Themba Tales and the South Africa travel blog of Catherine Robar

2011-10-08T21:59:00.000+02:00

I must say that I normally try to keep my posts focused on things of importance but in the last week we have had two experiences that I just have to share. South Africa as you may know used to be ruled by the Apartheid regime which was the systematic separation of the ethnic groups, as a result there is still quite a bit of friction even today, being that Apartheid only "ended" 18 years ago (in some places it feels like it is still going).

In many places in South Africa things have improved but I must share with you two experiences we had this week so that people can understand that there is still changed needed. People in all countries can learn from this I hope.

Story one:
Picture this, a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, a couple (us) are nicely dressed, holding hands and walking through Cape Town. We stop at a tourist sign to read about the history of Cape Town. As we are reading I notice a (white) man crossing the street and approaching us. My radar went up, although he was nicely dressed I was wondering why he was approaching us. He comes over to us and asks me "did you just arrive in South Africa?" I said no. He leans across Gcinisizwe to speak with me directly and says "How long have you known this man for?". I said "This man is my husband". He begins to tell me how a girl he heard about from overseas came to South Africa and was raped by a local (ie: black) man because she got on a bus with him and la la la la la. Although I was quite sympathetic of this girl I began to feel anger inside. I thought "Is this man really coming over to us at 11am on a sunny Saturday morning to warn me that I am going to be raped by a man who I clearly love? (and whom are both wearing wedding rings!!!)" He proceeds to say numerous times to Gcinisizwe "No offense man, no offense" as he continually tells me about me being raped by this man who happens to be my husband. My favorite part of this story is how he says two times "This has nothing to do with race I swear, I am not a racist".

So let me get this clear, it is a lovely warm Saturday morning, you see a black man walking with a white woman, you decide to run across a highway to warn the woman about how the black man will rape her, ignoring the fact that she has already explained to you that he is her husband, and then you tell me that this has nothing to do with race??? I hardly doubt this would have happened to an all-white couple......I must also say that I am shocked to experience this in Cape Town where I would expect people to be more progressive. I must also admit however that we receive a lot of stares even here and it is still very uncommon to see other black-white couples.

Story 2:

Picture this one, so a couple days ago we are leaving Nqiningana, we depart Queenstown and are on our way to Thembalethu. We approach a small town called Paterson and being that we are both hungry we decide to stop for a bite to eat at the town's only diner, which happens to be attached to the town's only gas station. We go inside and place our order at the counter and then sit down at the tables. As I sit there I notice that the only other patrons, two men who ordered pretty much the same thing we did, well they are served by the woman who I would guess owns the place. She brings both of their meals at the same time on a tray and serves them both. Flash forward 6 minutes or so and it is our turn to be served. The same lady (who is white) approaches our table and serves me my food, 2 seconds later another woman (who is black) brings Gcinisizwe his food.

I am puzzled by this and ask Gcinisizwe "Why didn't the woman bring them both at once?" I must admit that my naivety shocks even me sometimes, I suppose that since I grew up in a family who sees only people and not color, and in an area with very little racism that I still feel shocked when I see it. At first I thought that maybe her second hand was full at the time she picked up my plate, or that maybe his food was not ready. But based on the look on his face, the look of embarrassment, shame and disappointment, it was clear to see that this woman refused to serve someone "of his kind". I could see the same look of shame in the black woman's face who served him as they exchanged glances of sadness when she placed the plate down in front of him. I will be sure to never visit this place again, and also to be more aware next time.

So, two stories which just serve to remind us that there is still a lot of work left to be done. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own world that we forget that others worlds exists not far from our front door steps. We must continue to fight for equality, fairness and a world without discrimination. Until that time Gcinisizwe and I continue to walk the streets with our heads held high and proud, knowing that one day people will no longer stare in amazement.

xoxoxo

Catherine

2011-10-01T13:42:00.003+02:00

The Xhosa culture is extraordinarily beautiful.
Here two Sangoma's are dressed to impress
during their initiation ceremony.

The day has been non stop, we woke up early to drive to another village to collect grass for our roof, we bought the grass from two ladies who were living without their husbands, they had many children and it was apparent that they were struggling, I am not sure where their husbands were, most likely in Johannesburg or another city, trying to find work. We somehow managed to stuff 2200 bundles of grass into our truck, it took us several trips of course, and also a friend who has a big truck to pick up the bulk of it.

We then returned to Nqiningana and spent the afternoon and evening at a very special cultural celebration to introduce new Sangomas (Witch Doctors) to the village. This is a very special time for me as well because it gives me a chance to get to know my neighbours a little more. I enjoy these occasions so much because women who are ordinarily busy are instead brought together to spend time together.

I love the kids here so much, they are always asking me to take their
picture. Here you can see they are all smiles.

Tonight a woman sat with me and told me her story. She and her husband once left the village to live in Cape Town, or to be precise, the squatter camp outside of Cape Town which I believe is the second largest slum in Africa behind Kibera in Kenya. After a very long time of not finding work they retreated back to Nqiningana, because at least here they have some dignity. In Cape Town they were crammed into a shack with neighbours all around them, no privacy, too much noise, crime etc. In Nqiningana at least there is peace. This woman was wearing no shoes, she told me that she only has one pair and she only wears them on the rare occasion that she goes to the nearest city, Queenstown. If she wears them in Nqiningana the mud will ruin them and she cannot afford to buy another pair. She, her husband and their 6 young children are really struggling. They survive on R1000 a month, which is about 100 Euro or $125. This amount is of course not even close to being enough to provide food etc. She told me that when the flour and rice run out that she cooks plain corn with tea leaves mixed in it. At least that makes them feel like they have eaten food. After that they do not eat, sadly, this happens often. This woman always smiles, she is so friendly to everyone, but I can see the worry behind that smile, and the stress of not knowing if her children will eat tomorrow. Her children will benefit from the Nqiningana Food Security Project taking place at the school, and she has volunteered to help us to tend to the garden.

I think that it is very important that we help this village by bringing job opportunities here, so that families like this do not have to move to squatter camps with terrible conditions, and so that they have the income needed to buy food and other essentials, like medicine. I looked my friend in the eyes and promised her that I would do everything in my power to help her. And through that promise I turn to you, to help me to help women, men and children just like her who are struggling. Together we can help families to become self sufficient and find the dignity that they have been searching for.

Speaking of smiles, this is one of my neighbours, she is an amazing woman.
Hard working, loving mother and a kind friend.

The ladies always sit to one side, and the men to another side.
The sun sets on a traditional house while the grandmothers
bask in the last warm moments.

Update from Nqiningana

2011-09-23T18:55:00.000+02:00

I am writing to you from a tiny village in South Africa called Nqiningana. I am here working on the Nqiningana School Food Security Project which is led by the registered humanitarian-aid that I founded in 2008 called The Themba Development Project. This is a very exciting project because the idea has been led by the community and together we formulated a plan to complete the necessary work. What was once a field of grass is being transformed into a working vegetable garden which is the size of a football field! This school had zero trees when we arrived also so together we planted 420 trees, mostly fruit and nut bearing, and a few to help with wind erosion. Soon this school and the surrounding community will have access to an abundance of fresh fruit which will help improve their health, that is important because this country has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and the fastest growing rate of Diabetes in the world!

Some people have asked me how we plan on managing a project of this size, because of course, we can not always be in two places at once! I am very excited to tell you that we have formed the Nqiningana School Food Security Management Committee, a group of students, teachers and community members who have stood up to claim ownership of this project. We have also employed a local project manager who will ensure the sustainability of the project. It is nice to know that we can create jobs in a community where there is more than 80% unemployment.

The most exciting part of this project has been to see the transformation of the community itself. We have been teaching the community about the power of volunteerism and slowly slowly we have seen the transformation with our own eyes. Now it is becoming common place for the community to come to us and ask to help, or to organize themselves to complete projects which help this project. Our local members cannot believe their eyes.

Over the past 2 months we have been working very hard to complete this project that took us one year to finance. I would like to thank all of you for helping us to raise funds for this project, we could not have done it without you. That said the project continues so all of your tax-deductible donations are kindly accepted. Feel free to email me any time at thembaproject@gmail.com or donate directly at www.canadahelps.org, paypal, cash, check or email money transfer

We are also launching a new campaign which will be a lot of fun for our students. Learning about the world through books alone is one thing, but imagine learning about a country from someone who actually lives there? We are inviting schools from around the Maritimes to help us with the 2011 Christmas Card Campaign. Students can make Christmas cards for us and the proceeds from the sales will go directly to projects which help the Nqiningana School. Students are also invited to write letters to the youth in South Africa, forming new friendships with kids just like them, half way around the world. Join us in this exciting campaign by emailing me atthembaproject@gmail.com

Thank you again everyone, I look forward to seeing you upon my return to Canada.

Introducing the Nqiningana Management Committee!

2011-09-08T12:18:00.000+02:00

Today was a very productive day, we had a wonderful meeting with the school administrators and student council members. I am continually impressed with the organization and professionalism of the teachers and principal of this school, precisely why we felt that this would be a great location for our work to take place.

Together we discussed our visions for the school, our goals and desires for the upcoming food security project. We then identified areas of concern using the pair-wise ranking tool and we have determined that the most important issues facing the project are: water, fencing (goats eating our materials), gardening tools/supplies, theft, and community support. So one by one we will work to ensure that each area is addressed, based on the level of importance first.

Meeting to discuss our vision for the Nqiningana School Food Security Project
We worked to ensure that we had equal representation from both men, women and youth.
In attendance were: Catherine Robar (aka Nosandise), Mrs. Matoti, Ms. Mapeni, Mr. Soga, Mr. Silingile, Ms. Mfana, Ms. Mgqibelo, Mr. Tolashe, and Mrs. Mbutana.
Our student council representatives included Mr. Bhali, Miss. Cerhn, Mr. Manyathela and Miss. Smile.

Next we formed a project management team, identifying together which jobs were required, and then appointing a local person to oversee each area. I am very pleased to introduce to you the Nqiningana Junior Secondary School Food Security Management Team:

Nqiningana Junior Secondary School Food Security Management Team

Gcinisizwe Noyakaza (Director of Community Relations) and
Siyabonga (Nqiningana Food Security Project Manager)
show their community support after a very productive work day.

Student Council Members (Close Up)

Members:

General Manager: Mr. A. M. Gwanya (School Principal)

Project Manager: Mr. Siyabonga

Manager of Fence Infrastructure: Mr. Soga

Manager of Seed Propagation: Mrs. Ndzala

Manager of Administration: Mrs. Mfana

Youth Student Council: Mr. Bhali, Miss. Cerhn, Mr. Manyathela and Miss. Smile

Chairperson: Mrs. Mbutana

Advisor: Mrs. Nosandise Noyakaza

***In addition, 16 youth will be chosen by the management team, 8 boys and 8 girls. These youth will work alongside Management Members to learn new skills including leadership, agriculture and project management. Photos to come.

Just a few of the wonderful children who will reap the benefits of this project.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting this project! If you would like to donate to this project

visit www.canadahelps.org or donate using email money transfer

or PayPal (thembaproject@gmail.com)

Cheques and Money Orders can be sent to:

The Themba Development Project

161 Glenforest Drive

Halifax, Nova Scotia

B3M 1J2

All donations are tax-deductible (Canada)

Nqiningana School

2011-09-06T19:12:00.000+02:00

One of my favorite places in Nqiningana is the junior secondary school located down the hill from my house. The children are always so happy to see us and the school administration is strong and eager to work together. This year we are working to turn their field into a working vegetable garden which will feed the children through the school lunch program. It will also be a source of income as they can sell excess produce and purchase school supplies with the funds. Right now the school is barren of trees, any that were planted were eaten by the many baby goats who easily slip through the holes in the fencing. This means that there are high winds, lots of dust flying around and soil erosion.

We have also pointed out a project which compliments our existing project and that is getting the rain water harvesting system back up and running. The current system has fallen into disrepair and many parts look as through they were not set up properly in the first place, making the system not very user friendly. For example the collection tank was built directly on the ground meaning that you cannot put a bucket under to fill with water. Also, the tap was squished into the wall so it was barely accessible! We are working together to move the tank and improve the system. The collection tank is not shown in the picture below, if I remember I will take a photo so you can see before and after.

Main school building, notice how barren the landscape is. Notice also
that there are no toys or playground equipment to entertain the youth.

This is the building used for the school lunch program, there are many areas of
opportunity in terms of boosting the materials they are using and
improving hygiene. Here I am speaking with one of the teachers,
discussing the needs of the school.

Site of the future school garden. Poor fencing meant that the garden that
was here was eaten entirely by the goats. We are working
together to improve the fence and build a strong garden.

Cute as they may be (my oh my they are cute), these baby goats also
eat our garden, so we are working together to patch the holes and build a new fence.

So as you can see this is an exciting project! Thank you to the many people who have made a donation to this project, big and small! If you want to get involved you can make a donation using Paypal (thembaproject@gmail.com) or donate using canadahelps.org

Thank you to everyone!

The making of our house

2011-09-03T15:20:00.000+02:00

One of the most exciting things is that I am soon to be a home owner, imagine, my very first home! Well this one is a little different, it is a traditional round house, and it is built entirely by hand. Actually it was supposed to be finished before my arrival in Nqiningana but due to the weather and constant funerals construction has been delayed. I am so proud as I watch Gcinisizwe lift the Earth, create bricks and prepare our house for us.

Gcinisizwe hard at work, loosening the soil so that he can make bricks.
This area will also make a lovely home garden at one point.

This is the acting manager for the project, ha ha, just teasing. Puppy enjoys a nap
in the sunshine while Gcinisizwe breaks a sweat.

I finally caught a baby lamb! Wow, he was so soft!

Gcinisizwe fills the brick mould with wet soil and smooths down the top.

Slowly slowly we makes enough bricks to finish the house.

Home in Nqiningana

2011-09-03T12:21:00.001+02:00

We arrived in Nqiningana to yet another funeral, so far we have been averaging 2 per week. It is estimated that in this region that people living here spend 70% of their income on funerals, and I can understand why now that I am here to see with my own eyes. There are many reasons for the frequent funerals, the most frequent one being that this is home to many many older people who simply pass away from old age. There is also HIV/AIDS in this area, the most common reason for the under 40 deaths.

Funerals here are very different from home, there are no funeral homes, the family comes from all over the country to help, as well as family friends. Women and men are entirely segregated, busy doing their respective jobs. Women spend their time together cooking and preparing for the large meal which will feed the many people in attendance. Men spend their time digging the hole for the casket, killing the sheep or cow (depending on how many people come and how much the family can afford) and cleaning it to prepare it for cooking. The elders sit (women with women, men with men) together and talk about community events.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a strict vegetarian, people ask me if I mind the animal killing part. To be truthful I wish that the whole world were vegetarians, but if people do choose to eat meat then this is the best way to do it in my view. The animals live a 100% free life, eating grass, being in the fresh air and sunshine. Then one day they are "chosen" and killed in a very respectful and fast way. It is in stark contrast to the brutal regime of industrial agriculture which is where 99% of your meat is coming from. I also really respect their closeness with the animal that they are about to eat, they raise the animal, care of it, then with their own hands kill the animal and prepare it. There is no suffering, and there is also no waste. If you are going to eat meat then this is the way to do it!

I must admit, trying not to sound crass, that I actually really enjoyed the day. On other occasions in the past I have felt intimidated by events such as this due to the language barrier and very different culture. But this time I knew enough Xhosa to sort of understand a tiny bit of what was going on, and there were people from the cities visiting who could speak English. It was also a really wonderful opportunity to meet many many many new family members who I have not met before. Everyone and I mean everyone had heard of me before meeting me, and when they saw me they ran up and greeted me, often with a hug. I am still told that I am the very first white person in the Diya clan which is absolutely remarkable to me. Although I suppose the more I am here the more I begin to believe people who tell me this. Everywhere we go people approach us to shake our hands, people yell from across the street to tell us how excited they are to see us and my personal favorite is when I hear a group of people giggling and then they greet me in Xhosa, "Molo makoti" and then I respond in Xhosa also, then there is more giggling. People are very very very welcoming of me, and I feel proud to be a makoti (Xhosa new bride).

The bus which connect Nqiningana and other villages to the neighboring city of Queenstown

The men preparing the animal for consumption

The community gathers to bury yet another loved one

Just a few of the ladies that I spent the day with. We had a really nice time together,
cooking, talking and enjoying the experience together.

Welcome back Nosandise!

2011-09-03T08:53:00.000+02:00

After a year I am very happy to report that I am back in South Africa and have been welcomed back by all. For those of you who didn't know, I decided to pursue a Masters degree in Human Development and Food Security, a program which took me to Rome, Italy, the headquarters for Food Security and home to United Nations programs such as IFAD, WFP and FAO.

After a wonderful week spent in Cape Town to reacquaint myself with Gcinisizwe and meet some wonderful friends, new and old we then ventured east to Thembalethu. What an amazing thing to spend my birthday this year in Thembalethu, surrounded by friends and family. Birthdays are not normally celebrated in our area, Gcinisizwe and our son Sizwe had not actually had a birthday celebration until this year, who knew! I was really excited to celebrate and to share some very tasty cake with my friends. We enjoyed a night around the fire, and also packed the inside of my brother and sister-in-law's house where we sang and danced.

20 or so of my closest friends squeeze into my
brother-in-law's shack to enjoy some cake!

Nozukane leads the group in glorious Xhosa singing!

For those of you who were wondering where I am sleeping while in Thembalethu, it is this house below. In fact, this house used to belong to Calamine, Gcinisizwe's older brother, but sadly he passed away last year. With the house now empty Gcinisizwe took the opportunity to move in so that he could be closer to his other brother who lives next door. The house is not fancy, but it is dry and keeps us protected from the elements.

This is the house that I stay in while in Thembalethu.

And our million dollar view!

Sizwe's first birthday party!! He turned 8 this year.

Sizwe's first birthday cake ever! I didn't realize it was his first party until I placed
the cake in front of him, he had no idea what to do! I said blow! Ha ha ha.

Our time in Thembalethu went really quickly, we were busy preparing a grant proposal that would create jobs and bring fresh food to Thembalethu. We also had a chance to meet some wonderful people from George whom I have been speaking with via Internet for years now. All in all it was a very productive time!

Your donations at work

2010-12-21T16:16:00.001+02:00

A few days ago I asked Gcinisizwe about the progress of the gardens in Thembalethu and he became so excited, he said "Sisi (a term of respect), your won't believe your eyes, the gardens are growing like crazy!"

I was absolutely delighted to receive a new batch of photos from Gcinisizwe this morning to prove that he wasn't kidding! Keep in mind that these gardens were made possible entirely due to your generosity. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to this project!

This woman had no garden when I first met her and her family was really struggling
to find enough food. Look at her now! Her garden is such a source of pride and as you can see your
donations have made a really big impact to her family.

Tending to the garden.
With 80% unemployment in Thembalethu maintaining a vegetable garden is not only good for the
health of the family, it is also good for the spirit and mind. Vegetable gardens give people a
positive outlet for their energy and help them to feel as though they are a valued, contributing
member of the family and community.

Corn, spinach and what I think might be squash with the pretty yellow flowers?

What was once a vacant plot is now a thriving vegetable garden!

Potato flowers basking in the South African sun

Fresh spinach, Gcinisizwe's favorite! Right after taking this picture
he then watered the garden using irrigation equipment provided by The Themba Development Project.
This is one of the reasons why the gardens are doing so well this year!

This is what love looks like.

2010-12-20T15:37:00.000+02:00

When I learned that I was accepted to study Human Development and Food Security in Rome I was both very excited and also a bit nervous. How could I continue running the organization while so far away? Well the answer was right in front of me the whole time. My very good friends Hilary and Miranda stepped up without being asked and volunteered to help me with the work load. I have to say that I have been so overwhelmed with their kindness, I have no idea how I will ever repay them.

The Themba Development Project is staffed entirely by volunteers, the reason for this is that we are so blessed in life and we want to ensure that every penny makes it to Thembalethu and Nqiningana. That said, it is amazing how ordinary people are willing to give up so much of their precious time to help people on the other side of the world that they have never met. Without the helps of my friends and loved ones there is no way that we would have been so successful. A special thank you to all of you who have helped me to make this organization so successful, and that includes my mother who has been incredibly helpful with the accounting needs of the organization.

There are no words big enough to properly thank all of you, but please know that if I ever win the lottery you will be top of my list of people to share with xoxox.

Hilary and Miranda at the Seaport Market. Due to their hard work the
2010 Christmas Card Campaign has been the most successful year to date.

They created such a beautiful display, including hand made
neckalaces from the ladies in Thembalethu.

Hand-made Christmas cards made by Hilary and Miranda.
Thank you for all your hard work ladies!

The look at reality

2010-12-14T10:32:00.002+02:00

I just wanted a very interesting video on Al Jazerra News. Take a moment to watch it, very eye opening and important to gaining a perspective of life on the ground in South Africa

Australia and South Africa unite

2010-12-13T11:46:00.000+02:00

Stephanie Caldow impressed me even on the first day that I met her, she is certainly not your ordinary
person, she is full of life, passion and she is not afraid to take on the world. When she recently contacted me to tell me about her new goal I wasn't actually surprised, but I was knocked out of my chair when she told me that it will effect The Themba Development Project.

Stephanie Caldow, an Australian citizen and former resident of Canada has made the decision to run her first Marathon in May of the coming year. Although most people would have chosen something easy, Stephanie has chosen to run the Great Wall of China marathon which includes 5164 steps. She is doing all of this to raise funds and awareness for our work, so that more people are made aware of the struggles of people in South Africa, and so that hopefully we can raise more funds to continue and expand our work.

Stephanie is nothing short of inspirational, follow her experiences on her blog
http://stephsgreatwall.wordpress.com

If you would like to contribute to this cause you can donate using canadahelps.org, type Themba in the search bar.

Thank you to Stephanie, and to all of the people who support our cause.

Gcinisizwe makes the paper, again!

2010-12-02T13:40:00.001+02:00

Wow, when I met Gcinisizwe in 2008 he actually introduced himself as Eric, his "struggle-name" as they say in Thembalethu. Eric was a shy man who struggled his entire life and on several occasions nearly died of starvation. Flip forward to 2010 and Eric has blossomed into Gcinisizwe, the strong, proud Xhosa man that we have grown to know and love. Some time ago I actually had a little informal ceremony where I officially buried "Eric" so that he would never be heard from again. Every now and then Gcinisizwe will be in a new situation where he feels like Eric again and it is then when I whisper into his ear that Eric is buried in our garden remember? He laughs and then the fabulous Gcinisizwe returns to me.

It is amazing to me that the little boy who grew up in the height of Apartheid and has witnessed things that should not been seen by little boys has blossomed into a man that is now married to a Canadian woman, is the co-founder of a registered charity and also appears in the media frequently.

Gcinisizwe when translated into English means "Bringing the people together to work as one, regardless of race or religion". A Xhosa person is expected to live up to their name and that is exactly what Gcinisizwe has done. He recently escorted a team of journalists through the streets of Thembalethu and the photographs that were taken are nothing short of inspirational. A big thank you to Michelle Pienaar from the George Herald for her commitment to improving the lives of the people in Thembalethu through her journalistic talents.

Click here to see the beautiful photo gallery created by Michelle including lovely photos of our very own Gcinisizwe Noyakaza.

http://www.georgeherald.com/gallery.aspx?gpid=229&gid=1

Report from Nqiningana

2010-10-16T23:44:00.000+02:00

As you may have heard, Gcinisizwe's brother passed away suddenly not so long ago, he was only 39. As a result Gcinisizwe has now become the patriarch of the family after burying his father and 7 other siblings, now only 3 remain. These deaths were a result of chronic poverty and a reminder that we must cherish every moment and continue working on behalf of the poor, because they too deserve to have a life with opportunities.

Gcinisizwe is currently in Nqiningana for the burial of his brother and while on location has taken a moment to give us an update on the current situation.

The trees that were planted in May of this year are growing strong due to the dedication of the community members who hand water each tree. This is a relief because Nqiningana is also facing a horrific drought as they have not had a drop of rain since June of this year. Due to the lack of rainfall the village well has now run dry leaving the village with no sources of clean water. The grass in the area has died and as a result animals such as cows and sheep are also dying. As a reminder, there are no lakes, rivers or streams near the village. Currently the only source of water is a small reservoir at the base of the mountain however this water is not clean or in my opinion potable. I have pasted a picture of this water for you to see, clearly it is not of high quality.

I have been researching alternative water sources and there is one that seems promising for the region of Nqiningana and it is called Fog Harvesting. This is a process of collecting fog or cloud water droplets on a mesh fabric and directing the water to the village. More can be read about this process here:
http://www.southafrica.info/about/sustainable/fognet-270810.htm

I would like to propose that we begin fund raising for this project now. I have already begun sourcing supplies for the necessary materials. If you are interested in donating to this project please email me at thembaproject@gmail.com or donate directly with canadahelps.org type Themba in the search bar.

Fog Harvesting has been tremendously successful in other regions similar to Nqiningana. This project could literally transform this community and finally give them a sustainable and renewable source of water.

Black Market 22nd Anniversary Charity Bash!!!

2010-10-16T23:28:00.000+02:00

Anyone who knows me knows that my all time favorite store in Halifax is the Black Market, located on Grafton Street in Halifax. As you walk past the store you are greeted with a fabulous painted facade and you get your first smell of the lovely incense that is about to greet you. First thing you will notice when you go inside? The store is stocked floor to ceiling with unbelievably cool stuff, brought to you by the owners and staff who travel around the world to buy items and return them back to Halifax to share with us. The staff are absolutely amazing, these are the people that you admire, and wonder how it is that any one store could ever find so many lovely people in one city.

Well on top of being a fabulous store, the owners also have a heart as each year they celebrate the anniversary of the store with a big birthday bash, AND all proceeds are donated to local charities. This year (as well as last) the owners have chosen The Themba Development Project to support! That means that each skirt, necklace or henna that you buy is actually funding a local, grass roots charity that supports two communities in South Africa.

So buy all you can people, and know in your heart that you supported local organizations trying to make a difference in the world.

Catherine Robar featured in November, 2010 issue of the Halifax Magazine!

2010-10-16T23:20:00.000+02:00

I am so excited to inform everyone that one of my favorite publications, The Halifax Magazine will feature me in the November, 2010 issues, hitting store shelves shortly!

Be sure to pick up a copy, you can also visit the website at:

http://halifaxmag.com/

A special thank you to local journalist Chad Lucas for both a wonderful interview as well as pitching the story to the editors.

Catherine Robar, winner of Community Mentor-ship award

2010-10-16T23:14:00.000+02:00

I am very pleased to announce that I have been honored by Big Brothers-Big Sisters for the 2010 Community Mentor-ship Awards. This special award is given to members of the community who have acted as mentors in the community. Nominations are made by the public and winners of the award are honored at the awards gala which takes place on October 22nd in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A special thank you to Abdul Abakar, his beautiful nomination is the reason why I was chosen.

For more information please see below:

http://www.bigbrothersbigsistershalifax.ca/en/home/events/catherinerobar.aspx

In 2008, Catherine Robar departed Halifax for South Africa to volunteer with a community in need. There she discovered Thembalethu, and created The Themba Development Project. The Project’s volunteers (there are no paid staff) work to improve access to food, minimize poverty, encourage education, and to develop short and long term solutions to the food crisis facing so many in South Africa.

Catherine’s impact extends beyond South Africa. Her volunteer work with Halifax’s MISA (Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association) has helped newcomers learn English, secure employment, and adjust to life in a new country, “I have faced many challenges in my life including genocide but I never thought there were still people with such a beautiful heart, like Catherine. Since I fled from Darfur over seven years ago, I never thought I could find someone who really wanted to do something better for people. When I found Catherine Robar doing such tremendous efforts for free, to help struggling people, I completely change my mind”.

When asked about mentors in her life, Catherine describes former employer, Catherine De Sua Branson, Vice President of Fraser & Hoyt Travel Management, as a woman of integrity and strength. “Although it’s been a couple years since I worked for Catherine, her teachings stick with me and I often think of her when I am facing certain situations. She taught me that a professional woman can be many things: strong, courageous and confident, but also beautiful, compassionate and a person of their word. Catherine gave me the freedom to put forth ideas, she gave me creative space, but she also provided me with guidance as to how the real world works. She reminded me about the importance of family and a close network of friends. Even Superwoman needs a balanced life, and it is just as important to be a successful business woman, as it is to be a good friend, daughter, sister and community member”.

Themba goes National

2010-09-07T03:43:00.000+02:00

CBC is such an amazing network, I am always so pleased that they focus on promoting Canadians and are not afraid to tell good news stories. Today the CBC chose to tell my story and in short I can say that it brought tears to my eyes.

I would like to say a big thank you to the team working on Connect With Mark Kelley, they just broadcast a beautifully edited piece about my work in founding The Themba Development Project. It turns out that I have the most nominations for all people in Canada in the CBC Champions for Change award.

If you would like to see the interview but missed it visit http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/TV_Shows/Connect_with_Mark_Kelley/ID=1585258567

Your donations saving lives!

2010-08-17T22:42:00.000+02:00

I spoke with Gcinisizwe today and I have a good news story to tell you. The wind last week was very very high and as a result the roof was ripped off one of the buildings on Gcinisizwe's family's property. Luckily nobody was hurt and the roof was replaced a few days later.

Had we not have replaced some of the shacks with emergency housing I am 100% sure that these shacks would have fallen down on top of the families inside. If you recall in one case there were two families living in one shack and it was entirely help up by the door which was propped open and unable to close, very dangerous and unsafe.

So there you go, had it not been for you, the people reading this post, the people who supported my work, both with donations (big and small!) and with helping me to spread the word, there are countless families who may have perished in this latest wind storm. This is why we are need in this community, this is why we are already making a huge difference to countless families who rely on us to lift them from chronic poverty.

Thank you again, it is amazing what we have accomplished together!

Catherine

This is the house that we replaced, you can see that it was in serious trouble, ready to fall over at any moment. One man who lives here was saving money to fix it, but due to chronic poverty it would have taken him years to save enough to build something safe.

This is the new house that we have build for the family.

Gcinisizwe speaks to our friend Nanza, a talanted carpenter who helped us on many projects. Due to the 80% unemployment rate Nanza had a very very difficult time finding work, employment through The Themba Development Project helped him to put food on his family's table.

Media, media and more media!!

2010-08-17T22:19:00.000+02:00

A big thank you to CBC, Haligonia, Seaside FM, and the Halifax Magazine for all media coverage I have received since returning home. Through these interviews we are effectively giving the people of Thembalethu and Nqiningana a voice, their stories will be heard after a long fight against Apartheid.

On Friday I had a really wonderful interview with Mark Kelley, award winning journalist with CBC who has his own show which is broadcast all across Canada, Connect With Mark Kelley. We enjoyed a gorgeous sunny day outside on my patio while Mark interviewed me, trying to gain a better understanding of what makes me tick and how it is that I took the step to do this difficult, and non-traditional work. He is a lovely, charismatic person and very easy to talk to. The interview will be broadcast sometime in the next 2 weeks, stay tuned! In the meantime you can read a short story that they wrote about me on their website. http://www.cbc.ca/connect/2010/08/champion-of-change-from-halifax-to-south-africa.html

Catherine Robar
Founding Director
The Themba Development Project
http://www.thembaproject.org/
http://thembaproject.blogspot.com/

Donate today, it all adds up to ending chronic poverty! http://www.canadahelps.org/
One person, One community CAN change the world, we have already begun!

Home again

2010-08-02T00:54:00.000+02:00

June 19, 2010 came much faster than I had wanted, after seven months living and working in Thembalethu and Nqiningana I was now packing my bags and going to the airport. I have to admit that my least favorite place on Earth is the George airport, every time I am there my heart breaks a little more, it is so hard to say goodbye and this time it was just so much worse because this time I was not only saying goodbye to amazing adventures, wonderful friends and a life changing experience, I was also saying goodbye to the love of my life and husband Gcinisizwe Noyakaza. On June 28th we were officially married and we couldn't be happier, well, except on this day when I had to get onto an airplane and once again travel across continents and go home to Canada.

My flight wasn't so bad, it was so exciting to fly over Central Africa and in particular Chad where my friend's parents are living due to the war in Darfur, Sudan. I could imagine looking down and knowing that they could see look up and see my plane flying overhead. I also met a really wonderful woman on my London-Halifax segment who was from northern England and was visiting Halifax for the first time.

When the door opened to the airplane the humid Halifax air wafted in and reminded me that the ocean was all around me again. The airport looked so tiny after being at London's Heathrow airport, but I was really impressed with the renovations, the airport is beautiful and a wonderful first impression for our city. Once again I was directed to the secondary line where I had to rip apart all of my luggage and show the customs officers the wood and other goodies that I had in my suitcase. To be honest this part doesn't stress me anymore either, I have done it so many times that now I pack my suitcases accordingly.

Halifax, wow, after spending so much time in Thembalethu my first impressions were pretty exciting. Halifax is SO green, there are trees everywhere and I think that we forget how lucky we are to live in such a lush city with such an abundance of trees and gardens. It was also really crazy to be in a place without shacks, it almost felt like something was missing but really it is such a blessing to live in a country where shacks are not acceptable. Due to our incredible social programs we can all say that we are lucky enough to live in a place where even our poorest people are still doing well in comparison to people in other countries. I also really enjoyed being in such a friendly place again, we take for granted how friendly everyone is here, people are so polite and courteous and I really missed that.

I have been rather quiet in my first two weeks home, I unfortunatly developed pneumonia so for the first week I didn't see anyone, I just spent my time sleeping and recovering. A month before I returned home I came down with a bad sinus flu and it just wouldn't go away, so I guess with the cold and the damp weather it turned into pneumonia but I didn't feel the effects until I arrive home.

So here I am, keeping very busy with media interviews and Gcinisizwe is on location in Thembalethu continuing to work on the group. I also found out this week that I have the most amount of votes in the CBC Champions for Change award which is very exciting!!!! I had an interview with Elizabeth Chiu of the CBC local news and tomorrow I have an interview with CBC Radio's Information Morning. On Monday I had a wonderful interview with Ashley King of Haligonia.ca which you can check out here

http://live.haligonia.ca/halifax-ns/community/15266-video-catherine-robar-and-the-temba-development-project.html

I must tell you that this CBC competition is a big deal, nominations are still ongoing so please please take a moment to nominate me. The winner of this award receives a $25,000 donation to their charity and a whole lot of press! You can vote for me here and email me if you have questions:

http://www.cbc.ca/change/nominate.html

So here we are, seven months passed like a blink of an eye and now I am preparing to go to Rome, Italy in October to do a Masters in Human Development and Food Security, a program that gives me the tools to combat chronic hunger and allows me to give back even more to communities such as Thembalethu. I was also given a full scholarship due to my immense amount of volunteer work!!! This too is a big deal because it is 5000 Euro that I don't need to stress about, now I just need to prepare for the high living costs of Rome for a year. I guess that karma is finally swinging my way and I am so very grateful for the opportunity to learn in the very heart of the world's food security community, Rome.

Zone 4 of Thembalethu receives Rain Water Collection Supplies!!

2010-07-28T04:49:00.000+02:00

What could possibly be better than eating a fresh carrot from the garden? Well in Gcinisizwe and my eyes we think that there is nothing better than having the dignity and freedom to grow your own food and provide for your family. But what do you do during the long months with drought? You go out and buy Rain Water Harvesting Collection Systems for the community!!

Thanks to your donations we have been creating gardens and distributing seeds for over two years but each year the gardens were becoming dry and the plants were suffering as a result. This year we started fund raising so we could come up with a solution to the dry periods! We distributed 10 rain water barrels throughout the community which are each shared by more than one household. This year the families will have a back up supply of water to use during the drought which means more food to feed their families.

The kids love to play in the gardens also, these little girls now have a new water system and a new garden so that they can grow nutritous foods and have full bellies.

This gorgeous garden has been filled with our seeds, the owner of this garden cannot find work due to the 80% unemployment rate so he spends the day in the garden!

Stumo returns from the bush!

2010-07-21T17:15:00.000+02:00

Many people may recall me mentioning that my brother Stumo was going to the bush in June, this is the most important moment of a man's life because when he returns he is officially a man in the eyes of Xhosa culture. The bush is an intimate event which are for men's eye's only so out of respect for the culture I will not go into details about what actually happens, and also because out of respect for the culture none of the men would tell me ha ha. Sadly you can google the information, someone who did not respect the ritual has posted many photos and stories for the world to see.

Stumo returned home to us on July 9th at 2pm and it was incredibly exciting! Everyone came running to our house when they saw him walking from the bush to our house, surrounded by fellow men, everyone singing and dancing and celebrating his return. For one month Stumo lived disconnected from the world, learning lessons from his male peers and enjoying the quiet sounds of nature. It must have been a bit of a shock to the system to go from such quiet surroundings into the 4 day (24 hours a day also!!) party that greeted him upon his return.

For four days we had hundreds of people at hour house, drinking beer, brandy and umqombothi (African beer). A cow was purchased for the event and slaughtered to provide an abundance of fresh meat. I should also mention here that I am a devouted vegetarian for the reasons of animal cruelty but I have to tell you that this event was very respectful of the animal. The cow was killed very quickly with a sharp slice to the throat with a sharp knife. What I love about this community is that everything and I mean everything is used with zero waste. Every part of the animal is eaten, the skin and tail are saved to make items in the future and the bones are eaten by the dogs. I really respect that, it is a far difference from the industrial agriculture that our culture is used to.

The Makoti's were kept very busy, Makoti is the term for "Young bride" which means any young woman who was close to the family was kept busy pouring drinks, cooking food, cleaning and tending to the hundreds of people. It was a little crazy really to be a Canadian makoti, I spent my entire time following the lead of my sister Nozukane, a lovely 20 year old woman married to my brother Busisani who has the maturity and respectfullness of someone decades older. Friday and Saturday I did very well, I slept a little bit during the night despite the 24 hour party happening on the other side of my door. Sunday however I struggled, underfed, under-slept and under-educated in the Xhosa language I started to feel the stress of it all.

A strange thing happens also when people drink around me here in Thembalethu. The more people drink the more I become a toy of sorts and less of a person if that makes sense. People start forgetting that I am Nosandise, the woman who has lived here and worked in the community and they start treating me like the Afrikanners of nearby George. Most everyone starts speaking Afrikaans to me (the language spoken by the white people, sounds like Dutch/German) and even though I have been here since 2008 and have told everyone over and over that I am from Canada and do not speak Afrikaans, they still speak Afrikaans to me which in short I find enraging ha ha. To be fair, I am the first person that they have ever met who is white and does not speak Afrikaans so I think they find it confusing. It is hard to explain to people who have minimal education that white people live all over the world and Afrikaans is only spoken by 7.9% of the population in a country called South Africa (and Namibia also now that I think of it). It is kind of like me speaking swahili to every black person I meet because people in East Africa speak swahili so therefore every black person must speak swahili ha ha ha, I try to keep a sense of humor about it.....

But all in all I must say that it was very exciting to have Stumo home, I really missed him a lot. On Saturday he sat in a shack outside and everyone at the party had the chance to say a few words to him, he sat with his head covered, wearing just his blanket. It was then that I started crying, I really missed him, more than I even realized.

All of the ladies came dressed in their beautiful culture dresses, I swear I spent hours saying "WOW your dress is amazing!!"

The lovely Zolani (standing) and Busisani

Having some laughs, the lady in the green was so funny ha ha

The point I realized that the brandy and beer were working on the men ha ha, the guys insisted that I take this picture, and it turned out wonderfully! This is the house that Stumo was sitting inside of as we all went in to give him our words of advice on being a man.

The lovely Stumo, painted red to show that he is a new man and wearing his lovely blanket. To the right is my friend Nanza who day in and day out looked after Stumo along with dozens of other men who would stop by to help with chores in the bush, ie: collecting native medicinal plants etc. Thank you Nanza for taking such good care of Stumo!

Some of the men who turned up for the party, the men sit together in one place (or in this case four differnt places because there were so many people!) and the ladies sit together in another place.

Another beautiful dress, this lady is wonderful, she is the sister of my friend KB and she is a patient and lovely soul. Her daughter was born with a physical and mental disability but due to the patience of this woman her daughter lives a wonderful life. This lady asked if there was any way for me to help her start a support group for women with disabled children...something to think about...

The men returning from the bush with Stumo at centre.

There is Stumo in the middle, wrapped in a new blanket. He is not allowed to show his face quite yet so the men guide him. Just a note, see that man who runs to the front? Yeah, he is nearly 80 years old!! A reminder to eat your vege's boys and girls!!! This man spends his days working in his garden and eats of ton of fresh produce, I first met him in 2008 at the community garden in Thembalethu, months before coming to Zone 4, who knew that one day he would be my neighbour!

Nozukane leading the ladies in a whole lot of fabulous singing to welcome Stumo home from the bush. Wow she can sing!!!

So I guess now I am a painter!

2010-07-11T14:16:00.003+02:00

I come from a very artistic family however I have never really made time for myself to enjoy the arts. I have always wanted to take painting classes so I could learn how to paint properly however I could never afford to. It was when I was walking around in George one day that I discovered painting classes tucked away in a tiny walkway. How exciting, I can finally afford to learn painting because of the wonderful exchange rate! I have painted three paintings to date, each of them given to someone special to me. I really enjoy painting and then sharing them with someone. Most people here have nothing on their walls and to give them a hand made painting is really quite an extraordinary gift. Below are my paintings, they bring me a lot of joy and i hope they make you smile too.

My very first oil painting ever, I think it turned out really nicely! It actually looks much better in real life than this picture because the flash washed out most of the shading and detail but I think you get the idea.

This is the second oil painting that I did, it actually turned out to be very difficult but I am still happy with it. I was inspired by a trip that I did to Zanzibar in 2006. I found this lovely cafe in Stone Town and as I ate my lunch I gazed out over the ocean and watched the children swimming in the Indian Ocean. The original photograph is below and my rendition is above.

I became friends with a lovely couple from Ethiopia who live here in South Africa. They recently opened a tiny restaurant and I wanted to surprise them with a gift so I found a piece of Ethiopian Orthodox art and painted it for them. This is my favorite painting that I have ever done, not just because I am proud of it but always because there is a lot of meaning in this piece. Above is my painting, and below is the original. Who would have ever guessed that I would ever paint religous art ha ha, but it turns out that I am good at it!

My fabulous art teachers, to the right is my teacher Marty, and to my left is the lovely Esther who assits in running the shop.

You Can Heal The World!

2010-07-11T13:53:00.000+02:00

On June 26th we had yet another fabulous drumming event in Umbambano Park and by we I mean Michele from Earth Child, myself and Daniel who is a fabulous drumming teacher. We organized it for a long time and so glad we did because we had a wonderful turn out. Fun events like this rarely ever happen in this community so it was really wonderful to bring the community together, as well as a few visitors from other communities. The lovely Michelle from the George Herald came for a visit as well and took some beautiful shots. It was the eprfect day, the sun was shining, it was warm and everyone had a chance to play and have fun in Umbambano Park.

Below are photos taken from the event but I enourage you to click on this link to see the even more beautiful photos taken by Michelle of the George Herald http://www.georgeherald.com/gallery.aspx?gpid=105&gid=5

Some of the children made home made drums and even painted them, so creative!

The girls treating us to a lovely dance!

Even the grandfathers played the drums, I couldn't believe my eyes!

Gcinisizwe plays the big drum with Daniel showing us the moves on the tiny drum!

Life on the ground

2010-06-20T18:42:00.000+02:00

I don't really ever talk about this but in reality it is all around me, luckily, touch wood, it has not touched my family, touch touch touch more wood, but it has effected the families all around me. This reality is the HIV/AIDS epidemic which is plaguing the country of South Africa. According to the latest statistics South Africa currently has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world with 18.1% of it's population now infected with the HIV virus and an estimated 71% of all deaths being traced back to this illness. One in every 5 adults in South Africa have HIV/AIDS and 59% of women over the age of 15 are now infected.

HIV is a very silent epidemic, you do not always notice it, but what you do notice is the absurd amount of funerals that happen all the time. This weekend, just in my small area of Zone 4 there were 4 HIV related funerals. All of the now dead were young people in their 30's. One of these people was my neighbour living just 5 houses down. In one house there were 4 people with this disease, now there are three.

So although this is a sad post I hope that you can take a moment and reflect on your own life and realize just how blessed you and I are, we live in a place with food, social support systems, low crime and low disease rates. For many people around the world this sadly is not the case.

Catherine

The Realities of Thembalethu

2010-06-17T13:34:00.000+02:00

One of my good friends and neighbours in Thembalethu is a wonderful woman that I will call Mrs. Hope. Mrs. Hope is a social worker and helps children as best as she can within the often backwards South African social services structure, limited resources, and a gigantic work load. Through Mrs. Hope I have seen a very real side of Thembalethu in which I would like to share with you.

Twenty minutes away from Thembalethu is the lovely city of George, George is a small city with lush gardens, fancy houses and clean streets. Like all places, some people struggle in George but it is easy to see that many people are also thriving. Many areas boast mansions, security guards and luxury cars. There are electric fences and tall security gates. Somehow with all this wealth just twenty minutes away the reality is very different for many people.

Today Mrs. Hope called me and in her voice I could hear deep sadness and a sense of desperation. "Sandise, I need your help, you are the first person I have called because I am not sure who else can help us". Mrs. Hope does not ask for much so I knew that it must be serious. Today a family arrived at her office doorstep, three young boys, age 15, 8 and six. These boys have just become orphans, they have lost both their mother and now their father, it was not discussed how but being that one in three black women in South Africa now have HIV and one in five men, it is most likely that their parents have died of HIV/AIDS. Now this small family of three is left with no family members and the household will be headed by this shy 15 year old boy who now stands before me. Mrs. Hope brought them to my house today, all three were shy and looked scared, but also I could see a sense of relief on their faces. They have no money, and no food, which is why Mrs. Hope brought them to me.

This little family left my house with a gigantic bag of mealie meal, rice, sugar, beans, lentils and oranges due to your generosity. As many people know, I personally do not have very much money, but through the donations that have come to me by way of The Themba Development Project I have been able to give emergency relief to some of Thembalethu most vulnerable members. Your donations have given this small family hope, or Themba in the Xhosa language. Although my charity is small we have given a huge amount of hope to this community and united we shall stand because in times of emergency the community knows that you and I are here to get them through these difficult days.

Thank you to everyone who made this miracle possible,

Catherine Robar
Founding Director
The Themba Development Project
http://www.thembaproject.org/

Donate using canadahelps.org type "Themba" to find our charity.

The World Cup from the inside!

2010-06-12T17:13:00.002+02:00

I have decided that there is nothing more exhilarating in life than watching a World Cup game live. Last night Gcinisizwe and I had the opportunity to watch the France vs Uruguay match and let me tell you, it was AMAZING! The Green Point Stadium in Cape Town is beautiful and the place was packed full to the brim! Everyone was in wonderful spirits and the staff were organized, patient and friendly.

Ok, so we are just a tad excited! At least 6 times we looked at each other and yelled "WE ARE AT THE WORLD CUP!!!!!" Ha ha ha, what a dream come true.

The France and Uruguay flags being presented to the crowd.

The opening kick!

"We want peace in the World"

Even at a France-Uruguay match people are flying South Africa flags ha ha, there is a HUGE amount of national pride here.

The crappiest job at the World Cup, security on the field. Can you imagine being 10 feet from the field at the World Cup and having to sit there with your back to the field the entire time, eek!!

Now let me tell you, during my visit to the Green Point Stadium I was mugged, the robber did not have a gun or knife, but instead held me hostage until I forked over my hard earned money in exchange for a crappy AMERICAN beer. Please do not judge me but yes, I paid R30 for ONE beer!!!! Normally beer is R10!!!! And I would also like to know why South Africa has such fabulous local beers and I am sitting here drinking crappy watery Ammerican beer, come on people!!!

*****************************************

Videos from the World Cup

_________________________________________

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOogJaN3BKY A view from the top of Green Point Stadium!

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkR_9whM-uo Watch a gigantic wave of people, ha ha, so fun!

World Cup Fever in South Africa

2010-06-11T17:33:00.001+02:00

Sorry I have been absent, no internet, but I will fill you in shortly! Until then.....

Since my arrival back in December 2009 South Africa has been on fire with World Cup fever, however this weekend it has elevated until a new level. Schools have gone into winter break early to accomodate the games, vuvuzela's blare in the streets, even at 6am.....

Gcinisizwe and I arrived in Cape Town thursday night and never have I seen this city, or any city for that matter in such a state! People are singing and dancing in the streets, there are fireworks, vuvuzela's are honking everywhere (FIFA plastic horns) and the most amazing thing, people are becoming united! We were lucky enough to stay at a friend's flat our first night, while waiting to be picked up from the local petrol station a lady walked up to us and asked if we needed a ride anywhere! Very nice considering that we are in a big city and normally people do not offer such things! People greet you on the street, everyone has an extra hop in their step.

My beautiful children of Thembalethu celebrating in typical children style, painting their faces with craft paint ha ha ha. Fabulous South African flag boys and girls!!

Gcinisizwe and I scream in excitement as we hold our very own World Cup tickets to the June 11th France vs Uruguay match!!

Gcinisizwe standing in front of his new car....ok, well it's not really his but wow, I think it would hold half the people in Zone 4!!

The beautiful city of Cape Town as seen from the balcony of my friend's flat. Cape Town (and Mo!) I love you!!!

It's been a really long time since I had access to a "proper" kitchen! Look everyone, an oven and four burners!!! (Behind my bum!)

Thankfully the people of Cape Town are much more friendly then their homes would suggest. Take a look at the double spiked fence complete with electric fencing!! If everyone spent their security money on food security and poverty reduction there would be no need for fences.

One of the many houses COVERED in World Cup decorations! What an exciting time to be here!

The beautiful Green Point Stadium of Cape Town as seen from our guest house balcony. Sadly even in such exciting times extreme poverty is not far away as an elderly man limps past, the vibe lost on him as he struggles to get by.

New Project at Nqiningana Junior Secondary School

2010-05-08T16:05:00.000+02:00

I am very pleased to announce a new partnership between The Themba Development Project and the Nqiningana Junior Secondary School. This school caters to children up until grade nine and is lead by a team of very organized and strong willed teachers. Although they are very few resources they took the initiative to start their own gardening program so that children could learn agriculture skills as well as so they would have a supply of nutritious foods to use in their lunch program. When I arrived at the school yesterday I was very impressed with their passion for this project and it is because of the dedication of the teachers and students alike that I decided to partner with this school so that more resources can be directed their way. Right now this school has a small gardening program but with our help we will help them to fill their garden with vegetables and trees. A special thank you to Phoebe Ndzala, my contact at the school, for her enthusiasm and dedication to these children.

Work has already begun to plant 40 trees throughout the school property which is currently bare. Over the next few weeks we will also send a large supply of seeds so that the garden can be expanded.

This is a very important project and if anyone is interested in helping, no matter if it is big or small please send me an email to thembaproject@gmail.com

Feed, Teach, Empower!

Some of the school children proudly gather around just one of 10 large container gardens on the property, these gardens are 4 feet wide and in them grow vegetables for the lunch program

This school also has a day care centre for children too young for school. These children learn skills so that they are ready for grade primary next year.

The school children are responsible for the large garden here, they enjoy watering and caring for the plants. See how big the garden is? Let's fill it!

The girls standing next to a newly planted peach tree. Right now it is winter but in the Spring this tree will be full of leaves and soon fruit!

They were so excited and welcomed me with open arms. Many children later came to my house to say thank you for coming.

More from Nqiningana, The Big Day!

2010-05-08T15:03:00.001+02:00

Mama Tumeka took good care of me and taught me how to make Umqombothi, a traditional beer made from Sorghum. The umqombothi will be used for our cultural ceremony the next day.

We stir the mixture with branches from trees.

Mama Tumeka makes our floor "nice" by applying a freash coat of cow manure. When it dried I must say that it looked very nice and certainly less dusty!

She went to fetch a bucket of water and this is what she brought back...... There are two sources of water in this village, a small pool that gathers at the bottom of the mountain and a well that the government dug. This is from the pool and at one time was the only option. People still drink this water today but I refrained, my delicate Canadian stomach is no match to what was swimming in there! There are many times that I feel like less of a person because they are so much more tough here then me!

Mama Tumeka and I showing off the drum of Umqombothi, ready to serve!

Yum yum....actually is does taste pretty good, but only if you try to forget the process. There were bits of sticks, grass etc in there that we strained out ha ha.

This Grandmother really made me laugh, I really love her, she has so much energy and loved to dance. Gcinisizwe can be seen sitting on the floor to her right.

This grandmother smokes a traditional pipe

Gcinisizwe's Grandfather danced the entire day, he is a really great dancer too!

The singing was so wonderful, it never really sounds as good on video but here aer a few videos for you to enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOl-aLbfeg

The return to Nqiningana

2010-05-04T17:53:00.000+02:00

I have felt a strong connection to the tiny village of Nqiningana since the moment I arrived back in January 2010. This village is located in the Transkei region of the Eastern Cape province and is the heartland of Xhosa culture. Even the name makes me smile Nin-In-Gana only when you say the first Nin be sure to add a popping click sound at the roof of your mouth!

Gcinisizwe and I have come back to this village to deliver a little more kindness, this time to plant fruit trees and distribute seeds and medical supplies. While we are here we will also host a family ceremony to bring the community together. Quite literally everyone in this village is related to Gcinisizwe in some way. If someone wants to marry they must go to another village to meet someone that they love, if you are a man you bring your wife here to Nqiningana, if you are a woman you go to your new husbands village to live.

First on our agenda is to organize a delivery of fruit and nut bearing trees. A big thank you to Kwa Majuba Greenhouse Boutique in the city of Queenstown for generously delivering these trees to us here in Nqiningana, not an easy task but they were happy to help. Our order consisted of every tree they had in stock such as peach, apple, pear, plum, pecan nuts, almonds, fig and quince. Gcinisizwe and I first met with his grandfather to inform him of our plans who then took us to the village chief to get the final approval. Today the chief, his grandfather and the village elders all met to make a plan for the trees. I was really impressed with how organized and kind everyone was. Nobody was pushing and shoving or saying "Where's Mine", they all worked together to come up with the best plan for the community.

This idea was inspired by my good friend Abdul Karim Abakar. Abdul and I like to talk about his home in Darfur, Sudan, he would tell me about when he was a boy, he and his friends would spend the entire day out in the bush playing. I asked him, didn't you get hungry? He laughed and said no! The bush was FULL of food, mango, avocado, peaches etc all just growing in the wild. Abdul told me that before the genocide (which is still happening as you read this, ie:Rawanda) there was an abundant supply of food, but with the war the rebels have burned all the trees so that there is no longer food for the families who were born here. His pre-war world really inspired me and I realized, Nqiningana and Themablethu have no sources of food. This is why I sit here today and why I have come to plant these trees.

Tomorrow morning a fleet of men will begin digging holes and the work to plant the trees begins. This will take a commitment from the community at the beginning, this is a very dry area, there are no rivers and very little rain so each family has made a pledge to carry water from the well and water the trees once or twice a week until they take hold.

In addition to planting trees I also came to distribute vegetable seeds. A wonderful friend of mine in Nova Scotia made a donation of organic seeds just prior to me leaving Canada. Today I distributed these seeds to the elders and wow they were so excited! A huge huge thank you for the generous donation, you have really made a big impact here in this community. I also had a supply of first aid supplies to give to the community, specific members of the community were chosen by the group to house the materials so that in the future if there is a problem the person who is hurt will go to these houses. The clinic is a hour walk away so this will come in handy for a person who for example just needs some polysporin and a bandage. I also supplied the community with a large quantity of condoms, a very important thing in a country with the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. Previous to this people had to make the 12 hour long journey just to get a condom, most said that the walk was not worth it, but some people would venture off. Now they can get them right here in the community.

Old meets new with this excellent business idea! For just R20 you can hire this man to bring you an entire drum full of water. Not bad conisdering it takes nearly an hour round trip to carry just one 25L bucket! He has rigged up an old cab from a truck to his donkeys!

Sure, I'll go fetch some wood, sounds kind of easy right? Wrong! First you have to trek out into the mountains (hard on the lungs when you are from sea level! Then you have to rip dead bushes out of the ground, bushes that died from the draught. Then you have to bundle the sticks and carry them on your head back to the village. And imagine, this bundle was considered small by the village ladies ha ha, not bad for a first timer though!

The wonderful Gcinisizwe washing clothes by hand. Normally a woman's job Gcinisizwe is happy to pitch a helping hand whenever I need it!

We also distributed a ton of vegetable seeds via the elders some of which you can see here in the photo. Thanks to a very special Nova Scotia donor I was able to supply the community with hand harvested, organic seeds which will grow into healthy foods in the season to come!

This morning was wonderful, together with the village leader and the elders we sat together to form a plan. Yesterday I arranged for 120 fruit and nut bearing trees to arrive in Nqiningana and together we formed a plan in regards to where to plant them and who will help. This is a lovely community, everyone pitched in and everyone was so excited to receive such a wonderful gift! We will plant peach, pear, apple, quince, fig, almonds, and pecans nuts.

Gift idea? Yeah, this is the device that I jimmy'd up in order to take this group photo, can anyone say tripod!!

Drumming in Thembalethu!

2010-05-01T19:26:00.000+02:00

A partnership between The Themba Development Project and Earth Child resulted in a wonderful afternoon of drumming taught by local drumming teacher Daniel Nicholson of George, South Africa. Due to hard work by the community we were able to host the drumming event at Umbambano Park, our newly build park that was previously an illegal dump site. We had a lovely turn out and had so much fun that we will host a second drumming event on June 25th at 2pm. If you are in the area please come by and bring a musical instrument or anything that makes a sound such as buckets and sticks.

A special thank you to both Michele Schubert and Daniel Nicholson for spending the afternoon with us, and the George Herald for once again giving us publicity in their newspaper!

Rebuilding a Home

2010-05-01T19:06:00.000+02:00

You may recall me metioning that one of my neighbours in Thembalethu was living in a house which was at a 35 degree angle and looked as though it may fall over at any minute. Well thanks to the generosity of all of you I have been able to not only build this man and his family a new house, but I also had enough to build a second house for another man who was living in a shack with only 3 walls, the 4th wall was just cardboard and was a very cold and wet place to sleep. Thank you so very much to those of you who stood up for these families to say "NO, this is an acceptable and I want to help!" No matter if you donated $150 or $5 you have given these families hope for the future.

This was the old house, it is in my opinion that in the spring time with the usual high winds that this house would have fallen down.

My good friend Nanza in the light blue building the house. Not only is Nanza my friend but he is also a carpenter and with an 80% unemployment rate he was very very grateful to have this job. The gentleman to the right was a neighbour passing by who stopped to help us.

Gcinisizwe seen here consulting with Nanza

Respecting our ancestors

2010-05-01T18:47:00.000+02:00

One thing I really love about the Xhosa culture is the respect that is paid to their ancestors. When member of the family pass away they do not disappear but instead remain as part of the family but in a non-visible way. On April 24th we had a very special day in which many people gathered to pay respect to Gcinisizwe's ancestors. We spent the day getting to know one another and dancing, as well as enjoying the plentiful African beer and brandy. It was a nice time for me because I spent the day with the other ladies and learned from them what the women's role is in this day. Below are some photos from this day.

Adventures at Monkey Land and Birds of Eden

2010-04-19T21:03:00.000+02:00

Sunday was one of the most fun days that I have had in Thembalethu, myself and 34 of my neighbours piled into a bus and drove to The Crags to visit two special places, Monkey Land and Birds or Eden, both operated by the same owner. The reason why this place is so special is because they rescue animals that have previously been abused, neglected or abandoned and take them to their new home, a place where they can live in freedom with abundant food and no predators! Birds or Eden is actually the World's largest aviary and both places have been highlights of my life travels.

I would like to thank the owners because they have made the commitment to use their resources for the betterment of children which means that this educational experience was offered to us for free. The kids (and adults) LOVED their visit, it was the first time that they had been to a place like this and I was so proud of how well they behaved. They spent the day laughing, learning about nature and animals and working in teams.

Below are photos from our special day.

Where's Catherine?

2010-04-14T20:34:00.000+02:00

Many of you have probably wondered if I have fallen off the side of the world, sorry for the silence. Truth be told it was my own fault, see I tempted fate, and fate obliged! Last week as I ate a salad one of my neighbours teased me and told me that only chickens and rabbits eat salad. I proudly said "I eat salads to keep me healthy, and how many times have you seen me sick since my arrival?"

Well, first I must say that I come from a very superstitious family, we touch wood after saying everything, and I can assure you that I touched wood after making such a statement. It was not enough however and the very next morning I came down with a case of tonsillitis AND a urinary tract infection in my kidneys all at the same time! Imagine my luck of getting both.

I am happy to say now (touch wood) that I am feeling much better due to some antibiotics and a prescription of pain killers!

This week is also a busy week for me in terms of school. It is exam time for me and I have 5 days to write 6000 words in carious research papers! I have just submitted 3000 of those words and on Friday the remainder are due.

I am really excited to get back to work, there is much to be done! Due to a very kind person I have now received enough donations to build a family a proper house. At first I was going to tear down this house and rebuild it using similar materials but with better construction, but now I have enough in donations to build this family a concrete block house! I have not yet told them, I want it to be a surprise, they are going to be beyond happy.

In addition this week I begin work to start a very special grandmothers to granddaughters program in which the elder ladies will teach traditional Xhosa bead work to the younger generation. It is easy to see that this beautiful skill is starting to fade but I intend to bridge the gap. I will be supplying the group with all of the materials and together we will learn how to make this beautiful jewellery. My intention is to have the group make a piece or two for themselves and then create an abundance of extra pieces for me to bring to Canada. I will pay them a fair price for their work and the funds I raise from sales in Canada will be returned to the community.

Sunday will be very special, 33 of us (mostly children and some adult supervisors) will be embarking to a fabulous destination. Monkey Land and Birds of Eden are two special and connected educational parks located in the nearby town of Plettenburg Bay. The monkeys and birds in this sanctuary have all been rescued and rehabilitated and now live in freedom within the gigantic perimeter of the park. The children in this community do not get to do many activities outside of their community so this will be a very special day for them. At these parks they will learn about animals, gain a memorable experience and build self confidence. For more information about these parks you can visit their website:

http://www.birdsofeden.co.za/

http://www.monkeyland.co.za/

Stay tuned for photos and stories, it is going to be a fun week ahead!

Good Friday in Thembalethu!

2010-04-02T11:21:00.000+02:00

Thembalethu, and from my understanding all of South Africa is a deeply spiritual place. Today is Good Friday and wow, they sure know how to mark the occasion! I suspect that if I grew up in a place where our churches were this fun I might still go to church, it is celebrated here, not just preached. I really admire and respect the organized religon system here in this community. I am attaching a video for you, just listen to the music and the singing, it brings tears of joy to your eyes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KpbQQds8zE

War against Waste

2010-03-29T19:06:00.002+02:00

The George Herald has been very supportive of our work here in Thembalethu. Here is yet another article published by this local paper!

An unexpected surprise for those who are struggling.

2010-03-29T19:02:00.000+02:00

Today I walked down the street and saw hundreds of men who all looked hungry, and were all hoping to obtain work. The unemployment rate is so high here that the men literally cover the sides of the roads, they stand there hoping that someone will stop and offer them work. Sadly most men do not receive work and must return home hungry with no food to feed their families.

Today Gcinisizwe and I did something different, we went to the local grocery store and bought gift certificates. Today we literally walked down the street and handed out R100 gift certificates to 25 men. Men were dancing in the streets and so excited, everyone that received the certificates high tailed it to the grocery store and loaded up on rice, pap and other essentials. Many of the men hugged us in a tight embrace, nobody has ever helped them before, we were the first.

Themba makes the George Herald!

2010-03-24T23:07:00.000+02:00

Thank you to the George Herald for printing a story about the Young Attackers winning the soccer championship last week. This is the team which is also known as the Youth Leadership Football Team, a team sponsored by The Themba Development Project.

My funny story of perception

2010-03-23T23:15:00.000+02:00

Now matter how well traveled you are there is always a period of adjustment when traveling to other countries. One of these adjustments comes by way of the furniture. At home we sit on comfy cosy sofa's with their soft pillows, we recline back, put our feet up and watch television or read a book. Here at my home in Thembalethu however things are a little different, we get to fight over hand-made wooden benches, overturned plastic buckets and the infamous chair....

Last week I actually said out loud "Oh wow, the comfy chair is free!" It was at this moment that I realized just how much my perceptions have really changed. You see, the comfy chair in this house was in fact collected on the job one day. Gcinisizwe on one day worked for a man who wanted him to clean up the property and then take the garbage to the city dump. When he arrived at the dump he noticed a plastic lawn chair, amazed that is had not been claimed he grabbed it and took it home. Yes, our comfy chair here was found at the dump. Ha ha ha ha, it is now that I start laughing, I find this really funny. But this magical chair, when compared to our overturned plastic buckets and wooden benches, well, it truly is the comfy chair. Ha ha ha ha

I present to you, the comfy chair......

Ha ha ha

In loving memory, I introduce to you Mbambano Park

2010-03-23T22:50:00.003+02:00

Those of you close to me know that my grand father recently passed away. It is a sad thing to be so far away when something like this happens. I remember saying good-bye to him as I departed for South Africa, I had a funny feeling as though it may be my last time seeing him in this lifetime, sadly I was right.

What began as a community clean up project has blossomed into a memorial park for my grandfather, Everett Lohnes. We started with an illegal dump site, with many men, 300 garbage bags and a lot of hard work we are slowly turning this dump site into Thembalethu's first public park. This has been a wonderful opportunity for the community, with 80% unemployment here it is nice to be able to employ my neighbours, and we are all taking pride in the work we are doing. I also employed my friend and neighbour, Nanza, to build two large benches and a table. Over the past 2 weeks we have cleared most of the garbage, leveled the land by moving soil from another area, made a path and my personal favorite, planted trees. It gets very hot here in the summertime so on either side of the chairs and table will two large olive trees. These trees will provide shade from the hot sun as well as protection from the wind. Along the perimeter of the park are flowering shrubs and perennials. On the exterior away from the former dump area are fruit trees.

We are nearly done, we are currently priming and painting the chairs, and cleaning up the last scraps of trash that once littered this beautiful landscape. I am so proud that I can barely contain myself. Although some are fearful that our work will be stolen or vandalized I am hopeful that people will see the beauty in what we are doing and take pride in this one of a kind park. With every tree I plant, every grain of soil I move I think of my grand father. In living memory of Everett Lohnes, we give you Mbambano Park, or translated into English, Unity (Togetherness) Park.

Watch for updates and new photos to see how Mbambano Park is evolving.

Some of my friends here in Thembalethu who helped me with this project.

Two hundred garbage bags of trash collected, another 200 or so to go!

Nanza making the table

The photo above is the "sort-of" before photo, this was taken last week, after 3 days of work,

but as you can see it is still a mess.

This photo was taken today, planted are olive trees, flowering shrubs and the border is flowering Gazania. You can see over the hill that the guys are still down there picking up shards of glass, bits of plastic and other odds and ends. The table and chairs will go between the two olive trees.

I am so proud, I just cannot believe the difference.

Changing the face of Zone 4 in Thembalethu

2010-03-23T22:26:00.000+02:00

One of my best friends in the entire world is Abdul. Abdul is one of the founding members of The Themba Development Project and he grew up in Darfur, Sudan. One of my favorite activities is sitting with Abdul, his wife Fatima (Sudan), and our friends Afsa, Fatuma and Rukiya who are from Congo. We tell stories about our life, they tell me about life before coming to Canada and I get to learn about other cultures and lifestyles. One day while I was sitting with Abdul he was telling me about when he was a child, before the genocide which is currently taking place as you read this. He would spend the entire day in the bush with his friends, they would play, and explore. I asked him one day how he was able to play for so long without going home to eat when he said, "Catherine, everywhere you looked in Darfur there was food, food growing in the trees, on the ground, in the bushes." This is when it dawned on me that the missing piece of the puzzle in Thembalethu is fruit trees!

After a year and a half of planning, fund raising and a lot of hard work, one of my dreams took place this week. With Abdul's story an idea was born and this week we planted over 100 fruit bearing trees throughout this community. We planted guava, pomegranate, plums, avocado, peaches and apples, all of which are in public spaces for the entire community to enjoy.

Today when a person is hungry they suffer, but soon when the trees have time to grow, when a person is hungry they simply need to walk to the street and pick a basket of fruit.

Not only will the trees provide an improvement in the food security of this community, they will also provide shade from the hot sun, wind resistance from the strong ocean breezes as well as protect against soil erosion. Any fruit which is not eaten will return to the Earth as fertilizer.

Armed with a team of men who are unable to find work, we set out to change this community. It was a wonderful day that united us. A special thank you to Radermachers Nursery for providing such a generous discount on our tree purchase.

Well now I have heard of everything....Proof once again that our work is essential to this community!

2010-03-09T12:49:00.002+02:00

Let me tell you a story, this Blog is supposed to be about the behind the scenes life of both myself and the men and women of Thembalethu. Today I heard news that made me both laugh and cry, let me tell you about it.

Yesterday Gcinisizwe and our three friends found work, they were supposed to work all week which is a miracle because there is no work here, and they have been looking forever to find something, anything, because no work means no food. They left the house yesterday morning at 5:30am and traveled a far distance to the next town. They had no food so they intended to buy food once they got there. Now on this day it was the hottest I have experienced in Thembalethu, a scorching 39 degrees in the shade. These men were driven by their boss all the way up the mountain and worked for 12 hours in this heat. Twelve hours of back breaking work, oh, and there are no stores to buy food or water. Their boss knew all of this, and knew that they had nothing to eat but regardless he left the scene in his truck and didn't come back to get them until after 6pm. I happened to call Gcinisizwe around 1pm because I was worried about the men in this heat, I could hear in their voices that they were struggling, it was far too hot to be outside, especially without food or water.

Today again they woke up at 5:30am and traveled back to the same place, only this time I equipped them with multiple bottles of water, lots of food and gloves for their beaten hands. I was quite surprised when just now, at 12:40pm I see them walking back to the house, they were supposed to work until 6pm.

You see their boss informed these men on Saturday that they would each be paid 90 South African Rand (R), but today he changed his tune and said no, I will not pay you R90, instead I will only pay you R9 which is about a dollar. There in the mountains, far away from everything they realized that all of their work was for nothing. The boss man drove them to the base of the mountain and left them there. They then had to walk three hours home, up big hills with no pay for both today or yesterday.They have arrived home feeling defeated, sad, and heartbroken that yet again they and their families will go hungry. There are no laws to protect them from this type of abuse.

EXCEPT, they live in Zone 4 which means that The Themba Development Project has their backs. Feeling angry about their misfortunes I have decided to begin a new project in which I will employ men from the community, they will receive pay for an honest days work and will be able to buy food for their families. Thank you to all of the people that have generously donated funds to The Themba Development Project, you have once again given the families here something that is priceless, hope.

Catherine Robar
Founding Director
The Themba Development Project
http://www.thembaproject.org/
http://thembaproject.blogspot.com/

Donate today, it all adds up to ending chronic poverty! http://www.canadahelps.org/
One person, One community CAN change the world, we have already begun!

Youth Leadership Football Team Update

2010-03-09T11:48:00.000+02:00

Sunday was a wonderful day, I spent the day at the football field watching my boys play the finals for this season. The football field is a very basic place, the field is actually just a dirt patch with a handmade goal area on each end. It is really wonderful how creative the people are here, they turned a bare piece of land into a plot where people can laugh and play and forget about the daily struggles.

When I arrived at the field the boys faces lite up which makes me feel really nice because these are not little boys, these are respected young men from my community. To be respected by them makes me realize that I am a trusted member of the community. There they were, all dressed up and looking wonderful in their uniforms, uniforms if you may recall that were donated by The Themba Development Project. These funds fame from regular people in my community who wanted to give these young men an opportunity to play football.

The sun was very hot on Sunday but the boys didn't seem to mind, they were so happy to play. I realized before the game that many of them hadn't eaten that day so we ran to the store and bought bread, bananas and cool drink (pop). The sides of the field were lined with people from the community, all excitedly cheering on their favorite teams. It was so much fun, everyone was yelling and laughing, all in Xhosa, and I spent the day taking photos and trying to decipher what people were saying.

The guys did so well, they played two games, the first they lost by one point, the second game they won! We all walked home together, clear across Thembalethu, everyone was so happy and our laughter continued into the night.

Thank you again to everyone who generously donated funds so that we could purchase the uniforms, it has made a world of difference to these boys who not only get to play football, but also receive mentorship from the older young men in the community.

Catherine Robar
Founding Director
The Themba Development Project
www.thembaproject.org
http://thembaproject.blogspot.com/

Thabo and Xolisilay share their story

2010-03-02T18:06:00.001+02:00

Last night as I sat with Gcinisizwe, Thabo and Xolisilay my heart was filled with both joy and sorrow. These men are such wonderful people, their hearts are filled with goodness and they would do anything for me, they are my friends and I have so much respect for them. They are also survivors of a war called Apartheid. Thabo tells us a story of his childhood in the late 1980's. He lived in a house in the next community over called Lawaiikamp (La-Vie-Camp) with his adopted mother. Hi birth mother was 17 when he was born and his father he has never known. His father fled because at that time the police arrested all of the black men for no reason at all, and he was running to avoid the abuse and torture that came with this imprisonment. Thabo's young mother had no food, no money and no husband to help her. Faced with this hopeless situation she held her baby in one hand and a knife in the other, better this than have him face a life of suffering. Thabo however was rescued by a neighbour who promised to take care of this boy in exchange for his life.

Thabo lived with his adopted mother at the entrance of Lawaiikamp, in a tiny shack that they built from materials commonly found in Canadian garbage dumps. It is often that the police raid this community, it is a time of war and the police, in their minds, do not need a reason to attack. Being that Thabo and his family lived at the entrance to this community they are exposed to a lot of hardships. When the police raid the community they where Thabo's house sits so they are always in harm's way. He has been drenched with Tear Gas more times then he can remember, but he does remember how the gas burned his eyes and his tender young skin. As a boy he can remember feeling as though he was on fire from the inside because of this painful gas. He is a child of war and sadly his is the story not just of him, but of many people in the Republic of South Africa.

One day as he returned home from school the entire community was gone. He rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing. His house, his neighbours house, everything was gone. The government went to Lawaiikamp in the middle of the day and with no regard for the people or humanity they bulldozed the entire community and took away the lives of these families in the backs of dump trucks. With these houses they bull dozed all of these family's worldly possessions, the furniture inside, the money hidden under the mattress that they hard worked for months to save so that they could return home to visit their families in the Eastern Cape, and sadly even the family pet's that were inside the homes at the time of the bull dozing.

As Thabo told me his story I thought about what I was doing at that time. While he rain with arms out, unable to see due to the burning tear gas in his eyes and on his skin I was riding my bike with my friends Carrie and Shawn, eating candies that we bought at the store, totally unaware that my friend Thabo was crying and praying to God to make his pain stop.

People believe that the war is over, that Apartheid is long gone, a distant memory of the past. These people are sadly mistaken. Although 57% of South Africa's population lives in chronic poverty, a figure higher than the struggling country of Burundi, it has been said that not a day goes by that a white man does not rob the black man. Now this is a very powerful and controversial statement that I have just made, let me explain as well as point out that there are many kind and good people here in George, but also some not so good ones, sadly it is always the bad people that make the news.

I listen to endless stories of my friends and their problems with collecting their pay, pay that they earned through bloody hands and sweat and I realize that this country is far from being reformed. These men who have no food, who live in shacks made from garbage, who have mothers and children and grandparents to feed, they work long hours under grueling conditions and when they go to collect their pay in many cases the boss-man has disappeared, never to be seen again.

Xolisilay has been working all day at it is now time to collect his pay, his boss has left and is nowhere to be found. He waits at the house patiently for his boss to return, hoping that perhaps he went to the store and will be back shortly. Six o'clock comes, then 7, than 8pm. Xolisilay is scared, he cannot go home with no money, his family is already so hungry, going home with nothing is not an option yet it is now dark outside and the public taxi's have stopped running for the night. He finds a discarded mattress under the patio of his bosses house and pulls it out so he can sit. Nine o'clock passes, then 10pm. At midnight he hears the garage door open, he is scared so he jumps up, carefully placing the mattress back where he found it. He is standing in front of the patio door when his boss flips the light on. Xolisilay looks at his boss and holds his hands out, politely asking for his pay. His boss is drunk and stumbles. Shocked to see that Xolisilay is still there waiting he backtracks and says "oh, ummm...yeah, I was going to pay you.." clearing his throat "I was going to pay you on Monday. "But this is Friday sir" Xolisilay says, "and my family has no food, we cannot wait until Monday". Finally after a very long day he receives his pay, 100 South African Rand, a tiny amount which equates to 12 Canadian Dollars for a full day of work and 7 hours of waiting in the dark.

You may think that this story is from 1974, during the Apartheid regime, but sadly this happens every day here in Thembalethu, and many times it results in the poor man being robbed of this pay. These men suffer, just hold one of their hands and ask to see their palms. The pain they have endured is nothing short of slavery, or something you would see in a work camp or maximum security prison. They have no gloves and their hands blister under the pressure of their work, to stop means that their families go hungry. They continue to work, their hands bleeding with a stinging pain. There is no time to heal before resuming work tomorrow, they must return to work, trying to remember that they are the lucky ones who were able to find work. There is an estimated 80% unemployment rate in this community. Failure to comply to even the most degrading of treatment means that there are hundreds of other men who will take your place, so they work, and they cry when nobody is watching. These men have been denied lunch breaks and even pee breaks, something I cannot imagine when working for such long hours.

I notice one day that in addition to the existing railings lining the Thembalethu bridge, there are now men installing razor wire. This bridge which covers the N2 highway is the last stop for many men here in Thembalethu, their hope has left them, they are unable to continue the cycle of starvation and cruelty so they jump. For those who are unable to work, of which there are many, they drown their pain with African Beer, drinking to the point of total disarray and other times drinking battery acid, hoping they will not wake up again.

Although this has been a story of sadness it is important to realize that you and I are making a difference. For those of us who have everything it is now that we must act, we must mobilize ourselves and reach out to out brothers and sisters who are suffering. Life does not have to be this way, and it is in our power to change the lives of many people here in Thembalethu. Not sure how? Just ask me.

On a final note I would like to share with you something that I have found to be astounding. These men and women have endured more than you and I could ever imagine, and even though they live with constant oppression and hunger they surprise me with this one point. They do not want revenge for their suffering, they do not want to retaliate or to wage war on their oppressors. These men want peace, and even when their bodies are aching with the pain of hunger they continue to pray to God that one day this suffering will end. I would have thought that they would want to fight the white man, to teach them a lesson for their wrong doings, but to my surprise they do not, what they want is to be respected, to be treated like equals and to be paid what they are worth. They want peace and friendship. To me that is incredible and it teaches me a valuable lesson about humanity and the power of the human heart.

A personal thank you

2010-03-02T17:39:00.000+02:00

Today I spent the day canvassing the neighbourhood with Gcinisizwe. This is a very long process but important because we are surveying every house so that we can set them up with Rain Water Harvesting, and as well, I am conducting an informal survey to find out how many people live in each house, and how many people are working, so far the numbers are not looking good. It is evident as I travel from house to house that people are really struggling. I will post my finding once I have completed this survey.

I met one man and his family today who really inspired me to keep going. Sometimes I wonder if in fact there must be a God up there, someone who sends these amazing people to me. I was speaking (through Gcinisizwe's translation service) to a elderly woman when this man came rushing into the house. This house belonged to him and his family and as soon as he saw us he began to run to us. He bounced into the house and immediately took our hands and thanked us profusely. You see, there are 7 people living in this tiny shack and he is the only person who can find work, sometimes....This man's name is Happy, and that is exactly what he is, Happy. When Happy does find work he is paid very little, between 60-80 Rand per 10 hour work day, that is around 9 Canadian Dollars. He only works a few times a week, or at times 0, it all depends on luck, and in Thembalethu luck can be hard to find.

Happy sat down in front of me and said "Sisi, I don't know what my family would do without you, I prayed to God that a miracle would happen, that I would find work so I could buy my brother a school uniform, and then the next day you came to my house, sat with my mother like you were our family, and now my brother has a school uniform." Happy and his family really struggle, with seven mouths to feed most days this family goes hungry, and most days his brother goes to school without food. Sisi by the way is what you call a woman that you respect very much, so to be called Sisi was quite a blessing to me.

Happy told me that he has also been praying because he would like to earn enough money to buy 4 egg laying chickens, 1 male and three females. These chickens he explained would live with his family and would provide food to the children so they would not be hungry. It is at this moment that I think that yes, there must be a God because my next question to him was to be ....."Do you need chickens and do you have a place to keep them", a miracle really!!

Happy made my day, my week really, if ever I have doubts about my work I will think of him and his family. Although I do not get paid to do this work, I feel blessed to do this work. In exchange for hard work and lots of volunteer time I am given the gift of love, a fair exchange I think.

Daily life in Nqiningana

2010-01-30T11:13:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I feel a bit like a pilgrim here, it is a really interesting experience. I imagine this must be how life was for our ancestors who first came to North America. Everything we do takes time here, and we do everything by hand. It has been a very eye opening week. If our clothes are dirty we must first walk 25 minutes to the water tap, and then 25 minutes back, we then wash our clothes by hand in a bucket (ok we do that in Thembalethu too).

Also, there is no refrigerator here so all of our meals are made at the time of eating. There is no processed food here, just real whole foods like beans, rice, mealies (corn) etc. Each meal takes about 2 hours to make and we cook it on a paraffin stove which kicks off a terrible odour, we must open the windows or our eyes begin to hurt. I am enjoying learning how to cook this way though, I even learned how to make homemade bread with just flour, water, yeast and salt. It was very good! We are actually fortunate because most women cook over the fire here and must spend an entire day collecting firewood from far away places, then carry it home on their heads in large bails.

Bath time is interesting, we heat water and then bathe in a metal bucket, it is not glamorous but it does the job. We use as little water as possible for all of these jobs because it takes so long to get new water. The ladies have been trying to teach me how to balance the bucket of water on my head but wow it is difficult. It gives me so much respect for the women here, as well as my beautiful friends Fatima, Fatuma, Afsa and Rukiya because they all know how to do this! I want to learn so I can show them my new skills when I get home!

For me this is 8 days of an interesting experience but for the women here it is daily life, certainly not an easy life however I believe that they are happy. They enjoy a very strong sense of community in which their neighbours really do care about each other and where people will help you if ever you need it.

Ok, now he must be lying!

2010-01-27T21:10:00.000+02:00

Ha ha ha, ok first I should be forthcoming and say that I don't really think that Gcinisizwe is a liar, but wow, when he told me that his grandparents (seen in the photo with him) are 94 and 81 I didn't believe him, they look like they are in their 50's! Yesterday was a very special day, the day that I met the grandparents for the first time. First his grandfather arrived at our home and we exchanged hello's, well sort of, I know very very little Xhosa but I am trying to learn! They spoke for some time and then Gcinisizwe brought out the bottle of Brady that he brought for his grandfather, it is customary here that when someone comes to visit from far away that they bring brandy for their loved ones.

Gcinisizwe was then sent to fetch his grandfather's friends, the elders of the community. One by one the men arrived and greeted both of us. The men sat on one side of our house and the women on the other side of our house. I noticed that Gcinisizwe's grandmother was not present, it turns out that she was so nervous to meet me that it took her some time to muster up the courage, but eventually, she came.

The day started off with Gcinisizwe giving an opening speech to thank his family, and then in turn his grandfather spoke and then poured a tiny bit of of brandy at the doorway to say thank you to the ancestors. Gcinisizwe and his friend Velelay shared responsibility of pouring drinks for the elders, first the men, then the women. At first I said no to the coke that was offered, thinking that Brandy would be sweet like sherry, but quickly realized that it was more like whisky so I from that point on said yes to the coke!

There was one woman there who could speak English which was wonderful because then she could translate for me and I could then talk to the elders. After a couple hours the elder ladies started talking amongst themselves and then looked at me and said that they have decided on my Xhosa name, Sandise pronounced, San-Dee-Say which is a very prestigious name to be given, it means to make the family stronger. I feel really privlidged to have this name.

This community has really embraced me, people come from all parts of the community to sit in our home and see me with their own eyes. It is really quite powerful in a country which previously lived under the Apartheid regime, and currently to this day lives under economic apartheid. It is a good message to start off the new year by saying that we are all equals, you are my brother, my sister, and together we will be stronger. Sandise.

And then the gods sent rain

2010-01-24T20:31:00.000+02:00

What an exciting day it was here in Nqiningana today. The day started off hot hot hot, so hot that all of the local people spent the day sitting in the tiny bit of shade created by their houses, and did their best to stay cool. In the mid afternoon however the clouds began to move in. This is such a magical place, we are surrounded by mountains in every direction, in fact we are sitting at 3500 feet above sea level. The village sits in a very large valley in between the mountains which means that we can literally see the weather coming towards us. As we watched the rain fall in a neighbouring village we all prayed that the wind would change and blow the rain our way. As a group of us sat inside talking, braiding hair and cooking we heard tap tap tap on the tin roof. Just like that the sky opened up and the water fell to the Earth. They certainly don't get very much rain here but when they do get it it comes all at once! I have included a few photos here, you can see the rain falling in the distance, it is so beautiful. I also thought it was really funny that even the sheep took refuge from the rain ha ha, they stood there for 30 minutes.

Eastern Cape

2010-01-24T11:58:00.000+02:00

I am sitting inside of a traditional house made from cow dung and grass, it is surprisingly cool inside of this house considering that outside it is sweltering hot, I kind of like the heat though, so either way I am happy. Yesterday Gcinisizwe and I left Thembalethu and drove the far distance to the village that he grew up in, it is called Nqiningana and it is pronounced Nin(with a click)-in-ghana. It is a very tiny village near Lady Frere located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. This is the place that his family lived for generations until his mother moved to Thembalethu in the late 1980's after the death of Gciniszwe's father. The people of Thembalethu come from the Eastern Cape province so I wanted to come here to understand what it was that was making them leave and come to places like Thembalethu.

It is kind of funny really that I am on a laptop right now using the internet ha ha, outside the men sip brandy, a tradition when someone comes home from far away. Some of the men outside have just come home from the bush, their faces painted red to signify that they are now men, they are very beautiful and I have so much respect for them because their culture is still strong despite the Apartheid history that once reigned here. At one time the boys and men were killed in this village due to that war.

People are very friendly here, and I can feel the warmth that they have in them, I am in fact the first white person to ever come to Nqiningana and the response has been lovely. In Thembalethu people stare at me and giggle, but here people come up to me and shake my hand and hug me, they cannot believe that I have come all this way and are very happy to see both me and Gcinisizwe. He is very well respected in this village and I feel quite proud to be here with him.

The house that we are staying in is at the base of a large mountain, I have plans to climb it in the coming days so stay tuned for more photos! In the meantime I am spending time collecting water which is a 25 minute walk away (one way), and getting to know the nice people who live here. My goal is to understand the challanges of life here, to find out first hand what the people need in order to stay here. I would love it if people wouldn't have to leave and go to places like Thembalethu.

One thing I noticed is that the houses are different in some places, what used to be a village made of only round houses with a grass roof, now has a few square houses with metal roof material. This is a result of global warming, there is less rain now and the grass does not grow very high anymore so they are unable to collect enough grass anymore and must use metal for the roofing material. The metal roofing material gets very hot during the day and inside of these houses is terribly hot. Inside of the grass roof houses however it is very cool.

Until tomorrow, I will be here enjoying the beautiful scenery, seeking a little relief from the heat in the shade of our house and pondering my next move.

Love Catherine

Fire burning

2010-01-21T15:55:00.000+02:00

Last night I watched a family lose everything, I just happened to go out the front door and when I looked to my left I saw a large fire. Gcinisizwe said alarmend, "that shack is on fire!" He ran to the scene to help while I ran inside and grabbed as many buckets as I could carry. The shack belonged to our neighbour who lives about 300 meters away. Gcinisizwe, I and a lot of other neighbours spent 30minutes filling buckets with water and trying to put out the fire. There is a severe lack of taps in this area so as each bucket was being filled there were 3 or 4 waiting to be filled. I tried my hardest not to twist my ankle on the many empty bottles and other garbage on the ground as I ran from the tap to the men waiting to grab the full buckets.

We were most worried that the fire would jump to the wood house that was very close to the shack, we made sure to throw water on the house and roof to keep it from burning. In the end the shack burned to the ground before the fire department arrived, but the other house was saved.

I was told that the fire started from the electricity, power "sharing" is very common here, when one house has power they usually share it with the shacks around them. The fire then traveled through the wire and into the house but was put out in time.

Sadly there were at least 6 people living in the shack who now have no home. Everyone is safe though.

Photo courtesy of westcapenews.com/?p=424 and is not a picture of the actual fire, but I wanted to give you an idea of what it looked like.

Wonder what a HUGE wealth disparity looks like?

2010-01-20T18:06:00.001+02:00

I have studied a lot about wealth disparities in school but it is only when you stand there looking at it with your own two eyes that you can truely feel the impact of this incredible and unfair situation. South Africa has the second highest wealth disparity in the world behind Namibia, it's neighbour. The larger a countries wealth disparity, the wider the gap between the rich and poor. I am living in Thembalethu, one of the poorest types of communities to be found in South Africa, perhaps the only thing poorer would be the rural area which is where almost everyone here is from. Yesterday I walked into George and walked through the "white" section of this tiny city. It just blows me away really, there isn't really a middle class here, just poor, really really poor and really really stinking rich. I am sure that there are exceptions to this but I have yet to see them.

The houses in this area of town are gigantic, every one of them has multiple luxury cars and all have "hired help", gardeners, maids, nannies. It is really quite extroadinary. When I return home to Thembaleth it is hard not to feel a sense of betrayal, why do some people have so much much and yet others have nothing? Many people in my community are hungry, 80% of people in Zone 4 have no job.

It is in moments like this that I feel fortunate to live in Canada, a country that has income tax which helps to redistribute the wealth from the rich to the poor, never again will I complain about the taxes I pay.

And then came the puppy

2010-01-20T17:27:00.000+02:00

Today was a little different than the rest, I spent the day picking up puppy supplies, not exactly the reason why I came to South Africa but I can assure you it was for a good cause. Yesterday our neighbour found a tiny tiny puppy in her yard and immediately brought it over to me, I suppose she knew that I would take care of him. He was in poor condition, hungry and absolutely covered, and I mean covered in fleas. After giving him some milk I decided to take on the task of bathing this tiny little creature. Over an hour later I was still finding hidden fleas, oh my!

With the help of Stumo I constructed a little bed for him and did my best to make him comfortable. I am very fortunate because the family is very fond of him. Last night I woke up 4 times to check on him, he would cry in the night and I would be there to fill his milk bowl and mop up the pee, good thing the family doesn't mind that part.

Today I went into George and bought some puppy food and flea stuff. The family has embraced this puppy and I want to make sure that he stays flea free, especially since the grass here is full of them.

This little guy would not have a chance if it were not for this family. Thembalethu sadly is a place where the people do not have enough food, so the animals certainly suffer, all are full of fleas, at times scratching until they have no fur in places. Many dogs and cats are so skinny that it is upsetting to see.

This little puppy makes me smile every time I see him and I enjoy seeing how compassionate my host family is, especially given that they grew up in a world where there are no pets, just guard dogs and mouse cats. I am very blessed to be here in this home.

PS: Seen here with the puppy is the incredibly beautiful grandson to Mama, Gcinisizwe's brother's little boy.

Youth Leadership Football Team Update

2010-01-16T12:54:00.001+02:00

I could not have felt more proud last week when I walked to the other side of Thembalethu to watch the boys play Football (Soccer). I heard that these guys were good but wow, they were fantastic. This is the team that benefited from the football uniforms and equipment, boys averaging 18-22 years old were selected from the community who were considered to be at-risk.

Life in Thembalethu is very difficult for these boys, there is no work, no food, and not much to do, it is easy to turn to drugs and alcohol because there is little to do otherwise. This special team was set up to give them a fun activity, to teach them leadership skills and to become active and positive members of the community.

This team has been made possible due to the generosity of Canadians and the dedication of the men in their 30's who live in this community and have volunteered their time to mentor and coach this team.

During my first visit not only did the guys wow me on the field, but they wow'd me afterwards too when the entire group of guys gathered to give me a HUGE thank you for working on their behalf to give them a brighter future. I was so proud, and so humbled. As we walked together back to Zone 4 I felt so proud to be walking amongst them, a sign that I have truly been embraced by this community.

Thank you Canada!

2010-01-16T12:06:00.000+02:00

There are days when I get tired and sometimes I wonder if all my work is actually making a difference, any doubts I had were squashed yesterday. Friday January 15 1010 was an exciting day here in Thembalethu, after a lot of hard work, tons of fund raising and lots of preparation it was finally possible to make a big dream come true. Sixty-six children in Zone 4 of this community received school uniforms, including shoes, trousers and shirts/skirts. This was made possible by the many generous people who donated funds to the Themba Development Project school project. Without this help these families would have to go without food in order to pay for these essential school uniforms.

Thank you for your kindness and allowing children in need to receive an education without giving up food!

There are times when people walk into your life and they give you exactly what you were needing. Last night a man came to me and opened my eyes. I think before I knew that what we were doing was good but I didn't really "get" the full impact of my actions, this man ignited a new fire inside of me. Last night I enjoyed a glass of South Africa brandy (it's really cheap here!) with Gcinisizwe and two men who were walking by. These men live in Zone 4 and one of them was really an incredible man. This man is 49 years old, his parents have both passed away, and his wife is gone. He looks after this three children alone. For two years this man has not been able to find work, there is an estimated 80% unemployment rate in Zone 4, and it seems that the only people who do find work are young and strong. This man told me that for the last 18 months he has received food from The Themba Development Project, and this is the only food that his family is able to consume. They have no money to buy even the most basic of food. He told me that because of this food his children are surviving.

Sometimes it is easy to get lost in the "work" of this world, I focus on fund raising and accounting and programs, I try to keep focused because there is so much need and where I am only one person it is my focus that keeps me from becoming overwhelmed. With this focus though I think it is possible to forget that it is actual people who I am working for, and this man and his children are the reason why I have been working so hard. I thank the universe for sending him my way last night.

Arrival in Thembalethu: The Journey Begins!

2010-01-08T20:42:00.000+02:00

As I sit here and begin to write my first blog post of my Thembalethu adventure there are a few things that I have promised myself, first is that I will not exaggerate, and second is that I will not sugar coat anything, my plan is to tell it like it is, even if it does not sound glamourous.

As soon as I drove over the bridge and into Thembalethu I felt like I was once again home, it was like so many of the dreams that I have had over the past year and a half, hard to believe that I am finally here again. It is just how I remembered, lots of people outdoors, children playing, groups of people congregating outside around a man who is singing and of course the free range cows that roam wherever their hearts feel like taking them. I love Thembalethu, it is the only place that I really feels like home here in South Africa. I walked into the front door and Mama was there to give me a gigantic hug, the entire family was so happy to see me and I felt like dancing. These are the people who treated me like family when I was here last, and the same people who have yet again embraced me and welcomed me into their home for this next adventure.

At first glance it appears that Zone 4 is actually doing better! There are more government houses which is wonderful, people now have a roof and walls, but there are still many many families living in shacks that are close to falling over. There is still much work to be done!

My first night.....oh dear, one thing that has been a huge shock to me is not the tarantulas that I feared, but the millions of fleas that have descended upon this community. My first night was unlike anything I have ever experienced and sadly it is considered normal here, fleas, fleas and more fleas. I didn't sleep at all that first night, I spent the entire night being eaten alive. Today I sit here with more than 100 flea bites. This is not acceptable, and people should not have to live like this. Over the next few days I will purchase an enormous supply of flea spray so we can fumigate the entire property.

When I last visited this house it was in fact two shacks, one that was here before my arrival and one that I built for Gcinisizwe and his son. It was not an easy place to live. There was no outhouse. Today however things are better for this family, slightly, at least now they have a two room, very simple house that I will me sleeping in. Stumo, the youngest brother lives in his own shack behind the main house. He likes it that way because at least now he has privacy.

I spent the last two days canvassing the neighbourhood and taking stock of each school aged child, and getting their school uniform sizes. Children here need uniforms in order to go to school and with 80% of the people being unemployed it comes at a great expense. Luckily I have a wonderful donor in Canada who has donated enough funds so that each child in Zone 4 can receive a school uniform. It was so nice to walk through Zone 4 and see where each family lives. Everyone is so friendly here and they were happy to welcome us into their homes. Some people live in “fancy” houses, some in shacks, everyone struggles though, there is not a lot to go around here.

Next step is to go to PEP, a local store here, to purchase all the uniforms, it should be quite an obstacle, I am going t0 clean the place out! Stay tuned!

We Did It!

2009-12-17T21:30:00.000+02:00

Hello Themba Supporters,

This will be my last message this year as I prepare to depart for South Africa on December 30th. This is the beginning of a very exciting time of year as I prepare to live in Thembalethu for the next seven months while working to transform Zone 4 into a food secure community. Thank you to everyone who has supported both myself, my work and the community of Thembalethu over the past year. I leave you with four exciting announcements:

1.1 Tonight, Free Immigration question and answer session with Immigration Lawyer, Lee Cohen
1.2 Year end is quickly approaching, be sure to make your 2009 charitable donations in time to receive a tax-receipt
1.3 A Chance to Win $5000, please take a moment to vote
1.4 Departure information and what you could do to help

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1.1 Immigration Information Session

How often do you have an opportunity to meet with a lawyer for free? Never, until now! Bring all of your Immigration questions with you to the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Art on Chebucto, near Windsor, from 7-9pm tonight (December 17), and Halifax Immigration/Refugee lawyer Lee Cohen will help you with the answers.

Remember to bring a small donation for The Themba Development Project which helps a community in South Africa with food and education.

Want more info? Email me at thembaproject@gmail.com
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1.2 Tax Deductible Charitable Donations

Get cash back when you file your taxes this year, did you know that when you make a donation to the Themba Development Project you will receive a tax-receipt? Make your donations easily with one of these options:

a. Donate with a credit card. Go to Canadahelps.org and type "Themba" in the search bar. Donate with your credit card and print off an instant tax receipt (Preferred by Themba)
b. Donate using PayPal or Email Money Transfer using thembaproject@gmail.com as the recipient name
c. Donate with a check to:
The Themba Development Project
161 Glenforest Drive
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3M 1J2
d. Donating Cash? email thembaproject@gmail.com to find out how
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1.3 A Chance to Win $5000!

Here is an easy way to help the families of Thembalethu and it will only take a second. Voting deadline is December 30 2009.

1.Go to http://www.care2.com/hero-next-door/nominate.html and nominate Catherine Robar, Founding Director of the Themba Development Project.

2. Sit back and watch as your actions could result in a 35,000 South Africa Rand ($5000) donation which will go to help little boys and girls by putting food on their plates, school supplies in their back packs and hope for a better future!

****Catherine Robar created a registered charity which now provides food, education, resources and hope to 600 South African people who before her were only eating every 3-5 days. Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, www.thembaproject,org Your vote is greatly appreciated!
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1.4 Departure Information and what you can do to help!

Catherine Robar, Founder of The Themba Development Project, departs Halifax on December 30, 2009 for Thembalethu, South Africa. Estimated time in Thembalethu will be 7 months as Catherine works with the people of Thembalethu-Zone 4 to redevelop the land, plant trees and created a sustainable agriculture system for all families. The end result will be an environment in which each family has access to food, education resources and the ability to grow crops.

What can you do to help?
1. Donate first aid supplies such as bandaids, polysporin etc or provide a gift certificate so that we can purchase these items
2. Share this email with your friends, this work started out with one person, today due to people spreading the word we have hundreds of supporters around the world!
3. Donate any un-opened vegetable seed packages that you have not used
4. Share your aeroplan or frequent flier points, this is a volunteer operated charity and your generosity will allow us to be more effective in our work!

If you would like to follow the work taking place in Thembalethu please check out the blog. Here you will find pictures of the work taking place, funny stories about life in Thembalethu and videos of the community. http://thembaproject.blogspot.com/ If you would like to mail parcels or letters please email me for the address.
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On behalf of the The Themba Development Project, Catherine Robar and the families of Thembalethu I would like to say a big thank you. Although I am the person leading the project, all of you are the people fueling the work. If nothing else were to result from our action, we have already made a profound difference in the lives of the families living in this struggling community. We have given them a voice, and the power to know that we are all here watching, and rooting for their success. Without all of you none of this would have been possible. To all of the people who have made donations big and small, the people who organized events and chose Themba as the recipient, and to all of you who have taken the time to hug and encourage me, I thank you.

Catherine Robar
Founding Director
The Themba Development Project
www.thembaproject.org

Donate today, it all adds up to ending chronic poverty! http://www.canadahelps.org/

One person, One community CAN change the world, we have already begun!

Announcing the launch of the 2009 Christmas Card Campaign!

2009-11-05T18:32:00.001+02:00

Every year we spend countless time and dollars purchasing Christmas presents that we do not really need. This year, give your friends and family something unique and meaningful. By purchasing a Christmas Card from The Themba Development Project not only will you avoid the line-up at the mall, you will be giving a family the dignity to feed their children, the resources to grow their own food and the tools to go to school.

Make a donation of your choice and you will receive a hand-made personalized card for your loved one. This card will contain a picture of a community member and a description of how your donation is helping this community rise above chronic poverty.

*Tax-receipts will be given for all donations over $10!

For more information click here:
http://www.freewebs.com/thembaproject/christmascardcampaign.htm

Stumo returns to school

2009-11-01T22:18:00.000+02:00

Let me first say that I am really quite in love with indigenous people due to their strong sense of culture. I suppose as an 8th generation German descent Canadian who's family came to Canada is 1752, I feel a strong sense of admiration for people who still practice their cultures. As you may have noticed for example I do not speak German and do not own, or can even spell, Laderhosen.

I particularily love the various cultures of the Black South African tribes. It really amazes me that they have managed to keep such strong roots to their history and ancestors despite the Apartheid regeim.

My friend, and Gcinsize's younger brother is called Stumo and he is such a glorious person. Stumo just turned 20 years old and I really do love him like a brother. I was speaking with him on the phone a few days ago and asked him about the bush. Stumo has been asking to go to the bush for 2 years but Gcinsizwe and others have told him that he is too young and that he must wait a few years.

Now for those of you who do not know what I am talking about, Stumo is Xhosa and in his culture a man must go to the bush in order to become a man. It is really quite an incredible ceremony where a boy is circumsized by a traditional doctor and then goes and lives and survives in the bush (the woods) for between one and three months. I have just skimmed over the custom, there is much more to it. It's pretty amazing though.

So in talking to Stumo the other day I asked if he was going to the bush this year and he said very excitedly yes! He is going in December, sadly though I am going to miss it, I am arriving in Thembalethu in late December and he goes to the bush at the beginning of the month. I begged him to wait till I get there but he said "Catherine I wish I could but I cannot wait, I have to be back in time to go to school in January".

Say what?? Yes you heard it right, Stumo, a beautiful incredible strong Xhosa man fell victim to the intensity of his surroundings and as a result dropped out of school in grade six. He lost hope for the future, lost his way and had no respect for his abilities. He was born before the fall of Apartheid and grew up being told by outsiders that he was not worthy of anything good. After decades of this, as well as living in chronic poverty, he dropped out.

Until now, and do you know why? Stumo is on the Youth Leadership Football Team that I started with the Themba Development Project, after months of the community asking me to do so. The people of Thembalethu never ask me for anything so when they do I know that it is essential, well through out and effective. I didn't have the money to start such a team but after Drum, Dance, Celebrate! I finally had the $250 necessary to start the team and supply them with proper uniforms. In order to be on the team the guys must volunteer in the community focusing on the elders and other at-risk people in the community. As well, everyone on this team must return back to school. These guys amaze me, they are beautiful, strong young men and I know they can accomplish anything they want to in life, with help. I will go down fighting so that these boys have a good future. As of today all the boys on this team have re-enrolled in school, including Stumo!

Although I am terribly sad to miss this life changing event in Stumo's life, I am so pleased to know that it is because he will return back to school. Thanks to the school supply program he will even have the dignity of having both food and school supplies so that he can focus on school and not on poverty.

$250, amazing what you can accomplish with so little!!!!

Catherine

Recent Submission to the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation Newsletter

2009-10-20T16:06:00.000+02:00

In March of 2008 I departed for South Africa to volunteer my time with a community in need. At the time I was not sure where I would end up but I knew that my desire would overcome any obstacle set in front of me. It was when I discovered the community of Thembalethu that I knew that I had found what I was looking for. Thembalethu is located in the Western Cape of South Africa and is populated by people who left their tiny villages in hopes of finding a better life for themselves and their children. Despite being told that this was a dangerous area I trusted my gut instinct and ventured into the community made up of tiny roads that resembled a poorly planned maze, concrete block houses and shacks made of materials collected from the landfill sites.

I met a man similar in age to me while in the neighboring city of George. After many lunch time conversations under a tree I asked if I could visit his area of Thembalethu, Zone 4 (of 9). This man's name was Gcinsizwe Noyakaza and although I didn't know it then, he would become one of the most influential people of my lifetime. I also didn't know that I was about to become the first outside person to visit Zone 4. When I arrived at his mothers tiny shack the entire room was filled with happy faces, all of which had come to see if this lady from Canada would really show. I was happy that I trusted my instincts, I had learned in the past that although poverty does not look nice from the outside, on the inside it is filled with real people just like you and I who are happy to share anything they have with you.

One evening I took a moment to talk to Gcinsizwe about his community and the struggles facing them. During our conversation he looked at me with eyes of sincerity and said “Catherine, my community only knows struggle, we have lived our lives not knowing where our next meal will come from and it has become normal for us to be hungry for 3, 4, 5 days in a row. Your arrival is the first time that my community has felt a sense of hope.” I knew at this moment that I had to help this community, even when I returned home.

I returned home and created The Themba Development Project which is a volunteer-operated, Canadian Registered Charity. Together we work to improve access to food, minimize poverty, encourage education as well as to develop short and long term solutions to the food crisis facing many people in this country. The reason for our success is simple, we encourage education and community leadership, we operate with zero administrative costs and all funds donated go directly to assisting this community in need. Themba means “Hope” in the Xhosa language and Gcinsizwe Noyakaza is now the Director of Community Relations due to his natural leadership abilities, his ability to speak 8 languages and his tireless desire to help lift his community out of chronic poverty.

Recently I was nominated for a National Humanitarian Award called the “Me to We” award for my initiative in creating The Themba Development Project and my many programs that are helping to lift this community out of chronic poverty. These programs include monthly food shipments to address the short term need of securing food. The Food Security and Gardening Program which is helping to transform this community so that each family has access to a plot of land to grow their own food, as well as supplying the community with an abundant source of seeds to get started. We have created an educational assistance program which supplies children with school supplies so that they do not have to go days without food just to afford paper, pencils and other items. This year we will provide 80 children with school uniforms so that they can afford to attend school. We have supplied the youngest children with soccer balls and art classes so that they have time to be children and escape the hardships of daily life. We have created a leadership soccer team for the young men in this community to show them that we care about them and their future and to teach them to rise above the obstacles in their way and create a better future for themselves. All of the young men on this team have since re-enrolled in school and take part in weekly community building activities. We are currently fund raising so that we can plant 300 fruit and nut bearing trees so that there is an abundant source of free foods available as well as creating a program to teach the community how to collect rain water to use during times of drought.

Although I am only one person I believe that I have the power to make change. The people living in Thembalethu have the knowledge and capacity to live a better life, they just need someone to help them get started. The Themba Development Project has already given more hope to this community than they ever thought possible, together we will ensure that every family has the ability to feed their family, to go to school and to escape the cycle of poverty.
For more information or to make a donation please visit http://www.thembaproject.org/

Written by Catherine E. Robar
Founding Director of The Themba Development Project Association
thembaproject@gmail.com

The fight must continue.....

2009-10-11T15:02:00.000+02:00

Last night I felt a deep sense of defeat, everything in fact is going very well, better then ever to be honest. But last night through the phone I heard a cough, one that I am familiar with, the deep cough of Tuberculosis (TB). This serious illness that effects many people in the community of Thembalethu. TB has been around for centuries, it used to be called consumption and it is an illness that attacks the lungs and other parts of the body such as the kidneys, bones and lymph nodes.

TB attacks regions where HIV/AIDS is rampant which is why it is no surprise that South Africa is ranked as having the 5th highest rate of TB in the world. This country also has the #1 highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. With a electricity, water and food crisis already affecting this country I fear for the future of the people already infected, their bodies are already lacking the nutrition possible to fight off these two illnesses.

TB has reached inside my protective bubble and effected someone close to me. I think that on top of fighting for food and education for this community I am also going to start researching into ways to prevent infection. I have already collected information on HIV/AIDS to pass along to the community, with this highest rate in the world I plan to educate this community on how the disease is spread, and how it is not. I think now I need to do the same for TB.

In the developed world we do not hear much about of this disease, we have an enormous access to medicine, perhaps too much access. In the developing world however people are dying because these same medicines such as antibiotics are not available to them.

I will keep fighting for this community, in all the joy that the people here bring to me, the life purpose that I have found within the dirt roads, I will not rest until the people living here can have a day of rest, just one, where HIV, TB, hunger, water and apartheid are over there in the distance, just one day where together we can laugh and sing and dance together and forget the problems of the past. I will continue to fight for that one day.

http://www.sahealthinfo.org/tb/tbburden.htm

http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/tuberculosis/countries/africa/safrica_profile.html

Finding Our Inner Strength-Together

2009-09-29T16:24:00.000+02:00

Apartheid ended in 1995 which means that many of the children who were born just before that time are now turning 18. Many programs have been created for the young children in this community but the young adults have for the most part been neglected which has resulted in many 18+ young men in particular losing hope for the future. Throughout their life they have been subject to extreme racism, chronic poverty and taught by society that no matter what they do in life, no matter how hard they work they will still fail. This negative life experience has resulted in many of these young adults falling victim to dropping out of school, abusing drugs, disconnecting from the community and sadly even crime.

The elders of this community have requested that this negative trend end today and I am very pleased to announce that we are now in the position to grant this community what they have long asked for, a special soccer team devoted to these neglected young men.

Soccer is much more than "just a sport", it is an opportunity to escape the harsh realities of life in Thembalethu, it is a chance to laugh, and have fun in a team environment, something these boys rarely get to do.

Becoming a member of this team has special privileges as well as expectations. Members of the team will also be required to return to school to finish their education. On a weekly basis the members of this team will also engage in community volunteerism and take on such activities as helping the youngest children with their reading, working in the gardens belonging the elders to ensure that they have adequate food, as well as one on one mentor-ship with well respected adults in the community.

The long term effects of this special team will make an incredible impact on these boys and the community. By learning to love and respect themselves and by helping the other community members these boys will become positive and respected members of this strong community.

Fund Raising is currently taking place, if you would like to contribute to this leadership opportunity please click the Donate button below. Your gift, big or small will make positive and lasting change in this community.

--
Catherine Robar
Founding Director
The Themba Development Project
http://www.thembaproject.org/

Donate today, it all adds up to ending chronic poverty! http://www.paypal.com/

One person, One community CAN change the world, we have already begun!

Wow, now that's what I'm talking about!

2009-09-24T17:21:00.000+02:00

It's always fun to plan an event, this one though was a big one! Drum, Dance, Celebrate! was more than just an event to raise money for a struggling community; It was an evening to celebrate Nova Scotian culture, including the huge talent we have in this city in terms of musical and artistic talent. It was also an opportunity to show off the incredible talent coming from the African-Nova Scotian community. It was a night to remember for sure as we grooved with soulful Joyce Saunders, jumped and danced with Sudanese-Nova Scotian band, Kojo. Mas Cencerro and the dancers from Jabulani wow'd everyone with their incredible moves and hip shaking rhythms. Afro-Musica, well what can you say, they had us up and dancing with their first beat!

Something happened that night that I was not expecting. As some of you know 2009 has been personally a very difficult year for me and one that forced me to use every last bit of strength I had just to survive. Drum, Dance, Celebrate! was an event to celebrate Thembalethu and all of the people who had helped me to help them. For me though the night took a very different turn and I found myself surrounded by hundreds of incredible people who came out to support me as well. A year ago I lost everything, but as I walked around that night and talked to almost everyone there I realized, I have gained a huge community, a new life and the happiness that my heart knew was just around the corner.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support me and the community of Thembalethu. In total we raised just over $4000 CAD which works out to more than 27,000 South African Rand, 8 years salary for the people who are lucky enough to find work.

May you all be blessed.

Catherine

Archs, wires and Televisions

2009-08-25T04:00:00.000+02:00

Gcinsizwe is a very responsible, hard working and kind person. He does all he can to find work so that his family can scrape by just above the level of starvation. So when he asked me to help him buy a television I was baffled by the request. Here is a man who looks after his entire extended family in terms of work, food and money, yet as dedicated as he is to his family's well being they were still going days on end eating only water and when flour was available, bread. In my mind I questioned his request, how could an intelligent man such as him waste valuable money on something so stupid as a television? Now let me tell you, the television he wanted was something that you and I would find in the dump, it was decades old and it only worked after the family gathered around it's fragile exterior carefully playing with wires and jumping when sparks flew. He found this television and a third hand store, something we do not really have here in Canada. Basically, when every last bit of usefulness has been drained from the object it is taken to the third hand store and some poor soul buys it for a few dollars in hopes that by miracle it will work again.

So there they stood, hungry, exhausted, and gathered around this television trying to make it work while at the same time trying to avoid being electrocuted. Now let me paint a picture, we are not talking about electricians here, not even people who grew up watching their parents carefully dissect electrical appliances, no, they are the first people in their families to have power, and the power is only on a few days a week or even a month, if they can afford it. When I was there one day I walked into the room where Gcinsizwe's mother sleeps to find a group of men huddled around a radio that looked to be at least 40 years old. They found it in a dump and were trying their best to revive the retired radio so that they may listen to the news and perhaps some music. I realized very quickly that they had no idea what they were doing, first of all they were digging the inside while the darn thing was plugged in! When I saw an arch of electricity I jumped in to help, really, I just didn't want to have to take someone to the hospital to have their heart restarted! Even the power is crude, we are not talking about the work done by Nova Scotia Power, no, it was installed by someone who grew up in the bush, has never seen electricity before and had carefully roped together a few wires from one house to the next, most of it dangled precariously from roof "beams" which were in fact pieces of wood that you and I would throw in the dump.

So back to the issue of the television! I asked Gcinsizwe one day, careful not to offend him with my clearly uneducated question, how is it possible that you are starving yet you are so excited to buy a television rather than food I asked. The answer hit me like a brick wall in the face and I felt embarrassed to have asked. I grew up in a middle class Canadian family where I have never once gone a day without food.....

Gcinsizwe said to me "Catherine, I live in a place where hunger is as common as the sun rising into the sky, it is my reality, but to have a television will give my family an opportunity where for at least a few minutes we can forget the sadness around us, the pains in our stomachs and the throbbing in our heads, and for just a few moments we will feel freedom from this place where survival does not always seem possible."

It was then that I gave him $10 to go buy a television so that on those very few days a month when they have power, at least those days they can experience freedom.

The Globe and Mail said it beautifully.....

2009-08-25T03:54:00.001+02:00

You may recall my post about District 9, a new Blockbuster movie which uses a Black African township as it's background. Today in the Globe and Mail was a very articulate story written about the lives of the people who are living in Soweto, the community in which the movie was filmed. Take a moment to read this article, this is the reason why I was moved to create The Themba Development Project, this is what I am fighting to change.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/south-africas-district-mine/article1261781/

2009-08-10T04:29:00.000+02:00

Have you all seen this? The trailer for a new huge movie called District 9. Part of the movie description is "An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions". This movie was filmed in South Africa and these "slum-like" conditions are in fact Xhosa townships. My question, why does the world think that it is ok for people, right now, right this minute, to be living this way?

Is anyone actually thinking about this? I am very upset that the western world turns a blind eye to the chronic poverty that people are forced to live in. If we are to be realistic we could in fact say that "We humans are forcing our fellow brothers and sisters to live in Slum like conditions". How do you feel about this, the movie, the whole thing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSgLOvH_MMk

An ending to make you dance

2009-08-10T03:57:00.000+02:00

Quay Quay (proper spelling unknown sorry) is a hard working 37 year old man with a wife, two small children and a baby. He was employed in the building industry in the near by city of George in South Africa. Quay Quay lives in zone 4 of Thembalethu and is one of the families that we help to support. Quay Quay makes less than $2 per day for all of his hard work and due to high unemployment rates has many mouths to feed including extended family.

On Friday August 7th this hard working man demanded that he be allowed to take a toilet break, he was tired of having to work for 9 hours a day without food or bathroom breaks. He was fired on the spot because he asked to be treated like a human being.

When I first heard his story my heart broke and I feared the worst for his family until I heard the last part of the story. See Quay Quay's family is one of the families that The Themba Development Project supports and as a result they have been receiving regular shipments of vegetable, bean and fruit seeds. This family would have been in a situation where they would have gone hungry for days on end if not weeks. There is a miracle at the end of this story because this family now has a full garden of vegetables, beans, and fruit to eat in addition to the monthly food supplies that we send.

This story really hit me like a brick wall, it made me realize what a gigantic difference that you and I have made in this community. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered their time, made financial donations, hugged me when I was feeling overwhelmed and supported me even when my ideas have seemed a little crazy. Look what we have done together, it is amazing.

You never really know what to expect when you phone!!

2009-07-25T03:41:00.000+02:00

I called today to get an update on the community and ended up calling during the post Ukwalusa ceremony which means that a boy has completed his initiation into manhood and all of the men in Gcinsizwe's area are now having a two day celebration to welcome this "new man" into the coveted Xhosa community of men (as opposed to boys). The entire two days are spent singing/chanting and dancing, this takes place 24 hours a day which is remarkable, I am not sure how they find the energy! The boy who was just initiated spent 3 months in the bush (the forest) and is 20 years old. About 200 men were celebrating his return back to the community. Gcinsizwe was selected to lead the group in the singing of traditional Xhosa tribal songs. As I spoke to him I could hear the raspiness setting into to his vocal chords after hours and hours of singing. He was so happy, this is a time of great joy for the community. The Ukwalusa ceremony is a very important ritual that takes place in the Xhosa kingdom, I actually wrote a paper on it not too long ago. Below you will learn more about this really interesting and awe inspiring right of passage.

The Ukwalusa: Male initiation into manhood
There is one custom that is the most important event in a man’s life. It is known as the Ukwalusa. Between the ages of 18-25, boys are initiated into adult life by means of circumcision, cultural exchange and isolation. Before Ukwalusa, the male is not eligible to participate as
leaders in community events. They are not able to be married, have a family, or inherit property from their fathers. When boys feel that they are ready, they will inform their elders, who then make a recommendation based on the maturity and readiness of the boy.

The Ukwalusa ceremony is held in very high regard, young boys will often ask to become a man before they have the mental capacity to endure the initiation and take on the responsibilities expected by the community. The beginning of the three-month initiation begins with the male having his head shaved by another man in the community; he is then given a necklace made of the hair from a cow’s tail, and a blanket for him to wear until the end of his isolation. The surgeon arrives at dawn to begin preparations for the day’s events. The surgeon is known as Incibi and is a culturally educated surgeon. Often times the surgeons have no formal education as a doctor. The Incibi makes his incision with a sharpened blade and one swift motion and when the circumcision is complete he yells, “You are a man”. These few moments after circumcision are the most important moments of a man’s life. Respect in the tribe is determined by the initiate’s ability to withstand the pain. The expectation is that a real man will keep a relaxed face and will not cry out or admit pain.

The group generally consists of 3-10 initiates, depending on the quantity of eligible boys. When all initiates have been circumcised, their bodies are then smeared with white clay from head to toe and their bodies wrapped in the blanket given to them during the head shaving. The initiates are then appointed a guide, who is a male member of the community who has completed this initiation. The guide is responsible for handing down cultural knowledge to the initiate, explaining the required duties and expectations he will now have placed on him, and is also there to ensure the general well being of the initiate.

The first seven days after circumcision are the most difficult and dangerous. After circumcision the initiate is marched to his new home, a grass hut built for this ceremony which is located in total isolation. For the next seven days he is forbidden to drink water as this will jeopardize the healing process and cause significant pain to his wound. The initiate is given a strict diet of dry maize, slightly boiled and eaten hard. During these first seven days the initiate stays in his hut, careful not to move and risk pain. Although this is a widely spread custom it does not come without risk, as there have been 300 infection related deaths since 1994

After three months in isolation, the initiates are now free to join the community however first they must leave behind their boyhood past. Everything associated with their past must now be destroyed, the hut is burned, their bodies washed clean of the white mud and their blanket discarded. At no point during the walk away from the burning hut may they look back as this is a sign of bad luck. These boys have now become men in the eyes of the community; they are now eligible for marriage, to have families and to be leaders in their communities.

I learned something new yesterday

2009-07-25T03:26:00.000+02:00

It is really amazing to me how I keep learning new things about this community that I find shocking. I was on the phone with Gcinsizwe two days ago, he sounded very depressed and it was the first time I had heard this kind of sadness in his voice. Normally he is very upbeat and positive, even when you and I would be crying. He has the ability to keep his chin up in the most desperate of situations. But still, on this day, he sounded defeated.

For you and I the issue of electricity is simple, we work for a few hours to earn the $50 that we need to pay for a month's worth of power, easy peasy right?? On days where there is a power failure we head to our local diner to have lunch. Well today I learned that most people in this community have to work an entire day just to pay for 4 days of power......

Now I want to put this into perspective for you, we work a few hours so that for one month we can run two televisions, a computer, lights, heat, the stove, microwave, a stereo, a toaster and on and on.....in this community they work for one day just so that for four days they can turn on a two burner hotplate. Seems crazy doesn't it. They hardly use any power and it lasts 4 days. This goes to show how little money they are paid, and how little money they have. Most people in this community are earning less than $2 per day, for many it is less than a dollar a day.

Gcinsizwe had the sound of sadness in his voice because he had no money for power this week and last, his hours have been cut back and he is only working for one day a week. Without power his mother must cook over an open flame which consists of a campfire made outdoors. It has been raining non stop there which means that they cannot build a fire. As a result this family (and many others) have been surviving on water for the last three days.

Again, I really have to thank all of my supporters, because of your donations we have been able to send things like peanut butter, oranges etc, items which can be eaten without cooking. I try to balance healthy foods which can be cooked with healthy foods which can be eaten as is. Thank you to everyone though, I may be the one who is leading navigating the ship, but you are the wind in my sails.

Protests break out in South Africa

2009-07-23T03:41:00.000+02:00

Courtesy of BBC News July 22 2009

Violence in South Africa's townships has spread as residents protest about what they say is a lack of basic services, such as water and housing.

Police have fired rubber bullets at demonstrators in Johannesburg, the Western Cape and the north-eastern region of Mpumalanga.

In Mpumalanga, there were reports of foreign-owned businesses being looted as foreigners sought police protection.

More than 100 people have been arrested during the past week.

The rising tensions in the townships have revived memories of xenophobic attacks on foreigners last year in which more than 60 people died.

The latest protests over service delivery come less than 100 days after Jacob Zuma took office as president, following a resounding election victory for the governing African National Congress (ANC).

They are a reminder of the impatience felt in the most deprived areas of the country, says BBC world affairs correspondent Peter Biles.

On Tuesday, police cars were stoned in Thokoza near Johannesburg during a demonstration about living conditions that turned violent.

Nearby township Diepsloot saw cars and houses being burnt last week in protest at plans to tear down makeshift shacks to make way for a sewage pipe.

Poverty pledge

President Jacob Zuma promised to improve service delivery when he came to power in May, and said fighting poverty was his priority, highlighting the huge economic and social challenges facing South Africa.

However, South Africa announced in June that it was facing its worst recession in 17 years.

Fifteen years after the ANC won its first election, more than one million South Africans still live in shacks, many without access to electricity or running water.

The gap between rich and poor is also wider than it was 15 years ago, our correspondent says.

The slow provision of replacement housing has long been controversial - nearly three million have been built, but the allocation has been prone to nepotism and corruption.

In addition, the global economic climate has banished any hope of South Africa maintaining record levels of economic growth, and reducing unemployment.

In the midst of this latest unrest, Mr Zuma is embarking upon a tour of the country to thank voters for returning the ANC to power in the elections last April.

Our correspondent says he will now be under even greater pressure to explain how the ANC is going to meet its plethora of election promises.

2009-07-23T03:38:00.000+02:00

It is raining today, everyone remains inside trying to keep warm as best they can. It is a cold day today and to get wet means certain that they will also get sick so they stay indoors and huddle near the fire. Mama has built a good fire today and it is creating a lot of heat. Gcinsizwe, Stumo, Sizwe and Mama sit together, Mama is cooking maize while Stumo tries in vain to patch his shoe. Two weeks ago my package arrived in the post and Sizwe is yet again perched in front of the map looking at all of the countries. Gcinsizwe shows him Nova Scotia where I live, and Sudan and Congo where my friends are from. Each area has had a star placed on it so that they can find the places with ease. Sizwe asks his father in the Xhosa language, “Daddy where does Catherine live” and Gcinsizwe points to the other side of the map, very far away from South Africa.

2009-07-23T03:37:00.002+02:00

Sizwe is a beautiful little boy who this year turns 6 years old. For his birthday I sent him stickers in the shape of the Canadian Flag, enough to share with his friends. I also sent glow in the dark stickers to stick on the walls of the shack he shares with his father Gcinsizwe. Sizwe switches between calling me Catherine and mama, a name I have grown fond of. His mother left the family when he was very young and since that time he has not had many women in his life to provide guidance. His grandmother, Mama, Gcinsizwe’s mother, treats Sizwe as if he were her on baby. She plays with him and teaches him about life and the lessons it has to share with them. Still though, in the Xhosa world Mama is getting old, she is in her late 50’s and after a long life of struggle her body is not as strong as it once was. Mama and Sizwe speak only Xhosa and a tiny bit of Afrikaans. We giggle a lot when we speak on the phone, Gcinsizwe translates as best as he can but when Mama and I get on the phone we spend far too much time giggling and laughing to get any sort of translation in! I find the Xhosa language fascinating, as she does English.

2009-07-23T03:34:00.001+02:00

Mama and I have yet another “conversation” on the phone today. I say it this way because we don’t really say many things that the other person can understand but we sure do spend a lot of time laughing and giggling. She says something to me and then roars laughing, finding it so funny to hear me respond in this funny language called English. I try to imagine what English sounds like to Mama, an ever changing language filled with slang and exceptions. We must sound very harsh to her with our rough sounding RRRR’s and Tha’s found in so many of our words. Xhosa is a beautiful language indeed, with the sensual rolling R’s, the strange sound that reminds me of a rounded-cat hiss and of course the famous clicking sounds of which there are three distinct sounds. I have made attempts to learn Xhosa from books and cd’s but I cannot seem to grasp the ability to make a click sound while in middle of a word let alone a sentence. From time to time Gcinsizwe will take a pause from speaking with me to speak with a person asking him a question, I could sit and listen to him speak for hours, if only it didn’t cost me so much in long distance charges. While I listen to him speak Xhosa I take a moment to ponder how it is that such a beautiful group of people with a rich and interesting culture, incredible and complex language and so much kindness could have been persecuted so harshly during the Apartheid era.

Siabulayla and Anna have a baby

2009-07-23T03:31:00.002+02:00

Siabulayla and his wife Anna had a baby today, May 29 2009. This is their first child and they welcomed a beautiful and healthy little boy into the world. They have given their first born the name Siabonga which in Xhosa means “Many Thanks”. When I first met Siabulayla over a year ago he introduced himself to me as Kevin. This is very common with Xhosa men as they are forced to change their names so that they have an easier time finding work. We call these their “struggle names” as it is an indication that Apartheid is long from over. Gcinsizwe was known as Eric for the longest time, until I begin to realize that this was not in fact what his Xhosa people called him. Both Gcinsizwe and Siabonga have adopted “white” names which their bosses have given them, refusing to call them by their real names. To this day when I meet Xhosa people via telephone they introduce themselves as Michael, John, Peter at which point I remind them that I am a part of their community and that it is ok for them to introduce themselves using their birth name, in fact, I prefer it.

2009-07-23T03:15:00.001+02:00

Today I am on my way to Fredericton to visit my dear friend Lisa. I am traveling by train to Moncton and as I sit here enjoying the comfort and luxury of the train I decide it is time to call Thembalethu to see how my friends are doing. Gcinsizwe hands the phone to Siabonga who wanted to thank me for sending diapers for his baby boy. I hear a sadness deep in Siabonga’s voice, I ask him how he is and he says, fine fine in which I say “Siabonga, I can hear sadness in your voice, what is going on in your world today?”. Siabonga, the sole bread winner in his extended family and new father of a baby boy has just lost his job. His company has closed due to the recession and laid off all of their employees. In Canada we are very much effected by the recession, people are losing their jobs at an alarming pace, we apply for employment insurance and hope to find something else soon. We are very fortunate in this country, we have food banks and other social services to help us when we hit rock bottom. It is hard for us to imagine the desperation that comes from losing a job in other countries. For Siabonga and his large extended family they now face an impossible battle due to the massive unemployment in this area. Finding a job is nearly impossible, he now joins tens of thousands of other men with equal skills who are also looking for work. When I met Siabonga and his wife Anna they were only eating proper food every third day or so. This meal would consist of maize, beans and if they were having a good month perhaps a few flecks of meat about the size of scattered dimes. Today they have no income, and no food. I ask him what he will do, he has his two parents, wife, baby and two sisters to feed, his response “Only God knows our destiny, I pray to him that I find work and soon”. I ask, How will you feed your family? Where will you find food? Siabonga pauses for a long while then says in a defeated voice, Catherine, I just don’t know.

Siabonga is one of the families who receives food from The Themba Development Project’s food delivery program. On July 7th his family received food rations to last them for one month. His story reflects most people living in Thembalethu. Due to YOUR donations Siabonga’s family has a changed destiny, once living in a world without hope, his future now includes food and the knowledge that people in Canada care about the future of his family.

Leesay

2009-07-23T03:15:00.000+02:00

Ha ha, Leesay, I love this little boy, I try to have a phone conversation today and all I can hear is Leesay screaming and laughing in the background. Leesay is 7 years old this year, I met him a year ago and when I first saw him I felt worried. He was a very tiny boy for his age, somewhat quiet, his belly was very puffy and his teeth were rotting. How could this be? I asked Gcinsizwe why Leesay appeared this way and he said that Leesay’s family has struggled for many years, they have very little food. Leesay has been my inspiration ever since, when I feel lazy or am having a difficult day I pick up his picture and smile at his tiny little face. He gives me the motivation to move forward. Leesay is like many other little boys here in Canada, his favourite activity is playing “leg horsey” and piggy back. Ha ha, oh the sore muscles I would get from bobbing this little boy around on my leg. I would get so tired but he would look up at me with his big eyes and urge me to keep going. Children make me laugh, they have so much energy, how they tire us out ha ha. I could hardly walk a foot without him pulling at my shirt to indicate that he wanted a piggy back. You would swear that he was riding a real horsey, he would laugh and laugh and laugh while I spun him around on my back. Sometimes I would spin so much that I feared I would fall over in dizziness! His little laugh was worth it, I could listen to him laugh for hours. Leesay is not the same little boy I knew last year, for almost a year now he has been receiving food from The Themba Development Project Food Delivery program. Today his puffy belly has been replaced with bounds of energy and laughter. No longer needing to worry about his hungry belly, he now runs around the community laughing with the other boys, his mind filed with nothing but little boy thoughts of playing in the mud and helping his father do big boy jobs around the house and garden.