Tsepong Journals August 2009 -Part 1

I am heading back to Africa after a two year absence. I can’t help but reflect on where I have been since May of 2007 when Chris Steingart, Shelley Donelle and I travelled here for two weeks. It seems the entire world has been turned upside down along with a good portion of my private and professional life……one storm, one struggle after another and all heaped up on top of a campaign that has had it’s share of ups and downs since the global economic crises hit last fall. I carried the campaign with some strength two years ago, which peaked in October of 2008 with the $1 million celebration event at the University of Guelph. Mayors and MP’s from three cities were there along with the president of the University, the High Commissioner of Lesotho, board members from OHAfrica and the newly branded Bracelet of Hope Board, our new University Student Team, Student Reach, along with local television and the Guelph Mercury. Bracelets of Hope had raised enough to keep Tsepong alive until 2010 and I was exhausted.

The Bracelet of Hope Church Engagement Committee sent four of its members to Tsepong with Andy in October 2008. They represented four churches and three denominations from three communities. This team, I was particularly proud of …….and while they were away, the entire world shifted, economies crumbled and what appeared to be a very reasonable goal of raising $50,000 per month through all of our varied partners, crumbled with them. By February of 2009, both OHAfrica and Bracelets of Hope struggled with the new, harsh reality that neither might succeed, thousands may be stranded on unsustainable ARV’s, the incidence of AIDS would climb again in Lesotho along with the death rate, and life expectancy would descend further. A catastrophe beyond imagination for all who had dedicated so much of their lives to the rescue of this beloved country.

My state of mind plummeted along with any sense of emotional equilibrium. By February, I did the only thing that was left to do, something I wish I could have done at the start of the campaign, I let it all go. I handed the struggle of my professional and private life, the monstrous weight of the campaign and the fate of Tsepong to God.

This past week, as I prepared to travel to Lesotho again, this time with a small army of eager people, I had the privilege of hearing God’s magnificent voice and seeing a new vision for my life. In recent years I have described my spiritual state as clinging to the foot of the cross, barely hanging on to His beautiful feet while the storms of life and death, suffering and illness threatened to swallow me whole. God replaced this tired image with a new one. I let go of His feet and reached up to take his hand, no longer a frail and exhausted woman but a revitalized, eager and joyful child of God. I saw His eyes and a small glimpse of the depth of His love for me and for all of humanity.

He said, and I quote, " I will take it from here, you are good to go. Well done.”

My broken heart, the shattered pieces of my life are in His hands. The suffering and dying of Africa are in His hands. Lesotho is in His hands.

All is well and it is so good with my soul.

August 15th, 2009

I climbed into the Airport bus and joined my already exhausted colleagues and travel-mates: Andy McDougall, Executive Director of the Bracelet of Hope Campaign, Phillip Maher, International Photojournalist and long-time friend, Rob O’Flanagan, Guelph Mercury Journalist and Brenda Halloran, the Mayor of Waterloo. Not much to say to each other at this hour and given the fact that the members of this team were virtually strangers to one another until a dinner meeting at my place last week, we were all likely a little wary of what the next three weeks would bring as we live in close quarters and share some powerful experiences.

Three years ago, on my first trip to Lesotho, I traveled with my then 15 year old son, Adam. I was a terrified mom and family doctor who hadn’t slept for weeks wondering what I had gotten myself into. Something significant and awe inspiring must have happened since than for me to have gained the privilege of leading this gifted and powerful group of people. God love’em. They must actually think I know what I am doing.

Toronto at 6 am, on a flight to La Guardia in New York, a taxi to JFK, a 15 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, a connecting flight to Durban, a rented Toyota van and a 20 minute drive through Durban to the Indian Ocean. Twenty eight hours of travel and we are here. It was absolutely exhausting. I realized during the flight that in two years I have changed physically and sitting for 15 hours has become very painful. I won’t be able to do this when I am old. Sleeping on a plane has become impossible. Rob sat behind Andy and me. Every time I looked over my shoulder to make sure he was OK, he was sleepin’ like a newborn. I thought about spitting at him a couple of times but restrained myself. He is about to write articles about this trip and the AIDS activist spitting at him only 12 hours in, just may not be the right move.

August 16th,2009

Our first stop on this trip will be Eshowe, SA and the Inina Craft Agency, that beautiful group of South African women who have made 320,000 bracelets for Bracelets of Hope so far. We detoured while in Durban for a short walk on the beach and a brief glimpse of the Indian Ocean. The Mayor, soon to become Brenda to all of us or just "MAYOR” when we really want her attention, trotted out gleefully to dip her toes and was rushed by a wave that swamped her to her thighs. I caught Rob bending to pick up stones, his camera draped over his back. He reassured me that he was actually blowing the stones off before cramming them into his pocket not licking them which is how it looked from my vantage point.

The vehicle we rented was a large white Toyota van. When we asked for a map and directions to Eshowe, we were presented with a window mounted GPS Unit complete with a sultry female South African voice who marshaled out directions at every turn. She became the fodder of many male oriented jokes much to the chagrin of the more refined females on board.

On to the George Hotel in Eshowe, South Africa, a century old, slightly run down but utterly charming Inn, and there to greet us were Brittany, Matt, Ashley, Nicole and Parry the student representatives of Student Reach. All nineteen years of age, all from high schools in Guelph and area, and now attending four universities in Ontario, all inspired by the vision of Ashley Bondad and Abid Virani. This group should make every parent in the country proud. In just three short years, Ashley and Abid have started their own charitable organization whose focus is global outreach, specifically in the third world. Bracelets of Hope was lucky enough to catch their attention last year and now, among several other incredible projects they support, Student Reach has set a goal of raising $25 million from Universities across the country: A bracelet on the wrist of every student, and an end to AIDS in Lesotho. A pretty impressive goal but not nearly as impressive as each of these young people. Every one is a future Nobel Peace Prize Winner in my humble opinion and it has become a great privilege to encourage and mentor them.

Student Reach has just spent the bulk of their summer working at IMUMA, an orphanage that they sustain financially, in Tanzania. That’s right ladies and gents, they sustain this orphanage and did I tell you they are just 19. No one lead them to IMUMA and suggested it might be cool for them to do this. No one paid their way. They found IMUMA and elected to do this work on their own. I should just stop writing now because who needs to hear about anything else. Once their time in Tanzania was up, they made their way to Lesotho on August 2nd.

Andy had spent the last two weeks working diligently from his perch at our Bracelet of Hope Campaign office in Guelph, trying to find a way to get these kids from Lesotho, across South Africa to Eshowe. It was particularly important for him to do this for Meaghen Morris, the Bishop Mac student who started Celtics Without Borders at her school and had managed to raise over $60,000 for Bracelets of Hope. The bracelets and seeing the women who made them was very important to Meaghen. Unfortunately, Meaghen fell ill and Abid elected to stay in Lesotho with her. They were both so disappointed.

That first night at the George, all of us exhausted beyond words, sitting with these students in the bar, we began building relationships and our shared dream of seeing the end of the AIDS pandemic in Lesotho.

August 17th, 2009

The next day, Thandizale, the Manager of the Inina Cratft agency, arrived at the Hotel from Inina, just a few kilometres away and there was a joyful reunion between Thandizale, Andy and me. Next to arrive was Duncan that afternoon. I caught up to him as he was checking in and gave him a powerful, ‘it is so great to see you’ hug. Duncan Hay works for the University of Kwa ZuluNatal in SA and runs the Centre of Environmental and Agricultural Development (CEAD). One of this progressive University’s mandates is to assist and create rural development projects throughout Sub Saharan Africa. The Inina Craft Agency is one such project. Under Duncan’s leadership and love, Inina has become a thriving, self sufficient organization that employs hundreds of very poor African women.

By 3 pm, we had all gathered on this beautiful big veranda that wrapped lovingly around the George. Step back for a minute as you read and put this image in your mind. Eleven people, 6 of them university students from schools across Ontario, the family doctor/ mom turned AIDS Activist from Guelph, the Mayor of Waterloo, the international photojournalist from Guelph, the Guelph Mercury journalist, the CEO of Bracelets of Hope (from Guelph), The director of CEAD from the University of Kwa ZuluNatal, and the manager of the Inina Craft Agency, a group of native African women, expert in the art of traditional Zulu crafting.

Can you see it? Can you imagine? A fantastic group of people from so many walks of life, all here in Africa and all with the same focused vision and dream. Right here, on this veranda, is everything we need to build the massive machinery we need to end AIDS in Lesotho.

There have been many times in the last 9 days when I have said to myself and to whomever might be listening, "Who gets to do this? Who gets to experience this? What have I done to receive such gifts”.

August 19th 2009 – Inina Revisited

The first time I visited Inina was in March of 2007 with Shelley Donelle, the outreach worker from Innerkip Presbyterian Church and Dr. Chris Steingart, Infectious Disease Specialist and now co-founder of the Masai Centre in Waterloo and the Sanguen Health Clinic in KW. I missed them as I revisited Inina. This was also the first time that I met Duncan Hay and the first time I saw where the bracelets of hope were being made. So much has happened in the two years since.

Inina has been transformed. It has risen above decay. It is a tribute to Guelph and a testament to what just 314,000 red and white beaded bracelets and a successful $ 1 million campaign can accomplish.

Aurelia is one of the Director’s of Inina and one of the founding mother’s, so to speak. She is in her 70’s and is one of the wisest, most prophetic people I have ever met. She has aged significantly in the last 2 years and has lost a considerable amount of weight. A tower of strength, a powerful South African Woman recently given the title of one of South Africa’s most Iconic women, she has declined physically. I was worried as I greeted her. Her son died last September and she is surprised at how much this has affected her. This is a woman who has risen above extreme poverty, apartheid, and the disastrous effect of HIV/AIDS on her community. Even she, can only take so much.

She spoke to us at length with such wisdom and love. She described how the local church has been praying for Inina and the campaign in Canada, "A long chain of love that connects us to you.” We all sat in one of the rooms of the craft agency, the Canadian Team and the women of Inina, 15 craft producers from across the region of Eshowe, all hired and supported by Inina, all making crafts and bracelets for the Bracelet of Hope Campaign, all supporting themselves and their families.

Inina is a zulu word which translates to, "The women that have Dignity”.

Thandizale started working with Inina in 1985. The support she has received from UKZN and Duncan Hay along with the BOH campaign, has changed her, as she describes it from an ordinary women to an extraordinary women.

Inina now employs 145 women who work from home making crafts in their communities. They now create a wide variety of products and have over 300 clients including other international clients. They are beginning to make products for international conferences including the upcoming 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa. They have made over 314,000 bracelets and over 1.3 million rand in bracelet sales. 50,000 Rand was used to put a new roof on a local orphanage. In September of 2008, the partnership between the Bracelet of Hope Campaign, the University of Guelph, UKZN and Inina won the Global Best Award for Africa presented at the 9th International Partnership Conference in Helsinki, Finland. Duncan and I received the award on behalf of our partners. It now sits proudly at Inina.

In Thandizale’s words, "Our partnership with Bracelets of Hope has made us brave, courageous and strong.

Under Aurelia and Thandizale’s direction, everyone in the room introduced themselves. Each member of our Canadian Team was cheered by this group of South African crafters.

I tearfully sat and listened to Aurelia’s prophetic words for me. I was humbled and honoured by this woman as she spoke.

Aurelia’s words:

"You were given this purpose when you were a clot in your mother’s womb. You were given a deep love for Africa. You were created to serve Africa. You know that you cannot do this alone, you need a team of people, each one necessary to get the work done. You will use your degrees, your intelligence, your gifts and talents for this purpose. God has created you for this.”

A wonderful gift and a daunting commission.

Our team of 11 traveled to Aurelia’s day orphanage, a project she created with funds she had raised selling vegetables from her market garden and making bracelets at Inina. We were all smothered by forty plus orphans and vulnerable pre-schoolers who are now cared for in an expanded facility built with some assistance from a local Rotary Group. They are taught, fed and loved during the day and sent home with older siblings to empty homes at night. Many were born and orphaned by AIDS since my last visit here in 2007.

It is August 22nd.

I am sitting here looking out my window at the mountain behind our compound. The sun rises fast and even though it is just after 8 am, it is already high in the sky. The cool mist of the morning air is still lingering just above the villager’s huts on the mountain. The Mayor of Waterloo is in the room adjacent to mine. I made her coffee in bed this morning and told her to drink in the beauty of Lesotho: laundry is already up, outdoor fires are lit and families have moved out of their cold huts to soak in the hot morning sun still wrapped in their Basotho Blankets. It is early spring and all around me, spring gardens are poking through the earth. By the grace of God I slept through the 4 am chorus of roosters.

We have spent the better part of a week traveling across South Africa from Eshowe, where the bracelets are made, to Lesotho. When the landscape closer to the mountains began to resemble Lesotho, I descended very rapidly into a deep place of grief. I was sitting beside Rob.

Rob is a deep thinker, very intelligent, intuitive and wise. I struggled to keep my emotions at bay but he was wise to the fact that something was up. While Rob and Phil exited the van to take a washroom break, I turned to Andy and Brenda and told them that I was not holding it together very well. Andy held me for a good 10 minutes as I released this incredibly powerful and unexpected wave off deep grief. Suddenly, in my mind, I was at my mother’s bedside, holding her hand as she died and than I was at Tsepong, standing at Tumi’s side, the 2 year old who died a horrific death at the hands of HIV and TB in the fall of 2006. I was flooded by every image of death and grief and suffering I had witnessed at Tsepong. It was terrifying. Andy whispered these deeply comforting words and reminded me that I was not doing this on my own anymore, that this time, I had my "Peop’s” with me.

Back to my morning coffee.

Phil and Rob O’Flanagan have developed a remarkable friendship and are joking with each other constantly. Rob has quickly become well loved by the entire team and took it upon himself to drive the entire 11 hours it took to cross the border into Lesotho. We are all becoming fast friends. Phillip’s wit which is alarming kin to Rob’s, has us in stitches constantly. Their wise cracks cover a vast range of ridiculous topics that the rest of us, except Andy who deftly joins in, can barely keep up with. The mayor has already identified herself as the next champion of the cause. She is carefully choosing where to go and what to see to gain the maximum exposure she needs to tell the story of Lesotho to her community. She and I have spent hours discussing and strategizing our most efficacious next steps. She is a powerful woman with incredible strength and confidence that is uniquely balanced with compassion and kindness. She watches people, and for the lucky ones around her, she looks for ways to serve and care for them. Because of her, the seed in our neighbouring community is already growing.

The Mercury is doing something way beyond my human expectation. Rob blogs and submits twice daily. He watches everything around him from a distance and fiercely soaks in all the details. He has fallen in love with Lesotho and has been captured by the beauty of Africa, Lesotho and its people. He will tell a marvelous story, parts of which have already appeared in the KW record and the Guelph Mercury. His first blog entry this past Monday, received 9,000 hits. People are listening to the story of Lesotho.

Last night the Bracelet of Hope Team and the Student Reach Team had dinner together. Six incredible, 19 year old university students who have followed Abid Virani’s dream for Africa and Bracelets of Hope and spent the last 8 weeks in Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and the final three in Lesotho. They head home the day after tomorrow and straight back to their university lives. They are on a mission together to raise $25 million for Bracelets of Hope in high schools and on university campuses. They wore those bracelets across Africa as they served orphans and students in three countries.

They made this remarkable meal last night and graciously hosted their senior colleagues. I looked around this tiny living room while everyone ate and engaged in non-stop conversation that covered topics from the global economy to guitar music to African dance to the transmission of HIV in prostitutes in Zaire.

How blessed am I to have this team, each member impassioned by the people of Lesotho and driven to reach our goal of seeing one country AIDS free.

It is now noon. Phil, Brenda, Rob and Andy have headed off to Ptseng where Rob is teaching high school students a class in journalism and CV writing…long story but lets just say that Rob did not even miss a beat. I have spent a glorious morning with Matt and Abid as they have recounted the story of their summer. I kicked them out about two hours ago so that I could do laundry and journaling. They knocked on my door and burst into the room just before lunch with their music blaring and started this synchronized African dance routine in my kitchen. Beautiful! I joined in briefly but my 45 year old knee popped so I settled for hilarious observation on the couch warning them that I was writing about their antics. The joy and strength of youth.

A proud moment……as I write, Abid and Matt have settled down, laptop in place, they are journaling too. I don’t just have three children, I have 10. Who could possibly be more blessed.

Sunday August 23rd

Plans were made to hike up the mountain at 11:30 am. Brenda and I heard some beautiful voices from somewhere down the road. It was a church service and they were right next door in a large brick building. I was attracted like a magnet. I told Brenda that I would only stay to listen to the praise and worship but as soon as I made my way in I was captured and captivated. I sat in the first empty row which was about half way from the front. Before I new it, the rows magically filled and I was surrounded. There was no leaving now without being rude. I quickly texted Andy and told him of my predicament. The mayor found her way in next followed thirty minutes later by Andy, Phil and Rob. Rob, being an expert journalist and keen on sniffing out a story, allowed himself to be ushered to the front of the church where an interpreter quickly took his side. He stayed for the entire service and I don’t think he regretted a single minute.

It was lovely. Praise and worship ended with an anthem/hymn of sorts. The rows on either side of the centre isle made their way towards one another and the entire church linked hands. Everyone swayed from side to side and they sang a prayer for Lesotho, the well being of the people and the survival of the country. It was powerful and poignant.

I made my way out in about 90 minutes, just as my back started to complain. I grabbed the mayor and found Phil outside. Andy had made his way up the mountain on his own. The service started at 11 am. We arrived back after running some errands at 2:30 pm and the service was just ending.

God is very important to these people and they ‘do’ Sundays very well.

7:00 pm:

Our final evening with the Student Reach Kids. What a gift it has been to share this special time in Lesotho with them. They leave at 06:30 tomorrow morning, just before I start my first clinic at Tsepong. I have been agitated and irritable all day, apologizing repeatedly to anyone I was short with. I love treating patients at Tsepong but it comes with a price.