First Visit to Sparrow Village

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted a new entry. Things have been crazy on this side with trying to learn how to drive stick on the left hand side of the road, and then there is the never ending battle to overcome jetlag and not give into the temptation of sleeping our entire days away here in South Africa. Our days have been mostly filled with family braais and many attempts at driving. I must say, Michael and I are getting real good at driving! I am so proud of us!!

We have decided to use our time here to fulfill some personal goals. Michael and I signed up for 4 months membership at Fitstop gym. We have been going everyday now and it feels good to be able to have a sense of purpose or achievement in our day. Ever since we graduated from college it feels like we no longer have a purpose in life… It almost feels like we are wasting away slowly. But I know that once we get into a comfortable routine here things will start feeling better for us.

Today was our first visit to Sparrow. The place is huge…. An entire hillside covered with orange domes – a seemingly extension of the red sand upon which they reside. Our first 30 minutes were spent waiting in reception as the staff members tried to figure out who we were and who we were supposed to meet. After a very brief meeting with Reverend McClintock and Rose, we were introduced to Toko and Kenneth who supervise many of the youth activities. Kenneth gave us a very welcoming tour of Sparrow. Turns out Sparrow Village will only need us Mondays through Thursdays t help the kids with homework. But here is the challenge: Sparrow has 180 kids who go to school and no one makes the children do their homework. There is a study hall where we will be but very few kids have the initiative to come and get help. We met a lady who comes to help on Thursdays and she usually bribes the kids with computer games… Michael and I are going to have to do some creative thinking and see if we can help these kids take an interest in their education. Any suggestions?

Seeing how we have our Fridays open, I am going to arrange that Michael and I job shadow every Friday at the Themba Lethu HIV Clinic of Helen Joseph hospital. I recently went to say hello to the doctors I was with before and they are dying for us to rejoin them. I know Michael will love the experience! I certainly came back with a whole new perspective!

We tried McDonalds today… Something tells me that this might be the first and last time we eat anything from there. America definitely has the upper hand when it comes to skinny fries and beefy burgers! Michael LOVES Simba Chutney Chips (this is my kind of man!) lichie juice and Milo chocolate… He does not like chocolate log or milk bottles (a candy here). He says the graham cracker of chocolate log taste stale and milk bottles either taste like nothing or sometimes like soap. Haha. You win some and you lose some.