Love at first Lioness

I knew Lion King was my favorite movie for a reason!

There they were--two lionesses lazily lounging beneath a tree, post wildebeest breakfast.

One lifted her head to see what all the fuss was all about.  When I peered  at her through Jens’ (my professor) binoculars I saw wide-set, slanted eyes  that conveyed  a cool confidence.  She flicked an indifferent tail and I was plainly mesmerized.  

Dare I say, she was the most regal creature I’ve ever seen!!

Apparently, lion sightings are rare on game drives in Pilanesburg, so I feel quite lucky. 

We spied a rhino and a few hippos in the distance mimicking boulders, were fortunate to encounter two elephants munching by the road, and were graced by quite a few giraffes milling about. Zebras, monkeys, impalas and wildebeest also said hello.

  I’ll let the photos speak for the adventure, but I will say—-

this was the BEST day.  

It was absolutely FREEZING, but no matter; the wind plastered a smile on my face and my heart was a ball of joy bouncing for four ecstatic hours on that rutted dirt road.

Israel, our guide

Then, later that afternoon we met Papa, who eliminated the contest for best animal encounter. 

Papa is the resident male giraffe of Kedar, the much smaller reserve where we stayed. 

with Adriana and Rachel at Kedar

We befriended the local ecologist (Hemel) who took us on a much more intimate game drive where the animals breached our personal bubbles.

  (In a fantastic way). 

Papa, for instance, has rich patches, much darker than the giraffes in Pilanesburg and a wide smile.

Papa

 I know this because we saw Papa in HD. He has a thing for Toyota Landcruisers, and once he located us, he stalked us relentlessly for the next hour.  I can’t begin to illustrate how shocking and comical the circumstance was.  

Every time we stopped to photograph flora, fauna, etc. there was Papa...

creeping up on us from behind with that awkwardly graceful lope that only giraffes have (right-right, left-left; right-right, left-left).

 Once, while petting the local Impala darling, Teaspoon, we saw Papa galloping towards us and had to jump back in the vehicle and peel away.

What a blissfully absurd situation.  And what a jovial giraffe!

Though Papa’s shenanigans would have been enough, the rest of this game drive was magical. 

As the sun set on the park, it set fire with color.  The wind wasn’t biting (as hard!) and the grasses nearly reached my fingertips.  We waited for a happy eternity when a herd of Zebras crossed our path, and saw a surplus of deer-like breeds that an untrained eye can barely differentiate: Impala, Kudo, Nyala, Bushbuck, Springbok...

There were many, many babies.  The animals are all befuddled by the unseasonably warm winter.  

When darkness fell, we said goodnight to a Pygmy Hippo and warmed our chilly cores by a campfire before heading to bed.

Sigh.

These days are those that make you fall in love with Africa.

Love from Cape Town.

A day in the life of TAC

Sabona!

(Zulu for hello.)

A six hour round trip bus ride brought us to Ermello yesterday, one of the bases of Treatment Action Campaign (TAC).  

 (Historical note: In a decade-long delay that devastated South Africa’s national HIV/AIDS response, the Mbeki administration questioned the entire paradigm of AIDS, disputing the link between HIV and AIDS and the effectiveness of Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.  

Citing human rights violations, TAC (a behemoth advocacy organization) successfully wielded the courts to force the government to roll out national ARV treatment in 2002.)

 While South Africa's response is now sound on a policy level,  implementation is anemic and there is a dearth of prevention programs that penetrate local communities.

Enter, TAC.

The streets of an Ermello settlement reflect some of the most disadvantaged conditions in South Africa.  

Dirt paths are lined with homes fashioned of corrugated metal and crumbling brick.  

The dust spares nothing.  

It mutes the colorful walls, settles in the fur of the many animals milling about the lawns, works its way into the corners of your eyes. 

We spent the afternoon with TAC reaching out to residents. 

Although slightly reminiscent of a ghost town (most are up pre-dawn to work at the mines and return after the clinics close, which means free contraceptives escape them) we  spread the word about HIV to those we encountered, distributing condoms, espousing the benefits of circumcision, and urging people to get tested.

Toting contraceptives and information

Sibusiso lead us around the community

  We spoke with one grandmother raising her 3 grandchildren alone. HIV took the lives of both parents, leaving behind AIDS orphans, all too common in South Africa. 

Worse, supported only by subsidies, the grandmother must dedicate all of her resources to the youngest boy.

Just 4, he became HIV positive when his mother breastfed him without seeking Preventive Mother To Child treatment (PMTC) before she passed.

Not all encounters were so heartbreaking. 

One bashful teenage girl took some condoms for her brother; another jovial man took a whole box (200+!) to distribute to his coworkers.  

My giveaways vanished within 10 minutes. 

On the whole, the residents welcomed us and were receptive to TAC’s message, which they broach with such sensitivity and respect.

No doubt, this town witnesses great tragedy.

  But I also saw gratitude.

 And happiness. 

And hope.  

It was a joy and a unique honor to have my feet on the ground with this world-renowned organization full of such passion and dedication. 

With Sizwe and Tandi

Clearly much work is to be done, but South Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, has turned around the nation’s response into something about which it can be proud.

I asked Sizwe, TAC’s lead representative,

 “Will Zuma be reelected in 2014?”

“Of COURSE!”

TAC adores the President.

They anticipate that 5 more years of his leadership will transform excellent policies to concrete action.

Optimism from the national policy’s most caustic critic and the response effort’s most ardent advocate is a good sign—there is great promise on South Africa’s HIV/AIDS front.

 

Our last nippy night in Joburg was warmed by good food, good company, and good iPhone music. 

Every morning we’ve been stealthily pocketing croissants from our decadent breakfast spread to consume for lunch, and, on this evening, dinner.  Because, after all, we are on a budget. :)

Yabonga (Thank you), Johannesburg, for such a thought-provoking stay.

We left for Rustenburg this afternoon and will arise bright and early for Safari in Pilanesberg National Park.

Salakahe!

(Zulu for goodbye.)

Love from Rustenburg.

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.

Towards Justice

Research begins!

 

In a single back room of a meager house in the Kwa-Thema township, picture-plastered walls illustrate a safe place. I was honored to spend yesterday morning with the Ekurhuleni Pride Organizing Committee(EPOC).  

This small but mighty grassroots organization has waged a personal war on homophobia and corrective rape—a loathsome phenomenon where homosexuals are raped and often murdered to “cure” them of their sexual orientation.

(See EPOC’s May feature in the New Yorker.)  

Although South Africa’s constitution was the first in the world to explicitly forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, the nation continues to brutally illuminate that policy and implementation are two entirely different animals.   

Yet, bit by bit--and fighting every step of the way--this tenacious organization is molding societal norms of hate that perpetuate disempowerment, injustice, and violence into those of acceptance.

Ntsupe Mohapi, Simon, and co!--EPOC's leaders 

Today we visited Khulumani,an organization dedicated to transforming Apartheid victims into victors.

(For terribly simplified context: the nation instituted the Truth and Reconciliation process to unearth the realities of Apartheid crimes though personal testimony of victims and perpetrators. While thousands of victims failed to receive reparations during T&R, the government is eager to close this painful chapter of its past.) 

Two amazing Khulumani survivors stressed the power of speaking out--both for personal healing and lighting a fire under a complacent government. 

What moved me was the penetrating kindness that accompanied such valuable insight.  These women speak with a conviction that leads an audience to believe they have the answers to all of the world's injustices.  

The world may be a better place if it listened. 

 

With Nomarussia Bomase, an Apartheid survivor

On an infinitely lighter note—our traditional South African meal at Gramadoelas  was outstanding! Apparently, the place is famous. To qualify the photo, that’s saffron rice, fish casserole, pumpkin, green beans, corn bread, and bobotie, which wins the prize!  It's minced meat baked with an egg topping. Tonight I also had Oxtail soup for dinner. 

Yum! :)

  

In the coming days, I'm looking forward to meetings with HIV/AIDS organizations that are intimately tied to my research on South Africa's response effort. Thus far, meetings have only briefly touched on the topic, but I'm learning oh so much!

Talk soon!

Love from Johannesburg.

Nice to meet you, South Africa

At last--on South African soil!

We spent the first day settling into our gorgeous guest house aptly called "A Room with a View".  It's whimsical--a palpable page from an Anthropologie catalog, but better! So, naturally, I fell in love with it instantly.

Fueled by a decadent breakfast (not that the plane food wasn't divine) we loaded the bus and toured Soweto (South-West Townships).  

Historical note: This is the site of the 1976 student-led protests against the mandate of Afrikaans instruction that ended in tragic bloodshed.  

Today, despite the wealth of preconceived notions about this proud black community, our guide emphasized that its residents live well enough on a deeply African ethos: sharing. 

Our passage through the 100 square kilometer township included a stop at Nelson Mandela's house, which, coincidentally (or not!) shares the same street as Desmond Tutu's abode.

After befriending some talented kids at the market (beyond impressive back flips that I wasn't quick enough to capture), we navigated the labyrinth of the Apartheid Museum.  Pictures of the museum itself elicited a slap on the wrist, so I took to an adjacent field as the sun began to sink. (That's my professor atop the grasses if you can spot him!) 

We're in Joburg until Friday.  

Two full days of interviews and a traditional South African dinner are on tap.  

My belly is looking forward to it.

Until next time!

Love from Johannesburg.

En route, via Frankfurt

Guten tag!

We (and by "we" I mean my friend, Rachel Molomut, who is participating in the South Africa field intensive with me) landed in Frankfort around 5:30 AM. 

In a stroke of luck, kind-hearted, hitch-hiking Canadians gave us a free ride on the S-Bahn (subway) which we took downtown to explore this fine city for the day. 

We procured a map and plotted our course over croissants. Frankfurt is happily walkable! So we strolled along Frankfurt's tree-lined river and explored the deserted cobblestone streets until commuters began their day and tourists filtered in at a reasonable hour. 

In an unfair, rapid assessment, it seems to me that Frankfurt has two gems: 

1)Its charming square of Romerberg, the city's historic center, is a lovely moment frozen in time. There we climbed the spiral tower of Keiserdom (a cathedral)for panoramic views during which the sun briefly graced us with its presence. It's chilly here!

2)Across the river is Sachsenhausen, a beautiful neighborhood with tiny balconies bursting with greenery. We perused an open-air market (the US simply doesn't have cheese, meat, and bread like Germany!) and nestled into an ancient pub. After bratwurst and apfelwein, for which Frankfurt is, apparently, famous, we were positively spent. 

It's around 2:00pm and we now await our 8:45pm flight. The sun is shining. Perhaps an ice cream cone and a beer to pass the time?

Auf wiedersehen!

Love from Frankfurt.