The calm after the storm, Part 3

Practice 3

Last Thursday (as noted in a previous blog) we were part of the GRS Coaches’ development session. A weekly event that brings together all the coaches in the site, helping them improve their delivery of the all important Skillz curriculum. Grassroot Soccer is commited to excellent delivery of this very important prevention strategy amojng youths in its flagship sites (mainly based in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia). We, the interns were given a fast track look into the sessions (we got to see 7 out of the 9 done in 2 days last week), which helped give us an idea of what the program is about.

N.B. Out of respect of the coaches I have not included their names in any of these posts.

Practice 3 was done by O., it is known as “Find the Ball.” As one of the first Practices, it is important to set the tone for the rest of the curriculum and make sure basic facts about HIV/AIDS are understood by the participants. The objectives of this game include: stressing that you cannot tell by looking at someone that they are HIV-positive; helping participants locate testing services in their community and talking about the benefits and challenges of testing for HIV.

Participants are asked to form 2 teams (possibly more, depending on numbers) with each team’s members standing shoulder to shoulder with their hands behind their back (similar to a wall used to defend free-kicks in football matches) . The teams then face each other and the coach introduces 2 tennis balls, each ball representing a person who is HIV positive. The coach gives each team a ball, and members pass the ball between each other until he yells “STOP.” At this point the other team guesses who has the ball, and should they guess right they get a point. This process goes on back and forth for 15 or so minutes. In the initial round, the kids are simply playing the game, with the tennis balls holding no particular significance. After that initial round, the coach stresses the point that the kids will pretend that the ball actually represents an HIV positive individual.

Results invariably varied, and in our case no one guessed right as several volunteers demonstrated the game to the rest of the coaches at O.’s instruction. The coach then leads a discussion seeking to emphasize the point that anyone can have the HIV virus and physical appearance can never be a way to determine their status.

O. went on to lead a discussion on myths that exists concerning HIV and AIDS. This tests the general knowledge of the audience about the disease and the coach may need to provide guidance by highlighting key myths.

The key message from this discussion on myths would be that individuals can only truly know their status if they get tested. This could be one’s local hospital, clinic and HIV Counseling and Testing centers (HCTs). The coach needs to help the kids understand what testing resources exist in their own communities, and why it is important to get tested. O. made this point by leading the discussion on these very issues.

Every Skillz session involves homework, which is known as a Micro move, for this Practice it is for the kids to visit a local HCT or clinic and bring back an information pamphlet. This keeps kids invested in Skillz in their daily lives outside of the sessions, another good learning tool.

An example of find the Ball (demonstration by none other than Sir Elton John, on his 63rd birthday spent with GRS in March of this year):

Part 1

Part 2

reaching the children en masse!

GRS aims to reach 1 million African youth by the 2014 FIFA World Cup, spreading practical advice on HIV prevention, in areas where the prevalence rate of the disease has had significant negative effects on communities. Reaching the youth is a key strategy in combating the epidemic.

The Calm after the storm Part 2

Practice 8

Last Thursday (as noted in the previous blog) we were part of the GRS Coaches’ development session. A weekly event that brings together all the coaches in the site, helping them improve their delivery of the all important Skillz curriculum. Grassroot Soccer is commited to excellent delivery of this very important prevention strategy amojng youths in its flagship sites (mainly based in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia). We, the interns were given a fast track look into the sessions (we got to see 7 out of the 9 done in 2 days last week), which helped give us an idea of what the program is about.

N.B. Out of respect of the coaches I have not included their names in any of these posts.

This particular practice was led by N., and it is entitled "Red Card." Borrowing the use of the red card in football to expel a player who is sent off the field of play for dangerous play or excessive infringements, this game helps the kids highlight situations that can lead to the contraction of the HIV/AIDS virus. By Practice 8 it is hoped that the kids have added to their knowledge base, and they are aware of the stigmas, risks and negative behaviors associated with HIV and AIDS. N. was very upbeat and she conveyed the message clearly and concisely. The energy of the coaches is truly inspirational and today’s practice was a reflection of that.

This is the second last practice so one hopes the kids are fully aware of the risks associated with the HIV virus, and importantly all the situations that can lead to transmission of the disease. The key in this game is to highlight the risks that can lead to transmission, so no other key messages or Skillz terms are introduced in this particular game.

Coach N. divided the room into 5 groups, each assigned a role play situation that they would act out in front of the whole group. Eah group took the call to make the skits funny and indeed we were treated to some entertaining shorts! The key moments in each skit are when the audience gets to use their red cards to indicate when a risky situation arises. Whether it be the cab drive asking for a young girl’s phone number; peer pressure to have unproted sex; a teacher showing an abnormal interest in a student or a mother encouraging her son/daughter to go out with an older person. Once again, visual learning is utilized. Helping the kids understand fully what a situation that would warrant a “red card” may look like. The coach was quick to emphasize that we will not have red cards in all the situations we face in day yto life, but highlighting the potentially risky situations is extremely important.

The Coach’s guide suggests that it is ok for boys to play girls and vice versa, I found this to be a profound point as it helps both sexes understand different roles that the other genders can play. It is particularly important in highlighting the way women have been traditionally been forced to submit in many cultures, something that young boys may not necessarily be aware of.

After each role N. asked several questions in order to ensure the audience completely understood why red cards were given. She also asked how the situation was related to HIV, an important point as you bring the learning experience full circle. She also asked if the particular situations played out happen in the community. Yes will be the typical answer in the sites that GRS is based, making the red card exercise very relevant.

The lesson gets even more personal as coach asks if anyone can share a story about a time they found themselves in one of those situations. With the trust and experiences shared among participants this can be a crucial teaching moment, that only enhances the lesson. The coach asks the volunteer how they got out of the situation and tells to the group as a whole that these situations can be overcome, with early action. Red card is an important lesson, and the role plays put a real life twist on all the lessons learnt in Skillz. Thank you N. for a great lesson.

The Calm after the storm Part 1.

Post written Monday August 23rd:

Development session review: Practice 1

Please note: Out of respect for the coaches I have left out their names from my descriptions of the development sessions.

Its Monday afternoon, and I've decided to take this time to review what I learnt at Friday and Saturday's development sessions as mentioned in my last post.

As the week begins we're getting ready for the VCT (HIV Volunteer, Counselling and Testing) soccer tournament coming up on September 24th. This will involve contacting the local hospital for nurses, medical supplies, and first aid. We will also be getting entertainment from Coca-cola, among other perks for what will be a soccer tournament involving 15 organizations from Zwide and surrounding townships (who will be responsible for recruiting teams) and providing a referee each. The idea is to encourage team members to get a free HIV test which we will make available, with free counseling also available before and after the test (should they test positive). For every player that takes the test, the particular team they belong to gets points that go to the overall tally. We plan on having other incentives to encourage players to get tested including shirts and overall prizes for the tournament itself (there are of course points for wins and draws). Importantly the VCT will be open to the general public and we will be advertising it to the community through radio, fliers and the participating organizations. The VCT falls on a public holiday, Heritage day, which we hope will bring more participants and members of the community.

We've decided to ask that teams have members who are aged 15 to 17. There will be about 10 boys teams and 5 girls teams (in separate sections). They will also be awarded points for participating in Grassroot Soccer activities that will be led by GRS coaches during the tournament. Although the VCT doesn't have the same amount of time with the kids as the Skillz curriculum, it is an opportunity to educate these young people in a fun and easy way using some of the most interactive games off the Skillz curriculum. The free testing is crucial in itself too.

The current strike in South Africa is impacting our progress negatively at the moment since places like the hospital are functioning at a bare minimum which means our enquiries will be stalled. I hope the situation is resolved soon and amicably considering the importance of better wages for many South Africans who earn a pittance compared to their peers in the West (although South Africa is one of Africa's strongest economies). I guess its also important that the wage increases don't outstrip the inflation rate too much since this may curtail economic growth. Ok, too much econ! I just hope it all gets resolved!

On to the development sessions in detail which happened last week. Like I said earlier, these were great tools for me to learn exactly what GRS is all about and what the kids get on a weekly basis in the Skillz program. We'll start on Thursday:

Proceedings started outside, led by K. (no real names will be used, I haven’t asked the coaches for permission to put their names online), one of the coaches in Zwide, we did Practice 1 which is vital as it introduces skills, and in my opinion sets the tone for the rest of the program. According to the Skillz Guide to Coaches Practice 1 sets out to get kids to see the Skillz sessions as a "safe space" to discuss and learn about life skills, plus HIV and AIDS. Each Practice starts off with an energizer, which gets participants pumped up for upcoming proceedings and games which are very interactive. We sang songs in Xhosa and most of the coaches showed off their dance moves. One word from this initial 2 minutes of Practice 1, joy! What a way to begin. Although I couldn't understand the songs sung in Xhosa, I was just as energized as anyone in the group. Its important to note that the curriculum is usually taught in the native language of the participants. This increases the comfort level for the kids to fully participate.

Each Practice also focuses on one sort of game or activity that involves all the participants. The idea is to get the kids to learn through action and translate these lessons to real life scenarios where HIV/AIDS is involved. In this practice we played a game called Choices, where the coach describes a category, like "Favorite Car" and participants find people with common interests in the group. Once you find your group you cheer for that choice, and draw others sharing your preference. The point of this game is to highlight the different preferences people have, but also to show that sometimes people have preferences that they hold in isolation from a group, which ties into one of the key messages of this practice which was, "You can make choices to avoid getting or spreading HIV and AIDS."

In order to get the investment of participants into the curriculum, participants are asked to sign a Skillz Trial Contract which forms the basic principles to be followed throughout the curriculum. 3 key words are written in big bold letters by the coach on a flip chart. The words are RESPECT (for one's peers and authority); PLAY (indicating that all participants should fully participate while having fun) and COACH (which implores the individual to be a role model to others through healthy choices and behaviors, while sharing their new knowledge within their communities). Should they agree with the contract as explained by the coach, all participants are then asked to sign the contract.

There were plenty of Kilo!s in this practice and more were to follow in the others. Every so often the coach, in this case, K. would introduce a Skillz term. These terms are words to be reinforced throughout the curriculum in order to help participants in their everyday situations whether they involve the HIV virus or not. One of today's words was "Strengths" which is defined as "the things you are good at, the things you like to do and the things you learn quickly." Another term introduced was, "Coach's voice" which is a term referring to "the coach inside your head, or the inner voice that helps you make good decisions." You could refer to this as the conscience.

Another key message that is established in this first practice is the fact that HIV is a big problem in this case, South Africa. Most of the kids will know this, but it is important to highlight this should any doubt exist. Fighting the disease through the youth is going to prove vital in terms of the future direction the disease will take (downhill we hope), and one of the first steps needs to be to make sure they are aware of how much of a problem it is.

Practice 1 ends with an announcement by the coach. She highlights essential sillz to WIN, in life and in all other endeavors: KNOW THE GAME (know your rights and responsibility, know your strengths); BUILD YOUR TEAM (healthy relationships with family, friends and other supporters) and MAKE YOUR MOVE! (Takle challenges, protect yourself and others from HIV and AIDS). Essential tools in the life of a young person in a world wrought with risks that can cost one's life! Practice 1 has a lot to cover in 45 minutes, it is indeed a whirlwind start to the curriculum, but I feel it provides a solid base to the other 9 practices. Each practice is supposed to last about 45 minutes, long enough to cover a good amount of material, while not losing the attention of a group of 12 to 14 year olds.

From observing the coaches throughout the 2 days and interacting with most of them, I can conclude that they are in it for the right reasons and their outgoing and caring attitudes make them excellent stewards for these important life skills lessons. On to Practice 8! (on Thursday we practiced #1, #8 and #3 in that order)

A moment of clarity

I am in a new country experiencing its people, culture, languages, traits, traditions, prejudices, and weather for the course of a year. Although I was born and raised in neighbouring Zimbabwe, I cannot claim to have extensive views and insights on this country besides general viewpoinbts that I have developed through my learning and television.

At times when you read this blog you might mistakenly think that I am foreign to Africa and its unique localities and lets face it oddities at times.  I am an African through and through (born and raised here, for the first 19 years of my short life) and I have seen and experienced the many aspects of life on the continent, but not all.

Driving into the township of Zwide every morning is incredibly humbling, especially for someone who hasn't  experienced township life extensively. And again we're only working in the township, not living and breathing it day and night. As much as there is economic lack in places like this, the undoubted spirit of opportunism and genuine joy in day to day interactions does exist. Without being too romantic about the whole scenario, I must qualify my statements and say that crime and violence are very much present and they are an unfortunate aspect of life in the township, but I believe in the good of the majority of people living here more than the negative element. 

Looking at the townships of Port Elizabeth (especially the ones we work in mainly: Zwide being our base) is especially humbling when I consider how people living in townships back in Zimbabwe, are possibly worse off economically considering our country’s recent struggles. I only hope and pray that the work of the like of GRS can help the people gain access to more opportunities as they seek to pull themselves out of a life of lack. I think the resourcefulness that exists among the people of the township is a lesson in creating something out of perceived lack.

Africa will always amaze and intrigue me. I am always seeking inspiration from its people, whether it be family, friends or people leading special lives. Either way, I’m encouraged and hopefull. 

Viva Africa!

Programs.

I know many people have requested a formal description of my position here in South Africa. Here’s the definition of my job by the book. Its really important to note that GRS is a growing organization (rapidly, I have to say) and our positions are fluid as opposed to fixed, so as a Programs intern I can end up doing Operations, Marketing or Community relations work!

Here it is:
The purpose of the position is to gain on-the-job experience with HIV/AIDS prevention youth volunteer programs and develop community health skills.

Responsibilities:

Depending on the goals, skills and interests of the intern as well as current priorities in the Programs department. These may include:

1. Assist in planning and implementing GRS recruiting/training/education programs.
2. Recruit community based volunteers.
3. Network with community organizations to develop relationships and promote GRS products, programs and services.
4. Plan, coordinate and represent GRS community events as necessary.
5. Help develop the skills and build capacity field staff and local GRS coaches.
6. Assist with collecting and reporting on program monitoring and evaluation data.

Here’s a description I submitted to the GRS site, its basically what I see my job to be so far, from what I’ve learnt and been told:

I am a Programs intern. I will working directly with the Master Coaches, Head Coaches and Skillz in their attempts to recruit youths to the program through the different schools serving the New Brighton, Zwide and Motherwell townships in Port Elizabeth. I will also be assisting coaches acquire all the materials necessary to make sure the curriculum is delivered in the most effective way possible. At weekly development sessions I will help assist coaches improve their curriculum delivery through co-facilitating the sessions, giving them feedback, and taking their own feedback to the Site Co-ordinator and the Master Coaches.

House.

The undisputed soundtrack of the township, House music is a distinct feature of my experience so far in South Africa. For me South African house encompasses the expression, joie de vivre, an exultation of the spirit. Looking at the way it makes the people move, I can't help but smile. I love music, and most people love music. For a few moments people escape problems and complications, entering this joyful world punctuated by a well defined baseline, and seductive lyrics.Sometimes there are no lyrics, sometimes the beat is very simple, but the joy is always there. I'm growing to like house ( I already had 2 songs on my ipod. Below is one of them, we'll see how many more I'll add to my growing library of music!

Joy.

Yesterday we decided to take our lunch break outside as we made our way through another day at Sithembile primary. Things have been slow 'round here with the ongoing strike (No teachers working, no kids running around). As we sat in the sun soaked courtyard adjacent to our office (on a very windy day in the "Windy city!") we were confronted by a group of kids. They stood in the distance at first, unsure what sort of people we were I guess, judging by our squinting eyes in the wind and serious looks they may have been slightly intimidated.

I gestured for them to come over and they took that as their cue to sprint over to us and join us in the courtyard. Communication was immediately a barrier, but they were more than happy to bask in the attention they were receiving! We exchanged names (the kids' ages ranged from 5 to maybe 8)and Stef brought out the soccer ball which made the kids doubly excited. We kiced the ball around and the kids' boundless energy had them driblling all over the school yard, (one kid on the ball, the other 3 in tow) for what seemed like an eternity for me. Soceer quickly turned into basketball and I was involved in a bounce the ball challenge that I had to cut off lest I got fired from my internship! After escorting the kids to the gate, they reluctanlty left as I kicked felt pretty bummed about 2 things: I wish I had a camera (which could have captured the magical momnets we shared, and the fact that I speak no Xhosa. Its weird when everyone assumes you know the language but you actually don't! Especially these kids whose wild curiosity and desire to oush boundaries was quite a sight for me. If only I knew what they were saying.

I can only hope that they have a steady hand guiding them through what can be a perilous life. They did remind me what life is all about though, despite all the clutter. Life is about joy, no matter where you you.

Live with joy

KILO!

(demonstration of a Kilo! at one of the GRS sites)

Today was a special day. Perhaps the biggest moment of clarity in this whole internship experience. Grassroot Soccer is an organization like no other and the culture and tone of the organization is truly inspirational. Today I got to meet most of the GRS coaches based in Port Elizabeth, as they all attended one of their weekly development sessions in the PE Office at Sithembile primary school. These special people deliver crucial messages concerning HIV/AIDS to at risk kids in the community.

I must say I was unsure how this experience would go, considering the fact that I am still finding my feet here. However I could not have felt more welcomed and crucially, energized!

Part of the development sessions are opportunities for 3 coaches to teach one lesson each to the other coaches. This gives them the opportunity to practice and perfect a curriculum that is very specific in its aims at sending the right messages to the kids that receive instruction. The coaches are a happy bunch, whose role in the community is crucial. Their role in the organization is crucial also in itself considering that they directly impact the youths whose lives will hopefully be impacted positively by the work Grassroot Soccer.

I got my first KILO today! This is an expression of praise used with the kids the coaches work. If a person does something commendable the rest of the group gives that person a Kilo! (2 claps and a loud Whoooooooooo). Praise is crucial to GRS's work, considering the work they do and the kids they aim to reach I've grown to understand the importance of positive reinforcement for kids. At the development session there must have been 20 Kilos! which was new to me, but the level of energy was maintained start to finish. I got mine after answering a question correctly.

We have another development session tomorrow, can't wait to see how this one goes. I'd also like to learn all the coach's names. So far I have about 7, we'll have to see how I do.

The Friendly city of PE

Stunning, the view from my window, as the rising sun's rays bounce off the majestic Indian ocean, I realize how this city is growing on me the more I discover, the more people I meet and the more time I spend here. There is an undoubted contrast between the tourist targeted areas and the townships due to the differences in investment and the wealth gap that exists between rich and poor. There are thousands of people in the townships that Grassroot Soccer seeks to reach,most of them being children. The World Cup would have surely provided people something to be cheerful about, but ultimately I'm sure they would really like to see their plight improve collectively. My hope is that it does. It is a hope I hold for the whole continent of Africa as we move forward. The townships of PE are by no means a depressing, sullen sight though. People are up and about, always smiling, and doing what they can to take care of their own and being resourceful. There are many informal market places, cell phones on every ear it seems and kids everywhere! the desire and push for advancement is there, one hopes for the very best for all these people. I can at least say that our organization is looking to play a part in that better future!

Work has started in earnest and yesterday I got to meet more GRS coaches. There are over 30 coaches, working in the townships of Motherwell, New Brighton and Zwide where our office is based. 8 of them were around the office ready to start their skillz curricula with new groups of youths. I will outline the basic 9 lessons of Skillz, soon in order to give you an idea of one of the core programs of the organization.

We found out that on September 24th there will be a VCT soccer tournament hosted by our very office. A VCT is a Voluntary Counseling and Testing event which in our case will use the framework of a soccer tournament to get community members tested for the HIV virus, with free testing should they find that they have tested positive.I am learning more and more about it, and hopefully after reading up on it today I can give more insight. We have a planning meeting later this week and with 5 weeks remaining we will need to be efficient in our planning and implementation of the event, because the goal is to reach out to a large section of the community. September 24th is a public holiday in South Africa, Heritage Day. It is an ideal time to host a tournament such as this and GRS looks to make the most of holidays to assist the community.

Off to another day of work, in the Windy City (heard its also called the friendly city, I'd concur..)!

A home to many

Port Elizabeth is a city of contrasting fortunes like all cities I'd say. To our left is downtown PE, the commercial center of a city which boasts South African headquarters for companies like General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Continental Tyres among others. The North End of the city boasts a major attraction in the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium which played host to some key World Cup games earlier this year including the Dutch victory over Brazil in the quarter finals.

In our apartment in the South End of PE we are very close to the harbor and board walk areas. We get a decent view of the majestic Indian ocean. The road along the shore is lined with cafes that double as restaurants and of course one of PE's main attractions, the Boardwalk and casino entertainment area. This is what I would describe as a touristy area, with a casino, bars, more cafes, amusement park type games for kids, curio stores, a cinema and restaurants. This weekend I got a sampling of this area and I couldn't help but think of the contrast of this area with the sprawling townships that surround the commercial side of the city.

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area is said to have over million people. Many (33%) are employed in manufacturing - which makes sense with the heavy motoring influence on the area. Most of Grassroot Soccer's work is in the townships on the outskirts of the city. Programs are targeted at youths who may be in danger of contracting the HIV virus through a lack of proper information, peer pressure, or many other reasons that do not always reflect on the individuals desire to keep safe and healthy.

The organization was able to draw a lot of attention to many of these problems through an excellent publicity and activity push during the FIFA World Cup. Sending thousands of kids to games and bringing sporting heroes like Pato and Kobe Bryant to the townships endeared GRS to the kids and community. On the other hand putting faces and stories out to the watching global public about the important work being done in HIV/AIDS prevention was also crucial in garnering support from around the world at a time when virtually all eyes were on South Africa was vital in Grassroot Soccer's future sustainability.

I have been inspired by the dedication and passion of the GRS team. By no means have I met everyone, but I can see it in the people I have met, the publications I read, the people I have been in correspondence with and the joy that surrounds our PE office. It is no secret that the momentum from the World Cup needs to continue, because the fight against the epidemic is a real one and we cannot pull any punches!

Work starts tomorrow, more updates to follow!

PE!

As I settle into my home, for the next year I can't help but marvel at the distance I've covered to get here. Long Distance road travel just isn't that glamorous, no matter how much of a tourist you feel like! Most of my trip was overnight, hence I dodn't get to see much of Zimbabwe. I saw more of the South African side since I had a longer distance to travel and what I saw was a country basking in its recent crowning moment: successfully hosting the FIFA World Cup.

Flags everywhere you look, massive billboards welcoming visitors and normal South Africans still sporting Bafana Bafana jerseys and those of other World Cup playing nations. I regretably missed the boat!

Port Elizabeth has its own unique charm, and I'm discovering it bit by bit. On Friday as soon as I arrived I was welcomed by some of the GRS coaches. I was taken to our base in Zwide township at Sithembile primary school. Got to meet one of my fellow interns Joel and my supervisor Mpumi. More GRS coaches were hanging out at Sithembile and it was an honor to meet the people that are so dedicated to the important work Grassroot Soccer does. We usually have weekends free, so I've been trying to unpack and get settled in my new environment. Hoping to get a camera soon, so I can give you all an idea of what I see and experience!

Work begins Monday, and I'm ready!





The hound that got me to PE!

window seat inspiration

In 24 hours I’ll be heading to Port Elizabeth, South Africa. My mode of transport from Harare, Zimbabwe…road! A journey spanning over a thousand kilometers, it will be the longest trip of my entire life. It may not be the furthest trip I’ve ever embarked upon but it will certainly be the longest time I’ve spent travelling!

I get to cross 2 countries as I leave the Sunshine City (Harare, Zimbabwe), heading towards the Windy City (I think that’s what they call Pretoria, South Africa!) My only concern for this trip is whether or not I will get a window seat! I wonder if the Greyhound has assigned seating (my ticket has a seat number for the two legs of the journey but this could just be cursory)??. I am obsessed with them and for a trip like this I think the window seat will be enhanced in its importance. The trip will hold more significance as I observe the state of the country I left 4 years ago to pursue a college education and I also get to see what South Africa is like (at least the 16 stops the bus will make and the landscape on the side of the road!). Most of my journey will be overnight, no doubt a convenience for such a long traverse considering the need for sleep. I leave for Harare on Wednesday night at 8pm reaching Johannesburg the next day at about noon (there may be some delay time at the border). In Jo’burg I will have to switch buses and catch the 545pm one which eventually gets to Port Elizabeth the next day, Friday at 930am, hopefully I’ll have some great stories to tell, although I am not sure what sort of stories bus travel will produce. Soon enough I'll know..

I’m charging up my ipod, packing some literature, pen and pads (for when I decide to draw up a 5 year plan or formulate some world changing ideas). In anticipation of the Greyhound, I’ve promised myself not to get bored! My senses will be especially heightened as I seek to intrigue readers of this blog in my next post as I make a case for long distance cross-country travel!

They say life is a journey and not a destination, well I agree and I think this particular journey can be talked of in its own breath as an experience of a life time. Bring it on!

stats telling a story..

Casually looking through nationmaster.com*, a great resource for aggregating stats on almost every country in the world depending on availability of information I was struck by one particular set of stats. The HIV prevalence rates among adults was overwhelmingly dominated by African countries. Its not like this was news to me, I have known this for as long as I can remember. I guess it was more telling after looking at other sets of statistics and seeing African countries occupying the bottom and middle of wealth per capita lists and Olympic achievement tables to name a couple. Compared to the literacy rates of African countries the HIV prevalence rate is put into perspective. Literacy rates on the continent range between 19% to 85%. It is important to note that countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates do have very literate populations. The remaining percentage of illiterate people in these countries and other sub-Saharan African countries (many from rural areas) need programs like Grassroot Soccer and Kick for life to reach them with their important hands on educational programs. Without proactive work such as this, these people may never be reached.

Literacy stands to improve as the continent picks itself up from years of mismanagement, natural disasters and war in some places. For now the work of those on the ground working to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS through hands on programs like Grassroot Soccer's the Skillz program need to be supported!

*The site compiles information from various sources in an easy and understandable fashion. You can even have some info appear as a graph. The site compiles info ranging from Olympic performance of countries to a basic list of natural resources for every country in the world.

Homecoming

Only a matter of days before the internship with Grassroot Soccer begins and I am now at home in Harare, Zimbabwe! Leaving Providence, R.I. where I attended school at Providence College has finally made me truly aware of the fact that I am out of school. I am glad to be working with an organization whose work I believe in. Having been to South Africa once before I have few pre-conceived notions about the country. I will be taking an open mind and a willingness to make myself a resource to GRS. The need to fight against HIV/AIDS is great, and victory is plausible, but only possible if a lot of work is done.

Here in my native Zimbabwe the fight against the disease is just as important as anywhere else, since we have one of the highest infection rates in the world. In fact my life expectancy as a Zimbabwean stands in the late 30s or early 40s depending on which stats you are looking at! Grim reading indeed, considering all I’d like to achieve in my life. I will certainly fight bag, and my GRS internship will be one of more moves I hope to make to educate myself and help educate others about the scourge that is AIDS. It is indeed time to rise with the occasion and play my humble part.