Greetings from Mthatha!

I have arrived! After spending a short night in Johannesburg, I hopped on a short plane ride to Mthatha this morning where Sarah met me. Sarah Cardwell is the YASC volunteer who is preceding me here and we have two weeks of overlap time! She is great. After coming to the Bedford Hospital to drop off my stuff, we went straight on to iTipini for a day at the clinic. Tuesday is “baby day” at the clinic and mothers are encouraged to bring in their infants for wellness checks and free baby formula. I was still very glad to see that many of the women who came in to receive free formula were also still breast-feeding as well. Most of the day, I took on menial tasks to keep my hands busy while I sat back and observed a little. I spent the day spooning wintergreen salve into individual containers, recording patient logs, counting pills, and making “MVT Cocktails” (a mix of multi-vitamins) that we give to all of our HIV patients and anyone that could just use a little boost. Sounds pretty simple for a first day, huh? However, being in iTipini today was overwhelming. Small, mindless tasks were about all I could handle. I can’t convey to you the difference between seeing pictures or reading about extreme poverty and walking straight into it. Something about being able to physically touch it makes that level of poverty something real and tangible. No matter what I do or where I am for the rest of my life, I won’t be able to deny in any way that people still live like this in the 21^st century. And not just here either. Shanty-towns and refugee camps are a widespread phenomenon. Why is this level of poverty still allowed to exist? Is it apathy from outside parties, lack of resources, oppression by systems of government and trade, or something else? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know this: Being in iTipini today is making my night a very enjoyable one. My electricity keeps going on and off, I don’t have any water (and haven’t showered in 3 days), it is very cold here, and birds, roosters, and barking dogs are making it near impossible to sleep. BUT… I ate a full dinner – a HOT dinner, I have blankets to keep me warm, books (and the ability to read) to keep me entertained, a tile floor, a bed, a sturdy place to live, and the knowledge that I will probably never have to live in such deep poverty. However, this is not about have’s and have not’s, and it is most definitely not about using extreme poverty as a gauge of my own fortune. This is about enjoying the simple things of life that many of us so often take for granted. It is about counting our blessings rather than our misfortunes and giving thanks for the things we do have even in light of things that we don’t. This journey is going to be a very interesting one and I feel that my eyes and heart will be opened in ways I never imagined. Thank you for walking with me as I explore life in Mthatha. It means a great deal to me.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… PICTURE TIME!                         

 Mountains on the way to Mthatha (view from the plane).

Country-side getting closer to town. Don't you love how colorful the houses all are?

Rondavel: take one!

Rondavel: take 2.

Ceiling of my rondavel!

Night stand of home.

Bread that Sarah and I picked up to take to iTipini.

 A little off-roading short cut we took!

Thanks again for tuning in!

Peace,
Karen Langley