Just don't hit the goats, or the cows, or the donkey!!

There are not a lot of words that I have to describe what I have experienced the last couple of days. I never thought that this year, 2010, would unfold the way that it has so far. For those of you that haven’t heard, my Uncle Greg passed away this past Tuesday. It seems almost unreal to me that the two relatives I am closest to have passed away in the last four weeks. I am continually grateful that I was able to visit home over the Christmas Holiday.

There was something really unique about my Uncle Greg. He was the kind of person who “dealt” with challenges in life by making the best out of every situation. My Uncle had an accident over 33 years ago and spent the last 33 years in a wheel chair, he overcame bladder cancer and a couple different shoulder surgeries. The amazing thing about him was, he never complained about any of it, not the wheel chair or what his limitations were.

He was also a very loving; husband, father, brother, uncle and most importantly Grandpa. I don’t think I have ever met someone who was more proud to be a grandpa. He would always send me updates and pictures of his trips to Seattle to see my cousin and her 2 boys. These emails always seemed to come at a good time, and helped me with whatever stress I was under. He also loved to send me pictures from his father/son camping trip with my cousin. He did so much with the limitations that he had. I will always wonder what this world would be like if half of us had his determination. Think about how much more we could get done or what differences we could make.

This past week has been really hard, but I took my uncles determination for life and made the best of my situation. I took Wednesday off to be by myself and Thursday we did site visits all over one of the regions in Northern Namibia. I had no idea that it would take 12 hours to visit 8 different sites. I really enjoyed getting to know the coaches and realized what great people there are here in Northern Namibia. It was amazing to hear how passionate these coaches are about teaching the HIV/AIDS curriculum to the kids in the community. George told me that a majority of the coaches have been affected by HIV- where one out of every three huts in the rural area’s “the bush” ,has either a person laying in a bed about to die from AIDS or has a is carrying for a member of their family that is that sick from AIDS.

It continues to amaze me how many people are affected by the HIV virus. Death from this disease is a way of life around here, and it breaks my heart. We took pictures with all of the coaches and sites along the way. They are all so special and each one of them was excited about the upcoming trainings we are doing in a week. I think those two weeks are going to be good for me, it is great to be around people that are passionate and hopeful in this fight against HIV/AIDS. The last two trainings that I have been a part of have helped me to gain a little perspective on life; I expect nothing less from these next two.

The other important thing about these site visits was we had someone from Arrandis with us, to show them how the project works on the ground. This is the project that we are thinking of starting in the small mining town right by the coast, about an 8 hour drive from where I am now. The day went very well, I had a meeting with them this morning and in the upcoming weeks we are creating a program plan that will help create a sustainable program in Arandis.

Very few interns get the opportunity to start a project from scratch in the field. It is a huge responsibility and gives me another opportunity to learn more about sport for development. The really unique part about this is it makes me feel like I am really making a difference; creating new opportunities to teach the kids there about HIV/AID. This is one of those things that I think both my Uncle and my Grandma would be so proud and excited about. That is what I will remember in the days that come when I am very sad or trying to understand how and why everything has happened back home.

I feel as though I am in the calm before the storm. I have so much work in the next few months, and I am on the very edge of it, getting ready to jump in. I am very blessed for my opportunity here and hope that I can get everything achieved to the best that I can, with no regrets. I am trying to use that determination and appreciation of life that my uncle had in all of these projects I am working on.

The main reason for these site visits was to tell the coaches to select 2 girls from their community to attend our week long tournament in April in Cape Town. “Girlz got Skillz” is what we are calling it. I felt like Ed McMan, going from door to door bringing good news. We went from site to site telling the coaches to select girls from their community to be come to Cape Town for a week, learn about HIV/AIDS, play soccer and site-see, and it is all paid for. I only met one of the girls that we are going to take. She was so excited; I cannot even explain it to you. This girl lived on a farm, which is common up in the north.

These farms are amazing, they normally have a main house and then smaller huts all around them. The whole family then lives on the farm. Also, there is a common room (still outside) where they entertain guests, and where the men sit and wait for dinner every night. That is what a lot of the women do, work on the farm during the day-I saw a lot of them plowing the field with a donkey and a old fashion plow and at night-prepare meals for the rest of the family at night.

The girl whose farm we visited was so excited about going to Cape Town. It is really fun to start bringing good news to people, for them this is a chance of a life time. Next week we are spending two days speaking with parents about the trip, getting permission slips signed. Can anyone think of a better thing to do!!

This week in Cape Town is going to be such a unique experience. It is all funded by Johnson and Johnson. The US State Department is flying over 2 professional players from the US. We have 10 girls from the US confirmed, 21 from South Africa, and 21 from Namibia. Every time I turn around there is something new and exciting about this week. I think it is really going to turn into something great. One of the things I am working on is delegation -not one of my stronger qualities. I just hope everything goes well and is planned accordingly, I think it will be a truly unique event.

A couple of unique things about driving through this area, is the amazing landscape and clear skies. There is little to no pollution, so it is some of the clearest skies I have ever seen. Also, there is a lot of live stock just walking along side of the road, crossing the street whenever they want to. This includes cows, steers, goats, and donkeys. There is a song called “If I had a million dollars”, in it they say, Haven’t you always wanted a Monkey, and on this drive I couldn't help but say, “Haven’t you always wanted a Donkey”. I hope you enjoy the views.




With Love,

Sarah

You can take the girl out of the Honky Tonk, but you can’t take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl – Brooks and Dunn

This past week has been full of new and exciting adventures! One of the funniest things this week was how I was driving through Namibia, listening to country music!! Most people here have never even heard of country music, and where I was driving were areas with not very many people.

It was kind of sad packing up all of my stuff in Cape Town last Sunday. I was very excited and ready to head to Namibia, but there was a part of me that was sad about it. I have made a few good friends, found a good church and there is something comforting about being in the GRS office that one doesn’t have in other parts of Africa. However, last Saturday my roommates, my boss and I went on a bike ride through wine country. It was absolutely beautiful and we cycled on a gravel road uphill for about 30 minutes. It was a great work out and I realized how much I miss riding bikes.

On Monday, my roommate Amy took me to the airport around 6:30 in the morning and I was a little nervous about the trip. I have driven across the US by myself however; driving through Africa is a little different. I believe it was more a fear of the unknown than anything else. My fears were settled when the plane landed in Windhoek. It was green, there was grass and trees. The last time I was there it was all dirt and dust, no grass or green anywhere, but it had taken a complete transformation. For me, there is a sense of home or calming when I see things that are green. It reminded me so much of Tennessee when I first went in May of 2006 or Oregon in the winter/spring. It was a Drastic Change from when I was there only 4 months ago.

After I got the rental car, I headed straight to Home Affairs. Even though my VISA had been approved and paid for, I still did not have it. Immigration at the airport gave me until Friday the fifth to get it resolved.

Home Affairs goes on lunch between 1-2, so the person at the counter who was suppose to help me got back at 2:45 (this is what we call African time, where no one is ever late).The first girl who helped me, just kept sending me in circles. My best description of her would be that checker at the store that smacks her gum and is not very efficient with her or your time while you are in line. I was really frustrated because, I knew that there was someone who could help me, I just didn’t know how to get to them.

A guy overheard me trying to explain my situation for the 3^rd time to the same person and said that he might be able to help me out. He had a friend that worked in immigration in the secure part of the building. He snuck me pass the security guard into the immigration office area. I happen to run into the director of immigration and amazingly after 3 hours of waiting I had a Multiple Entry Visa to Namibia, that’s good until November of 2010. I am so thankful; this is a huge weight that can be lifted off of my shoulders.

After that,I was pretty much walking on air, I was so excited and was ready to head on my adventure. I just had a few things to do on Tuesday and I had dinner plans with the girls from Special Olympics Namibia. I was so excited, having fun and enjoyed playing the song Chicken Fry as loud as it could be played while I was driving. But somehow feelings like that don’t always last. On Tuesday while I was at the Internet Café, my wallet was stolen out of my backpack. Luckily, I didn’t lose a lot of my stuff. I never carry all of my debit or credit cards with me. However, there is something unsettling when something is stolen out of your backpack that is right next to your legs.

At first I couldn’t understand how it had happened, but then I remembered this guy came up and started talking to me. I couldn’t understand what he wanted to the point where I asked him if I was doing something wrong. The only wrong thing I was doing was not looking to the other side of me where there was another guy taking my wallet out of my backpack. It just dumbfounds me. I was so upset with myself for letting my guard down that much- where someone could steal something literally from right under me. Needless to say, it could have been a lot worse!!

One thing that is tough about being in Africa is that your friends and family are not just a phone call away. I can send a text but sometimes you just want to talk to your close friends or family. However, one thing I am learning to do is deal with tough situations by myself. I think there is something positive about that. I also think that I needed the reminder of where I was in the World and to not get to comfortable with my surroundings. I don’t feel like I am a huge risk taker when it comes to my safety here and if I ever get that uncomfortable feeling I run away from it (literally). But on Tuesday, I was so into the work I was doing and responding to emails that I didn’t even take the time to really notice what was going on. I think this made me a lot more cautious when I was traveling this past week and sometimes we need those little reminders.

So Wednesday, I headed to Arandis, Namibia. Arandis is a town that was built around a diamond mine close to Swakupmond (the beach city). The drive was absolutely beautiful there was green from trees and then area’s that were just desert. Luckily all of the roads I drove on were paved and they were like two lane highways, so to pass you had to cross into oncoming traffic. I normally don’t like passing that way however, I would still be driving if I didn’t. One thing about the passing that made me nervous a few times, was the signs that tell people not to pass on an uphill. You would hope the drivers had enough common sense to not pass going up a hill because you can’t see the oncoming traffic. That was a little unsettling, but I was just very careful and I found that most other drivers were as well.

When I got to Arandis, I was surprised how small and self sufficient it was. Until 1992 the City was run by the Mining Company, so people were taken care of, everything including rent was paid for. But when the mine wasn’t as profitable as it use to be they handed everything to the town council. Therefore, the towns people had to start paying for things on their own and start taking care of themselves. For the most part the town has responded to this well.

The town wants to start a Grassroot Soccer program so they can have educational sport for development program. I got a tour of the town and met with a teacher who runs the kids soccer leagues. He has them practice every day of the week and then play tournaments on Friday and Saturday. He said that as long as the kids are tired from Soccer they can’t go get drunk. Alcohol abuse is a HUGE problem throughout Namibia and it is a key influencer in the spread of HIV/AIDS. This teacher told me that if the kids come to practice drunk, then they have to pay a fine. I was so inspired by the work of this man, who took his passion for soccer and used it to try and better the community for kids.

I also spoke with another girl who volunteers to coach soccer. She has 5 teams that practice from 3:00-8:00. She is also trying to attract more female players as many of the girls do not play. I left this town feeling inspired and really wanting to find the right way to make this project work.

I left Arandis and headed to Swakupmond for the night. As soon as I got to the guesthouse I went for a run down to the beach. It was so great to put my feet in the water. Additionally, there were dolphins about 10 ft from shore swimming around. It was beautiful. I don’t think I have ever seen a dolphin that close to the shore. However, I know that were lots of dolphins are there are sharks!! So I didn’t get in too far, but it was a great end to the day. (no pictures, sorry, I was running)

I got up and left the guesthouse at about 7:30 am. I drove until 4:30 that day through the different area’s of Namibia. It was a really easy drive and I had some great tunes to listen to; so I really had a blast. It did however, start a little rough. About 20 minutes out of Swakupmond, there was some really dense fog. I tried to take a picture of it on the mountains. It got to a point where I was really sad I was driving through it, I could only see about 10 ft in front of me. But when the other cars drove by me and I realized they were going just as slow as I was, it made me a little more comfortable.

After I was out of the fog, I drove behind the Namibia Military Police. There were about 12 tank looking things driving down the road, at about 1/3 of the speed limit. I drove behind them for I while, but then decided I would pass them. It was really bizarre, I tried to take a picture, but it didn’t really work. I just kept thinking, if I was in the US and someone tried to drive in-between the tanks, well I just don’t think they would appreciate it.

Aside from those two things, the drive was just AWESOME. I would stop and take pictures as often as I could and I would take some out the side of my car window. The only thing about this drive that was funny was the watch out for Warthogs signs. They just looked funny and I thought how hitting a Wart Hog would do some pretty serious damage. On one stretch of the drive, I think I saw 15 other cars in about 3 hours. There was literally no one around, and then all of sudden there would be someone walking down the road. Made me thankful I was in a car and not walking.

As I got closer to the Northern part where I am staying the scenery changed. There was white sand on the side of the road and farms. The neat thing about the farms would be the circle of huts. It was like you see in the movies. I was awestruck!! It made me realize how lucky I am and how thankful I am that I was able to and had the support to complete this internship.

There were also a lot of livestock and they just walk out on the highway when they feel like it. I really had to be paying attention but I loved every second of it. There were a lot more people walking down the side of the road at this point. I didn’t want to get out of the car and take pictures because there were so many people around, but I tried to take pictures and drive.

Once I got to Ongwediva, George, the project manager met me at a petrol station and took me to the bed and breakfast I am staying at. I feel like I live in a college dorm. I have two twin beds, a closet, a small fridge, and a bathroom. It is a simple place, but it should be fine. Luckily I won’t be here a lot during the day. One of our offices is at the college and from 4:30 until about 8:00 there is training for sports. So the last two days I have played volleyball and basketball, its like having gym class everyday after work.

Driving up here was amazing, its truly a once in a lifetime experience. Oh and its really HOT here. I mean HOT!!

Love ya,

Sarah

The Movie Precious

At about 4:30 today a work we watched a movie called “Precious”. This movie gives a very vivid and real portrayal of different disparities that one girl had growing up in Harlem. I would not suggest watching this movie if you are not mentally prepared to deal with the shocking experiences the main character goes through. Including rape, HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, a mother’s physical and mental abuse and growing up in a family that lives off of abuse of the welfare system.

This movie truly shows how a person can take every unfortunate experience/relationship and strive to make a better life for herself and her children. As some of you may know I am a firm believer in one’s ability to not become a product of their environment. This movie reinforced that for me and is giving me added excitement about this project called “Girlz got SKillz” that I am working on. I only hope that I can pass some of this passion and hope that I share to the participants.

One of the things that was so interesting about watching this movie here in Africa, is that I kind of forget how bad some people’s situations are in the US. Sometimes I feel like people here put me on a pedestal because I am from the US and think that is a place with no problems/no disparities. I am not trying say that life in the US compares at all to life in the townships or in the more impoverished area’s but that sometimes I forget about the people in my home country that experience so many awful things. Or how many (including myself) are sometimes so oblivious to the disparities of other around and sometimes we fail to realize how in need people in our own communities are.

Another really enriching part of this movie was how it showed that sometimes what makes people turn their lives around is one person taking the time to care about them. For me and my experience in Africa or working on the refugee project back in Knoxville I’ve learned that sometimes it is about the simple things you do in life. More often than not little things like taking an elderly person to the grocery store, saying hello and really asking someone how there day is, or taking the time to make someone feel special, is what can make the most difference. I have found that it is not always about the “flashy” projects or the large events, but sometimes just making a conscious effort to be supportive of the people around you, that is what can make the most difference.

It was like the pastor of my church here in Cape Town said, if you can take the time to touch two peoples lives a week, think of all the good that could be done. These small acts of kindness could have a ripple effect, where the people you have affected then start touching people in their lives. I think sometimes we all need to be reminded of that. Additionally, you don’t have move to Africa to try and make a difference (I am so grateful for my experience here), but that there are things that can be done in our own communities; even if it is small.

One thing that I did while working at 21^st Mortgage was become a tutor once a week for a school in one of the lower income areas of Knoxville. I met once a week for an hour with a student that the school recognized could use more support. The girl I was partnered with had a mother who was bed ridden with cancer and ended up passing away during that year and a father who was working on achieving his PHD. Sometimes I would get so frustrated hearing that she missed school because she did not have a ride or how she felt so alone all of the time. But then I met her father at her graduation and he said that he struggeled with how to raise her. He said, "I don't know anything about 11 year old girls." I realized how hard it was for him and the struggles that he faced.

It was so amazing to see what just spending one hour a week with this child made a difference in her life to the point that when her mom died she wanted to call me and talk with me about it. To me I think that the person that volunteers there time gets just as much out of it as the person they are helping. I have heard similar stories from my friend Whitney or Staci on the kids that they worked with. This is just a prime example of how taking a little extra time can make a huge difference in someone's life.

This movie just really affected me today and I wanted to share some of it with you.

With Love,

Sarah

What a Great Day

The past few days..my life has been amazing

Things are finally coming together for me, in the kind of organization that I am use to. Busy all the time, a lot of important stuff going on, and feeling in somewhat control of it. I am really enjoying it. To start I am leaving Cape Town on Monday and going to Windhoek Namibia. I will spend two days there, where I will pick up the bag I left over 4 months ago and go to home affairs to finally get my Visa. Then on Wednesday I am driving to a small diamond mining town, where I am going to give a site visit for a new possible partnership for Grassroot Soccer. I will stay the night in the coast town of Swakomund. Then on Thursday or Friday, I will head up to Northern Namiba and start preparation for the project there. I will be in the North for 5 weeks, where we will hold two week long trainings.

I created a map on google maps to show you where all of these different places are. Just click the link below. You can zoom in and out on it to see the different areas…

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&view=map&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cape+Town,+Western+Cape,+South+Africa&msa=0&msid=111352366795340182163.00047e16188f51931aba3&ll=-20.228717,15.805161&spn=29.726633,56.513672&z=4

I am also spear heading a big project to take place in Cape Town, from April 5^th -11^th, titled Girlz got Skillz. We are having girls from Northern Namibia, the US and some from South Africa participate in a week long cultural exchange. This exchange will focus on increasing leadership and self-efficacy in regards to HIV/AIDS prevention and to help instill that these girls can make choices (friends/organizations that they can belong too) that can help them create an environment that will lead to success. Therefore, not becoming a product of their environment. This is becoming an amazing event and something I am really excited about. I am helping design and will be running the programming for the event as well as organizing a lot of it. This kind of work, is right up my alley.

As things get more organized with both projects I will keep you updates and pictures..(I promise)One of the neat projects of Girlz got SKillz is that the participants are going to doan Amazing Race Cape Town. In this, they will go all over Cape Town, take pictures, have a scavenger hunt and get to see the city. However, instead of just running around taking pictures, each group will have been given a female in South Africa's history, who was a leader, overcame obstacles and had an influential role in SA and try and tell their story through the places they see and pictures they take. One of the nights where all of the girls are staying, we will have each group share their adventure. This is going to be so neat.

We are also having a soccer tournament at the end of the week. Part of this tournament will be the Call to Action Festival. We are going to ask organization that support women in the community set up booths where people can walk by and get information from an organization of a service they might need. I am excited to see how the "Carnival" type atmosphere goes over here in Africa.

All of these projects are in the early stages, but my job is to organize everything. I am really working on my delegation skills and am handing over some pretty big jobs to other interns. But I am excited to see what different ideas they bring to the table.I will keep you posted as the ideas develop more, I am just so thankful to have them on paper and start checking activities off. The next few months, time is going to fly by!!

Also, I just found out that it looks like I will be in Johanasburg for the World Cup, which is what I wanted to be doing. I know this is a vague taste of what I have coming up, but I will have a lot of pictures and new adventures to share in the next couple of months to come.

Sarah

You are a creation of God, made in his image. You are not on this earth merely to exist – Paula White

This blog is dedicated my Grandma Mary Elizabeth Sarro, she passed away on January 6, 2010.

I have just come back to Africa home from my trip to the US for the Christmas and New Year Holiday. The trip was very fun and needed. I was lucky enough to spend 6 days in Knoxville and 10 days in Oregon. In Knoxville, I was able to spend time with my Tennessee Family the Moyes, visit 21^st Mortgage, spend time with church and soccer friends, and had one of the greatest Christmas Days. I am so excited for my friend Whitney who is going to have a baby and I can’t wait to meet him or her when I come back to the states. Spending time in Knoxville made me realize how much of a great life that I had over the previous 3 years, it was a truly amazing place to be!!!

I then headed to Eugene, OR and spent 10 days with my family. I had so much fun with all of my brothers and their friends, my parents, my grandma and my friends. We also had an amazing Christmas Day. My family got me a total of 54 DVD’s to help me get through the months and weeks I will spending in Northern Namibia. Between both Christmas’s I got more than enough stuff to keep me going for the next 6 months; for that I am so thank ful. We also watched a lot of movies, played Apples to Apples, and went bowling.

I had the most amazing two week trip back home and what makes it so amazing is that I got to spend 2 days with my Grandma before she passed away. I am still in a little shock, last Monday I was talking to her and she was fine and healthy and then she passed away 3 hours into my flight from Los Angles to London on Wednesday.

There have been very few experiences in life where I have wanted to be at home with my family and not been able to be there. They are playing the song, “My Favorite Things” – from the Sound of Music before people say their favorite memories of times with Grandma at the funeral today. So whenever I start to get sad about the situation, I sing parts of that song and it seems to make me feel better.

My brother Aaron is reading what I wrote at the funeral today, here is what I wrote:

I guess as relationships with Grand Parents go I was pretty lucky because of the relationship that I had with my Grandma Mary. I think it was that I was sick all of the time as a kid had something to do with it. I would go over to her house and she would make Tomato Soup, we would play scrabble, read books and eat chocolate. Somehow it made having strep throat all of the time not that bad.

As a kid there were things about Grandma that always amazed me, like how she made your bed in the morning even if you were only out of it for a few seconds, how she kept her house so cool with only 2 fans in the hottest time of the summer, or how her hair always looked so good. But it wasn’t until I was a little older that I realized what an amazing and independent woman my Grandma was. I have enjoyed talking with her about her favorite places to travel, what it was like being in the Navy and a little about my Grandpa Joe. I have really enjoyed just being her friend.

The past couple of years have been really hard seeing how age started to change Grandma. I consider it a true blessing that I lived in Eugene one year after college so that I could spend time with her either by taking her shopping or the time Joey and I were able to sit at her house and hand out Halloween Candy.

One of my favorite memories of that year was a surprise birthday that we had for her. I picked her up and told her that she and I were just going to dinner. As I was driving she said that she was glad that we were going to dinner, but that she wished that she would get to see all of her kids. It made me laugh because I knew that her kids, grandkids, and dear friends were waiting for us at the pizza parlor. That was such a special day.

The past few months have been a real true blessing. It was so great to hear how good she was doing and that she had made some new friends where she was living. I even got to hear grandma sing while her friend Judy played the ukulele. I am so grateful for the peace that my grandma had over these past four months.

I know today is a sad day, but grandma would have been so happy that all of her kids, grandkids, great grandkids and dear friends were together. I wish that I could be there with you today, but I think I am exactly where my grandma wanted me to be. I will miss her dearly!

I would have never guessed that this was going to happen but I am so thankful that I was with her 2 days before she passed and that my brothers are still in town to be with my mom. Sometimes life sends you challenges that you never expect, but I have to believe that there is a reason for everything, even if I don't know what that reason is.

I am having meetings tomorrow that should help to decide when I am heading to Namibia. I am getting excited about the projects I am working on and can’t wait to tell you about them.

Love,

Sarah

It pretty amazing what you can learn about people when you take the time.

It pretty amazing what you can learn about people when you take the time.
So these past couple of weeks I have spent a lot of time with kids that perform in different dance groups and artists in Khayelitsha. I have spent time with them, but haven’t had a lot of opportunity to really get to know the kids.

Today, I invited all of the kids who performed to come and play soccer at the Football for Hope Centre. It was so great to see how excited they were to be playing on the field. My team was pathetic; we played games similar to King’s Court in Tennis; where the winner continues to play. My team never scored a goal and there were times when we wouldn’t even be on the field for more than a minute and we would get scored on.. PATHETIC.

It was so fun to get to hang out and really talk to the kids. The group in the picture above is called Future Line, they practice everyday after school, and the range in age from 14-21. One of the youngest, 14 year old girls says she wants to be a lawyer, and if that doesn’t work out a dancer. Another kid who was 18 wants to go to art school. It is so great, hearing that kids growing up in the townships have dreams and passion for life.

These kids are born into situations where there are very few opportunities for success. Many kids here don’t graduate from school, never gain solid employment, and are very susceptible to HIV. Today at the centre I was running late and they were waiting inside looking at the photos on the wall that were pictures of some of the interventions we have run. I missed it, but I was told that they were having some pretty deep conversations about HIV. If only I had a way of protecting them, but I these are great kids and I have to believe that they can protect themselves and can stay focused on their future.

That is probably one of the hardest things about working out in these communities, is seeing how there is not a lot of people who have faith or determination to better their lives. So many of the people are unemployed and just sit around all day. First, I could not even imagine that, but so many do not finish all grades of school.
It was just so refreshing today to hear things, like I want to be a lawyer. They also showed me where they rehearsed their dances. It is in a room that is small like the size of two normal sized bathrooms in the US. It continues to baffle me how these kids make the best of everything. I think that is a lesson that everyone should learn.

I am just so thankful that I got to spend the day with these amazing kids/young adults. They have an energy that is just contagious. After we got done playing soccer we when inside and played a ton of different indoor, icebreaker type games; it was really fun. Then I went to the store and got bananas, bread things, and 3 liters of soda, we all had a snack and then it took me 3 trips to get them all home.
One other amazing thing about these kids is that they dance because they love it. The were never in it for the little bit of money we could pay the, or the exposure; they were in it because they loved it and had passion for it. That is why they are the best in Khayelitsha. The passion that they show gives me hope especially because the harsh reality of life in the townships can all too often be overwhelming.

See ya soon,

Sarah

Thats What it is All About

There are very few experiences in my life that can top what I have been a part of the last couple of days. It is so funny how we sometimes get caught up in the “hoopla” of events/work and forget the real reason we do the work we do. The last few days have been the greatest reminder for me of why I wanted to come and work in Africa. I have spent time with the most amazing people and children to the point that there overwhelming sadness that it is over and a harsh realization of the struggles that many of the people face on a daily basis.

Last night, I was taking home a group of DJ’s that we have used a lot in the last week and one of them said that he wished he was a white man because how easy his life would be. The statement literally shook my entire being. When I got out of the car all three of them hugged me and said they were going to miss me. There are so many times that I wish that there was more I could do!!

In Khayletisha you look around and see the living conditions and its sad but in the last couple of days, it has really HIT me. I cannot even explain the intensity of the emotions of sadness, concern, passion, excitement and appreciation that I have experienced since Thursday. On Thursday night, the teams that were playing in the tournament had an open forum discussion about “life” and their stories. The first girl that shared, talked about how her mom had passed away and that when she hears other people talking about their mom, it makes her wonder if you mom would be proud of her. At the end of her story she shared how she likes to think that her mom would be so proud of her for being a part of the tournament. I don’t think that there is a person in the room that wasn’t proud of her!!

The next kid shared about how he had lost both parents in one year and how he has overcome this challenge; “living a good life”. It is so amazing the strength that these kids have and how they are resilient to the world around them. A major highlight for me of the evening was when an 18 year old girl from Lesotho shared about being HIV positive. She said there was a time in her life when she started to act like a “women” and acting in a way she thought a woman should act. She concluded her story by staying “if only I would have known myself – before it was too late”. There are almost no words that can describe the atmosphere of the room. One of the leaders of the Brazilian delegate team started to cry. I was so moved that I went and sat on the floor by her. Even though we don’t speak the same language and I had no idea why she was crying, I made a connection with her, that I will never forget.

At the end of the forum, one of the Brazilian players said that his life story started today,as after hearing all of these stories, his life really hasn’t been that hard. I still get chills when I think about!! What an amazing experience for these 15-18 year old kids! Thursday night was the perfect reminder of what this weekend was about. Yes, I was really excited about the opening and all of the excitement around it, but it helped me to remember that the most important thing is the KIDS!

Friday was really busy we had a lot of GRS board members and some important possible donors in town, a graduation and rehearsals of all of the performers for the weekend. It was a very hectic day but watching the groups perform at the field and seeing the excitement in their eyes was amazing. The best part was when the people from FIFA and streetfootballworld were discussing Saturday’s activities and the group called Heavenly Cortez and Angels of God were practicing the national anthem and everyone stopped what they were doing and listened.

The big thing about Friday was the World Cup Draw, they closed the major street in downtown Cape Town and built a big screen TV so everyone could watch. It was a large event for the city, but I didn’t go, I actually didn’t even watch it. I was out at the Football for Hope Centre with GC (our site coordinator) trying to organize the furniture that had been delivered by a carpenter in Khayletisha. Even though I missed the draw, I had so much fun!!!

GC is going to be the caretaker at the centre for the first month so he has to stay in the caretaker flat at the top of the centre. I had this terrible sense of concern when I was leaving the centre at ten and leaving him there. However, the centre had a perimeter fence with all night security staff and police. The centre even without all of that is a safer place to be than his actual house. I honestly feel blessed because I have always known the conditions our coaches live in, but I have never really had more than a superficial concern or sadness about it, until now.

Saturday, was so busy. The opening ceremony went very well! I was so excited for everyone who put a lot of work into it. The performances groups that I have been working with, nailed their routines. I don’t think I sat down until about 3 in the afternoon. It was so hot, that when I came back to town, I just went for a little swim in the ice cold water and it felt amazing. So many amazing things happened on Saturday, but Sunday was probably the best day of the whole week.

I got to the Football for Hope Centre at about nine, the atmosphere was so much more relaxed, everyone was doing what they enjoyed doing and having fun. The soccer games were amazing, a lot of them ending in shoot outs. For the semi-finals the stands were full of the local community, cheering on the home team Grassroot Soccer. For someone who loves being a fan of sports, it was beautiful. The crowds were singing and screaming, I can’t imagine what the World Cup will be like.

I have really enjoyed working with the performers so much over the last couple of weeks. I was so excited when all they were performing and watching the reactions of the crowd. When one of the groups were performing and the crowd was loving it, one of the guys that works for streetfootballworld came up to me and said “this is for you.” It was perfect!

Another special aspect of Sunday, was the handing out of the trophies to the winners. One of my tasks was to find a local artist to make trophies. I found a guy name Martin who is gifted in pottery design. He made 8 plates for the delegates, a fair play trophy and the winning trophy. They were beautiful! What was so amazing about this, is that we needed him to make a different winning trophy and we gave him about a week. He sent me and SMS (text message) that told me how he has cancer and this was the first job he had taken in a year and he had just had surgery. He said that he would try his best to get it completed by Sunday.

On Saturday night, I thought to myself why not ask Martin “Clay Guy”, to come and watch the final soccer games, performances and get to see his trophies handed out. I asked the people from streetfootballworld, and they agreed would be a great idea. Not only, did he come and watch, but he got to sit in the VIP seating area and hand out the Winning Trophy to the winning team. When I saw Martin on the field handing out the trophies it reminded that moments like this are what it is all about.

I got to exit the stadium walking with the FUTURE LINE dance group singing “Oh Happy Day”, there was no better finale for me of the weekend then that. They kids said how much they would miss me, but I don’t think they know how much I will miss seeing them or how highly I thought of all of them.

For me, I have made some great friends with the people from streetfootballworld and really enjoyed working with them. I had so much fun and laughed a lot. It really has been a wonderful couple of days!!

With Love,

Sarah