Later on this year, there will be a worship album that Metro Community Church will be putting together with Zimele Community which include one of the self-help groups from Swayimane, South Africa. 

This is video footage by Moses Lee of the women practicing for the actual recording led by Koo Chung, Pastor of AIM [Arts in Ministry of Metro Community Church] 

Register now

Get your organization involved! Become a Sponsor
Not available to attend? Make a Donation and share the word with friends!

Amazing Christmas ornaments hand-made by the women of South Africa!

Each pack has:
2-Angels
2-Stars
2-Christmas Trees

Every ornament is uniquely made with its own color scheme and design making them great collectors' item for many years to come! All proceeds will go to South Africa continuing to support the Zimele women stand on their own two feet. Please share this with your friends and family!

Find out more about Zimele by emailing: scottkwak@zimelecommunity.org

In one of the training sessions the women were asked to discuss some of the challenges that they faced when working with vulnerable children. The Zimele staff were shocked to hear horrifying stories of the sexual abuse of young children from the women.  A common theme was the rape and sexual abuse of the vulnerable in households with a small shared living space. Most vulnerable families live in small one or two roomed traditional houses where young and old, female and male household members share the space.

An incident of a 3 year-old child being sexually abused by her under-age brother was brought up. The mother to these children sought help from one of the women in the Self-Help programme, who willingly stepped-in. She asked the young boy why he was abusing his sister. He answered that he felt compelled and was haunted by the vivid images that he had witnessed of intimacies between his father and mother when he was young. Apparently this young boy is also addicted to pornographic material, which he mostly gets through the TV. 

After the training the women were tasked to come-up with Cluster project plans. Below are the plans for 2 Clusters, Thembanani and Sizanani:

·      Thembanani already works with OVCs who go to school. It will expand its activities to include life-skills with a focus on sex education, HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). It is also targeting young people over the age of 18 years who attend computer training, a project it is hosting on behalf of all the 8 Swayimane Clusters. Currently, there are 42 young people attending computer training and Thembanani would like to include these young people in its life–skills project. Other than sex education, these young people will be trained in the skills they need to secure livelihoods. A team of young Self-Help Group members in one of Thembanani’s member groups will be leading this project. They have already made contact with a Director of the organization School Leavers Opportunity Training (SLOT), based in Pietermaritzburg, who work to build life-skills in young people. This organization has committed itself to conduct trainings with young people next year, 2012.  This Cluster included the idea of seeking partnerships with psychologist and doctors in addressing children’s issues. It also mentioned including sport, various competitions and meal sharing in its activities.

·      Sizanani. This is a fairly new Cluster but it has resolved to start a life-skills project that will focus on addressing teenage pregnancy. The Cluster has committed itself to start by raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and STIs among the care-givers of children through home visits to the households. These visits will also serve as a formal way of the Cluster introducing its project to the community and seeking care-givers’ permission to work with the children. The Cluster’s strategy is to group children into age bands; one for primary school children and the other for High school learners. It also plans to run some separate training for female and male children in order to give them the freedom and space to address their needs.

In addition to life-skills training, the Cluster plans to address the physical needs of the children depending on their circumstances. This Cluster also included the idea of sport as one of its activities with the children. By the beginning of October Sizanani has conducted home visits in the community to 6 households. The Cluster will meetmid-October to finalize its strategy.

ELIGIBILITY:  The Zimele Bike-a-thon Fundraiser Prize Contest (the "Contest") is open to all legal permanent residents of the United States (the "Eligibility Area") who are eighteen (18) years of age or older. The Contest is void in Puerto Rico, U.S. territories and possessions outside of the U.S., and where otherwise prohibited by federal, state, municipal or local law.  All federal, state, local, and municipal laws and regulations apply. 

HOW TO ENTER:  No purchase necessary.  Contest is open from August 1, 2011 to October 8, 2011 ("Entry Period"). You can only enter this Contest by registering through our Zimele Razoo account: http://www.razoo.com/story/Zimelecommunity. Entries must be made from within the Eligibility Area and must be received by Sponsor within the Entry Period.  Entries that do not comply with these Official Rules in all respects are ineligible and void.  Sponsor at its sole discretion may determine any entry invalid and ineligible for any reason whatsoever. 

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY: You must be the Registered and Authorized Holder of the email Account through which the entry is made. For purposes of this Contest, a "Registered and Authorized Holder of the email account" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an internet service provider, online service provider or other entity (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the secondary level domain name associated with the submitted email address. Entries must be made by an individual from a single computer and may not be made by proxy, or electronic means such as script, bot, macro or any other similar software or program. All entries become the property of Sponsor. By participating, entrants agree to these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements. By entering this Contest, you consent to Sponsor's use of your name and likeness for promotional purposes in connection with the sweepstakes, without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. Neither Sponsor, promotion partners nor their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, advertising
and promotion agencies, or any telephone network or service providers are responsible for incorrect or inaccurate transcription of entry information, or for any human error, technical malfunctions, lost/delayed data transmission, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, line failures of any telephone network, computer equipment, software, inability to access any website or online service, or any other error or malfunction, or late, lost, misdirected, illegible entries. 

PRIZE: One Grand Prize will be awarded.  Grand prize consists of one voucher of choice in the amount determined by Section A. A second prize will also be awarded with a second voucher in the amount determined by Section A.

NOTIFICATION: Potential winner will be notified by email and/or by telephone. Potential winner will be given 10 days from the time the email notification
is sent or telephone call made to respond to claim the prize or an alternate winner may be selected.     

SECTION A:
Grand Prize voucher amount will be equal to one of the following:

Second Prize voucher amount will be equal to one of the following:

GENERAL:  This Contest is subject to all federal, state, and local laws. Void where prohibited. The winners agree that Sponsor, its respective parent companies, affiliates, its advertising agencies and employees thereof shall not be liable for injury, loss or damage of any kind resulting from participating in this Contest or from the acceptance or use of any prize awarded.  Sponsor reserves the right to verify eligibility qualifications of any winner.  The laws of the State of New Jersey govern this Contest.  If, in Sponsor's sole opinion, there is any suspected or actual evidence of electronic or non-electronic
tampering with any portion of this Contest, any violation of these Official Rules, or if technical difficulties compromise the integrity of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right to terminate the Contest and conduct a random drawing to award the prize using all entries received during the Entry Period. Any attempt to damage the content or operation of this Contest is unlawful and subject to legal action by Sponsor and/or its agents. 

WINNERS LIST: For a list of the winners, visit www.zimelecommunity.org

SPONSORS’ ADDRESSES:  Jazz at Lincoln Center, Inc. 33 West 60th Street, New York, NY, 10023-7999.

We want to thank all the people that were able to make it out that night and help us raise over $2000 that will go towards supporting our various community projects in South Africa. 

A special video presentation was made introducing our Zimele Community efforts. Feel free to view the short introduction video here: Zimele Video

Special thanks to Sunye from the Wonder Girls [@WGSun] who took time out of her busy schedule to join us and ARENA Event Space who have generously donated their location and contributing to our cause. We also thank Tony Yang Photography [Tony Yang Zimele Gallery] for taking amazing pictures to cover our event.

Pictures of the event are posted on our Facebook page [Zimele Community]

For more information about Zimele Community, feel free to email Scott Kwak at scottkwak@zimelecommunity.org

Join us for our 3rd annual Bike-a-thon on Saturday October 8th. Every rider helps our Zimele mission with your fundraising and support while enjoying beautiful scenic bike route!

Objective:
Raise awareness and funds to support Zimele Community efforts!

How it Works:
On October 8th, 7:00 AM, participate in the Zimele Bike-a-thon with a goal to raise over $25,000 for Zimele USA. The ride starts and ends at Ross Dock Park [Directions] with scenic routes through Bergen and Rockland Counties. Families and Friends can join at the finish line anytime after 9am. There will be live music and festivities from 11am-2pm for anyone to come join! Lunch will be available for purchase for non Bike-a-thon participants. Look forward to seeing all of you there!

How to sign up:
1) Create your personal fundraising page: Zimele Razoo Fundraising Page
2) Register for Zimele Bike-a-thon event ($50 before 9/24/11, includes custom designed Zimele T-shirt / Lunch): Register Zimele Bike-a-thon
3) Subscribe to the Facebook Event Page for updated ride schedule and event info: Zimele Bike-a-thon Facebook Event
4) Spread the word and start fundraising!

Rentals: 24-hour bike rental available for $35
James Vincent Bicycles in North Bergen - 201-869-1901
(Book a day in advance to secure your bikes.)

FREE bike rentals just by setting up a razoo fundraising page and posting on your Facebook account!

Email Scott for more information at scottkwak@zimelecommunity.org

Our Sponsors:

Bike-a-thon Course Info:

• 17 Mile Ride Course 
  
  

• 30 Mile Ride
  
  

We welcome new bikers, daily riders all the way to serious cyclists. These rides are fully mapped and supported with safety precautions.

Fundraising Details:

Please help us fundraise with the following steps:

1. Set a Goal
We encourage participants to set a high goal of $500 to $1000. We will have prizes for the top fundraisers (Road Bike/Ipad2/Gift Certificates) - Rules and Eligibility

2. Set up an Online Fundraising Account
Make it easy for people to give.  It is very simple to set up a fundraising Account with Zimele Razoo Fundraising Page

3. Make Personal Contact
Make calls, send emails or post on your social media network. Contact as many people as you can and help extend our reach. Everyone is a potential sponsor—ask family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, employers and business associates.

4. Ask People to Sponsor Per Mile or Lap
Bike-A-Thon Pledge Form

* You can add a video to your page to help explain Zimele.
Introduction Video
Self Help Groups Video

We are collecting sponsorships for this Bikathon. Become a sponsor and we will promote your business by adding your logo to our website and on the Zimele T-shirts. Contact Scott at: scottkwak@zimelecommunity.org

The Zimele staff see this as an empowering move. The women can now tell their own story through images. The camera will help the women gather photographs for their reports. Then they will be able to give a visual report on the situation of the children they are working with, and also show their physical and material interventions.

Photos taken by the women on the Project – On their journey to mastering the skill of photography:

Product Examples

The following are a sample of our products produced by members of our crafts artisans programs which are currently for sale in flea markets, hotels, and tourist shops in Durban and Praetoria.

  

Product Quality Control

The intricacies of understanding quality control with Betta Steyn.  It takes a long time for someone to understand what we mean by quality and how to check your item for it, especially when you make for someone you may never see, as your item will go to a shop and you won’t always know or see who buys it.  What sometimes takes longer is for someone to learn how to self “quality control” and be able to assess what they have done – as we are all a bit blind to our faults and rather enjoy someone else taking responsibility for our mistakes.  But, as part of building self development it is very important for each crafter we teach to learn the ability to do their own quality control, so they pick up mistakes as they happen, saving them time and money and the frustration of finishing a product and have someone else reject it.  It takes time to teach but is really worth it and is a valuable life lesson to learn.

Thobani Sithole is in his last year of school doing Grade 12 in Sbongumusa High School in the Valley of Swayimani. He is the eldest of seven siblings who are orphans 3 boys and 4 girls. Thobani see education as the way out of his poverty situation and to bring hope in his family that only depends on the pension pay of his granny. In his childhood he find himself having to take care of his younger siblings and to protect them. He has to accompany his granny who is struggling with alcohol abuse to the pension payout. This means he has to accompany her to the pay point during pension payout to make money is used properly for family food.

Thobani has the opportunity to go to University because of a conpationate donor from
Germany. Thobani is planning to go to the University in 2012 and to pursue a career in
Management Acounting. Mrs MaZuma accompanied him to his Career Counselling Session at the University Of KwaZulu Natal. The career counsellor advice him according to his subject choices and his performance in certain subjects. From this advice the counsellor suggest he study Bachelor Of Art and Major in two subject which compulsory includes amajor of his choice and another major with the name of the degree. The second option is the Bachelor Of Science with two majors as well. And the last option is the Bachelor of Law ( LLB). „“I’m very happy with this session and it help me understand my strengths that will help me follow the right career choice,“said Thobani.

BIKE-A-THON

Date:      Saturday June 26^{th
Time:      8:30 AM Check In
Where: Metro Office Parking Lot
2460 Lemoine Ave Fort Lee, NJ
Route:    24 miles up 9W to Piermont, NY and back (You can turn around at any point)
Rentals: 24-hour bike rental available for $35
James Vincent Bicycles in North Bergen ~ 201-869-1901
Rain date will be Sunday at 2pm}

FUN WALK

Date:      Sunday June 27^{th
Time:      1:30 PM
Where: Winton White Stadium on Durie Ave. in Englewood, NJ
(Across from Grieco Elementary School)}

Riders and walkers will receive a custom designed Zimele t-shirt or hat.  

PLEASE HELP US FUNDRAISE

1. Set a Goal

We encourage participants to set a high goal of $500 to $1000.   Go for it!  You can do it!

2. Set up an Online Fundraising Account

Make it easy for people to give.  It is very simple to set up a fundraising Account with Zimele at razoo.com (see instructions below).

3. Make Personal Contact

Make calls, send letters.  Contact as many people as you can.   People tend to respond to personal contact.

4. Ask People to Sponsor Per Mile or Lap
Bike-A-Thon Pledge Form
Family Fun Walk Pledge Form

Be Creative and Have Fun!

Everyone is a potential sponsor—ask family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, employers and business associates.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL FUNDRAISING PAGE

1.  Go to www.razoo.com/story/Zimele-Usa

2. Select the red “Fundraising” link on the right side.

3. Set up an account and create your own page*

4. Email your page to everyone.

*You can add a video to your page to help explain Zimele.

YouTube: www.youtube.com/v/mILaPPDffVY

If Zimele rushes to fill the need they will be under resourced and unprepared.  Furthermore this will perpetuate the mentality of many of the people that they can just wait for other people to meet there needs.  However, if Zimele works at mentoring women and fostering community, the table is set for them to care for themselves.  In a conversation today with Zimele founder and Director, Rosetta Stander, she predicted it won't be long until there are women in the community who want to start a home care group.  This will mean some more work for Zimele, but because the people in the community will be making the first move, the likelihood of success is far greater.  Their ownership of such a project will insure that Zimele workers will not become burned out with a wave of new time-consuming work.  Instead, people from the village will be the ones to run it.

I love this model!  Westerners so often come into a situation and ask, "how can I fix this?"  This savior-mentality may be quicker, but it can create dependency for the suffering and burn out for the care givers.  Zimele chooses a different route.  One that seeks to develop the people first, then watch and serve as the people themselves seek to better their own community.  It is amazing!

Today was our first full day in country and I am so thankful it was a lazy day that provided us the opportunity to meet Rosetta. First we had breakfast and it was one that my son Matheson would have loved: granola, fresh fruit, and yogurt. The fresh min-pineapples and watermelon were delicious. She took us to a market where we just window shopped. Then, we had a lovely lunch at St. Ives with Rosetta and discussed Zimele and South Africa quite a bit. One of the things that stuck me most about our conversation was when Rosetta said, "time is not money, time is life." What an interesting perspective! Living in the NYC/NJ metro area life revolves around the reverse: time is money. Rosetta then explained how you have to wait for the people in the village come and say they need something, because telling them what they need does not work. Or, if it does you become the person in charge and they will not take the responsibility. Also, she told us the in more eloquent words than I: plans always change and you have to be adaptable. She also mentioned how they are very interested in learning/teaching the people in the village about agriculture and farming... at least some people have expressed interest. I am very happy to learn of this because I think it is essential to any region of the world not only for your own personal sustenance, but also for trade and the beginnings of business. What I am wondering is how can we help? How could my own company help? The rest of the world has so much good knowledge in this area and it needs to be shared with these people and so many others around the world.

The six of us today had an opportunity to sit around and talk around pool take a picturesque walk around Miranda & Max's property. We ended with a scrumptious homemade dinner consisting of beef stew, rolls, beer, wine, water, and plenty of lively conversing. I think we all could sit and listen to Max talk about the history of Africa, in particular South Africa. I am excited for tomorrow as we travel to Swayimane. What does God have in store for us? I am sure we are going to be changed forever. How will we be impacted? Are we going to learn more from the people than they learn from us? I hope so!

Peace from SA,

Matthew

Some shots from our past 24 hour adventure seeing off friends and family, our many plane rides, and the snacks along the way thus far:

More information:

• Award Announcement
• Evangelical Covenant Church News
• Watch the video

 In May 2008, we launched Zimele Zimbabwe to address the worsening economic crisis. Unfortunately the situation has not improved since then with the crisis of hitting the country and its people at every level: political, economic, food, and health.

With an estimated 90% unemployment rate and hyper-inflation of over 200 million percent inflation, people are unable to afford the to pay for the daily necessities. Basic public services are breaking down as most teachers, nurses, garbage collectors and janitors have stopped working because their salaries no longer cover the cost of transport to work.

The food situation has been excerbated by the poor winter harvest leaving an estimated five million people with a reliable source of food. There are widespread reports of people who are eating only every two to three days. And the situation is only expected to get worse. According to Oxfam, by January at least half the population are going to be without enough food to eat.

Like a straw that breaks the camel’s back, health organizations are now concerned about the potential onset of a cholera empidemic. Five separate outbreaks have resulted in thousands of cases of cholera and at least 400 deaths since August. Doctors Without Borders has warned that another 1.4 million people are at risk.

Zimele launched an orphan care program to provide daily meals and education to over 200 primary and secondary school orphans in Kwekwe and Mufakose. For many of these children, it is their only source of food and care. Zimele has also launched self help groups in Kwekwe and Mufakose, who are launching income generating craft products and candle making programs.

As the situation worsens at an alarming rate, Zimele is actively fundraising to expand the reach of our programs.

The women of the Ubumbano savings group started a collective farming venture using land donated by a group member and by pooling their savings to buy seeds, fertilizer, and farming tools. They have already used half of the field to plant and harvest potatoes with plans to use the other half to plant maize.

The group currently has 14 members and has saved R1234 to date. One of the members is 85 years old and she is using the benefits from the group to improve the wellbeing of her extended family of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

One member of the group lent the group use of her field to start a collective economic farming venture. The group used their savings to buy seeds, farming tools, and fertilizer. They have so far used half of the field to plant potatoes which will be ready for harvest in a month's time. They plan to use the other half of the field to plant maize.

This savings group pooled their savings to start a group business. They bought 18 trays of eggs for each of them to sell. They sold the eggs at 2x their costs, which allowed them to repay the group loan and have enough money to buy another 18 trays of eggs debt free!

The fourteen women of the Vukuzenzele self help / savings group pooled their individual savings together to start a group business venture. They collectively borrowed R300 to start an egg selling business. With the initial group savings they purchased 18 trays of eggs and distributed among the women in the group to sell. Which they were able to sell for R600! From the sales, they were able to pay back the R300 loan and still have R300 remaining to invest back into the business. There plan is to buy another 18 trays of eggs, sell the eggs, double their purchase capacity, and go from there.

The recent success of the group is even more encouraging given that when the group first launched, one of the members borrowed from the group and then disappeared with the money. Despite that setback, they resolved to continue with the group but only allow loans to be taken against the group for group ventures instead of allowing individuals to loans from other members of the group. Through Zimele's capacity building workshops the group members were able to regain their trust with each other and get to their current place.

Mthobisi and Nkosingiphil, two young orphan boys and their friend, Nkululeko who lives with his mother joined the iThemba Self-Help-Group in 2007. All three boys are in Secondary School.

With their savings they bought a hair shaving kit and started a haircutting business to earn enough money to put themselves through school. Mthobisi and Nkosingiphile also use the money to buy food for their siblings. The savings and business skills they learned in the Self-Help-Groups taught them how to save and how to start and run their business.

Mthobisi and Nkosingiphile said that it is tough to be a parent while you are still a child yourself. Fortunately, the members in the Self-Help-Groups have filled the role of a caring family and the weekly meetings have become the highlight of the week for the two orphan brothers.

In Zulu, zamakuhle means ‘we are trying to achieve the best’. This name signifies the hope that the savings group brings to the women, since many of the 10 women are grandmothers of orphaned grandchildren due to AIDS. As the members learned financial discipline, they were able to consistently purchase food to feed their grandchildren. As they became better savers, and as their savings grew, they able to use loans to dramatically transform their lives. One woman in the group, took out a loan to buy a brick making machine so she could add a room to her home. She used this room to open up a ‘tuck’ shop or a small grocery store. Prior to this, she ran a ‘spaza’ or a small road side stand and was barely making ends meet. The new addition allowed to her work from home, sell a greater variety of products and provide food and education to her grandchildren. One of the objectives of the savings groups is to develop a spirit of community trust and cooperation. As the women in Zamakuhle group met, they soon recognized a common need for fresh and inexpensive produce. They decided to start a group vegetable garden. Lacking access to a reliable source of water, they not only identified the nearby high school as the ideal location, but approached the school and obtain its permission to use its water for their garden.

it’s hard to believe that a month has passed so quickly.

as with most trips, my initial expectations were far different from what i have come to see, to do and ultimately, to know. there are really no words to describe south africa. it is as beautiful as it is complex. its history is as torn and broken as it is quilted with the most powerful symbols of hope, transformation, and redemption. it is a place that i have come to love, to appreciate and to desire for more.

i thank my mom, dad, brother, the rest of my family, friends and coworkers who have supported me unconditionally throughout this entire month and the days leading up to august 1. i give special thanks to daniel kim and rosetta stander for making this trip happen and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime – i could not have done it without them both and the encouragement they’ve given me.

to audrey, phume, mavis, thule, zama, mildred, pilani, andile, retha, SLOT program coordinators, and the rest of the unsung heroes of the zimele community – you are the heart and soul, and the makers of change. thank you for making me a part of your life. and to the countless women, men and children of swayimane who continue to live their days with a fierce intensity that most of us may never come to know and bear – you have all given me new life and a new set of eyes to what is possible for humanity.

to the brits family and friends. you all have a very special place in my heart and i will never forget the memories that i’ve shared with each and every one of you – miranda, max, stefan, petrus, chris, dave, stuart, bee, ali, murray, nick, ine, paul, wayne, and the best dogs known to man – bobby and tissie. i know now what it means for God to bring people into lives. you have each made a meaningful impact on my life and i am forever grateful. we will be seeing each other more and i am already planning my next visit soon! in the meantime, new york is always ready and waiting for you. finally, i thank God for keeping me safe and for teaching me to let go of myself. i give my life to Him.

i look forward to being home and i can’t wait to see everyone again.

love,

rosetta, miranda and i met up for an early morning cup of coffee at dulce cafe. it was cold and the air was crisp – much like new york fall weather. rosetta and miranda have been good friends for a long time and it is always a delight to see them together. we spent some time briefly surveying the work that has been done this month and shared some of our personal reflections that has stemmed from our own unique experiences. there were many moments we would look at each other and nod our heads in discouragement because south africa has a way of reminding one of its sheer brokenness that seem at times inextricable and immeasurably complex. but as we shared our common doubts, we also reminded ourselves of why we were sitting together in the first place – to affirm that everything we do and are trying to accomplish can and will be met by a drudgingly slow process – and perhaps to many points of futility – but that with God, all things are truly possible and that we must set our eyes upon Him if we are to continue fighting this battle.

after miranda had left for work, rosetta and i spent the remainder of the morning at her place to review the months work and discuss future projects that need development support. at her request and my acceptance, i plan to join the zimele US board to continue efforts in fund raising and capacity building. over more and more cups of tea – we shared many stories of our personal upbringing, our family, our careers and the mix of experiences that brought us both here. we share a common vision and i know that we’ll work together for many years to come.

afterwards, miranda and i drove over to the university of kwazulu-natal at the westville campus near durban, to meet with professor singh and his colleague martin to discuss the wartburg project – which aims to survey areas like swayimane in search for new areas of growth. it was quite an interesting conversation. if there was one thing i learned from it, it’s that the greatest obstacle that stumps most development work in areas like swayimane is land governance, which hampers efforts to improve overall infrastructure and cash flow from local businesses to outside markets. what one may find instead (as i have personally discovered) is that in isolation, subsistence and government handouts reinforces the deadly cycle of poverty that impacts both the family unit and ultimately – the new generations that follow and subsequently suffer from it. how does one break this isolation? we all seem to agree that no external ‘force’ can be responsible for such a change, but that a different kind of change has to occur from the inside out – from the very hearts and inner minds of the people who are entrenched in this sea of poverty. and it is to this point that i believe zimele is doing something right. martin also added a particularly insightful to the point that – contrary to popular belief – the notion of ‘zulu culture’ is very much stigmatized and varied at best (even amongst the zulus themselves) – that issues like the oppression of women are not necessarily a direct result of zulu culture or tradition, but is in fact muddied by the very opposite behavior found throughout zulu history; king shaka had the utmost respect for his own mother and to the women of his time.

in regards to the current progress being made, martin and singh explained that they gave their students carte blanche to carry out their research, and expected little to no contact with them until the very final day of presentation on sept. 18/19. in this vein, they hope to see this level of autonomy yield a broader spectrum of results. i was invited to the forum, but since i will not be around then – we are working together to set up a remote webcast under the condition that I can assemble a few interested students from the NY area business schools to attend as well. this is an exciting opportunity, and i cannot wait to follow its progress!

anyhow, it’s been a long day – but it’s officially a wrap. i’m sad to know that i will be spending my last supper with the brits tonight – especially with stefan, ali, and murray away for the weekend, but nevertheless – i toast to another great evening with my new south african family!

today, i spent more time with mildred visiting the health clinic. what looks like a sparsely maintained operation from the outside is actually buzzing inside with patient queues and packed waiting rooms. there is a fully stocked ARV clinic in the back that administers tests for HIV and TB, as well as various immunizations for flu and other viral diseases. the clinic is mostly run by trained nurses with supplemental weekly visits from a certified doctor.

mildred and i spent most of the day following up on our conversation about exploring new ways to improve the state of home-based care and how the possibility of remote health monitoring systems may have an immediate and significant impact on chronic disease patients who suffer from diabetes, hypertension, and other conditions that swallow up resources at the clinic that could otherwise be better served for more urgent cases. the need to address this problem is clear and every clinician who understood the impact has given me personal requests to quickly bring back more information. there is a lot of work for me to do on this end, and i hope to bring some capacity to this effort. in honesty, i didn’t expect to receive such a high level of interest. but i am quickly realizing that there may be no better time than right now to quickly mobilize the right resources and initiate a plan of action.

the zimele crafts program is a vital part of the organization that employs the women of winterton to produce craftswork such as beaded pens, necklaces, keychains, bags and a variety of decorative items. there is quite a bit of emphasis on expanding this operation to become more fully functional as a commercial enterprise – focusing more on quality control and export – which aims to bring high quality craft products to a marketplace that can reach beyond the local community and potential tourist hubs.

winterton is a beautiful village about 2 hrs from maritzburg and falls right beneath the backdrop of the drakensberg mountains. although the strains of poverty are highly visible and similar to those of swayimane, i can’t help but notice a stark difference in the general cleanliness of the area – less refuse lying around the roads and border lines, as well as better spaced out land property. it is possible that there is a much higher level of government involvement and investment in this area due to its proximity to the berg and the rich farm economy surrounding the townships, but whatever the reason – i can sense that there is a uniquely strong spirit of creativity and an insatiable hunger for a better life.

at noon, audrey and i met up with zama – a young energetic girl who has been training under zimele as a community facilitator and has already played a key role in spreading the creation of new self-help savings groups among the crafts women. although the crafts program at winterton has been running its course through the talents and work-ethic of these women, they have also identified the potential benefits of social accountability and group savings that would reinforce both their businesses and general well-being. i would be remiss, however, if i did not mention betta – the driving force behind the entire crafts program. betta is a remarkable afrikaans women who has lived with the bushmen for 15 yrs, and is now devoting her life and passion for crafts to the women of this wonderful community. she continues to play an enormous role in developing the next phase of crafts and is currently working with both rosetta and stefan to devise a roadmap that will set the stage for higher-quality commercialization and long-term sustainability.

together with audrey and zama, we visited the ‘isibonelo’ group at the crafts center – who were busy sewing bags and christmas angels, and also busy accepting my payments for each . this group of 7 has been able to collectively save R1218 (R220 cash on hand) that has been used to provide for various social needs such as food and school fees, as well as to fund raw materials and livestock for individual businesses that range from chicken farms to clothing re-sale. we were pleased to hear how these women were utilizing the group savings to better their lives socially and actively building assets around their individual businesses on top of their crafts effort. likewise, ‘thuthukani’ – a group of 10 members who specialize in beadwork – have already saved over R1000 since march. they too have managed to utilize loans to stimulate their own small businesses such as selling eggs and sweets, to tobacco products and airtime for mobile accounts.

there is a noticeable difference and shift in the general temperament of these women, compared to what i’ve seen in the women of swayimane – though i cannot put my finger on why. perhaps it’s the unique area and infrastructure, or individual family histories that have fostered a more aggressive goal-oriented mindset. i would be interested to find out more – but as a whole, they seem to share an inherent ability to collaborate with one another, utilize their creative drive to produce real tangible results, and with the recent adoption of self-help groups, promote a positive spirit of accountability and well-being.

my weekend trip to the drakensberg mountains was postponed, so i instead joined the men in town to watch the sharks/griquas currie cup game at the beautiful tourgar estates owned by chris and his wife, who are neighbors to the brits family. it was a gorgeous afternoon with the sun out and not a single cloud in the sky. a few other neighbors showed up as well with their kids and there was plenty of cold beers, snacks and wine to go around. if you think american football can rally up a crowd of men with their budweisers, the afrikaaners and their windhoek will most assuredly humble you – and with a belgian in the house you might as well consider your plans to ‘drink responsibly’ – done with.

after the game, we hung out on the terrace overlooking the entire city of maritzburg. the estate is an impressive and beautiful plot of land – and was bought for only R600000 in 2003 (~$60,000)! there is an expanse of farm land where cattle and wild pigs are raised, and the property is surrounded by the most beautiful reservoirs occupied by swans and geese. extending out towards the back, there is literally an entire kingdom of cottages that chris has been building and maintaining over the past 6-7 years – all of which are inhabited by staff members or other families. you can tell that the entire place has been built with an impeccable eye for quality and is completely sourced by the areas own natural resources. quite amazing.

meanwhile, ali (miranda’s niece), who is in town from the cape, had been busy hosting a bachelorette party for her friend with 28 other girls at the dunaverty – though it was only a matter of time before the men would invade the premises and set the stage for the ‘unofficial’ max and chris show – the real knoxvilles of maritzburg.

after sundown – max, chris, stefan and i settled out into the backyard and fired up the grill to braai us some lamb chops, pork and sausages – filling up our wine glasses in between and chattering away through the night with stories that had us all laughing on our knees. i’ve never been happier to meet such stand-up guys. they are all such brilliant men with the most incredible histories and perspectives i have ever come across and they each share such an immense joy and passion for living. they will remain close brothers the day i leave this country through to the day i come back. i love them all dearly.

the remainder of the night was filled with festivities, new friends, song and dance, amarula and wine, beautiful desserts and cocktails, and an abundance of good conversation that would last throughout until the early hours of the morning … to a final close of the most memorable weekend yet.

this week i was given the opportunity to interact with some of the disadvantaged youth of swayimane. i participated in a new life skills training course for a group of 17 kids, mainly between the ages of 16-25, sponsored by a program called SLOT (School Leavers Opportunity Training) which is funded by the Youth Development Program. andile and retha, who are the 2 life skills course instructors, have also come out of the SLOTs program and are now providing their god-given talents to inspire and engage the minds of these kids. despite the rain storm and unpredictable attendance, phumi and i rolled the bakkie around town and managed to pack a total of 17 girls and boys in the back of the truck to be dropped off at the training center. seeing these kids on the road enduring the cold rain and wind to wait for a life skills seminar was probably the most encouraging thing i’ve seen all week, and perhaps all month.

the course started off with an icebreaker where each person would sing and dance for 30 seconds to the ‘vaselina’ song – the zulu reference to the vaseline product (yes, the ointment!) that somehow inspired andile to make this a symbol for ’shining in the light’ (perhaps because vaseline makes you shine??).

anyways, i was completely terrified – and it all happened so fast that i don’t quite remember how i managed to dance for 30 seconds – but for whatever its worth, i had these kids laughing hard! soon after settling down from all the ruckus, the students were back in their seats and kindly asked to charter their own code of conduct – each student would walk up to the board and write down a rule that they felt embodied good and respectful behavior. the group would then discuss it and agree upon whether or not it should be included in the charter. i felt that this exercise was quite clever since it encouraged everyone to contribute their own sense of respect towards the individual (and themselves) and helped them also to establish a spirit of accountability from the very beginning.

once the code of conduct was finalized, we were each given a sheet of paper that was folded into a booklet and on each successive page were told to:

• draw a picture of ourselves and write the name of our favorite song
• draw a picture of our family members
• write down 5 things about ourselves, where 1 is a lie
• write down our expectations

my conclusion from all of this? everyone loves chris brown and almost everyone lies about being a doctor

during the next hour, they were given a multiple choice exam that tested their basic understanding of current events and issues affecting South Africa such as HIV/AIDS, crime, and money/employment. meanwhile, retha had posted on the board:

“eyes that look are common, but eyes that see are rare” - a quote by j. oswald sanders

it’s the first time i’ve seen this quote, but i really like it. i remember sitting there thinking to myself how important this message really is – about the power of choice/will, and the readiness to embrace vision. for many of these kids, it is a matter of affirming their own self-worth and regaining the confidence they need to excel and reach their personal life goals. andile and retha were absolutely brilliant in taking their time to make sure everyone understood the importance of this vision, and encouraged everyone to voice their own opinions and doubts. all throughout, it was really impressive to see how these kids were responding to each other and slowly molding this concept into their own realities.

the rest of the afternoon was spent on defining different types of goals (short, mid, long, life) and the importance of planning ahead and reacting positively to failures. it was a rigorous 2 hours of discussion, interactive visuals and fun games that really left me with a positive feeling of hope. there is nothing to stop these kids from succeeding and i really do believe that each one of them have the potential to become leaders in their own families and communities.

programs like SLOT life skills really do change lives.

the past few days have been an interesting mix of activity – some more productive than others, but certainly unpredictable as the weather has been here lately. audrey and i spent the majority of this week in swayimane following our daily routine with the few SHGs we’ve decided to focus on – documenting their progress, identifying potential areas of their growth and capacity building, as well as training 2 new community facilitators new to the zimele team. however, a few important meetings that were planned in advance were abruptly canceled on us at the last minute due to fears of thunder and lightning expressed by some of the women who believed they were victims of spiritual curses. i could not help but be very frustrated by this incident, but i am slowly learning to be patient and tolerant of creeds that arise from these traditional belief systems. in this respect, community work can be a real challenge.

earlier this week, i met with mildred who is driving the core of efforts to establish and distribute home-based care for those who are suffering from TB, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. these are people who either cannot afford treatment or whose family has abandoned them in their own rooms to be left to suffer and in many cases, die. i have yet to witness this kind of destruction with my own eyes, but i am constantly surrounded by stories of tragic illnesses and deaths where the very essence of humanity is stripped away up to the very last hours of life. i believe somewhere around 1 in 4 people in swayimane will experience death without care. i’m only beginning to understand the degree of courage and selflessness that one must acquire to put themselves in front for these people – to care for them, to nourish them, and to commune with them so that they too, can know that they are worthy and are men and women of dignity. mildred is one of the rare few who puts herself in these very shoes and understands the real need for compassion to serve those who suffer and have been abandoned from their own habitat.

her role is a vital one, and i hope to see her efforts grow in combating this terrible reality. the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to burn like a raging fire and the consequences are perpetually devastating. more often than not, it feels like a losing battle – but there must be a stronger resolve to build the lives of these people with better education, poverty alleviation, strengthening of family units, reduction (eradication) of gender inequality – and above all, revival of ubuntu that is most needed to bring these life decisions into perspective.

with regards to home-based care, i feel there is a real opportunity here to build a network of community health workers that can promote preventive care, collect public-health related information, encourage treatment and reliably detect those at risk for TB, AIDS, and other debilitating diseases. swayimane has only 1 health clinic, and the efforts that mildred is fighting so hard to sustain can be overly exhausting and limited. mobile technology can and should play a huge role here, and i am working hard to promote ideas of remote health monitoring systems that can lift transport barriers and better track disease symptoms to encourage care-seeking behavior. creating a network of community health workers with the right tools could also act as a stimulus to create new jobs and services that could benefit groups like zimele SHGs by providing additional means for them to obtain new skills and further stimulate the local economy.