Wow! We are so lucky to have such a fantastic group of students. You might say we threw them straight into the "deep end" today as we visited several locations in Klerksdorp that we will all remember for the rest of our lives.
We started our day early- think 7 am early on the heels of our giant travel the 2 days prior- and the kids were rearing to go at 8:30 am sharp as we drove the 2 hours to Klerksdorp.
We drove through several South African townships on the way which was an eye opening experience for us all. We saw many teenagers and children who were eager to smile and wave at us as we passed their homes and arrived at a hospice (hospice has several different meanings in South Africa) for HIV/AIDs orphans. The children ranged from about age 1-6 and 90% were HIV positive and nearly all were missing parents as a result of this devastating disease. Yet they were children and they were eager to play with us and smile. We couldn't have been more proud of the way our students jumped right in and had a blast spending time with these kids. Our students only wished we could have stayed longer as our visit was capped with the children singing us a couple of South African songs and the national anthem of this amazing nation.
We were all eager to stay longer but we ended up heading to our next stop which was a hospice for AIDs patients that we took a brief tour of. We then heard several lecutres at a hospital on HIV/AIDS- it was eye opening to learn that around 30% of South Africans are infected with HIV and that due to cultural and social stigmas many people refuse to get tested. We heard a lecture from a Peace Corps volunteer named Charlene who informed us of a program she had started that empowers South African teens to educate other teens on HIV prevention and health. Look out parents- we may have some future volunteers on our hands!
We came back to the hostel and had a giant spaghetti feast and a gourmet salad. We then broke into small groups and discussed our experiencesand thoughts for the day.
Words of the day included:
eye opening
heartbreaking
fortunate but appreciative
inspiring
emotionally exhausting
We are having a fabulous program already and as students and leaders we all feel so lucky to be here. The group is forming together nicely and all are healthy and happy!
Good night!
Much love from the brisk land of South Africa,
Thatcher on behalf of the Bridge South Africa 2008 Crew
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Thank you Windsor Mountain for this wonderful way to keep informed of the group's activities. It's so exciting to read Thatcher's comments and we look forward to more chapters. Give all you meet there big hugs from the parents!
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