Update

I am referred to as the young one or gameplan. Young one is self explanatory…I’m the youngest. Two sophomores..I am one and about 6 months younger than the other one. Gameplan because I am always saying ok here’s the gameplan or whats the gameplan.

This week we’ve been having lectures on reproductive health, epidemiology, public health policies, health care systems..yup. It’s been interesting. Yesterday, Zandile, our academic director, took Hannah and I to Pietermaritzburg to meet with the NGO that we are going to work with now. Pietermaritzburg is the capital of the KwaZulu-Natal province and is about 40 minutes northwest of Durban. We met with Siyaphila, which is the NGO, and then looked at backpackers to stay with.

Siyaphila basically is a liaison between the hospital and the patients. They provide ART education before the patients receive their ARVs. They provide support groups with those who have HIV and they do door to door visits making sure they are staying with their medicine regimen. They use to have a TB program as well but have little to no funding so that went down the drain. Hannah and I’s role is to revive the TB program. I would say you could google the NGO but you can’t cause they aren’t online..we are gonna fix that too. So basically were gonna make a website for them, get them started with some advertising, learn to write up proposals and teach them and find funders for them. They don’t have internet so hopefully were gonna get them set up with that too. A lot of stuff for only the three weeks we have. Hopefully we can get most of it accomplished. Should have been a business major..blasphemy!

It’s pretty legit cause most of the ISPs are all about observing and some you can help out but this is a complete practicum where we will basically be revamping a part of this NGO. I’m really looking forward to it. We also found a backpackers, Sleepy Hollow, which you can google. We will stay there in a dorm style room. R110 a night with every fifth night free..pretty good deal and also they have activities you can do everyday and they do rafting and stuff like that..pretty sweet!

So that was yesterday. Potential plan for the weekend is as follows:

Friday – farewell dinner with all the mamas and our fams
Saturday – Stadium with Mama
Sunday – Zulu beer making with Julia’s mama and Emma’s bro’s birthday
- I also have the internet stick that day so be on the lookout for me
- Sunday is also human rights day
Monday – Public Holiday – no class = beach

And Mom/Dad..if you were worried that you paid for your daughter to have a 4 month vacay in SA..your wrong..I’m working on my 4th paper..its laborious, filled with analysis and big words..be proud.

Grandma/Grandpa I got your two cards today...thank you!