Rimoho! Rikafela!

Today Trevor and I went to a Skillz intervention. GRS uses the term “Skillz” to refer to the programs that we run. Each program consists of 10 – 12 sessions, or interventions, in which two coaches visit a school and give a lesson to a group of students. The format of these interventions is really cool. First, all of the coaches are local high school or college graduates. By using local people as coaches, GRS is able to take a sustainable approach towards molding community role models and leaders in the fight against HIV. The other really cool part of the interventions is that in all of them, analogies are drawn between soccer and real life in order to teach the kids about life skills and HIV.

The intervention that we went to is called Generation Skillz and it is for students who are in secondary school (ages 15 – 19). It was really interesting to watch the intervention because at the end of the day, South African high school students are pretty similar to high school students anywhere else in the world. There were some who are eager to learn and actively participate; there are others who listen in but don’t really say much; others just dick around in the background; and still others crack jokes so that they can be the center of attention.

GRS coaches use simple soccer activities to convey messages about HIV and it seemed that the particular activity the coaches were doing today wasn’t really gripping the attention of many of the students. But at the end of the intervention, all of the coaches came together and they talked about what went well and what didn’t. I am glad that I got to witness this exchange because all of the coaches were open and honest about what happened. One of the coaches, Necy (who I really like), made an excellent point though; she said that these interventions really tested her patience, but she knew that it was a time when she had to just stick it out, be patient and lead by example. She then said that at the end of the day, if she was able to just reach one kid, then it was all worth it. Hearing each of the coaches acknowledge how difficult the intervention had been and hearing them also recognize that at the end of the day they were there for the kids was really inspiring.

The day ended on a really high note as we drove through the township in order to get back to the office. Throughout the entire drive kids would see our car pass, they would recognize the bright yellow t-shirts we were all wearing and then they would shout out, “Rimoho!” to which we would respond, “Rikafela!” Rimoho means ‘are we together’ and rikafela means ‘we are one.’ These are the call-and-response phrases that the coaches use during interventions in order to grab the kids’ attention. Hearing the kids yell out these phrases as we drove by made me not only see that GRS is having a positive impact on the community, but it also made me feel welcome. 

Bfana Bfana vs. The Stallions

I hate the cold. When there is snow on the ground it’s tolerable, but when it’s just cold, it sucks. Seriously, everyone out there who claims to love the cold, try living in a place where the temperature drops down to 40 each night in a house that has no heat and no insulation and then tell me how much you love the cold. In fact, come visit me next June when it is winter here and you can give it a try (and on that note visitors are welcome anytime). Yeah, so in case you can’t tell, it gets cold here.

Mornings are especially rough. As most of you already know, I am not a morning person and it is inadvisable to talk to me right after I wake up. Now, just imagine how pleasant I am when I have to wake up at 7:30 a.m. and leave the warmth of my 15-degree down sleeping bag (yes that is what I have been sleeping in) in order to change in a freezing room that doesn’t warm up until 1:00 p.m. if you are lucky. But winter is ending here so hopefully the blistering cold won’t last too much longer and I’m sure that before long I’ll be complaining about how hot it is. 

Today we went to the GRS office to meet the Site Coordinator, Mandla, and start our Kimberley Orientation. My favorite part of the day was when Mandla let Trevor and I write our own job descriptions (sort of). Some of the things that I am going to be helping out with this year include the finances, office management, and Skillz Street, which is the all girls program. There will also be a lot of driving, paperwork and some not so fun moments… but right now I’m pretty stoked!

Mandla and Thuso took us out to lunch. We went to this little place that is located right behind the taxi stand in town. On the way there Mandla said that we were going to be eating intestines. Trevor immediately said, “Bring it on!” I didn’t say anything because I was pretty sure they were joking, but then Mbumbii (the intern from Namibia) told us that the intestines of a cow are the best part – they are so good in fact that when his father slaughters a cow back home he doesn’t share the intestines with anybody. Now I was really confused… so I remained quiet and was promptly mocked for not saying anything. I’m making friends? Anywho, we didn’t end up eating intestines. Lunch was bried (barbequed) cow, bap (maize meal (aka corn meal)) and some other stuff. It was good.

When we went home at the end of the day we stopped by our landlord’s house in order to pick up an extra set of keys and we were invited in for drinks. Our landlords are Johann and Hilda (very South African names no?) and they have three children and four dogs – win! The best part of the night was when Johann and I talked about DeBeers and the mining history of the town. Johann said that I can dig anywhere in the town and find kimberlite! Kimberlite is a type of rock that forms when lava cools and it is the rock that diamonds are found in! Johann also gave me permission to dig anywhere in the yard. This is fantastic begins it means that I will be able to geology-geek out to my hearts content. It also means I’ll be able to bring lots of rocks home, and all of you know how much I like to do that.

We ended the night by watching South Africa’s national soccer team, Bafana Bafana, play Namibia’s national soccer team, the Stallions. Mbumbii spent half the time hating on the South African team (because he is from Namibia, remember?) and the other half of the time pointing out players that play for the Orlando Pirates. The Orlando Pirates are one of the South African teams and their big rivals are the Kaiser Chiefs. Every time we meet a new coach they ask us whether we support the Pirates or the Chiefs. And opposing supporters can go on for hours about why you should favor one team or another. It really is true – here, soccer is religion. 

Yebo!

Dumelang from Kimberley! It only took one flight across the Atlantic, a nine-hour layover in London, an 11-hour flight to South Africa, a quick dash through the Johannesburg airport and a short ride on a plane that felt like it’s propeller was going to fall off at any minute before Trevor (my roommate) and I arrived safely – luggage and all – in Kimberley, South Africa. We were a little stiff and a little tired, but excited and ready (yebo) to begin our adventure in South Africa.

GRS interns storm London during our layover.

The Assistant Site Coordinator, Thuso, and one of the coaches, Robert, met us at the airport. They drove us to our apartment so we could drop off our bags and meet our housemate, Mbumbii. Mbumbii is fantastic! He grew up in Namibia and is currently studying mechanical engineering at Dartmouth University (where Grassroot Soccer was founded).  He wanted to learn more about how NGO’s operate so he secured a summer internship with GRS. Mbumbii is a terrific resource; he has been showing Trevor and I the ropes and teaching us Afrikaans. I can already tell that I am going to miss him when he leaves in a month.

After meeting Mbumbii, our grand tour of Kimberley began. We drove all around town, visited both of the town’s shopping malls and passed the town’s main attraction, the Big Hole (I’ll talk more about this after I visit it) all in just 45 minutes! And that pretty much sums up the city of Kimberley. Not very big, definitely a place where you make your own fun, but I feel like I got good at that after living in Williamsburg for four years so bring it on Kimberley, bring it on.

Kimberley itself is an interesting city. It’s located in the middle of nowhere and is surrounded by desert on all sides. It is also one of the last Afrikaner “strongholds” in South Africa and I’ve been told that there are still people in Kimberley that favor apartheid. A former intern told me that she met an Afrikaner who told her that god gave black people HIV for a reason… I’m hoping I don’t meet anyone like that. But at least I am not the only white girl in the city.

Once we enter the townships however, a lot changes. Roads go from being wide and paved to being nothing but narrow bits of dirt and rock. Houses are noticeably smaller and closer together and the roofs are all pretty ramshackle-looking. It is definitely interesting to contrast the predominantly white areas with the townships. One thing that is the same in both the city and the townships however, is the fences; every house, no matter how small, is surrounded by a fence that is topped with either metal spikes, barbed wire, broken bits of metal or some other unfriendly looking item.

Trevor, Mbumbii, Robert (one of the coaches) and I spent the entire afternoon driving through the various townships. Robert is hilarious! He is talkative, animated, opinionated, and very knowledgeable on matters such as beer (as our most south Africans). Robert took us to meet a bunch of the coaches. They all have great names – there’s Jibbly, Imzala, Cheese Guy (who is actually a girl), Coach K and many more. Meeting each of the coaches was an adventure in itself.  All of them want to shake your hand when they first meet you. But it’s not a simple meeting of hands. Oh no, it is a complicated process whereby grips are exchanged, fingers are interlocked and thumbs “snap” each other. It took me at least 12 times to get it right. Each time I’d be going in for the handshake I’d over-analyze what I was doing because I was worried about messing up, and then sure enough – I’d mess up. It didn’t help that every coach has his or her own spin on the “basic” handshake. Just when I thought that I had the whole hand thing down someone would throw something new into the mix and I would be lost again. Oh and then when you say goodbye you have to do the whole thing all over again. Don’t get me wrong – I really like it. I just wish I wasn’t so awkward at it…

My favorite thing about driving around today was that we couldn’t drive more than five minutes without seeing something soccer related. Not only does everyone wear Manchester United and Arsenal and Bfana Bfana soccer jerseys, but also everywhere you look someone is doing something with a soccer ball. I really understand how GRS is able to use soccer as a hook here and the prevalence of soccer throughout the community likely helps to reinforce the messages that coaches are telling their kids. It has only been one day, but I am very excited to involve myself in the process and help out in any way I can. Yebo!

(Also, I haven’t taken any pictures yet, but when I do I’ll add them to the appropriate blog pages. So keep checking in and don’t just look at the most recent blog post. Thanks and uns wa saam!)

can i get a KILO!!!

Four days ago my parents dropped me off at Pierce's Inn in Hanover, NH for my orientation. I was terrified - but not because I was leaving for Africa for a year. No, I was terrified that while saying goodbye I would burst into tears in front of the 24 other interns who were milling about. Just imagine - I would go from being "the soccer chick on crutches who exploded a lasagna" (thanks Katie) to "the chick who showed up in her parents' BMW and bawled for hours." Wow. Great way to meet people. So in light of the circumstances, I gave my parents quick good-byes and literally pushed them into the car (sorry Mom and Dad). But alas, I was victorious - I had survived the first 5 minutes of orientation without crying. Only 5755 more minutes to go...

I joined the crowd of interns milling about and although I didn't let it show, I was definitely wondering what on earth I had just gotten myself into. But my doubts and nervousness were quickly alleviated. Team Awesome, the three fantastic GRS staff members who were in charge of the intern orientation led us to a cabin in the woods. The other interns and I spent the first two days of orientation chilling, hiking, sharing stories and team-building. We also got to meet GRS coaches from Malawi and play some of the games that kids going through GRS programs play. The last two days of orientation were spent in discussions/ sessions where I learned all about HIV prevention and treatment, the GRS mission and best of all, what I will actually be doing next year! Sort of... All of the other interns are fantastic. Their hearts are in the right place and after meeting them I feel even better about the upcoming year.

The 2011-2012 GRS Interns and our Orientation Leaders, "Team Awesome".

Now, prepare yourself. I am going to tell you about one of the best parts of training and let you in on one of GRS's coolest traditions. The "kilo!" A kilo is an entity unique to GRS, so if you are visiting South Africa and you want to appear like a local, do not go around giving out kilos because unless someone is a part of GRS they will have no idea what you are doing. But that doesn't matter. Kilos are awesome; they are an innovative and energetic way to give someone props for doing something. So for example, let's say that I, as is common, do something awesome. Someone who witnessed my feat of greatness might shout out, "Can I get a kilo!" In this situation, kilo will be pronounced keeee-lo. The first syllable is dragged out so that the kilo caller can catch everyone's attention. After the kilo call is made, everyone will clap three times in quick succession, clap three more times in quick succession, and then shout woooo and point in the direction of the person being kilo'd. 

So let's say that I scored the winning goal in a pick-up soccer game. One of my teammates would say:

"Can I get a keeee-lo!"

Then the whole group:

clap clap clap

clap clap clap

(points at me) WOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Us, in the middle of a kilo.

Okay so this still might be a hard concept to grasp, but try to imagine an entire group of your closest friends giving you a kilo when you win a game of beer pong. It would be pretty cool with all that positive energy flying your way, right? Now imagine a group of 14-year-old kids in the middle of a soccer pitch giving each other kilos when they answer a question about HIV correctly. Or when a coach gets a group to give a kilo to a young kid for having the courage to speak up during a discussion about HIV prevention and treatment. Motivational? I sure think so. 

And that is what GRS does. GRS has developed a curriculum that motivates and empowers youth. Our programs teach them about HIV prevention and treatment and also help these kids develop basic life skills. How do we do this? We enlist the help of local people who have the ability to be role models to young kids in their communities to act as coaches and teach them our curriculum. These coaches then go in to schools and run interventions for children. During these interventions, GRS uses soccer as the "hook" to get kids excited about learning. We use soccer games and activities to interest the kids and then draw analogies between soccer and real life situations. And GRS has developed some pretty awesome games (my favorite is Breakaway - I promise to write about it later)! So where do I fit in? I do anything and everything I can to help GRS coaches develop strong relationships with the kids they are working with so that the kids will get the most out of our programs. This means that I might get to head to the fields and monitor and evaluate interventions in order to give coaches feedback. This means that I might be in an office keeping attendance records. This means I may get to visit schools and ask if we can run our programs for their kids. This means I will get to participate in brainstorming sessions that seek to improve our programs. This means that I will be busy. And ultimately this means that I am in for a wild ride this upcoming year. But I sure do feel ready!

This video (above) gives you a glimpse of some our programs in action. It is also incredibly inspirational and will hopefully let you see why GRS and I are doing what we're doing. 

seventeen soccer balls

Two weeks ago I began a 7-day, 1300-mile camping trip. I spent my days driving through mountains, scrambling over rocks and playing in creeks. I spent my nights eating camp food, drinking good beer and taking in my surroundings. And best of all, I got paid to do all of that. I won’t go in to what exactly I was doing because most of you will 1. make fun of me for being a geo geek, 2. find that really boring, and 3. because I could write an entire blog dedicated just to my geologic exploits, but I will say that if you want the best job ever, then you should become a geologist.

After an exhausting week in Virginia’s back country I returned to Williamsburg, packed up my apartment, said “see ya later” to some of my closest friends and made the familiar drive to northern Virginia one more time. Then I had one week to get my visa and pack for South Africa. The quest for my visa was miserable. Have you ever played a game with a four-year-old? One of those games that they make up where no matter what you do they always win? And even when you play by the rules and copy their every move, you still can’t catch a break? Well getting a visa is worse. There was blood, there was sweat, and there was almost even a bribe, and still my visa was denied.

Then there was packing. And because my parents are beginning a large construction project on our house I didn’t just have to pack for South Africa, but I also had to pack up my entire room. 17 soccer balls, 22 boxes and 3 suitcases later, I was packed. I thought it was very fitting that I found 17 soccer balls in my room. Some were gifts from old coaches, others from kids that I had coached, and still others I had a weird emotional attachment to… I saved 7 and donated the rest to my friend’s service trip.

The rest of my stuff went into 22 boxes and 3 suitcases. 21 years of my life fit in to just 22 boxes and 3 suitcases. It’s a little sad because it made me realize just how small and insignificant I am. But mostly, I looked at those 22 boxes and got really excited because they, more than anything, helped me realize that I am at a point in my life where I have no attachments to anything. I can go just about anywhere and do just about anything that I want to, and I am really excited to be doing just that!

So, after 7 days camping, 3 days packing, 17 soccer balls, 22 boxes, 3 suitcases and 1 highway drive, I left Virginia. I spent one more night with my family in Massachusetts swapping stories, eating pizza and watching the Sox game. Oh, and my visa came. All in all, it was a good way to end a great summer.

shots shots shots shots

I hate shots. Not the kind that LMFAO jams about cause I can handle them just fine. But the kind of shots that go in your arm are a whole other story. Whoever decided that the best way to administer medicine was by jamming needles into people's arms had a real twisted sense of humor. When I was younger if anyone so much as mentioned the word shot in my presence tears would just start rolling down my cheeks. And all the promises of stickers and lollipops did nothing to stem their flow or stop my screaming. Yep, I put on such great performances that I always left the doctor's office with the most colorful Band-Aids, a handful of stickers and pockets overflowing with candy.

But when you are twenty-one and have just graduated College tears are simply not allowed when you are given a shot. And no one is going to offer you 'good shot' rewards afterwards either. So when I walked into the Williamsburg Travel Clinic I was more than a little apprehensive about what I was walking in to.

Upon entering the door I was greeted by a little old lady and handed a clip board with just one sheet of paper on it. One sheet! Can you believe that? At most doctor's offices I've been ordered to write a small book before anyone would even look at me. Then, after writing said book, I am used to getting shunted into a room that is often painfully decorated and told, "The nurse will be right in." Yeah, right. Thirty minutes later when the nurse finally graces me with her presence, she sits down in front of me and begins asking the same questions, which, had she bothered to read my recent book, she would know all the answers to. But no, the nurse prefers to hear the answers straigth from my mouth and scribble them down in her own illegible handwriting for the doctor. Then after another stretch of waiting, Dr. I Don't Need to Read I Have Minions to Do That For Me, comes in and asks all of the same questions again.

But at the travel clinic, I was pleasently suprised. I filled out my one form in just two minutes, handed it to Dr. Nikki, and watched as she actually read and retained the information written on it! Then Dr. Nikki invited me into her office and got straight to business. No waiting. No shuffling through boring magazines. And none of those annoying personal questions about may life that all doctor's feel entitled to ask. My personal favorite of those is the, "So, do you have a boyfriend?" When I say no, there's the abrupt "Oh..." followed by nervous laughter. Sometimes I like to mess with the doctors. "Well my girlfriend's name is Suzie and she's great." That always evokes some fantastic reactions. Or there's the, "why don't you ask your wife?" Just kidding, I've never actually said those things outloud... but I've thought about it.

But Dr. Nikki did none of that routine crap. Instead she gave me a glass of water and some cookies to munch on while she told me all about the various diseases that are a problem in different parts of Africa. We then poured over my immunization records and she gave me tons of information about general health practices while in Africa. I learned about the preferred malaria medications, was told that if I couldn't peel a fruit or vegetable then I shouldn't eat it, and was given a 72-page document full of health information for all of southern and central Africa. She also made me show her how I wash my hands. I got an A-plus on hand washing.

And then came the shots. Four of them. Hepatitis A and polio (which unfortunately does still exist in Africa and eastern Europe) in my right arm. Yellow fever and typhoid in my left. It was grueling. Before each shot Nikki swabbed my slightly sunburnt arms with rubbing alcohol using a surprising amount fo strength for a woman who is probably pushing 70. Then there was the slight 'pressure' that came with each shot. And yellow fever carried a nasty sting with it too. But I made it. I didn't shed a single tear and it took less than two minutes for all four shots. Best doctor's visit ever. Nikki wished me luck, gave me a hug (she was a hugger), and sent me on my way. As I left the doctor's office I made two decisions; first, maybe shots (and doctors) really aren't that bad, and second, my display of true grit meritted a reward. I went to McDonald's and ordered an M&M McFlurry and it was so much better than lollipops and stickers ever were.

one way ticket

Well, no turning back now. Not that I was thinking about turning back, but now, even if I had been thinking about turning back, I couldn't. Not only have I signed several contracts with Grassroot Soccer, but I have also purchased a one-way ticket to Kimberley, South Africa! Yep, my location is set, my ticket is paid for and I could not be happier.


Map of South Africa from http://www.bdb.co.za/

Kimberley is located smack dab in the middle of South Africa. It is the capital of the Northern Cape province, which is the largest but most sparsely populated province in South Africa. And even though it is sort of located in the middle of nowhere, it boasts a population of approximately 200,000. There's a lot I could tell you about Kimberley, but if I go ahead and do that, this mildly entertaining blog will likely turn into a history paper. I have no desire to write a paper and I'm sure you have even less desire to read a paper so instead of giving you the full run down I'll just provide you with some fun facts.

Fun fact number 1: Kimberley is known as Diamond City because one of the world's largest diamond mines (run by DeBeers) is located in Kimberley. These diamonds are found in kimberlites, volcanic rocks that are belived to have formed deep in the mantle. Kimberlites form vertical pipelike structures from which diamonds can be mined. Because I cannot subdue my nerdy geology side I guarantee that I will be visitng this mine and taking tons of pictures. So you can all look forward to an entire blog entry all about the Kimberley mine.

Fun fact number 2: Approximately 80 kilometers (~50 miles) southwest of Kimberley lies Mokala National Park, the go to place in the country for hiking and searching for Rhinos, Antelopes and other indigenous South African plants and animals. So if anyone needed incentive to visit, hopefully I just gave you some.

Final fun fact: Actually, this is more like a "misery" fact for me - the South African embassy requires an arm and a leg before they give someone a visa. I am slowly but surely trudging through the process of getting finger-printed, receiving the necessary immunizations and filling out lots and lots of paper work. But I'm making my way through it all, feeling oddly "adult-like" with each new paper filled out and form signed and getting more and more excited. And maybe just a little apprehensive...

The other day one of my closest friends asked me, "So, Lamp, are you ready for Africa?" I really had to think about that question. It's a tough one and I hadn't really thought about it because between travelling in Europe, field work and struggling through this visa application, I haven't had time to. But I've thought about it now and I know my answer. The slogan for FC Barcelona is "mes que un club." It means 'more than a club' and it was first used in 1968 by FC Barcelona president Narcís de Carreras to describe the social importance of FC Barcelona in Catalonia. More than a club. That's what soccer has been - a social rallying point. More than a club. That's what soccer has been for me - a social, physical and mental outlet. More than a club. That's what GRS programs in South Africa are - an avenue towards an AIDS-free generation. And I am more than ready to become a part of that.

Me at Camp Nou, FC Barcelona's home stadium.