small things with great love.

I’m feeling less than inspired to write this, but figured I was overdue for an update. So I’m sitting in front of my computer screen, trying to think of some clever theme or anecdote that I can share. I thought of talking about race, something that I haven’t discussed much in my blogs, but which is an issue that is part of every aspect of life in South Africa. In fact, when I was looking for a new apartment last month, I was shocked to find how many people specified in their advertisements that they wanted a white roommate only. They would disguise it cleverly, by saying something like “this apartment would ideally suit a young white male or female professional” so that they didn’t have to outright say “whites only!” But it was there nonetheless. I actually emailed several of the people who placed these advertisements asking why they specified the preferred race of their potential roommate. None replied. Perhaps their silence speaks more than any reply could.

I thought of writing about crime, which is unfortunately also part of every aspect of life here. I was walking home from the university the other day and thought about how funny it is (perhaps funny isn’t the word…) how protecting myself against crime has become a very normal part of my day. For instance, I only walk on the side of the road facing traffic, so that if I’m approached by a suspicious vehicle I have time to react, rather than it coming up behind me and catching me by surprise. I’ve adjusted in other ways too. I never carry more than $10 on me. In fact I rarely carry a purse so that there is less for someone to grab. And I’ve thought many times of how I would react were someone to mug me. I actually had a very unsettling dream last night about being mugged at gun point, probably because such an event is a constant fear and something I regularly plan against. Strange enough, my dream took place in New York City, not in Durban. Crime is a universal problem, I suppose. Fortunately I have been very lucky and have had little experience with crime since I’ve been here (knock on wood). I had my cell phone stolen a year ago, and then in October my apartment was broken into and my laptop was stolen. A laptop seems very insignificant though when I think about how incredibly lucky I am that I was not asleep in my bedroom when the person broke in my bedroom window that night.

I also thought of writing about AIDS. In past blogs, I’ve barely discussed the issues surrounding AIDS in South Africa, a topic which I’ve learned a great deal about through my studies and my dissertation. I actually changed my dissertation topic about a month ago. I was making no progress with gaining access to do interviews in hospitals for my previous topic, so I switched the whole thing up. I joined a research project that was already underway. There’s a research organization at the University of KwaZulu-Natal called the Health Economic AIDS Research Division (HEARD). They conducted interviews 2 years ago looking at the impact of the provision of treatment for HIV/AIDS (Antiretroviral treatment) on the health systems in South Africa. Basically, they looked at whether or not the AIDS treatment programmes in South Africa were impacting the staffing, funding, and infrastructure of other health services. So they conducted these interviews, but no one ever analyzed or wrote them up. That’s where I come in. I received the complete data sets, and am now working on writing up a literature review, analyzing the interviews, and then writing up the discussions and conclusions that can be arrived at from the research. It’s interesting stuff, and I’ll fill you in more on it as I get further into the research. In terms of AIDS in South Africa, about 20% of all adults in the country are HIV+. 1000 people die in South Africa EVERY DAY from AIDS. 71% of deaths among those aged between 15 and 49 are caused by AIDS. A recent survey found that South Africans spend more time at funerals than they do having their hair cut, shopping, or having barbeques. Twice as many people have been to a funeral in the last month than have been to a wedding. I could go on and on, but I think these statistics speak to the magnitude of the problem and the immediacy with which it needs to be addressed.

And then of course I thought of writing about development itself. Still not sure exactly what development is, or whether or not I agree with it or how I fit into the development of other countries. In my part-time work that I’ve taken on, I have found a route of development work that I really like. I’m working for a non-governmental organization called the Media in Education Trust. They do work to improve education, especially in rural areas, in South Africa. I’m working as a researcher, monitoring and evaluating a couple of their programs. My job is to assess the effectiveness of the programs, helping to determine how they can be improved. It’s interesting work, although I sometimes get frustrated because I’m still trying to find my place and my role in this job. But it’s great experience. In terms of development, I think education is the key to development of any country or any community. By building the capacity of the youth, you build the capacity of the country. Perhaps education is the key to addressing the issues I mentioned above of race, crime, AIDS, and development in South Africa. Look at that, a theme emerged for this blog afterall. So perhaps in a very small way I am helping to improve South Africa. I like to think that development work is simply doing what you can to improve life in your own little corner of the world. Small things with great love.

So that's the update for this month. Perhaps a bit scattered, but I touched on several of the important issues that this country is dealing with and that I have encountered in my everyday life. Of course much more can be said, but that is all for another time and another place. I hope this update finds you well, and that you too are able to find small ways of showing great love.