The last month
So much has happened this last month - where to start? I've spent a lot of time in Mpumulanga with my girlfriend, Danya, helping her recover from her 6th foot surgery (if at first you don't succeed, sky diving's not for you) and traveling around (turns out SA Roadlink is not a good bus to travel on - a 3 hour journey by car or City Bug to Nelspruit turned into a 7-and-a-half hour journey by SA Roadlink). Danya works in Sabie, which is such a beautiful place. Unfortunately, HIV/Aids infections have not decreased in the last 4 years, and people are still reluctant to get tested.
As part of my apprenticeship, I job-shadowed Danya's friend Lerraine, who works in the social responsibility department of York Timbers. I got to meet David Poole, one of SA's top experts on medicinal herbs, and hear about projects which they're planning. Lerraine told me about York's community gardens, which provide sustainable produce to local communities. She also showed me their adult education computer training centre, one of the mills and a clinic.
I've also spent some time with Alan Hirsch - one of the top thinkers on building movements which bring about change, all within the Christian framework.
Jody and Andrew went to Amahoro: Rwanda - I was at Amahoro in Uganda last year - and had a very growing time.
We did a week at Pangani called The Sacred Romance - an intense journey focussed on the heart, asking the big questions of life. I've come away with several huge questions and insights, some of which might take a lifetime to grapple with.
Of course, the big news of the last month in South Africa is the xenophobic attacks. As a single South African it's hard to think what difference I can make, but being part of a community response reminds me that if everyone does something small, big changes can happen. I've also continued my involvement with Change Agents - we've run our first 2 of 5 training days (Joburg North and Ekhuruleni), equipping local church-based youth workers to do their ministries better. Although this isn't something which directly impact xenophobia, in the medium term it can help, since xenophobia isn't simply about locals not liking foreigners - the issue is bigger than that.
I'm although thinking through what will be good ways to continue responding to the refugee crisis in SA. Once the humanitarian concerns have been met (food, shelter, safety) and this round of anger has cooled down, we have to face the task of re-integrating these foreigners back into society. In the meantime, sitting around all day is a boring existence - so I've had an idea: to play movies in the evenings for these groups. We have a refugee camp just down the road in Akasia (the one which has been in the news because all of the men (mostly Somalians) are on hunger strike to protest their prolonged poor treatment by the South African government) and strong ties to about 75 Zimbabwean refugees in Pretoria. What would be a good way to help them use their time in a good way, beyond reading newspapers and playing checkers?
As part of my apprenticeship, I job-shadowed Danya's friend Lerraine, who works in the social responsibility department of York Timbers. I got to meet David Poole, one of SA's top experts on medicinal herbs, and hear about projects which they're planning. Lerraine told me about York's community gardens, which provide sustainable produce to local communities. She also showed me their adult education computer training centre, one of the mills and a clinic.
I've also spent some time with Alan Hirsch - one of the top thinkers on building movements which bring about change, all within the Christian framework.
Jody and Andrew went to Amahoro: Rwanda - I was at Amahoro in Uganda last year - and had a very growing time.
We did a week at Pangani called The Sacred Romance - an intense journey focussed on the heart, asking the big questions of life. I've come away with several huge questions and insights, some of which might take a lifetime to grapple with.
Of course, the big news of the last month in South Africa is the xenophobic attacks. As a single South African it's hard to think what difference I can make, but being part of a community response reminds me that if everyone does something small, big changes can happen. I've also continued my involvement with Change Agents - we've run our first 2 of 5 training days (Joburg North and Ekhuruleni), equipping local church-based youth workers to do their ministries better. Although this isn't something which directly impact xenophobia, in the medium term it can help, since xenophobia isn't simply about locals not liking foreigners - the issue is bigger than that.
I'm although thinking through what will be good ways to continue responding to the refugee crisis in SA. Once the humanitarian concerns have been met (food, shelter, safety) and this round of anger has cooled down, we have to face the task of re-integrating these foreigners back into society. In the meantime, sitting around all day is a boring existence - so I've had an idea: to play movies in the evenings for these groups. We have a refugee camp just down the road in Akasia (the one which has been in the news because all of the men (mostly Somalians) are on hunger strike to protest their prolonged poor treatment by the South African government) and strong ties to about 75 Zimbabwean refugees in Pretoria. What would be a good way to help them use their time in a good way, beyond reading newspapers and playing checkers?
