I sit here watching an amazing seventeen year old boy focus as he draws a picture for an advertising project for his english class. This is day two of my community stay. I have enjoyed every minute of it; well, except for the fact that I forgot my toothbrush.
I have been lucky enough to have been placed in the home belonging to my friend B. Not 10 minutes will pass P in front of the house without me marveling at how this 17 year old boy has become an adult so quickly.
This Journey began on Monday afternoon. I am warmly greeted by B. We enter his home and he graciously shows me around and shows me where I will sleep. I have been to the house before so I know what to expect; however I am still a bit taken a back every time I visit. It’s a one room brick house; must be 45 ft X 15 ft. Only a card board divider that B has made separates the kitchen/living area from the bedroom.
B in the bedroom : B entering the house/kitchen
I notice quickly that B has rearranged the two beds he and his two brother’s share. I am sure it was for be benefit and just like the other times I have been to the house, it’s extremely neat and tidy.
In the kitchen, a jug for water that we use for drinking and washing which we collect from a tap down the road. There are also two old chairs and a broken stool with a small table. On a small table in the corner are two pots on a very old stove top with one workable burner that B made from old parts. Next to the small table top stove is a kettle used to boil water for cooking and bathing and a small amount of food; oil, tea,
I notice quickly that B has rearranged the two beds he and his two brother’s share. I am sure it was for be benefit and just like the other times I have been to the house, it’s extremely neat and tidy.In the kitchen, a jug for water that we use for drinking and washing which we collect from a tap down the road. There are also two old chairs and a broken stool with a small table. On a small table in the corner are two pots on a very old stove top with one workable burner that B made from old parts. Next to the small table top stove is a kettle used to boil water for cooking and bathing and a small amount of food; oil, tea,
sugar, and half a bag of Mili Maze (the staple food here). Under the table is an old card board box filled with a few dishes; that’s it. If I hadn’t walked in the door with a big box of food for my visit, I wonder what they would have eaten.
As I take a look around, I can tell that something lese is on B’s mind. He then tell me “I have soccer practice, do you want to come with me”? I say yes and we start to walk to the field. On the way, we pass the house of on of the youth leaders who I helped teach better choices with last year. She now has a six month old beautiful baby boy; she is 16. As we continue walking, I get some odd looks from the all black community. When we arrive at the field I see it’s just a patch of partially removed dirt. B explains that the field was in the middle of being constructed for a school just down the road. I can tell from the length of the grass that it has been a long time since any work had been done on it.
I decide to watch the practice from a branch of a big dead tree on the edge of the field. As I sit there, watching the practice, a young girl notices me. She is on her way back to her wooden shack of a home. I smile; she smiles back and then she just stands there watching me. She talks back and forth with her family members of in the distance at her house but she just stands there watching for about five minutes. She then starts walking back but not before throwing a few more glances in my direction.
A few more boys from the team show up including one of the guys from the Forward Education after school program named Never. He tells me that I should come down and play. I do, and as I start to play I realize that practice is just keep away. There are two teams, but again, the flied is not finished. So, we just play keep away. We play until the sun goes down and then walk home.
When we arrive, me meet up with P, B’s younger brother. As many of you know, the youngest brother M is still at the initiation camp. After quickly changing, B starts cleaning the pots using a small brush while P is outside cleaning a few dishes. We then have a visitor; Patrick who lives next door with one of the guys on the Hands at Work construction team. Patrick gets up every morning at 4:30 am to catch the bus to White River, the nearest town, to do a construction job.
Patrick’s roommate from Hands at work is away because his father has passed away. Patrick will be staying with us because he is afraid to stay by himself at night because of the frequency of break-ins.
As I take a look around, I can tell that something lese is on B’s mind. He then tell me “I have soccer practice, do you want to come with me”? I say yes and we start to walk to the field. On the way, we pass the house of on of the youth leaders who I helped teach better choices with last year. She now has a six month old beautiful baby boy; she is 16. As we continue walking, I get some odd looks from the all black community. When we arrive at the field I see it’s just a patch of partially removed dirt. B explains that the field was in the middle of being constructed for a school just down the road. I can tell from the length of the grass that it has been a long time since any work had been done on it.
I decide to watch the practice from a branch of a big dead tree on the edge of the field. As I sit there, watching the practice, a young girl notices me. She is on her way back to her wooden shack of a home. I smile; she smiles back and then she just stands there watching me. She talks back and forth with her family members of in the distance at her house but she just stands there watching for about five minutes. She then starts walking back but not before throwing a few more glances in my direction.
A few more boys from the team show up including one of the guys from the Forward Education after school program named Never. He tells me that I should come down and play. I do, and as I start to play I realize that practice is just keep away. There are two teams, but again, the flied is not finished. So, we just play keep away. We play until the sun goes down and then walk home.
When we arrive, me meet up with P, B’s younger brother. As many of you know, the youngest brother M is still at the initiation camp. After quickly changing, B starts cleaning the pots using a small brush while P is outside cleaning a few dishes. We then have a visitor; Patrick who lives next door with one of the guys on the Hands at Work construction team. Patrick gets up every morning at 4:30 am to catch the bus to White River, the nearest town, to do a construction job.
Patrick’s roommate from Hands at work is away because his father has passed away. Patrick will be staying with us because he is afraid to stay by himself at night because of the frequency of break-ins.
From Left: me, B, P, and patrick : Eating pap and cabage stew
We then go through the box of food. Obviously we will be eating pap (mili-maze), but we will also cook something to go with it. Pap is very dense like a very thick poorag so people usually eat it with a small amount of stew. You take the pap in your hand, put it in the stew, and then eat it with your hands.
Obviously, B knew how to make the pap, however the combination of the four men in the room where stuck on how to make a good stew. We were able to combine our talents and come up with a recipe containing soya mince with gravy, some vegetables, and a small can of fish. All things considered, it was fairly tasty. I sat on the floor while the others sat on the three chairs.
B and I have become fairly close, so after supper he was very keen to show me all of the pictures and certificates he has collected over the years including his fathers I.D. card. B’s mother ran off on the boys when they were very small. Their father raised them until he died in 2002. As we were looking at the I.D. card, B told me a bit about his story. While his father was very sick, B would wake up at 4:00 am everyday before school to do the house chores. he would then go to school and have to come home part way through the day to check on his father’s condition before walking back to school; B was 11. As mentioned previously, B’s father died when he was 12 and he has been raising his brother ever since in this small one room house where the kitchen/living area is separated from the bed room by a card board divider which B made.
We then go through the box of food. Obviously we will be eating pap (mili-maze), but we will also cook something to go with it. Pap is very dense like a very thick poorag so people usually eat it with a small amount of stew. You take the pap in your hand, put it in the stew, and then eat it with your hands.
Obviously, B knew how to make the pap, however the combination of the four men in the room where stuck on how to make a good stew. We were able to combine our talents and come up with a recipe containing soya mince with gravy, some vegetables, and a small can of fish. All things considered, it was fairly tasty. I sat on the floor while the others sat on the three chairs.
B and I have become fairly close, so after supper he was very keen to show me all of the pictures and certificates he has collected over the years including his fathers I.D. card. B’s mother ran off on the boys when they were very small. Their father raised them until he died in 2002. As we were looking at the I.D. card, B told me a bit about his story. While his father was very sick, B would wake up at 4:00 am everyday before school to do the house chores. he would then go to school and have to come home part way through the day to check on his father’s condition before walking back to school; B was 11. As mentioned previously, B’s father died when he was 12 and he has been raising his brother ever since in this small one room house where the kitchen/living area is separated from the bed room by a card board divider which B made.
After supper, it’s time for exercise. B has made his own bench press. He has taken a metal rod and put each end in a bucket full of cement to harden; it’s fairly heavy. We both do some weight lifting African style before going to bed. As I sleep in the double bed with P, Patrick on the floor, and B in the single bed, we talk about Canada, South Africa and their differences and similarities. B asks question after question about Canada; he is so keen to know what it’s like.
As I lye in bed, I start to understand the realities of this place. As mentioned, Patrick stays with us because he is too afraid to stay alone. B explains that thieves will cut the electricity lines to large
As I lye in bed, I start to understand the realities of this place. As mentioned, Patrick stays with us because he is too afraid to stay alone. B explains that thieves will cut the electricity lines to large
portions of the community so they are not seen. They will then break into peoples stands (homes) while they sleep. These break-ins often end up in violence. B explains that if people in the community find the thieves, they will beat them to death. They don’t bother to call the police and even if they do come, the community will force them away threatening to beat them as well.
B’s home has been broken into a couple times while he was out and just this past week he noticed someone took money from his place. I feel much better knowing we have locked the windows and put B’s bench press up against the thin wooden door.
I don’t get much sleep that night as P seems to think I am his teddy bear. Also, the dozens of stray dogs and chickens bark and chirp all night. However, I have survived my first night in the community.
B’s home has been broken into a couple times while he was out and just this past week he noticed someone took money from his place. I feel much better knowing we have locked the windows and put B’s bench press up against the thin wooden door.
I don’t get much sleep that night as P seems to think I am his teddy bear. Also, the dozens of stray dogs and chickens bark and chirp all night. However, I have survived my first night in the community.
1 comment:
You have captured your stay beautifully! B is such a cool guy and I'm so glad you are here to tell his story. Who knew I was living with a writer? Anyway, just wanted to publicly say how awesome you are and how great it is to partner with you in Forward and have you around as a friend.
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