table mountain

T and I at the top of Table Mountain.

Table Mountain. Trevor and I along with the Zimterns (Derek and Ale) and some of the CT crew (Laura, Rebecca and Durkin) climbed it today. It took an hour and a half to make it to the top and it was nothing but stairs the whole way. And these were not your easy Stairmaster stairs – no, these were uneven, monster stairs that were very unsympathetic on all climbers. 

But we completed the arduous climb and even had fun wile doing it! The CT crew introduced the Discussion Question game in which people just ask questions that everyone in the group has to answer. Some good ones that came up were "What GRS site would you want to move to if you had the choice?" and "Rank the five physical features that attract you to the opposite gender." 

Another fun past time was taking pictures of crazy ol' Zimbird. Zimbird is the housewarming gift that the Zimterns brought the CT crew for Thanksgiving. Trevor and Ale spent a good amount of time helping the Zimbird climb all over Table Mountain and we ended up getting som hilarious pictures. 

Zimbird with a guy who was chilling alongside the path playing his
xylophone.

And we did indeed make it to the top of Table Mountain! To celebrate our victory we lunched on Thanksgiving leftovers. There was turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, apples, wine and even a turkey tablecloth! Sure we got tons of odd stares, but deep down I know all those people were just jealous. 

From left to right we have: Derek (Zimtern), Trevor (Kimtern), me, Rebecca
(CT crew), Ale (Zimtern), Durkin (CT crew) and Laura (CT crew).

I thought the views of the city were better from the top of Lion's Head (even though Table Mountain has a higher elevation) but it was still cool to look out over the city.

Lion's Head is on the left, Robbin Island is in the distance and the
soccer stadium is on the right.

After hanging out at the summit we began our descent. This was still tough and we all felt like we had jelly legs by the time we reached the bottom, but we had a blast swapping stories and telling people, "You're almost there!" even if they were just starting their climb... (We actually had a debate about the morality of telling people this even if it wasn't true).

Alice (former intern and current GRS staff member), Rebecca and I
underneath the 12 Apostles.

On the way down Table Mountain I was crazy enough to promise Trevor that if we went to the beach later and he went swimming, then I would join him (I blame the sun). That evening we went to Camp's Bay to watch the sunset and sure enough, Trevor went swimming. So I foolishly joined him. The water was cold - it reminded me a lot of swimming at Cape Cod - and it didn't help that the sun was setting and  a crazy Cape Town wind was blowing. Was swimming it worth it? Debatable. But I did get some mad props, so I'll consider it a win.

Just hanging out on some of the rocks.

The whole group spent a good amount of time just lying on the beach, eating chocolate and drinking wine, sharing stories and watching the sun set. I know I've said this several times now, but I'll say it again - it always feels so great to hang out with the other interns and I continue to be amazed at how awesome each and and every one of them are.

That night we hit Long Street - the main drag in Cape Town. Going out in Cape Town is a lot different than going out in Kimberley. One difference is that there are actually white people around. Another is that a lot of American pop and classic rock music is played. But the biggest difference is hard to describe - there is just a much different vibe in the Cape Town night life. It's very similar to how it feels when you go out in the U.S. or in Europe, but I really think I like going out in Kim a lot better. The cool thing about going out with the interns though, is that regardless of where you are and what your surroundings are, you are guaranteed to have a good time. It was a good way to finish off a fantastic day.

Trevor and I.

international thanksgiving

The CT crew, the Zimterns and the Kimterns wishing you a very
Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving. A day to gather and celebrate the blessings of the past year. Thanksgiving. A day to be surrounded by those that you love. Thanksgiving. A day to eat a lot of food. Thanksgiving is kind of a funny holiday. In fact, when I told some of the Kim coaches about Thanksgiving, they politely smiled and nodded, but deep down I knew they were all thinking what one coach actually voiced to me - "Why don't you just go to church?"

It's funny how cultural traditions can seem so foreign to others. But the nicest thing about celebrating Thanksgiving in Cape Town was that it did not seem strange. In fact, it felt just like any other Thanksgiving. I was surrounded by people I cared about. I spent almost my entire day making food (well actually, I spent most of my day peeling potatoes and chopping vegetables). And then I spent all night eating. We even had a turkey. 

And as I was entering a food coma at the end of the night, sitting next to Trevor who was eating the remnants of a dessert out of a pan, I got a chance to really give thanks for all of the great things and most importantly all of the great people in my life. So from Cape Town, South Africa to everyone who may be reading this, Happy Thanksgiving! 

Happy Thanksgiving from the Kimterns!

kimterns invade Cape Town!

We did it! Trevor and I finally visited Cape Town!

Climbing Lion's Head in Cape Town!

We left Kimberley at 7 pm on Tuesday, drove straight through the night and only fell asleep at the wheel once! Haha – just kidding about that last part. The drive from Cape Town isn’t actually that bad; it’s just long. But Trevor and I concocted an ingenious plan to help get us through the night. We burned a couple of CD’s and just car grooved all through the night (okay, I know this sounds boring, but the cars we drive have no radio and no CD player, which sometimes makes driving a pain in the booty). Want to know what kept us awake throughout the night? Here’s a sample of one of our CD’s:

            Slam Dunk the Funk ~ Five

            Replay ~ Iyaz

            Whatever You Like ~ Jackey Boys

            Me & U ~ Cassie

            What’s Your Flavor ~ Craig David

            Oh Africa ~ Akon

            Shake That Ass ~

            Suga Suga ~ Baby Bash

            Ridin’ ~ Chamillionaire

            Come My Lady ~ Crazy Town

            Up In Here ~ DMX

            Let Me Blow Ya Mind ~ Eve (feat. Gwen Stefani)

            Hands Up (Remix) ~ Francisco

            Echo ~ Gorilla Zoe

            I Like That ~ Houston

            I Like It ~ Enrique Inglesias (feat. Pitbull)

            Boyz-N-The-Hood ~ Dynamite Hack

            Low ~ Flo Rida (feat. T-Pain)

            Do You Remember ~ Jay Sean

            It Ain’t the End ~ Jay Sean (feat. Niki Minaj)

The drive took ten hours, and there were a few rough patches, but we finally arrived in Cape Town at five in the morning. We headed straight to the intern house, gracefully collapsed onto some couches and slept for a good three hours. When we woke, it was time to invade Cape Town!

GRS Headquarters. An absolutely gorgeous office!

Our first stop was to the GRS office. As soon as we walked in the door we were greeted by a shout; “it’s the Kimterns!” And the best part about this greeting was that it came from Hooter, a former Kimberley intern (who is now working for the GRS Curriculum Development team)! We’ve heard a lot about Hooter from past interns, from Thuso (our Assistant Site Coordinator) and most of all from our coaches. Everyone loves Hooter. It was great finally getting to meet Hooter, not only because we’ve heard so much about him, but also because he more than anyone understands what it is like to be an intern in Kim. 

Kimterns united! Hooter is the goober on the right.

After shooting the breeze for a bit with Hooter and all the other wonderful people at GRS HQ (this visit to Cape Town reconfirmed my sentiments that every single person working for GRS is absolutely fantastic), Trevor and I hit Cape Town. Cape Town is nothing like Kimberley. In fact, Cape Town feels just like any major city that I have visited in Europe. Even the “African” parts of Cape Town (i.e. street markets and beggars) are very similar to their counterparts in Europe.

One of the pedestrian walkways in Cape Town. You tell me - is it Cape Town?
Or could it be Barcelona? London? Anywhere else in Europe?

One of my favorite things that we did that morning though, was visiting the Green Street market. Why did I like this market so much? Because after getting completely ripped off at all of these markets in Malawi, I was ready to get my haggle on in Cape Town. And boy did I haggle. I ended up buying two paintings and when I bought the second one for just R200 (after it started at R450) I actually thought the vendor was about to cry. That’ll teach them to deal with "innocent" looking white girl. 

The Green Street Market.

That afternoon the Cape Town (CT) crew and the Zimterns (Derek and Ale from Zimbabwe also came down for Thanksgiving!) all had to work, so Trevor and I ventured off to hike Lion’s Head. Even though the weather wasn’t ideal (Trevor and I actually got caught in a rain storm on our way down the mountain), this hike was fantastic. 

Climbing Lion's Head.

It was cool to be in an environment that was very different from Kimberley and the hike itself brought back some wonderful memories – memories of hiking Wentworth falls with my family when we visited Australia, memories of Joe, Matt and I trekking up Mount Mellonthin two summers ago, and memories of my high school friends and I climbing White Oak Canyon.

Half way up the mountain, looking over Signal Hill.

When we reached the summit we were greeted by some very blustery winds and some incredible views of Cape Town. This really is a sweet city!

The Twelve Apostles

Cape Town.

Table mountain. The cloud cover is called the "tablecloth" and the
soccer stadium that was built in Cape Town for the World Cup is supposed
to be the tablecloth of Table Mountain.  

T and I at the top.

The fun continued that evening. Trevor and I got to play small-sided soccer with the CT crew, the Zimterns and Hooter. The game got surprisingly intense as our opponents really did not like the fact that they were losing to a team that had girls on it. But our motley looking crew (seriously - we were playing in yellow GRS t-shirts, Trevor and I didn't have cleats, and our overall appearance reminded me a lot of WM club soccer) managed to pull out a 8 - 7 victory! We went out to Roxy's to celebrate our win and to bask in the glory that comes with being an intern. 

Words cannot describe how great it feels every time I get together with a big group of GRS interns. It is great to be surrounded by people who are all passionate about the organization we chose to become a part of and who are all going through the same things together. I never ceased to be amazed at how wonderful all of the GRS interns and am truly happy to be a part of the GRS family. 

Interns both past and present at Roxy's.

One of the most interesting parts of the evening was when someone decided it was time to drop "honest bombs." I'm pretty sure this started after the guys started calling each other out on how ridiculous some of them looked sporting their Mo-vember facial hair (during Mo-vember of No-Shave-november, guys are not supposed to shave for the whole month). And even though it started as a joke, it ended up being a pretty special moment. The honest bomb that resounded most for me came from Hooter. He said he was glad that the two Kimterns had really brought back the love to Kim and to each other (I've heard a couple stories about how things were in Kim last year and I do believe that Trevor and I are a big improvement). Everyone continues to be amazed at how close Trevor and I are and at how much time we spend together. I don't really get it... it's not like we work together, live together, go on 10-hour car rides together and then are still willing to go hiking together... oh wait, we do do that. What can I say - Trevor is my best bud in Kim and I truly am thankful for him.

A little bit of Kimtern lovin'.

meet Trevor

It’s been about three months since I landed in Kimberley. When I landed, I was naïve, slightly scared, still questioning what I was getting into, and a little nervous that the only American for kilometers was the crazy person walking off the plane with me: Trevor. I had some doubts about Trevor… he seemed crazy, he intimidated me a little bit and I wasn’t sure I could keep up with him. After three months of living with Trevor I can say with full confidence that Trevor is indeed crazy. But he’s the good kind of crazy. He’s the kind of crazy that gets you to think out of the box. He’s the kind of crazy that makes you laugh even when you’ve had the worst day. He’s the kind of crazy that had become my best friend. So today, I decided that everyone back home should get the chance to meet Trevor. The following is an interview I had with Trevor. For the most part, his answers are verbatim. He also interviewed me. If you want to check out that interview, go to his blog: http://trevors-sa-adventure.blogspot.com/ Now for the main attraction: Trevor

Age: 22

Birthday: 8 March 1989

Hometown: Nashua, New Hampshire

College: Connecticut College in New London Connecticut

Majors: Economics and International Relations

Favorite Animal: Babijan (that’s Afrikaans for baboon)

Favorite Color: Orange

Favorite Season: Winter – New England winter, not South African winter.

Favorite Movies: Super Troopers, Superbad, Clerks 2, Shawshenk Redemption, V for Vandetta

Favorite Music: Rap and Hip Hop
Favorite Food: Pasta with chicken and broccoli in any sauce.
Family: I’m one of two kids. Got my mom, Pam, or P for short, my pops, Tom, and my little sis, Juliana, aka Bank Book (her rap name).
Heritage: Greek Orthodox. I definitely associate with the Greek side of my family because my mom’s family is bigger and we all live close together.

Me: All right, let’s meet Trevor – the GRS intern. Why did you decide to become a GRS intern?

Trevor: Coming out of school I wasn’t ready for a desk job and my internships in the sports marketing world and finance world didn’t really… didn’t really hit home or didn’t really show my passion for what I do and I like to be passionate about what I do. GRS was travel, soccer, working with kids and volunteer work, which are all things I enjoy.

Me: What do you think of Kimberley?

Trevor: A lot. The wealth gap is huge between the whites and blacks and coloreds. I think it’s small and there’s not a lot to do, but that in being small it’s easy to get to know the place and I feel like there is definitely a strong communal feel in the townships where we work. I like that community as well as our working community.

Me: What is your leadership style? Can you explain what that means?

Trevor: My leadership style is lead by example, but I think that was more sport related and school related. For GRS I think I am more of a people person and I try to keep strong relationships while helping others when they need it. In GRS Orientation terms, I am a ‘North’ meaning I like to analyze something quickly and get it done. (I asked this question because I am a ‘West’ and so often these past three months Trevor will say to me, “that was so West” and I will say to him, “that was so North.”)

Me: What are some of the things you do at work?

Trevor: Cost share reporting (Trevor visits all of the schools we work in and asks Principals to sign a letter explaining that we work in their schools for free – in this way, GRS “raises” it’s own money), filling out Driving Logs (a task I used to have to do and I’m so glad he has to do it now), working with Bloemfontein to make sure everything is going all right, which hasn’t been much work with Mandla there all the time. Car maintenance, and I think that’s it.

Me: Tell me about one of your typical work days?

Trevor: I don’t think there is a typical work day for me, but I do think most of the time it’s get to the office in the morning and throughout the course of the day, some form of transport, some desk work and some communication. But for the most part my tasks are more project related and so there will be days when I have free time to follow my beloved Patriots – who are shitting the bed right now – and read other articles on BBC and ESPN (a luxury I – Lauren – don’t have and yes, I am a little jealous).

Me: What is your most memorable moment that you would like to share about GRS thus far?

Trevor: Probably going to the Pirates vs. Chiefs game and getting to see the atmosphere of a top notch Premier League game in South Africa and getting to cheer with and against fellow interns in a very fun and competitive afternoon.

Me: Coolbeans. Now, lets meet Trevor – the Goober. I know you like to quote movies, what are your favorite movie quotes?

Trevor: “And that was the second time I got crabs.” (That’s a quote from Super Troopers.) Anything from Super Troopers, Clerks 2 and Superbad are fair game at all times, and then other comedy movies as well, or main lines from famous movies. I really like quoting Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings just to be goofy and feel like a nerd and see if other people would pick up on it. Yeah, I just love movie references, and if you are ever around Eric (his best friend from home) and I, “that will happen – that will happen.” (That was a movie reference, but I couldn’t ID the movie…)

Me: Tell me the nicknames that you have here and explain why you have them?

Trevor: First was Babijan, which is a baboon (in Afrikaans), which was self-proclaimed after learning the different animals names in a class I was working in. I also gave everyone I worked with an animal name. Next was Makwele, which is potato, or slang for ball sack, and I got that one trying to buy makweles at a corner stand in Galeshewe. I spoke in Setswana then, which was funny, and I really liked that makweles were only five Rand. And I love the word so I became makwele.

Me: What super power would you most like to have and why?

Trevor: I would like to fly because my favorite thing to do is run around and jump and feel weightless when I am in the air so I think flying would be pretty special. And I could do cost share really quickly.

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up (because you are still not an adult)?

Trevor: I agree (chuckle). Next.

Me: What is the craziest food combination you have ever made?

Trevor: Three things come to mind: eating an orange with peanut butter, which is really good for all you haters; making a steak glaze one night with every condiment I had in our fridge at home, including syrup, which again was outstanding (you can ask my parents about that one); and then other combinations – I put a pickle in a smoothie once, but that’s very bad. So don’t do it.

Me: Continuing with food, are you ever full from eating?

Trevor: No! I wish I could have a food IV hooked up to me, but that my taste buds could still taste it.

Me: If you found the perfect pair of soccer cleats – they fit your foot beautifully, enhanced your performance and were guaranteed to last for life, but they cost $10,000 USD would you buy them you cheap skate?

Trevor: If I had $10,000… maybe.

Me: What if they were $1,000?

Trevor: Yes. Definite yes, you ass hole (I make fun of Trevor for being frugal but he’s a great sport about it).

Me: Now let’s meet Trevor – the Babijan. You’ve jumped over walls, the Tazz and many things I am probably not aware of – what do you plan to jump next?

Trevor jumping the Tazz...

Trevor: Maloof (the skate park where the Skateboarding World Championship was held this year). I want to run around and jump off the skate park fixtures. There are a couple dirt mounds around Kimberley I want to go explore, too. And the parking garage at Game if I could possibly wall run it, but that could end in some hospital time.

Me: What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

Trevor: Craziest thing I have ever done… difficult… I don’t know. I’ll generally fool around in high places or other places where people get nervous. The craziest thing I’ve ever done… oh! A belly flop off of a 16-foot platform at soccer camp for 60 bucks and two pizzas. I couldn’t breathe right for two weeks. I knew the stomach would hurt, but I didn’t think about the throat…. And yes I got all my money.

Me: How do you like to sleep?

Trevor: Naked.

Me: Tell me, how do you feel about people drinking your water?

Trevor: I don’t like it. I despise it. Especially at soccer *shaking fist*

Me: If you knew the world was ending tomorrow, what would you do right now, right here in Kimberley?

Trevor: I would definitely plan to jump into or around the Big Hole with some form of parachute. Or just to free fall it. If it was the 23^rd hour and 59^th minute I would just run and launch myself into it and die really happy I think.

Me: Wow. I’m not at all surprised. Moving on, it’s time to meet Trevor – my roommate. What is your favorite thing about living with me?

Trevor: Your like a puppy who cooks and cleans. *Laughter* No, I don’t mean that. My favorite thing about living with Lauren… her attitude in the morning, No, seriously, you are down to earth and can have fun doing nothing, just like me.

Me: What is your least favorite thing about living with me?

Trevor: Morning attitude. Or your rationality when I am wrong in an argument.

Me: What is your biggest pet peeve?

Trevor: In Kimberley, when coaches treat me like a taxi driver and tell me where to go by each turn, because if I know the end destination I can get there and I’d rather think about my travel route.

Me: We’ve had some pretty great conversations, what were some of your favorites?

Trevor: The talk about whether people are born equal or if they have some innate ability (a subject that we continue to talk about and I encourage all of you to think about it – are we all born as blank slates and are then only shaped by our environment and experiences? Or do our environment and experiences play a role, but innate ability or genes play another?) And then probably our talk about work on the hammock, it was just a good talk (we talked about what we wanted to change in GRS and what we wanted to do better ourselves).

Me: Okay, in order to wrap things up (and plug GRS a bit), let’s meet Trevor – Skillz 1.1 version. What are the Three Skillz to win?

Trevor: Know the game. Build your team. Make your move.

Me: What are the four fluids that can transmit HIV?

Trevor: Blood. Semen! Breast milk and vaginal fluids.

Me: How can you protect yourself from contracting or spreading HIV?

Trevor: Abstain! Use a condom. Be mutually faithful.

Me: Who is your Star Supporter in life?

Trevor: I’ve got a lot. But family, Eric and my Goober crew from Conn.

I hoped you liked that! Trevor and I had a lot of fun doing these interviews and I think we're going to do more to try to spice up our blogs a bit so stay tuned!

vital conversations

In all of the GRS Skillz programs, coaches work hard to get kids to participate in vital conversations about school, about HIV and about life. Getting to hear these vital conversations can be pretty moving. Just try to imagine an 11-year-old boy talking about how he is the only one at home that can take care of his sick mother. Or picture a 10-year-old girl asking to learn more about HIV and how she can protect herself and her sister. It’s something else.

I’ve been lucky these past few weeks. While working at Skillz Street I have gotten to participate in some vital conversations and I have gotten to have some of my own. Today I visited the Principal at St. Peter’s Primary School so that I could ask him a few questions about Skillz Street. I was mainly interested in what his thoughts about the program were and in ensuring that we were doing everything in accordance with school policy (that’s code for “I was kissing a little bit of ass”). But what started as a simple visit turned into a vital conversation.

The principal began by telling me that he was giving us (GRS/ Skillz Street) a tremendous opportunity and that he wanted us to take full advantage of it. “These girls need to see strong women leaders. They need to see that they too can become more than what they ever imagined. I see now that school doesn’t always provide them with that opportunity, but your program – your coaches – they really do. So keep it up.”

He went on to tell me that the biggest change he had noticed amongst some of the girls that are participating in Skillz Street is that they have more confidence. I was thrilled to hear that. I had noticed this as well over the past few weeks and it felt good to hear someone credit Skillz Street with affecting positive behavioral change. We talked for almost half an hour about Skillz Street and how important it is to empower young girls. It was fantastic.

That conversation propelled me through the rest of my day (I didn’t leave work until 18h30), and when Trevor and I got home we were in for another conversational treat. Our landlords, Johann and Hilda, had invited us over a barbeque. It was really nice not having to cook for ourselves tonight and the food was absolutely delicious (they made lamb, garlic bread, potatoes, two salads and dessert), but the best part of the evening was the conversation.

Johann is a jack-of-all-trades. He has a farm on which he raises livestock, he owns an irrigation company, he is an investor in new telecommunication cables that are being installed all around Kimberley and he is the owner/ manager of Gariep Motors, the local Mercedes-Benz dealership.  He has experienced a lot and he is very intelligent.

We spent a good amount of time talking about culture – how the U.S. is different from South Africa and in particular, how the culture in the townships is foreign to most whites in South Africa. Johann explained that he employs people of every imaginable background in his car dealership because the key to selling anything is being able to connect with your customer. If a black Swana-speaking person walks into his dealership, he has someone who speaks Swana that will deal with them. If a colored person enters his dealership, there is another person who will deal with them because they come from the same culture and will be able to make a connection.

He also explained that he reminds himself often (and encouraged us to do the same) that when we see behavior we don’t understand, or we question the work ethic of some people we work with, that we should go and look at where they come from. And he’s right. Most of the people here did not graduate from a great school like William and Mary. Most people here were not raised in a household with both of their parents. Most people here never learned to save money. Most people here are just used to surviving and making the most of what they have. Moving forward, I hope to be more conscientious of this fact.

Our conversation ended on a very interesting topic – the topic of leadership. Johann was talking specifically about office management. He asked Trevor and I, if we were the manager of a car dealership and we walk across the floor and see a piece of paper on the ground, what should we do? I was thinking, “you pick it up,” but before I even had a chance to respond Johann said, “you tell someone to pick it up – office management.” His answer really struck me. I can certainly see the logic in his answer, but am still not sure if I agree with it. Maybe it’s because I am the world’s worst delegator, but it has certainly given me something to think about – do I want to be a “worker” for the rest of my life or do I want to strive to be a “manager”?

it’s been awhile

This picture was taken a while ago, but I really like it. From left to right
we have Thuso (Assistant Site Coordinator), Trevor (my roomie), Mandla
(Site Coordinator), Mbumbi (another awesome intern) and me.

Hi. I am still alive. I am still in Kimberley. And I am still blogging. I promise. I’ve just been really busy these past three weeks. I’ve been so busy in fact that when I come home from work I collapse right into my favorite chair at the intern house and proceed to do nothing. I’ve gotten really good at this. Take yesterday for example – I woke up at about nine in the morning, dozed/ stayed in bed until one o’clock, walked over to our living room where I sat around for a few more hours, went to the grocery store, and then spent the rest of the evening sitting in the dark listening to mood music with Trevor.

I lead quite an exciting life don’t I? And although I have indeed found a new appreciation for doing absolutely nothing, the main reason for my lethargy yesterday was exhaustion. My last three weeks have been entirely consumed by two things: Skillz Street and soccer.

All of the other GRS sites in South Africa (Cape Town, Soweto and Port Elizabeth) have a full-time paid staff member that is “in charge” of Skillz Street and the role of interns in those locations is to support this staff member. But in Kimberley, I do it all. I recruit schools to participate, I deliver and collect permission slips, I contact the Department of Health about HIV testing, I buy materials for Skillz Street, and I attend each and every Skillz Street practice where I hand out materials, help manage the coaches, and sometimes even run portions of the practice. This. Is. Exhausting.

Coach Cheese Boy doing an energizer with the girls.

GRS Kimberley is currently running two Skillz Street camps. On Mondays and Tuesdays we run a camp from 14h00 – 16h00 at Pescodia Primary School in Roodepan (a colored community) and on Wednesdays and Thursdays we work at St. Peter’s Primary School in Galeshewe. I spend my mornings buying and prepping materials for the day, going through the necessary paperwork and making phone calls to school principals and DOH nurses. I then spend three hours at each Skillz Street camp and when I return to the office at around 16h30, I finally have the chance to start some of my other tasks. This. Is. Exhausting.

Fair play soccer.

Girls showing off their team dance.

But I wouldn’t trade my Skillz Street role for anything else. The first day of Skillz Street at Pescodia, a group of young girls ran up to me and started climbing all over me asking me to be their coach. At both camps a lot of the girls have started calling me Coach Lauren and greet me each day with a big smile or a hug. And on Thursday, about twenty girls tackled/ hugged/ kissed me after I helped two coaches run Practice 4. This. Is. Worth. It.

A team cheer at the end of the day.

So, what do I do when I’m not working? I drive all around Galeshewe and Roodepan picking up coaches for soccer practice, I help run soccer practice and then I drive everyone home. After Christa (one of my favorite coaches) set up a friendly match between the GRS girls “team” and a local team, a lot of the coaches got really into the idea of having a serious soccer team. So with the help of three guy coaches – our “coach” Graham, our “manager” Boetie B, and Clifford (I’m not really sure what his role is… but he helps), have started trying to make Grassroot Ladies a real team. This is no easy feat; mainly because it means that I have even more work to do. This past week I drafted three separate letters to GRS requesting permission to 1. use ‘Grassroot’ in our team name, 2. use GRS equipment for our practices and games, and 3. use the GRS car to transport coaches for practices and games. 

Now, I do really like soccer… but I want to play soccer. I don’t really want to be the team manager, logistics handler, chauffeur, and overall point person for a soccer team (I already did that at WM). But somehow (probably because I have a really hard time saying “no” to people) I am right in the middle of organizing and running a GRS soccer team. This. Is. Exhausting.

But just as with Skillz Street, there are moments that make playing soccer with these coaches absolutely worth it. Last weekend we had a match against a team from Roodepan. After practicing every day of the week, we actually looked like a team on Saturday and ended up winning 3-1 (and I scored a goal)! After the game, everyone chipped in R30,00 and we treated ourselves to a delicious meal of archar.

Winnie (left) and Nthabi (right) preparing the archar.

Things aren’t always easy over here, and things don’t always work out the way I plan (i.e. I just wanted to play soccer every now and then and now I’m in charge of an entire team), but at least life is never boring over here.