We were welcomed back into
our community after being gone for almost two weeks of training,
and it felt good. We ran
into friends, students, teachers, and bomake (women vendors) at the
local shop and on our long walk to our
homestead with heavy packs who greeted us by name and asked where
we'd been. One of our favorite high school students Joanah gave me a
big hug and said she'd missed us. With somewhat improved siSwati, we
have been able to communicate better with out host family. We are
the only white people (balungu) in our community so it is easier for
them to remember us than for us to come up with their names, quite
often. Sometimes I have to ask how a person knows me, but I
recognized by name an English teacher from the high school who was on
our return khumbie.
One of our personal goals
in joining the Peace Corps was to become part of our new community;
to become friends and neighbors to those living around us. I hope we
will do meaningful work here, but it is the one-to-one connection
with people, sharing the good and bad, which will have lasting value.
My Site Support Agent, Sizakeli, an umgcugcuteli or Rural Health
Motivator, joined us for lunch yesterday. She had showed up 2 hours
early for work at the kitchen of the high school just opposite the
gate to our homestead, because she does not have a watch and lost her
cell phone 2 months ago, and we were coming back from a walk, so we
invited her in. She is a poor, hard working woman with 4 children,
and a deadbeat husband whom they haven't heard from for years. She
has a gap-toothed grin, is cheerful, savvy and resilient. Over
French Toast (a first for her) we talked about commercial sex
workers, handing out condoms and religion. She is a devote Jericho.
Sizakeli told me she would cry when I leave, because we are good
friends. This is beginning to feel like home.
No comments:
Post a Comment