Grahamstown and the Forest Visit that almost killed me

Beef jerky

An olive tree in the garden started by a high school teacher.

School Bus

High school students who went with us to the forest

The man who asked explained the importance of the forest in Xosha.

Mrs. Ketchum becoming one with the forest.

What we did:  We traveled to Grahamstown, South Africa to visit Rhodes University where we listened to a lecture about biodiversity from Michelle Cocks.  We visited a local high school and observed as a level 12 class was taught on ecosystems.  I toured the garden that the university and the science teacher have been working together to create.  Finally we hiked straight down the mountain to commune with nature in the forest.  Going down was hard because I thought I might fall, but going up was excruciating because I thought I was going to need to be airlifted up out of there.  Nothing like a hike straight up the side of a mountain to let you know how out of shape you are.

What I know:  The Xosha people believe that they can communicate with their ancestors in the forest.  They also believe in healing properties of the plants from the forest.  They make sedge mats and grass brooms to use in rituals and ceremonies.  They use fungus for cosmetic reasons and to have dreams to communicate with the ancestors.

What I think:  The Xosha people history correlates to the Native America people's history in many ways.  The Xosha people are at risk of destroying their forest by over collecting from the resources there.  Just like America the traditional customs and beliefs  are not being handed down or practiced by the younger generations.

Throughout the Month - Emafini

The principal of Emafini and the UNCW professors

Grade sizes- fourth grade has 40 students per class

Mrs. Ellis

Lunch provided by the country and cooked by student mothers

Ms. Owens

Lunch Menu

Student made poster in the life skills class

Drinking water and cleaning water

My level four learner

My South African twin!

What I did:   I was assigned to the fourth grade reading, life skills, and math class.  I observed, enjoyed the choir performance, asked questions of the teachers, donated supplies, graded papers, helped with reteaching, observed a staff meeting, and taught lessons.
What I learned:  South African learners have good memories and an amazing talent for music and rhythm.  Each student has a classwork notebook that is checked by other people to evaluate the teacher.  These notebooks are extremely important and the students are expected to be responsible with them.
What I think:  Reading the picture story The Name Jar always goes great in my class, but here it was a struggle because of language barriers.  I ended up summarizing the story and showing the pictures. American teachers work too hard.  The South African students were sent home at 1:00 p.m. so that the staff meeting could be held at 1:00 p.m. Teachers have parent teacher conferences during the day either in the classroom or outside the classroom while the students are left unattended. Children everywhere love skittles!

LoveLife Center

Day 4, 5, and 6 -July 19, 20, 21, 2016

 LoveLife


What we did:  During these three days we visited many of the different community services provided for the youth in the area.  The LoveLife organizations provides opportunities for young adults and children between the ages of 10-24.  We participates in a vigil for AIDS victims, visited the rape center, Amadoda Okwenene (Men's counseling center), the resource office for the blind, library and a local high school.
What I know:  In South Africa, young adults are considered to be under their parents guidance until they reach 25 years of age.  South Africa has 17% of all HIV infections and less than one percent of the total world population.  The risk of getting HIV is higher in Africa than in any other place in the world.  One out of every 2 teenagers get HIV in Africa.  Einstein worked at the LoveLife Center and he was a very charismatic character.  Our whole group feel in love with him and would have gladly taken him back to the states with us. Everywhere we went the needs seemed overwhelming and the finances never seemed to be adequate. I felt that because of necessity the people were looking to us for donations to fund their programs.    
What I think:  My son is 23 years of age and I found myself comparing him with Einstein and the other young men that we meet at the LoveLife center. The two are alike in the energy that they exhibit.  I wish I could bottle that ceaseless enthusiasm for life. My son lives in a bedroom that is part of our house and he would never dream of bringing a girl over for the night.  I have never spoken to my son about STDs and maybe I should.

Einstein's home

Einstein

License pla

Radio program at the LoveLife Center

Xhosa Language Lesson

What we did:  

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Day 3 - July 18, 2016 

What I know: Visiting a college campus is very  much the same in South Africa as it is in the United States.  The energy levels are high and the passion for life is contagious. The students at NMMU are more politically active then students back home and will readily participate in protested for causes they believe in.  Most of the people we talked to were amazed at the cost of higher education in the U.S. however even though the tuition is cheaper here there are other struggles such as transportation to and from school because housing is very limited, cost of textbooks, and inability to access technology.

A statue of  the type of shirt Nelson Mandela wore with
the seven values of NMMU printed on the shirt.

Pyramid dedicated to the namesake of P.E.
Elizabeth had never been to P.E. 

What we did:  We toured NMMU and the township of Port Elizabeth (P.E.)

What I think:  A good cross cultural lesson to use in the fourth grade study on North Carolina history would be to compare Fort Fredrick and Fort Macon.  Pictures and wedsite links are included below.

Fort Frederick

 Fort Macon

Staring Danger in the Face

Day Two - July 17, 2016

Addo Elephant Park

We spent the morning at the Addo Elephant Park watching a huge elephant herd moving across the camp.  The experience left me speechless and feeling extremely fortunate.  I was sitting in the back of the safari vehicle.  I could have reached out and touched those majestic elephants.There were other animals such as warthogs, antelopes, ostriches, buffalo,  and many more.  The Savannah is an unique and marvelous place, but the elephants were inspiring because of their size and fortitude.













http://www.kraggakamma.co.za/

     Helen Gross what did you get me into this time?!  We went to the Kragg Kamma wildlife park and the truck broke down while we were in the cheetah enclosure.  Here are some "FUN" facts about cheetahs:

• Cheetahs are carnivores, and feed mostly on smaller antelope like springbok, steenbok, Thomson’s gazelle, and duiker. They usually chase down their prey and then bite its throat, killing it by cutting off its air supply (suffocation).
• There are less than 10,000 cheetahs left in the wild, making the cheetah Africa’s most endangered big cat.
• The cheetah will hunt for sport as will as for food. 

Don't Judge an Opportunity by the Cover

Day one-July 16, 2016

Htlemeza Primary School in Uitenhage

Organization coordinating the volunteers at Htlemeza Primary School 

Tiles put in by some of the CFIE staff

My meal at the Blue Water restaurant and it cost less than $7! 

We painted in the preschool library pictures that had already been drawn on the walls.

What we did:  We were told that the day's plan was to paint a school and I was envisioning rollers, ladders, and masking tape.  I was not looking forward to the activity.  As it turned out it was a load of fun.  Since Nelson Mandela Day would be celebrated on his birthday, Monday, July 18th,  many South Africans participate in the 67  minutes for Mandela.  The premise is to volunteer in the community for 67 minutes on the Saturday before Nelson Mandala  Day.  We painted the preschool library and put up tiles in the newly added bathrooms.  The students had been using outhouses and the ditch before these bathrooms were installed. Other volunteers were planting a garden, painting the outside of the buildings, landscaping and painting pictures in other classrooms.  

We left the school and explored the boardwalk area around our bed and breakfast.  We found the office where you can exchange your American Dollars for South African Rands.  We ate at the Blue Waters restaurant and we walked to the grocery store looking for distilled water and electrical adapters.  FYI the distilled water was at the bed and breakfast for free!

What I think:South Africans have a much greater sense of service to their communities than we do in the United States. I felt good volunteering and helping out in a community that is thousands of miles away from home.  Why do I not find a way to volunteer in my own community?  I give my time freely to my students, but there are definitely more needs in Jacksonville that need to by addressed.  Figuring out how much money I am spending when I spend it is tough with one dollar equaling 14.37 Rands. 

Trippin'

Airport at Port Elizabeth

The plane we took to Johannesburg, Africa

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Artwork drawn by children at the Atlanta Airport

Before the trip began

First plane and Atlanta Airport

Yvonne why are you taking pictures of me?!

At the end of the trip

Out the window over Johannesburg 

We ate at the T.G.I. Friday s

What I did: The trip was so long!  The 15 hour trip between Atlanta, Georgia and Johannesburg, South Africa was tough, but going halfway around the world for education has to say volumes about our dedication to the cause of global integration. My favorite part of the trip was eating the sizzling chicken at T.G.I. Friday's.  My least favorite part of the trip was having the seat belt cutting into my gut throughout the whole flight.  Seems to me like those two things could be related. What do you think?

     The trip started in Wilmington, North Carolina at 1:30 p.m. when we checked our bags and get our boarding passes.  During the 45 minute flight to Atlanta we were served pretzels, peanuts, and a drink.  I sit beside Helen Gross.  We arrived in Atlanta around 4:30 p.m.   We had time on our hands so we ate and exchanged $200 U.S. dollars to 2475 South African Rand.  Then the fun began, we boarded the 15 and half hour trip to Johannesburg, South Africa.  They turn off the lights and you try to sleep.  It is a crazy notion that people can actually sleep on a plane in the economy class.  I have never been on a flight longer than 2 hours.  It was an unique affair.  Finally arriving in Africa we made a slow progression through customs and boarded South African Airways to Port Elizabeth.

    This was by far the most interesting flight I took because I sit between two black South African business men.  We sit in silence until almost the end of the trip when I offered them both a piece of chewing gum and immediately the doors of two way communication were opened.  The questions! Oh my!  The purple print is my response. Who will you vote for?  I am not sure I will vote. Why do people like Donald Trump? Fear makes people do strange things. What are people afraid of? In my opinion the media has caused people to become hyper sensitive to the events that are going around them.  Every news report is trying to evoke some sort of reaction from the people and most of the time that reaction is anger or fear. Who is ahead in the poles? Hillary Clinton is ahead, but Donald Trump is gaining ground. Why is there so much violence? Humans are violent by nature. Cain killed Able and we have been killing each other every since.What is the cause of the violence?  I believe it goes back to the family unit and the lack of respect that children are allowed to have with their parents.  It continues to breed disrespect and hate for each other,  This is truly a shame because we are all human beings trying to make our own way and life is hard enough without hating each other.

What I thought:  I was extremely intimidated by sitting between the two black South African men.  I got anxious and started doing internal groans as soon as I saw my sit.  After the plane ride, I was ashamed of myself because these two men turned out to be friendly and more intelligent then many people that I have sat beside in North Carolina.