Somethings to celebrate:

Marco was accepted into the University of Kwa ZuluNatal on a full scholarship for Psychology!! The night before classes started, she called me from campus. The joy in her voice and excitement I felt for her… this alone would be enough reason for my service here. I have yet to meet another girl in the village that has recieved a college education. I am honored to have helped her reach this goal.

My dearest friend, coworker, and Zulu sister Thobegile recieved her certification for Child and Youth Care work. She had been working toward this achievment for 4 years. I was able to assist her in the final steps with English translation and composition for her completion.

My Zulu tutor and friend Stae is now happy living in a new healthy enviornment in a nearby village. She was like Cinderella, feeding and cooking for a family who is not her own, in exchange for a roof over her head. The situation was surronded by abuse. I gave her some of my clothes and means for transport- more so the push to not be afraid to move forward. She is healthy, happy, and beautiful and able to live a youthful live no with her new family and friends.

There are many women I wish to celebrate here. Tuesday of this week was Womans Day in South Africa. I would like to honor them all for thier courage and to express my own gratefulness to be a part of thier journies.

More woman’s work:

23 girls were selected from the village last week out of 127 applications I recieved to attend a girls camp. March 25-29 we will be going to the Drakensberg Mtns for a camp myself and 3 other PCVs are organizing. It’s called Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). We organized sessions in body image, health, choices, needs, relationships, etc. We will be hiking to rock-art paintings, eating great food, dancing around campfires, and completing a high-ropes course.

I held the Parents Meeting on Wednesday for camp. Trying to explain a “camp” to adults that have never heard of this type of thing before was challenging. I had a Zulu translator and lots of help from the local schools. Some of the parents have never seen mountains. Some of the girls do not have parents. No one knew what a “cabin” was. I am grateful for the trust and credibility I’ve built with the families over the past year to be able to do this.

The weather is changing with shorter days and less rainfall. Winter is on it’s way.

A laughing moment:

I thought the Zulu word for snake was ‘inyoni’. For months now I’ve told the kids and friends that I’m deathly afraid of inyonis. (Remember when the children told me that a large ‘inyoni’ was on my roof?) Well a few weeks ago I was corrected that the word for snake is ‘inyanga’. Inyoni is the Zulu word for ‘bird’. So this entire time my family and friends have thought I’m deathly afraid of birds! haha

Park update:

A $500 rand donation was given to the park; we were able to feed 30+ children for 2 days and paint one building. ($500 rand= about $70 US dollars) We still have many more repair needs for the park and always children to feed. If you would like to donate any funds towards this cause, please contact my Mom who has been kindly organizing this. Or email me and i can forward you her contact information (give me a month or two as my access to in the internet is about every other month)

As for myself, I am well. Im continually amazed by how my life unfolds. I reflect back to points in my life when I’ve asked why this or that would be happening. Yet in hinds-sight, I am able to see what strengths I’ve tapped into and teachings I’ve utilized to do what is put before me for the day. This reminds me to be open to whatever left brings. To trust in who I meet or what the day presents.

May we have more faith in those who we love and believe more strongly in the strength within ourselves.