Processing

Back in North America.

Now that I am back in the familiar confines of North America. I am finding myself disillusioned, a little confused, and widely disoriented on what my response "should be" to my two week experience in South Africa. Through a little jet lag in there  and you have a recipe for fatigue mixed with potential confusion. Processing digesting and thinking are my new dearest companions.

A camera is a wonderful communication tool. But if you are unwilling " to see " what you are seeing what is the point! I am responsible for what I see and thus must apply the necessary changes to my own life before I can be an effective communicator of my experiences.

For two weeks,  I know that I unintentionally hid behind my camera and somewhat used it as a crutch. I don't think this was "wrong" on my part. But, by doing so I was protecting my heart and emotions from  scaring, hardship, turmoil, and certain change. That are now begging and plaguing me for attention. ( I feel a concussion coming on, no one warned me about this)  

I have slowly and safely been taking down my walls. The eight foot walls of concrete ,razor wire, and electric fence that met us when entered Johannesburg resemble the ones I didn't even realize I had erected myself. Tearing down this " protection " has been harder than I imagined. 

I am now asking myself the question. Do I really want to change? Do I really want to implement the change to my own life by the very things I saw?  Do I even have the ability to make this change happen?

I have been protected from the pain and suffering of this  World by  Materialism, Excessiveness, and Greed. Can I get past this? Do I have the stamina to do so? 

Here comes that common, oft unwelcome relative of change; Tension. Embracing this friend and foe will be difficult at best but imperative if I am to survive this test of character.

Please don't get me wrong as I share this. I welcomed this into life and thus must reap the consequences of such a welcome. Which is this internal turmoil. Deep down I know it is good. So giving it all a big hug, I am.

Where is the HOPE?

Hope?

Yes it does exist.

There is a lady in the community of Kabukwenie named Elizabeth.

Her next door neighbors died and their children were left as orphans. So she helped them. And it has grown. She feeds up to 90 orphaned hungry children 3 times a week. And on one of those days she also washes their clothes.

She has gotten the community involved so she doesn't do all on her own.  We met about 10 other women from her community that are helping her out.

She saw a need in her immediate community and rose to the challenge. She genuinely  loves these kids and it shows. That is hope.

As per usual it is always easier to talk about the negative than the positive. I am still coming to terms and processing all that I saw. 

Money obviously is not the answer.

Drugs (ARV's) are not the answer.

Health care is not the answer.

Food is not the answer.

Cultural understanding is not the answer.

All of these ideas will go a long way in helping the global problem of AIDS and HIV. But will not solve the problem. 

There is an answer to this Global crisis, that I Know. It is a combination of all these and more, plus the biggest factor. 

A loving God.

Care? Who me?

Why should I care? About orphans in Africa? They are a world away!

Funny you should ask!

Let me tell you why.........

1. Because we are all human.

2. Because we are commanded to.

3. Because you have the ability to.

4. Because if we don't the cycle WILL continue. 

5. Because if we don't there will be more Iraq's, Rwanda's, and Cambodia's. (And they will seem a like a walk in the park)

6. Because deep down you do care. 

7. Because you have no excuse. 

8. Because there is no time like the present.

My people if we do not act. If we do not join the tears in heaven. If we do not care, If we do not embrace one of the biggest problems that faces not just Africa but the world. If we do not play a part in this. We, you, I will have missed the boat to change the world.

This is our problem. It is not only theirs. It is a North American, African, European, Asian, Australian ,South American, WORLD problem. And if you do play a part you are not taking responsibility and therefore you are missing out.

What can I do? 

Lots. If you are stuck, e-mail me and I will point you in a direction that may help. And you may not even need to move to Africa. The question is not IF I will play a part but HOW!!!!

Orphans

A young man or woman has contracted HIV and AIDS through one of many different reasons. And maybe they don't even know or want to know. ( there is a stigma that is attached to AIDS, they will often be tossed out of families and communities because of the infection)  They get married. And pass the virus on to their partner and then to their children. 

The virus will turn to full blown AIDS and if there is not access to ARV's  (anti retorial viral) they will die. Leaving the kids with either no parents, one parent, older sibling (as young as 10) , with a grandparent, or a neighbor. A pretty dismal situation.

What does an orphan do? Your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully they have someone to turn to. They have no ability to get food because they have no money.  Many are malnourished and are not developing properly. If they are able to go school they do but are hungry. ( In one of the communities we visited some kids had to walk an hour or more to get to school on empty stomachs.)

As a result many turn to crime just so they can eat. Many of the older girl orphans will sell themselves so they can eat. And if they don't have HIV and AIDS they will get it and or pass it on and often end up pregnant and the cycle starts all  over again.

If there is not someone who can fix up the place the orphans live. (broken doors, windows, etc..) They will be taken advantage of in many different ways. (One of my biggest fears is that they will end up being stolen and sold into slavery. There are hints of this coming)

I met quite a few orphans but one little girl sticks out more than others. She came up to me and was hanging on me. (Just like my kids do when they need affection) She lost her daddy and mommy was away working. I don't knows for how long or what type of work. She just needed to be held and loved. There was a longing,  a struggle, a pain, in her eyes. She has already been through much more in her short life than I have.

White River, South Africa

White River South Africa

We are in the country.  Rolling hills. Orchards. Dirt roads. Stars. Lizards. Insects. Birds. More my speed

But that doesn't mean HIV and AIDS has escaped this area. The problem is great. A  conservative estimate puts one community, Masoi, with a population of around 250 000, at  50%-75% infection rate.

So most of us know how AIDS and HIV happens here in Africa. But those of you that don't,  let us have a conversation. And the rest of you should brush up.

How did AIDS become such a large problem here in Africa?

1. Prostitution.

2. The raping of virgins to "cure"  AIDS. The age of victims has continually gone down. We were introduced to a 8 month old victim. (Someone infected will go to a local doctor to ask for a cure and they will be told they need to sleep with a virgin for a cure.)

3. Female Circumcision.  Dirty knives etc etc 

4. Tribal rights of passage. (That have turned into forced  orgy type situations.) 11- 15 year old's forced to have sex with each other and tribal leaders.

I am sure there are many more reasons and I am far from an expert on this topic.

All of these things are a basic disregard for life dignity and respect of our humanness. 

It is this lack of respect of life that really got to me. It was hard to encounter and even harder to try to understand it. It doesn't enter my world view. I don't really know  what to do with it. 

More South Africa

More Photos

South Africa

In South Africa there are "Settlements" know before as townships. This is where a vast majority of non-white people live. Our guide for the day, this past Thursday took us to see a pastor friend of his in one of these "Settlements".  This is a Part of Johannesburg and is 12km by 25km square. This whole area is squared off in sections some have water and electricity and some do not. We visited 2 pre-schools one with running water and electricity and one with none. 

These schools are very important because children cannot go further in school if they don't first attend this type of pre-school. The pastor we visited ran one of these in conjunction wit his church. The kids come from the surrounding neighbourhoods. Most from broken families that do not have much.

The homes here are very modest 3 room houses with a covered toilet outside on a small plot of ground, which is usually covered in garden and fruit trees.

The kids were so very beautiful. But you could see in their eyes that they had been through too much already even though they were only under 6 years of age.

I did not have to many words. Just mostly tears. I am wrecked.

Peter

Unfortunately for part II of this i do not have any photos.

But imagine if you will 6000 people in one place form all over. Mostly South African ( white, black, colored, and Indian )( By the way It is not considered inappropriate raciest or derogatory to use these terms here) Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, the Democratic republic of Congo and more including me all meeting in one place. 

What an experience. 

Never in all my life have I been with so many people from so many different counties speaking a myriad of languages. Indescribable. My only way to place it is to say that this is what heaven must be like. I prayed with a young man from the Congo who's native tongue was french and a girl from South Africa speaking Africans and English. We prayed fro the city of Johannesburg and South Africa which is know as one of the most violent nations on earth. I am very glad to have been able to be a part of this. 

Peace and Unity among the very diverse cultures of South Africa is Paramount to its Survival. If this nation can pull it off, which I think it can, any nation will be able to have peace. I have seen it here. And my words are WOW!!!!!!!!

Peter

A little bit of Heaven

South Africa ...... 

Where do I start.......

Let me start with a little piece heaven. On Thursday we were able to "see" Johannesburg. We got an awesome tour from a missionary who has lived here 6 years and knows his around. I will try to explain the day the best I can.

The high light of the day for me was visiting an orphanage. Now it is not a typical one by my estimation. It is in a residential neighbourhood.  Nomonde is the lady who runs it, and she runs it out of her 5 bedroom home.  There are in between 15 - 20 orphans half of which are HIV + The home was very comparable to a typical North American home. (except for the razor wire, gate, bars and eight foot high stone wall with razor wire on top typical for almost all South African homes)

All these children have been abandoned, rescued, and some saved from death. There parents didn't want them because either they had HIV or they couldn't take care of them. One baby was the only survivor of a house fire.

One of the stories of the little girls broke my heart. Ryfile was 8 months old when she can to Nomonde's home. She was brought to the orphanage because she was gang raped. Her mother and her were sleeping on the street when this happened. She is now 1.5 years old but still cannot talk and walk. She has had 2 surgeries and one more to come to fix the problems caused by the rape. ( As some of you may know rumors are being spread around here that if you have AIDS and HIV having sex with a virgin will cure you, sadistic and evil right? ) We were able to hold her and pray for her. I have never in all my life been so tore up by a story like this. 

Meeting a Nomonde, spending time with her, and hearing her story was incredible. She was a nurse at a hospital and would keep seeing these tragic stories. So as soon as she could retire to do something about what she was seeing she did. She spends her retirement on the orphans and what ever funds she can get from the community. At present there is no government funding. Oh I forgot to mention. I think she has adopted some of the children as her own and she her own blood children. All live with her. I was blown away. 

This was/is  a little piece of Heaven. I leave you hopefully disturbed as I am.

Peter

Madrid

Madrid.....

What comes to mind is bull fights, spanish music, and maybe soccer. None of these were on my mind as we spent a 15 hour lay- over there. 

We arrived in the late morning of Aug 6 and we immediately set out to explore some possibilities. The main thing we were met with .... HEAT . I was not expecting that kinda heat. Baking heat. 

But we did see a few  things. The royal palace and lots of winding cobblestone streets. Sleep deprivation set because of the overnight flight from Washington. (They don't configure airline seats for a 6 foot 3 frame like mine. Especially if there someone sitting next to you.) After about 8 hours of walking Madrids streets and sweating buckets we decided to pack it in and go and wait in the airport. All in all a wise decesion. 

Retering through security in Spain is a little intimidating. I set off the alarm and had to go through the check agian. Then they didn't like the fact that I was carrying on my tripod. But through my broken spanish and the securitiy gaurds broken english we came to a agreement that I was a photographer going to AFRICA photographing for a magazine. No harm done. 

So, we had 6 hours to explore the airport. Which is the largest airport I have been to. We also had time to catch up on sleep.

You will be able to see some images from South Africa. So keep checking back.

Peter