Getting Settled into Service at the Brooklyn Chest

             After a long process of figuring out my service site, things are finally in full-swing with my work at the Brooklyn Chest.  Since early last week, I have been diving headfirst into my work with the school-aged children at the TB hospital- a group of about 25 students ranging from ages 6-15.  The kids have gone above and beyond my expectations, responding with enthusiasm and creativity to art projects and activities I introduce.  These projects aim to empower them and encourage them to express themselves and play an active role in their environment. By creating personal works like self-portraits, I want them to develop a sense pride and self-awareness, and by producing decorative art for their ward, I encourage them to “leave their mark” on the hospital that they call home for so many months.

            Preparing for their self-portraits, I had a photoshoot with the kids the other day.  They loved starring in their own solo shots- it turns out we have some natural model/actors in the group.  The pictures are priceless- I hate to say it but because of hospital privacy policies I can’t post them here.

            Going into this work, I think I had expected to feel a general sense of hopelessness and depression.  Now a few weeks in, I can see how wrong I was.  Though every day brings its own emotional challenges as I hear heartbreaking stories of patients’ and staff members’ struggles, these stories are interwoven with a sense of perseverance that is so incredibly inspiring.  Even in the face of huge challenges, the kids are so responsive, receptive, and open- they want to rise above their circumstances and make the most of their bad situations.  At the end of the day, they are still able to look forward, rather than dwelling on the undeniable physical and emotional pain they face on a daily basis.  Talk about putting things in perspective.

            

Kalk Bay

            On this holiday weekend we finally had the opportunity to explore some of South Africa’s coastline and spend a day by the water.  Monday marked the celebration of Women’s Day, an entire day every August 9 devoted to honoring the women of South Africa- and Mariah’s 21^st birthday! Classes were cancelled and we found ourselves with a completely free day, so we decided to take our first stab at figuring out the train system and headed out to Kalk Bay on the coast. 

            I was instantly charmed by the peaceful little sea town.  We got off the train after a smooth forty-minute ride and were greeted by a misty, overcast, windy day, with waves crashing up against the rocky coastline and a sweeping view of mountain, sea, and sky.

            We immediately headed for Kalky’s, a fish and chips shack on the pier dishing up fresh catches straight off the boat with generous helpings of thick fries, chili sauce, and vinegar. After a deliciously coma-inducing lunch, we wandered along the dock, checking out the brightly-colored boats and even catching a glimpse of a seal playing in the water.  Afterwards, we explored some of the boutiques and vintage shops in the town and scouted out the local “sweet spots,” finally settling in for pastries and tea at a little traincar converted into a diner, appropriately named the Kalk Bay Espresso: Cake, Coffee, and Pancake Train. 

            At the end of the day, we boarded the train home feeling exhausted and chilled by the damp sea air.  One thing is for sure though: we won’t wait long before making another visit to Kalk Bay and exploring the rest of South Africa’s beautiful coastline-- we’re hooked.  

Service-Learning begins...

We are enjoying another fun, relaxing weekend with beautiful weather.  I have continued to explore more and more of the UCT campus during my daily runs, and I can feel my legs getting stronger with the practically all-uphill mountain roads.  My run always include a trip up to the the Rhodes memorial on the side of Table Mountain, with a sweeping view of Cape Town and two oceans.  The first time I stumbled on this spot, it truly took my breath away.

the view

Rhodes Memorial

Yesterday, we checked out the Old Biscuit Mill, a huge open-air market in the Woodstock neighborhood.  We were amazed (and slightly overwhelmed!) by the hoards of people, vast array of goods, and unbelievable smells coming from the dozens of food stands: everything from Indian curries to French pastries, sweet and savory crepes, shawarma and mezze, and even a woodburning pizza oven firing-up authentic Italian pies.  Aside from the food (which would have been more than enough to keep us occupied all afternoon) there were clothing vendors, craft stands, and tons of other local goods.  Needless to say, I was a big fan of the mill, and may have to make my trips there a weekly ritual.
Tomorrow begins our first full week of service-learning life.  We have our classes in the mornings, and in the afternoons we'll be going to our various service sites and getting to work. Over the past two weeks, we've been visiting tons of different sites and trying to decide where we want to spend the next four months developing our service projects.  All of the sites were incredibly interesting, but it wasn't until my visit to the Brooklyn Chest TB hospital that something clicked for me.
Walking into the hospital for the first time, the scene was pretty overwhelming.  Brooklyn Chest is basically a complex of three wards: one for young children, one for older children (there is also a school for them on the grounds) and one for adults.  All patients are infected with Tuberculosis, which is a huge problem here in South Africa.  As soon as I entered the young children's ward, I was struck by what I saw.  About two dozen cribs were scattered right in the entrance, with crying infants laying on bare mattresses, each labeled with the child's name, age, and some record of their condition.  The helplessness of these children, many of which rarely have visitors or human contact outside of those tending to their most basic needs, was difficult to take in.
Yolanda, the woman who met us and showed us around, was very warm and grateful for our interest in the hospital.  She seemed open, receptive, and eager to make use of anything we could offer.  Along with expecting us to help cover some of the more basic needs of the children, like feeding and changing them, she encouraged us to pursue our own projects and attempt to bring some fresh ideas to their organization.  I am excited to work with her, and I can't wait to get started!

Meeting Desmond Tutu

Another high point of Cape Town so far was going to hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak at St. George's Catholic Church on a friday morning.  After hearing that he would be leading the 7:15 mass (AM!) we decided to brave the dark, chilly morning to check it out.  As we were sitting around the kitchen half-awake nursing our coffee before we set out, we saw the headline of the local newspaper announcing Tutu's retirement from public speaking.  Apparently we were catching one of his last appearances.
The service at St. George's was pretty amazing.  There were only about forty of us in the small, intimate sanctuary, and when we arrived Tutu had us all go around the room and introduce ourselves.  The group included some incredible people, everyone from local missionaries to a writer who was en route to Johannesburg to deliver the Nelson Mandela address- an honor previously held by Tutu himself.

Erin with the day's newspaper 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

After the service, Tutu came over to greet us.  He was unbelievably personable, even offering to take a picture with us.  Later we all went to breakfast to rehash the experience, which was definitely one we will never forget.

Never a dull moment

Following our "expectations workshop weekend" at an outdoor adventure camp an hour North of Cape Town, the health of the service learners quickly went South.  Over the course of four days after our return from the camp, each and every one of us came down with varying degrees of this mysterious epidemic, attributed to "traveler's tummy" (a cute name for something that is- trust me- not the slightest bit cute in practice), food poisoning, stress of being in a new environment, and a stomach bug going around.  Whatever it was, I'm glad it's over.
After recovering from what I affectionally dubbed "The Plague," we all finally felt up for doing something other than laying around in our sweatpants fighting with the spotty internet connection, so Kato, Noah, David and I decided to try our luck hiking to the peak of Table Mountain.  Not much of a hiker, I was glad that David took on the role of trailblazer.  He fearlessly led us through existing trails- and a few paths that we created on our own- on the outrageously windy afternoon.  More than once I felt like I was going to be blown off the mountain by the force of the gusts of wind, but we ended up making it back all in one piece.  The best part was discovering a hidden waterfall, which David and I were quick to point out made us feel like four of the characters on Lost exploring the island.

view from the top

the waterfall

me and Kato

I don't think I'll attempt this hike on my own anytime soon, but I can definitely say that I'm quickly learning to love and appreciate this gorgeous scenery and am eager to see as much of it as I can over the next four months.