Day Two- Heather is falling in love

This is a note from Heather Yourex relating her second day in South Africa:

Finding love in the back of a pickup truck. Yeah it sounds kind of dirty but it's the truth. I'm falling in love with this country from the back of the "bucky".

First off I should explain this country is COLD right now. Not Canadian winter cold but when you're dress code is long skirts and you've got only thin sweaters 7 degrees leaves you feeling popsicled. I should also point out that the second leading cause of death here is the crazy traffic. So I had my first "TIA" or "this is Africa" moment when someone told me I'd get a lift into Masoyi in the back of the truck. There we were... 12 of us... 3 white girls with 9 locals. Some nurses... Others just health care volunteers and people like me to observe. The first ride was awful... I was a little bit terrified.

By the end of the next day, I can't imagine getting around any other way. The rolling hills with so many homes... Shacks, stone houses with carefully swept dirt patios, young people everywhere in bright blue school uniforms, the too cool guys with their hats off to the side, gigantic roosters everywhere, women carrying all kinds of things on their head... It doesn't feel third world...just different world.
And for all the horror stories it is also stunningly beautiful.

The entire day was stunningly beautiful. Just before lunch I met Zodwa. A mother of 2 and a home based care worker in the community of Nthimba. We sat outside the clinic talking, for an hour as I waited for the truck. Zodwa is one of those people you meet that leaves you feeling just so full of awe. Her entire life now is about all the orphans. Children living alone throughout her community because their parents are dying.

Its very difficult, she tells me. They all need to eat - who is going to make sure they eat.We talked and talked...I couldn't stop with the questions. She is grieving the loss of her husband...but talking to me she smiled so often. Many time she had me in tears. When the truck came we hugged... I explained I was a journalist and was here for 2 months with a camera. She asked me to come back to Nthimba to meet all of her kids. " Let people see them, love them. We need help". I'm still awed by this soft spoken woman... To see the love and courage flowing from her.... I am very very lucky to have met her.

*In SA an orphan who has lost one parent receives 200 ran per month (even if the other parent has split long ago)
*An orphan that has lost two parents receives 700 ran/month up until age 15
*Orphans do not have to pay school fees but must buy a uniform - at a cost of 220 ran. (About 30 Canadian dollars)
* The price of bread has jumped from 2 ran a loaf to 7 ran
* An apple has gone from 50 cents to one ran 50

Tomorrow: I'm scheduled to work at the Lula Centre with Ma Beauty. A daycare/pre school center operated by Hands.
Thursday: Off to the community of Cork... A community with more problems and fewer programs. Laying ground work for the launch of the young moms program. We will be looking for new Moms for the program...in primary school. Young orphan girls age 9,10,11,12 are vulnerable to pregnancy... Because, I'm told "they're craving love"