Looking from the Inside out!!!!!!

It took me around 12 months to raise enough money to get to South Africa and in that 12 months I adopted a very determined frame of mind. I pushed my self into believing every thing I dreamed SA might be, actually would be, but at the same time I realised that I would have to work very hard in reaching this Vision too. My Vision in coming here to SA was not to travel, see the tourist sights or even settle for a nine to five voluntary job, my Vision was to some how place my self into the working class majority of people and feel how it must be for those who stuggle in this country every day. Don't get me wrong I have travelled and seen a good chunk of SA, it has been great fun seeing some of the famous places and learning the history. The Voluntary work has been a life changing experience and more like 5 to 9 rather than 9 to 5. All this work and travelling seem absolutely relative when I finally got the chance to stay with a family in a rural Town Ship called lower Molweni.





Working for the Hill Aids Centre gets us out into the communities a lot as you will have gathered from my past Blogs. When we set out to visit or collect a patient at their home we usually ask someone who lives close if they can direct us to the correct house. More often than not this would be a member of staff or someone who has left the Respite unit and gone to live back home. Last year a young man called Sponelo (Wise Man) was discharged from the Respite unit having started his ARV's, recovering nicely. Wise man went back home to his rural Township, Lower Molweni. Over the last year, more and more people have fallen sick in Lower Molweni through AIDS and I am sad to say some never go back home. Being surrounded by all this Death is very sad, but when we see a young guy who was at deaths door, now bouncing down the steep track that leads from his house to assist us in finding someone who is sick, so they also have the chance that he once had, the feeling of an unstoppable smile, has us bouncing to meet him half way. I met Wise Man on one of these occasions and realised that his enthusiastic approach to life matched my enthusiastic urge to fulfil my dream, I didn't waste time I just asked him straight out, while giving a firm Zulu hand shake and embracing I asked "Wise Man, you know I Love this place and it would be a dream to come and stay with you?" to my surprise there was no hesitation, Wise Man Asked "When? Next weekend?" I simply answered "Ye ok i will call you in the week."


On Friday 28/6/09 I finished work in Hill Crest and took the 30min journey out to Lower Molweni. I jumped out of the car and my lift disappeared back down the windy road into the valley of 1000 hills. Wise Man was waiting for me as excited as I was, we walked back to his house and dropped my bag off. Wise Man shears his home with his Grandmother Maria, His Uncle and his Brother and Sister. I thought after being introduced to the family in the house that would be that, but within 2mins there was a knock at the door and another young guy walked in, one of Wise Mans friends, I quickly came to realise that Wise Man is house proud and his door is open at all times. We went for a walk after an hour of chatting and all the visitors nearly fainting of shock because of the white guy (me) at Wise Mans house. We walked to Wise Mans Aunts home about 5mins away, we knocked at the door and walked in, We sat down and were made very welcome, again I realised it is not just the Wise Man who is a master at hospitality but it appears the whole Town Ship love having visitors. We had supper and then headed back home. Wise Mans house is a small breeze block and cement structure, the front wall appears to be breaking away from the side walls and the windows are metal frames covered with a curtain. There is a living room, a bedroom and a kitchen area, there is no running water in side and the toilet is a 10meter walk from the front door and just to make every one aware back in the UK, Most toilets in town ships do not flush, you sit and your business falls into a hole in the ground, we call these toilets, a long drop. On the side of Wise Mans house is a two room building where his Gran and sister sleep, this building is made with a wooden frame and mud, it is amazing how much weather these types of buildings withstand. Shortly after we arrived back home we went to bed. Wise Man offered me his bed but I opted for a foam mattress on his floor, We stayed awake talking for hours, I find it amazing how two lives can be so distant but when put together we have all the same values, I made a great friend in Wise Man. On sat morning we washed in the river, because the outside tap was not working, after washing we headed off into the hills for a walk. Lower Molweni is surrounded by cliffs, We walked up on of the large hills which leads to a huge cliff of rock. Once at the top of the hill I was eager to head for the cliff to climb but Wise Man was adamant we must not go near the cliff, I was gutted we could not go, but when he told me of the big cat that lives up there I also decided against the idea. We spent the remainder of the day traveling to see friends on the shuttle taxis, a very dangerous mode of transport but a very fun one at the same time, cheap too. On Sat evening we had a BBQ and allot of Wise Mans friends dropped by, This is when I started to understand the routine the average man has within a town ship. Work Mon to Fri if there is any work and then fri evening to Sunday evening drink beer, in fact on Sunday we went to visit a friend who told us to go and join in with the Zulu ritual which was taking place out side. We went out side and sat with the guys on the grass, after about half an hour of watching these guys drinking beer I realised this was the ritual, to sit in a circle and drink beer until you cant physically put the bottle to your mouth any more, soon after I realised the rules of the ritual we left and went to Church to meet Wise mans Grandma. The drinking is not just a habit for these guys as it might be for the people living with a choice to explore alternatives, the drinking is more like a pass time, something to kill the time before they have to worry about weather the guy with the Bucky truck will arrive on mon morning to allow them another days work. Town Ship life seems to be a struggle, the people living only a few km away have wealth beyond belief, all this money in sight of people living quite simply creates an urge to catch up. This could be another reason for drug and alcohol abuse, a quick and easy escape from a tight struggle or may be I'm wrong and it is just a habit which has been going on for years, in reflection of all this, friendship is also very tight and if you ever want the definition of a Strong community then Lower Molweni is a good place to start.
The most memorable part of the weekend for me was simply spending time with a guy the same age as me with a very similar out look in life. I was in Lower Molweni for 2 days and 2 nights, these days and nights were time I will treasure in my memory throuout my life!