Day 2, July 10
1. Dobsonville Artistic Youth
2. Sophumelela African Youth Ambition
3. Ezasekazi Entertainment Academy
4. Black House
5. New Beginnings
6. Dedicated Young Artist
7. Mayibuye Africa Casting Group
8. Magnificent
In Cape Town, the team returned to Khayalitsha to visit the Baphumalele Children's home, an AIDS orphanage. It started with Rosie Mashele, who years ago had an AIDS orphan left on her doorstep. Several times a week, the same thing has happened, for years now. Today, there are 167 kids there--almost all HIV positive. Infants are left there every day, so they made a sort of "mailbox," a retractable drawer, in the exterior wall to the street for people to leave the babies, where at least the baby will be safe and warm and an alarm lets the watchers know there's a new one there.
The Cape Town team and trainers performed for all the kids at the Children’s Home. At the end, the kids came out and began dancing with us and even kept dancing to an old WAIT favorite song “Been So Good.” It was a wonderful experience.
Piling back in the cars, the caravan traveled to Wynburg, to the Odd Fellow’s Hall, to which a lot of good contacts and AIDS workers had been invited. The trainers and team members performed. Another church group sang a song, and we had a talk by another social worker director who talked about the work he did with education, prevention, testing, and counseling. Several nurses working with a church’s AIDS Ministry were also on hand.
That evening, we enjoyed a nice full meal at the home of one family, and met several young students who had just moved to Cape Town from Bridgeport International Academy, and were happy to “re-meet” WAIT there. They agreed to come the next day and become part of our young team!
The Johannesburg team went to Pretoria, the nation’s capital, performing first at the Soshunguve United Reformed Church, where they performed during the morning. They had a warm welcome from the pastor and the audience, who sang in beautiful harmony as we came in. About 50 people were on hand to see the presentation, and responded enthusiastically. The Jo-burg team did the skit on their own for the first time, and sang the song, “Hero,” and joined in the breakdance act.
The Dlala Ntombazanan (DN) Soccer for Girls Programme in Eersterust was the next group to receive a performance. Because it was an outdoor performance, we weren’t sure if anyone would come, but about 60 kids were there. Again, the local team members took a larger role, and several young audience members were pretty great breakdancers. After our performance, they showed us soccer ball juggling. We found out after the performance that our organizers knew Tyler Spencer, a Grassroots Soccer coach we met back in DC. In the audience was a coordinator from Circle of Life, a support group for people that are HIV-positive-or-negative. They have support groups, courses on HIV/AIDS, and counseling. Another woman who stopped by was an AIDS worker who worked at the center.
Our third performance turned out to be more of an audition with the hosting coordinator of SAANSA groups, Dr. Mphane, but when he saw our activities, he decided to arrange a performance the next day.
The team also heard that kids from Rustenburg had come by bus and were looking to meet up with them, but by the time it was communicated, all the events for the day were over.
Day 7, July 15
The Johannesburg team performed twice. In the morning, they performed in Soweto at Mahon Evangelical Church in Dube. The theme of the program was abstinence. The floor was quite slippery, so we had an interesting time with the dances. We were joined by two of the artists who we had met in Soweto, and afterwards, by some performances from the kids from the church singing and performing drama on abstinence. The pastor wanted us to train the youth in dance, but despite the interest, it didn’t really take off. The church fed the team, we did several short interviews, and then we met up with the group from Rustenburg.
At the second location, Dr. Mphane, the man from the day before, had quickly promoted and brought together an audience for us at the Pretoria Performance Center. After the WAIT performance, the visiting artists from Rustenburg also performed, and it was a good exchange. There was also in the audience a pop-locking group called Morbid. The main leader was really inspired by the message of WAIT.
In Cape Town, the scheduled presentation was cancelled, so Mie and Kensei trained the young team members during the morning and afternoon. At 4, the team parents gathered to ask questions about the parents’ role on the WAIT team. After sharing for a short time, Kate and Sun Jae accompanied Khumi to the remote studio of the South African Broadcasting Corporation where she was interviewed by the satellite news program for several minutes. The emphasis was on the international work of WAIT, and how the work has progressed in each country.
Since we had to get another early morning plane the next day, we went to bed early and woke up at 3 to get to the airport. Khumi and Wonyun drove us there, helped us drop off the rental car and get to the plane on time.
Day 8, July 16
Arriving at the Johannesburg Airport at 8:30, we met up with the Jo-burg team driven by Ernest Leballo. By this time, most of us were getting sick. Runny noses, sore throats and woozy stomachs were slowly taking over the team. Squeezed into the 8 passenger van were 9 people, and the trip times were rapidly becoming time to catch up on our rest. The trip to Lesotho took about 5 hours.
Lesotho, which is a country completely enclosed on every side by the country of South Africa, is known at the Mountain Kingdom. After a lengthy border check, we arrived in the country to meet Darkwell Sakala. We split up, with the kids going to the facility at which they would be doing training, and where we would all be sleeping. I accompanied Darkwell to the National AIDS Commission offices to meet with some of their top executives.
At the meeting with the NAC leadership, interest was expressed in seeing the First AIDS PowerPoint and then, despite the fact that they were preparing for a holiday the next day, the King’s birthday, they were interested in seeing some of the videos of the team.
We discussed the issues there, and they confirmed that about 23 percent of the population are known to be infected living with HIV and AIDS. Interestingly, the population figures we had for the country were from 2007, and were about 2 million, but that is down (just two years later) to 1.8 million.
The AIDS policymakers were quite attracted by the WAIT approach. They could see a real interest on the part of youth, and an ability to absorb the information in a new way. Unlike South Africa, Lesotho people have not been exposed to much AIDS information so a lot of myths still predominate. Also, stigma and denial are still keeping people from getting tested, admitting their status or getting the medications.
After the meeting, we picked up various things the team could eat, assuming there was a cooking facility somewhere, but it turned out there wasn’t. When we finally met up with the team, we found a nice set of dorm rooms, but unheated and the small electric radiators were not working. So, it was decided to go to Sakala’s house for cooking a meal. At this point, we had to make sure the trainees got home okay, so we waited for a while for the two vehicles to take them home safely. Then, we piled into the van, drove for miles over unlit, bumpy and oftentimes unpaved roads, to the cozy home where a kerosene heater kept us all toasty despite the frigid temperatures outside. We had a nice meal of rice and chicken as we shared with the adults and young members about their experience of Lesotho’s approach to AIDS. They told us that people say “oh, that’s a white man’s disease” or “It’s not AIDS, that person is the victim of witchcraft,” and so on. They seemed to see no way to penetrate the mindset. We mentioned that they might be able to take the approach of accepting the people’s ideas, and then working with them. “Oh, it’s witchcraft? Okay, but how did the witchcraft take place? What was the means for the person to be bewitched? Oh, he was bewitched by that lady? But she’s also sick, right? So somehow this witchcraft affects everyone?” And bring out of the people their own observations using this approach.
Everyone seems to love the king, Letsie III, and we suggested that he be approached to become the articulator for the nation about AIDS. As a real national father-figure, he could help the people understand the nature of the illness. We suggested that the Lesotho WAIT team could perform for him, inspire him, and then ask him sincerely to speak to the nation.
We went back to the dorms and crawled into bed with most of our clothes on and tons of blankets.
Day 9, July 17
The next day, we cobbled together some breakfast, and then began a second round of performing for those who assembled—maybe about 40 or 50 people. This was a mixed group of youth and some adults who were educators, ambassadors for peace, etc.
After the WAIT performance, various groups and individuals got up to sing or dance. There’s a huge amount of talent here. So, we encouraged them to put this together with the WAIT skit and game show and get a team going immediately. We had to leave soon, so we were packing up the van, but they were just talking to us, asking us questions, sharing their hopes, brainstorming ways to reach out. The adults were just as excited as the kids. They all said “You’ve opened our minds—we never imagined we could do such a thing.”
Ernest Leballo, who was the main driver for the Lesotho trip, was an invaluable asset. He is from Lesotho, knows everyone there, and he and his wife Isabel, will be likely WAIT parents there. They have both been extremely active and supportive, and their children are also very enthusiastic.
After another long drive, we made it back to the warmth and comfort of the Peace Embassy. Kate was feeling very sick, and was unable to eat real food, but was able to sip some hot chicken soup. We had to get up early to travel to Limpopo, so we got to bed right away.
Day 10, July 18
Kate and Harmony were feeling very sick when they got up in the morning. Flory got us some good medicine, however, and it got us out on the road. Kate took a break from driving and navigating and tried to rest in the van. Arriving in Polokwane around 10, we were escorted to the area where most of the members there live, and they invited us into a house where a huge brunch was laid out! We were shocked and found out that Polokwane is famous for its hospitality.
After the “breakfast,” we went to the nearby school hall to perform. There were several other performing groups there too. After our regular performance, and some dancing and singing, we did a quick round of breakouts sessions and taught the First AIDS PowerPoint, and then wrapped up the training.
The mothers and grandmothers were especially happy with WAIT, and very essential. They really loved us up, too. After another splendid dinner, I fell asleep, only to be woken by cell phone calls from Tyler Spencer and Piet “Klips” Moataung. Klips was in Polokwane, thinking to connect with us for the next day’s training—not knowing we were going to Rustenburg the next day. Our host, Kanti Mailula, went to pick him up even though it was now nighttime, and he came and they gave him a mini-performance, while he shared a lot of the methods they use in Grassroots Soccer.
We met Lerato Rapoo off the highway then followed her to the village of Luka and Moruleng. We came up to her mother’s house, which is a beautiful, expansive, elegant home, and there were about 30 teens in the yard, singing and dancing to welcome us. We set up the stage on the brick driveway, and before we started the second group came from Moruleng, led by an amazing lady, Grace Masuku. She is 78, but wanted to help the poorest of the poor kids in her village and tribe by teaching them the wisdom of the ancestors: honoring the environment, respecting tradition, and most of all, keeping purity. All the kids in her group—there are about 130 now—are abstinent. There is a special rattle made of the seed pods of the acacia tree, which they wear on their legs to make sounds as they dance. It’s forbidden to touch those pods if someone is not pure. So to wear these, and to do the dances of their culture and sing the songs, creates a culture of purity.
The other group, Ntsatsi Amazing Arts Production, led by Lerato’s mom, Letta Rapoo, is also a traditional cultural group that practices abstinence. They do dramas, songs and dances; similar to the house dancing we’ve seen everywhere.
Day 12, July 20
The next morning, we drove to the main center of the Bafokeng nation to meet with the Queen Mother, Mmemogolo Semane Molotlegi. Welcoming us were Monica Tumagole and her husband, who serve as traditional councilpersons.
After hearing about WAIT’s work and methods, Mmemogolo (Queen Mother) shared her own feelings that the only responsible and ethical way to teach HIV prevention was to emphasize the “A and B” of the ABC approach. This echoed the ideas we heard over and over during our trip: the caring leaders, the elders, the traditional guides all were adamant that teaching young people abstinence and faithfulness in monogamy are not only good prevention strategies, but follow the traditional African values.
We were able to visit a youth center under construction, and then travelled over to Moruleng, arriving a few hours early, which gave us the chance to have lunch at a visitor’s center nearby.
Upon arriving back at the town’s cultural center, we met Mama Grace Masuku and began preparing for what we thought was our last performance. Nails sticking out of the stage needed to be hammered down as the audience gathered, including many of the traditional councilpersons and youth leaders of the area.
We performed what we thought would be the last time, to very enthusiastic audience reaction. The youth leader there began discussing how to develop WAIT’s work there.
Then, another trip to Pretoria, where we met the van Oostrom family, homeschoolers and of the traditional Afrikaaner population, who had prepared traditional foods like game pie, stewed dried fruit, a sort of rice and raisin dish, and a special meatloaf. Afterwards, they asked what our performances were like, so one more time, the kids pulled out the equipment and we moved furniture and did a mini performance right there.
Day 13, July 21
On our last day, we had two television tapings: one for an entertainment based program, and the second for a French language interview program. Thankfully, we had the skit narration in French, so after a short interview with me, the team moved the set, and in a tiny elliptical space, the kids performed the skit, did the breakdance act, and then finished up with “Rose.”
People gathered from various other shows to see the excitement, and it was a big hit.
Conclusion:
Overall, we saw a huge response to the presentations, and to the way we work. Partners expressed confidence that the work would be continued and expanded. We hope the result will be a new development in the reversal of AIDS in South Africa and the world.
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