Love Life

I have never seen so many diminutive elephants!

  

Our first market experience was a mere hour’s adventure but I managed to deplete my wallet of the Rands I brought with me in 20 minutes.  The goodies are beyond worth it though!  Such gorgeous work for a steal that I nearly feel badly about.

(Nearly.)  

After my money evaporated, we were free to chat about other things.

Papi sends his profits home to his family in the Congo, whom he hasn't seen in 11 years.  

Sisee schooled me on the origins of crafts—the beadwork comes from South Africa; nearly all the stone and wood figures from Zimbabwe; the expensive masks from the Ivory Coast; the sandalwood from Ghana; the ebony from Mauritius. 

Sisee

From the market, we traveled to Orange Farm to spend the day with Love Life, a national youth-driven HIV prevention initiative. 

(NB: The Orange Farm township, originally settled by displaced farmers in 1988, is one of the youngest informal settlements in South Africa.)

Fact: youths connect with each other. 

Clad in purple windbreakers and based in a community center bathed in purple walls, Love Life's young "Ground Breakers"  provide support to teenagers in need, be the topic HIV or "my best friend stole my boyfriend."  The 8 member team provides training to youth volunteers who then permeate local communities, which is helping to create a ripple of HIV prevention through the nation. 

The positive energy of Love Life was infectious.

If anyone can make HIV prevention pop culture, it's these guys!  

The Ground Breakers! Karabo, Tshepo, Mathapelo & co. 

I'm in yellow :)

See you later alligator.
Love from Johannesburg.