart-warming way of letting the kids know there are people who love and support them.  

Photos courtesy of Br. Roger Stewart

Getting ready for the procession in.

The students practicing their song.

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba blessing part of the new building.

The Peace.

The Mama's cooking in the early hours of the morning.  It's a lot of work to feed 300 people!

Mothers of the Holy Cross Students.

Holy Cross students and staff.

A little tired after the event!

New School Building

There are many who believe that education is the key to helping South Africa begin to solve the challenges the country now faces.  Unfortunately, The Department of Education in South Africa finds itself in a position where it is unable to provide quality education to many children in the system.  The majority of children in South Africa attend schools that are funded by the government and are usually found in the townships.  More often than not, these schools are deprived of resources, facilities, and quality teachers.  It makes one wonder what this will mean for the lives of the children who are losing out on education and what it means for the future of the country.   

The Holy Cross School that was founded by Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery was established in order to provide for the children living on the outskirts of Grahamstown who would normally fall through the cracks of the Department of Education.  The Anglican (Episcopal) Benedictine monks of the Order of the Holy Cross who established The Holy Cross School made it their goal to see that these children received the proper resources, facilities, and quality teaching they would need in order to establish a solid educational foundation that would help them later on in life.  This past week the monks took a major step towards their goal as The Holy Cross School opened up its doors to start the new school year in a brand new school building.

The new school building is comprised of 5 classrooms, an assembly room, a kitchen, bathrooms, a principal’s office and has all the teaching resources needed to provide these children with the education they deserve. It is an exciting time at the school and monastery to have a brand new building and to have new faces present as we start the New Year.  It may seem like a small step when compared to the overall challenges the country faces in terms of education, but small steps can make amazing changes. 

To learn more about the Order of the Holy Cross and the lives and ministry of the monks in Grahamstown, please visit their website at www.umaria.co.za.  The Order was founded in 1884 on the lower East Side of New York City where the monks worked with German immigrants.  Two American schools, Kent School in Kent, CT and St. Andrew’s in Sewanee, TN were founded by the Order. 

New School building 

Grade 1 classroom

Hallway leading to a few of the classrooms

New faces at the school!

Grade 1 on the left and brand new Grade R class on the right!

Instruction in the new Grade 1 classroom

A Day at The Holy Cross School

A few clips of the last day of school before the holiday break.

COP-17

I haven’t quite figured out the weather patterns in Grahamstown.  Even if it’s hot and sunny outside in the morning, there is always the possibility for dark clouds and rain in the afternoon.  I have especially bad luck trying to predict when to do my laundry.  It seems that every time I hang my laundry out to dry it always finds a way to rain.  The intern and assistant teacher at the Holy Cross School, Bongisani, likes to tease me and says that I smell bad and God doesn’t think I wash my clothes good enough, so God decides to wash my clothes again with the rain.  Despite my bad luck with laundry and my inability to figure out South Africa’s weather patterns there is no denying the changes that are happening to our climate and environment.

I recently took the bus up to Durban to join thousands of others from all over the world for COP-17 (Conference of the Parties), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  I traveled to meet up with Mike Schut, the Economic and Environmental Officer for the Episcopal Church, who flew into Durban to be present for the negotiations.  Although I wasn’t actually able to get into the UN negotiations, I was able to attend a number of interesting side events and workshops ranging from nuclear energy, environmentally friendly products, re-usable energy, South Africa’s stance on climate change, etc. 

It was interesting to see organizations from all over the world lobby and strategize in attempts to influence the delegates who will be making the decisions regarding the earth’s future.  I also experienced the frustration and anger that results from selfish agendas that stymie progress in creating a cleaner earth. “We only have one home…” Archbishop Desmond Tutu said in a rally before the conference, “If we destroy this home, we’ve had it!” 

(clockwise from top: Mike Schut describing what the Episcopal Church is doing about climate change, Archbishop Tutu addressing a crowd before the conference, presentation on re-usable energy)