Acronyms, Acronyms,
Acronyms. Such is the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV):
BFL: Brothers for Life
GRS: Grassroot Soccer
Thursday September 4th was a day to remember for
me as a PCV. It was the last session of my pilot group for BFL. In all, 10
young men completed the program and received certificates of completion. This
was a first for me and I wanted to celebrate! Now, living in the village, it’s
not easy to go out and buy cupcakes or cookies or whatever. So, like a true
PCV, I hit the Tuck Shop for simbas and cool drink (read: chips and soda). Not
what we would have in America, but the guys loved it. After handing out
certificates, I went around and asked everyone to reflect on the program to
share some comments. It was an incredible feeling to listen to their stories
and reflect on my own perspectives of the program:
Running BFL
was a great way to meet young men in the community. I admitted to them on the
last day that they really changed my outlook on the village youth. Beforehand,
my only interactions with young men and women were through observing classes at
the high school or simple greetings on the street. I had been under the
impression that none of them wanted anything to do with me, that they didn’t
understand much English, and that they’d rather do something else than listen
to a silly lekgowa (white person) talk about HIV/AIDS (for the millionth
time). The men who came to my sessions however were eager to talk, work on
their English, and knew a lot about HIV/AIDS but craved more knowledge about
life in general, whether it was about sex/sexual health, finances or how to
be a good parent. We had really great discussions and I was able to learn a lot
about being a good facilitator while they each learned (or in a lot of cases,
discovered what they already knew) as well!
At our graduation, I asked the participants if they’d like
to keep meeting as a group. Everyone agreed and I am happy to say my BFL “club”
now meets every Tuesday afternoon just to see how everyone is, talk about
problems and have fun. I have begun helping some of them with school projects
and usually take the long way home chatting about their hip-hop career dreams
or whatever else comes up.
The end of BFL came at a great time because the rest of the
year is beginning to snowball. I am really looking forward to running a two-day
GRS camp with some fellow PCVs during a school holiday week in October. GRS is
a great way to teach life skills, HIV/AIDS awareness, and health to boys and
girls ages 12-17. Its name is slightly deceiving because most of the sessions
focus on fun educational games and activities, rather than actual soccer
matches.
The plan is to have sessions on Monday and Tuesday in my
village for approximately 60 eighth graders and then repeat the same in my
friend’s village on Thursday and Friday. Each of us is working in our shopping
towns to solicit donations of food. Getting food is vital because without food,
there won’t be a camp. This is because most kids get their highest calorie meal
through school so during school vacation week there is a big gap kids need to
fill. On top of that, what kid would want to run around all day long without
snacks or lunch (especially on an empty stomach to begin with)? If they did
come for the first day, they certainly wouldn’t for the second!
On top of GRS camp, I have a trip to the Drakensburg
Mountains at the end of September, Regional Training for a week in October, a
Volunteer Advisory Council meeting in November (basically a 5-day ordeal
because I have to travel to Pretoria for it), a much-anticipated visit from my
brother and dad at the end of November, and then an All-Volunteer Conference at
the beginning of December. Before I know it, it will be December 15th-ish
and everyone will be knocking off for the year to enjoy a few weeks with family
and friends. I’m really excited for all of these activities, but also
astonished with how quickly time flies: by Christmas I will have been in South
Africa for 11 months!
I wanted to give a shout-out to everyone who donated to the KLM Race. You guys blew my mind and I was one of the highest fundraisers! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to run due to an injury, but I did get to cheer on all my friends! Thank you all so much, you are helping some of South Africa's brightest minds get the education they deserve.
Wishing everyone back home a great Fall!
P.S. here are some pictures from Brothers for Life
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| Our post-test Brothers for Life wristbands |
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| Sister Modiba and all the Brothers for Life who decided to take HIV tests! (For many it was their first ever test) |
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| One of my counterparts Shane receiving his certificate of participation. |
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| The guys were pretty excited to get certificates. |
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| A really great group! |
