Reconnect with Southern Transvaal Synod - Soweto

October 17, 2009

Off in the van to with Joe Taiwe to Soweto and connect with Efraim Opelt and membersof the Monderame of the Southern Trans Vaal Synod (STVS). Met at Emdeni Childrens Home which sits on 43 acres in Soweto. Emdemni is owned by URCSA/STVS and at present houses 40 + children, and is operated by the Abraham Kreil delegation a DRC related NGO which operated sites throughout the area. Shared our observations on Rustenburg and reviewed the history of the incomplete partnership following our 2003 trip. Seemed to be OK with things and had made progress in organizing the Synod, with the part-time administrator. Shared the CAP-CAMP scheduled in July, 2010 involving teenagers from SA, Belgium and Burundi. Should really try to have representation from FRC/Albany Synod. Also shared plans for phasing out inpatient services at Emdemni, to provide more services through drop in and emergency units. Have skill training, computer center which would remain available. Hosted us to a sumptuous lunch a bri.

Following lunch, off to tour Soweto in the rain. Soweto is a city of nearly one million, and we'd retained a guide. With the weather proved to be a "drive-by" but did get to see Nelson Mandella's house and Wandi's place, the cafe where the ANC planned most of it's adventures.

Pictures above of SSTV representatives and Joe Taiwe, Wales and guide at Wandi's place

Joe Doolittle

Kwa Thema - Thembalethu - reconnection -

Friday, October 16th we bid farewell to Rustenburg, Tapologo and Rain Hill Farm; beautiful places and people, and headed off to re-connect with Rev Joe Taiwe, at Kwa Thema East, SE of Johannesburg. A two and a half hour drive; praise to Stacey! Joe had hosted me in 2003. We connected with Joe and Albina a member of his congregation and a nurse, at the Stable Inn in Springs, where we were staying, and headed off to visit Thembalethu (Hope in Zulu) a home based care program Joe and Albina had started two years ago with financial help from a partner DRC church. The program shares space with a Child and Family counseling program in nearby Daggafontein; an the counseling program also has office space and time a Kwa Thema East. Through Albina's help the congregation with HIV is afforded nurse care coordination and access to phrasing and pharmacy services. Quite a program. We met the Home base care team, about 12 with 4 paid staff and 8 volunteers. Impressive and functioning. Picture at left.

Regrouped at the Stable Inn and hosted Joe and his wife Winnie, for dinner. WInnie is a high school social studies teacher, in Potchefstrom about 100Km SE of Jo'burg and commutes weekly. Daniel their youngest (15) is in school there. Joe also serves part time as Administrator for the So. Transvaal Synod, with offices in Soweto, so can visit mid-week. It was good to get caught up, and was encouraged by all that Joe was connecting with on the HIV/AIDS front an don Synod operations. Winnie has a wonderful, winning smile and a catching laugh, that found its way into Stacey's sermon on Sunday. More about that subsequently.

Joe Doolittle

Tapologo Reprise -2

To give you an idea of the main campus at Tapologo a collection of adobe buildings set on a dry plain ; on the top left is the inpatient unit of Tapologo, some 30 beds, planned in a green-environmental way. They made the bricks from mud, dung and straw, in a manner used by earlier natives, which since they don't use the techniques anymore, they had to re-learn. Also cooled and heated by a tower/underground ventilation system that uses ground temperatures and natural circulation to heat and cool. The floors are mosaics of African designs, in broken tile (leftover-free), which is attractive and practical. The environment is clean, and refreshing, peaceful. Was gratified to see the progress in anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) being used. With one patient I met, an 18 year old, was admitted very sick, placed on ARVs,and fed well. He had improved and was being discharged to outpatient care. He previously would have been dead.

The top-left picture is of Carol Delamarter, one of our members, and Frieda and Bella two new friends and members of the Karlien Park URCSA; in an area on the Tapologo campus, which will be a staff garden for rest-breaks. Stacey Midge preached there on 10/11/09. When they heard about our visit to Tapologo, they wanted to come along and work with us, which they did; on both the first day's orientation and three latter days of visits and work.

We were also joined on the first day by two elders from the Thlabane URCSA Reformed Church where Kent Busman preached. On Wednesday night we gathered for a debrief and planning session which will be reported separately. We cleared the area, relocated some concrete benches and made a highlight of a drainage dish by paving it with River washed pebbles. Modest in some respects, yet tangible work in any event. A small piece of FRC/Schenectady at Tapologo. More in a subsequent post.

Much good cheer
Joe

Tapologo Reprise

Dear Friends: Being technically challenged, this is my first entry, and we're home already! "Tapologo Bound" was a trip of connection and contrasts. On the connection front we've begun to participate and encourage in improved connections between black and colored congregations and white congregations in Rustenburg, SA. With some front-end work by one of our members Karen Hamm, and Efraim Oppelt, the South African liaison for URCSA with North America we've helped form a bridge between three reformed churches, as well as, a community based Hospice launched by the Roman Catholic Diocese. We've worked to begin to a common focus to improve care and concern for those with HIV and AIDS. Subsequent to Rustenburg, we re-established connections with friends in Kwa Thema a Township outside Johannesburg, and friends in leadership of the Southern Transvaal Synod.

Above is a picture of Tapologo's founder Bishop Kevin Dowling with Rev. Ken Busman and I. Kent traveled with a companion group of 6 from Capital District Hospice. We were together for 3 days at Tapologo before they left for another Hospice on the South Coast. Kent is the Minister for Youth of the Albany Synod and Director of Fowler Camp and Conference Center.

On the right is a view of the Township near the Freedom Park temporary settlement or squatter’s camp. We are waking,making rounds with HIV-AIDS care givers who are visiting homebound patients, some in the last stages of AIDs, some successfully on or beginning ARV drug therapy. It was hot, dusty, the buildings were less than humble; in stark contrast to suburbs or cities in the US.

On the top left is the inpatient unit of Tapologo, some 30 beds, planned in a green-environmental way. They made the bricks from mud, dung and straw, in a manner used by earlier natives, which since they don't use the techniques anymore, they had to re-learn. Also cooled and heated by a tower/underground ventilation system that uses ground temperatures and natural circulation to heat and cool. The floors are mosaics of African designs, in broken tile (leftover), which is attractive and practical. The environment is clean, and refreshing, peaceful. Was gratified to see the progress in anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) being used. With one patient I met, an 18 year old, was admitted very sick, placed on ARVs,and fed well. He had improved and was being discharged to outpatient care. He previously would have been dead.

More in a subsequent post.

Much good cheer,

Joe Dolittle

Videos

Apparently, before my cameras were stolen, I did manage to transfer the first couple of days worth of videos to my computer. You can see unedited footage of me driving on the left (while taping...ooh, safe!), wandering around Tapologo, and shining lights at animal butts on my youtube site.

Home

The most memorable part of my journey home, I am sad to say, is that my camera and video camera were stolen out of my carry-on bag in Johannesburg. I keep looking for them as if they will suddenly appear...but they are definitely gone. Since I don't really buy souvenirs, all personal record of this trip is pretty much erased. I'm sure I'll get over it, but right now it feels like I'm going home with nothing of substance to say, "Hey, I was there!" and that's just kind of depressing.

On the upside, I'm pretty sure I don't have typhoid.

So, after 30-some hours of travel, I am home. So far the jet lag is minimal, but we'll see as the day goes on. Although I don't have pics, I'll keep back-posting from the rest of the trip, and try to fill in with the rest of the group's photos as they get them uploaded.

South African Children singing in Zulu

Please see todays uploaded You Tube video at teamrb25 of street children singing in Zulu at the Freedom Charter Memorial. I was told they are saying, "this is my song and I love what I am singing".