happiness...that’s really up to you!

So all of this community talk has got me thinking about the state that our country is in! It is a little sad and therefore like Debbie (our lecturer) pointed out to us today, it is vitally important that we keep holding onto our happiness.

 

So what is happiness....is it a state of mind, a feeling, a thought, an emotion or a certain something or someone? The clip that Debbie opened her lecture with, showed a young person talking about what he understood by happiness. To him it did not consist of school, high school and university but rather of his hobby, snow boarding! He used snow boarding as an educational medium, which I find very admirable. Too often we try to fit too many people into a standard mould, which simple cannot be done due to the law of nature which simply states that we are all different and unique. We need to except our 'uniqueness' and make the best out of it....it is only then, that we will start becoming happy.

Another thing that stood out to me in the clip, was when the young boy mentioned how the little things in life play a BIG role when it comes to our happiness. To me it's so very important to appreciating the little things that are right under our noses. One of my favourite occupations is dreaming. I LOVE dreaming about the future or about the things I would still like to do :) I think that this is one way that keeps me motivated and sane.

A very important point that the boy mentioned was ones spirituality! I have learned over the years how vitally important this is in order to become a better person! I will be honest and say that it's not always easy!...

 

Faith is choosing and believing God's dream for your life.

Nothing starts happening in your life until you start dreaming.

God gave us the ability to dream, to create, to imagine.

Dreaming is an act of faith.

Everything you see on this planet started as a dream.

                                                   - Rick Warren

                                                   



 

 Oh boy, I never knew that a movie can go so deeply under my skin!  This movie was just too heart wrenching. It was about a young lady called Yesterday and her little daughter, Beauty who are part of a community out on the land, far away from any sort of services or town! Yesterday is well known and liked by all in the community. What I immediately noticed about her was the warmth and vibrant nature she possessed. The community was not well off and despite of the poverty, she radiated out this peace and freedom of mind....UNTIL she finally gets to see a doctor due to an on going cough. The doctor advices her to undergo a blood test only to confirm her assumption....AIDS.

 

Yesterday's whole world falls apart like glass shattering to pieces on dry, barren ground! Not only does her immediate family fall to pieces and has to suffer but the community life also becomes a nightmare for her family as they are being ostracised by the other community members.

 

I really struggled to get my feelings on par and to reflect with the rest of the class after the movie was over as these following questions kept flitting through my mind...."where on earth is the source of the problem?", "whose fault is it anyways?" and "who do we blame?"  I can imagine that Yesterday herself, must have been thinking some of those thoughts!

Was it her husband who moved to Johannesburg in order to earn an income so that he can offer his family a brighter future, only to get hooked up on the influences that urbanization brings with it?

Does it boil down to morals and believes of individuals!?

Then again if our economy wouldn't suffer so much, maybe individuals such as the Kumalos could comfortably live on the little that they had.

Is it the lack of education that caused things to go sour for the family as well as the community having such a resentful nature?

Gosh, who on earth do we hold responsible!?...are we even allowed to hold anyone responsible! I just don't know. As a health professional our role is to stick to the facts. In other words, Yesterday's husband picked up the virus somewhere in Johannesburg and brought it back to the community, as it so very often happens. HIV is a health hazard which means that it would be our responsibility to put safety measures into play. We could also come up with alternative ideas TOGETHER with the community as to how we could make the community more prosperous with the resources that they have.

It seems as if Yesterday also could not really find a culprit in all of this (when it was so clear that her husband must have had something to do with it) as she stood by her husbands side even when he returned to the community due to his illness. One thing that I have had to learn intensely these past days is to RESPECT other peoples cultures, opinions and most importantly their DECISIONS. We all have the right to make our own decisions.

Yesterday made a decision (when she heard that she had contracted HIV) that she would see her daughter Beauty, go off to school on her first day. This was one of the most moving scenes for me...

 ...There Yesterday stands and sees her daughter off into a future that she never had. To me the gate with the lock symbolizes her disease that she acquired due to a life changing decision that her husband made. Once the bell rings for the children to go into the classrooms, she takes the dust road home...

“Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward.”
― E.E. Cummings



So what is a community!?!

“The universal brotherhood of man is our most precious possession.” – Mark Twain

 

When I hear the word “community” I immediately think of informal settlements and townships. Wow, such narrow-mindedness on my behalf! I was completely oblivious to the fact that we are somehow all part of one or even two!

Brownson (1998) defined community as, “...persons natural environment that is, where the person works, plays and performs other daily activities.” (Brownson, C.A.) What I am extracting from this statement is that occupation plays an important role in community life on a small and large scale. Individuals have unique occupations and so do communities. Communities have many unique facets such as:

·         Cultures

·         Relationships

·         Views of health

·         Occupations

Communities are, “...complex with multiple dynamics all interacting and interconnected.” (Jones & Barlett Publications)

 Ok, enough now with the theoretical underpinning of what a community isJ A community has it’s strengths/assits as well as its flaws/weaknesses, as Londekile Nzama stated so well in her essay called, “The Beauty and Flaws of kwaDabeka” (please refer to the previous blog).

 A ‘flaw’ that we heard about today is human trafficking or otherwise called modern day slavery! Maria from the ‘Open Door Crisis Centre’ paid us a visit to inform us about human trafficking! I never knew that this is such a major problem in South Africa! Poverty seems to be the instigator of such an inhumane ‘business’. Human trafficking refers to drug smuggling, labour, forced marriage, crime, sex slaves or beggars...and it happens right under our noses!  

 

 Facts on human trafficking

 

·         Human trafficking is the 2nd largest profit-making crime in the world next to drug trafficking. There are approximately 27 million people enslaved in the world today.

·         People most vulnerable to human trafficking are children, teenagers, young women, refugees and job seekers. These people are preyed upon in various ways and are literally tricked into going somewhere with their traffickers, and subsequently held against their will.

·         Of the estimated 2,000,000 persons trafficked each year, Africa accounts for 450,000.


 

 

 

Statistics relating to South Africa:

·     It is estimated that 30,000 children are being prostituted in South Africa.

·     Half of these children are younger than 14 years old.

·     Children as young as four are prostituted.

·     There are up to 10,000 child prostitutes in Johannesburg.

·     Up to 1,000 girls are trafficked to South Africa from Mozambique each year.

·     The Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo are the main “recruitment” areas for victims of human trafficking.

(Salvation Army)

These are really scary statistics and I am glad that we were informed about them so that we can be on the lookout for any of such illegal practices or help to create awareness of such demoralising acts.

Let’s move on to the more positive aspects of community life. To give you an example, I will take you to Max’s Lifestyle, which is situated in Umlazi, a township just outside Durban. We describe this area as ‘dodgy’ and yet a couple of us wanted to experience the community spirit on Sunday afternoon. When we arrived, I could not believe that in the middle of ‘shacks’ and RDP houses, a spirit so vigorous, elite, cultural and prominent was present. A DJ was there which could have been part of the reason for an entrance fee. We ordered our raw meat, which was then ‘braai’d’ over the fire in the kitchen. Once the food came around we prayed and then ate with our hands. We ate our red meat with a chilly which burned like crazy on our tongues! There were many people, smoking, drinking, laughing and eating around us. Once we were done we started ‘jiving’ to the rhythm of the musicJ It was a pleasurable afternoon as we got a ‘sneak peak’ into life in Umlazi and community life in general. I honestly did not expect the place to be so well known! Someone told me that it has become a real tourist attraction!

What really stood out to me was that we all shared the meat that we ordered and that we used our hands instead of our usual cutlery. These are all things that give off a sense of ‘belonging’. There is something so ‘magical’ about sharing a meal together in such ‘close proximity’.     

 

  References

 

Brownson, C.A.(1998). Funding community practice: Stage 1. Americna Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52, 60-64

 

Jones & Barlett Publications, Community Practice in OT: What is it?, viewed 26 January 2014, from http://samples.jbpub.com/9780763760656/60656_ch01_Doll.pdf

 

Salvation Army, Anti-Human Trafficking. Viewed 27 January 2014, from http://www.salvationarmy.org.za/index.php/our-work/community-care-development/anti-human-trafficking

 



The Beauty and Flaws of kwaDabeka

 

By: Londekile Nzama

 

 

 

 Londekile Nzama is a Grade 12 learner at the Ilanga High School. Her essay was voted as the best amongst her peers by the Journalismiziko editorial team.

KwaDabeka is the warmest place to be. Once you’ve been to this township, you’d want to brag to everyone how you’ve experienced paradise right outside your doorstep.

There are many spectacular things in KwaDabeka. When I first came to this place, I was enveloped by a sense of wellbeing. What I came across was a tranquil beauty that surprised all my expectations and took my breath away.

At the Shadow of Outdoor Events which is one of most popular hang-out spots, you can spend your lazy afternoons, sampling the menu at the cocktail bar or enjoy a mouth-watering high tea on the terrace. Entertainment performers captivate guests with their vibrant and energetic songs and dances. The property includes glamour and sophistication, with innovative design, personalised amenities and unsurpassed service.

Most people from KwaDabeka are so kind. They have the spirit of giving and sharing. They sacrifice their time and efforts in making the lives of the less privileged better. Every weekday, you’d see influxes of people spend their time doing charitable work.

The community of KwaDabeka lives in harmony. They all work together in reaching the same objective. Even though the unemployment rate is very high, community members do not wait for the government to do things for them. Instead, people of this community started a community garden. If more people can feed themselves, there will be less desperation and less need for people to resort to petty crimes. Many people can now be able to provide a descent healthy meal for their families because of such initiatives.

Some of the flaws of KwaDabeka have to be reckless driving done on the roads. Pedestrians’ lives are frequently in danger. There was a day when I was on my way to school, and a car suddenly drove past in raging speed along the pavement. I was hit by a sudden wave of fear. I was so shocked and fortunately the driver was able to stop the car before it injured anyone. I was so traumatised; I failed to even concentrate in class on that day.

Another flaw that this community faces has to be the lack of job opportunities. This factor makes the youth wander around in the streets then end up resorting to drugs and alcohol. This makes the youth unable to take charge of their lives and watch the elderly making efforts of making a living. Young people do not act positively towards their lives and their future.

Despite all the challenges that this community faces, KwaDabeka is indeed still a special place that has taught me to give a helping hand to the needy.

 

Reference

Journalismiziko, The Beauty and Flaws of kwaDabeka, viewed 26 January 2014, from http://journalismiziko.dut.ac.za/feature-review/the-beauties-and-flaws-of-kwadabeka/

 

 

Community Life

“The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers & cities; but to know someone who thinks & feels with us, & who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 Our first week back at University has brought with it a huge bag of emotions such as: responsibility, joy, anxiety, tension, fear, seriousness and loads more! The emotion which stands out most (to me personally) would be the uneasiness that change brings with it! During the holidays I had the privilege of seeing some of my ‘long lost’ school friends of whom many are done with their studies and are on the verge of entering the working world. It is hard to believe that life is passing by so quickly and that many of them have come so far as to having to enter the next phase of life. Where are the days of playing carefree in the sea or freely climbing trees all the way to the top from where we could see the entire neighbourhood? Time is outrunning all of us if we like it or not, so it is up to us to make the most of our current situation!:) Mine happens to be the final year of OT !!

 This week we had a look at what community work is all about as well as what our OT roll is in all of it. The module was well presented and has two very passionate lecturers running it which makes it just that little bit more interesting and exciting! Community also happens to be my first block which is made up of 6 consecutive weeks of community work.

 I really appreciated the fact that we paid our relevant communities a visit. We were given the opportunity to have a look around at what makes up the particular community that we will be working in. Mine is called kwaDabeka.

 

 

 I grew up in a little and fairly ‘plain’ town called Piet Retief, which was surrounded by informal settlements and townships very similar to kwaDabeka.  When having to compare kwaDabeka to the ones that I have seen before I would say that kwaDabeka is a notch better off in a lot of aspects.

 What stood out to me when we drove into the community, was how close to Westville, New Germany and Pinetown, kwaDabeka is! Another thing that surprised me was the number of face brick houses there were. I have been to places where most of the houses are made up of dense mud and corrugated iron. The traditional "rondavel" could not be seen anywhere which may be the influence of urban life. There were also not as many animals such as chickens and goats running around on the streets. The roads were well kept as I did not see one obstruction like a pothole.

The first thing that I noticed when I stepped on ‘kwaDabekan’ soil, was the warm “Sawbona”,“Yebos” or bright smiles we received from the inhabitants! I think that it is vitally important not to forget that we are assisting the community with our skills and knowledge which I call ‘blending in’. We can only do so by getting to know the people, their culture and the structure by which the community functions.

The first uncomfortable thing I felt was the incredible heat! There was no way of escaping it! That could have also been the reason as to why there were such few people to be seen! We were given the opportunity to walk along the road for a while. It was at a robot where I saw a familiar face coming up to me and greeting me by my first name! Xolani!...an old school friend. I had seen him on our campus before but I did not know that he was from the area. He told me that he was running a business up the street which he is very excited about!

Talking about businesses in the community, there are tons! They range from small things such as sweets to animals and car parts. What I also noticed was how many pubs there were in such a small circumference. I am assuming that a great deal of socialising goes on in there in the afternoons. The main form of transport that was evident were taxis.

We also go to meet the councillor, Bongani Gumede. He said that in the upcoming year their aim will be to equip young people with relevant skills, which in his opinion, is what South Africa needs to fight the poverty. It is good to have been introduced to Mr Gumede because I am sure that somewhere along the way of our community work, we will require his assistance in whatever we are planning to do.

In order to work successfully with the people in kwaDabeka and other communities, it is vitally important to get to know the people a little better. By this I mean spending time with the people, getting to know the communities culture, their beliefs, their strengths and weaknesses. This can only be done by spending sufficient time with them, which is what we are planning on doing today! I am really looking forward to mixing and mingling with the people! It is so important to learn how a community functions before one start with programmes and the likes.

Like Goethe said, “...to know someone who thinks & feels with us, & who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.”
We were also introduced to people such as Daniel (living with CP) and Joe (immigrant from US) who told us about their unique experiences in the communities as a disabled and as a total foreigner! This was highly interesting to hear about their perspectives and their thoughts and feeling about certain things. Daniels story touched me the most because as I was listening to him, it became pretty clear to me that his needs are very similar to yours and mine. They are a longing for love and recognition. This just showed me again that even though people are disabled, they still have a heart and a soul that needs to be looked after.

What a busy but informative week it was!

 

 

4^th Year....SAY WHAT!?!

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

It is here! Our fourth and final year has arrived and I am slowly starting to get a grip on the thought of having to tune back into reality. For New Years, we went down to the beach to watch the firework display, which is a huge attraction every single year! What made this year so extra special was that it didn’t rain for once plus there were 80 odd sky lanterns floating around high up in the sky. We also brought along one, which we lit and were about to let go, when we realised that it had great difficulty rising up into the air. Many bystanders had caught sight of our struggling lantern which was now heading for rocks and instead of laughing and ‘writing’ the lantern off, they CHEERED it on!...all of a sudden a gust of wind caught hold of the lantern and very slowly, it gently rose into the night, joining the others in the vast darkness, vigorously shining its little light, which could still be seen from miles away!  As I was sitting there and observing this whole scenario, I thought to myself what a great picture it paints of our lives as OT students, who very often stumble and take quite a while to regain their ‘orientation’ in order to start rising above the ‘rocks’ and into a 'sky' of possibilities where we are called to shine our little lights in every possible way. It is up to every single one of us to...”be the change that you would like to see in the world.”

Here is to another year full of special moments, hard work, loss of orientation, hardships, life lessons and love for others.

xxx