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May 23rd, 2007, A Typical Day, by Susan Green

A typical day in the life of an Edzimkulu volunteer:

Children having lunch at the creche.

At 6:45 this morning I received a call from Dave who was on his way to the village to take the blood that was being collected from our HIV + patients back to Underberg lab. (We live 45 minutes from the village.) He was stranded by the side of the road. It was -10c. Fresh snow was on the mountain tops. It had been very cold with blistering winds for a few days already. The radiator had cracked in the Mazda truck which has 300,000 km on it. We rescued Dave with the Isuzu which has 320,000 km on it; after getting diesel containers filled for the tractor we use in the village then had the Mazda towed. The 1991 VW kombi, which we just got back from the shop yesterday (after weeks of work), would not start. The roads we travel on are worst than the ads you might see for new 4x4's. We transport patients, blood samples, volunteers and health workers to and from the villages, orphan food parcels which weigh at least 1500 lbs and materials for construction .Without reliable transportation we can do little.

I digress! We got to the village dropped off supplies, an HIV/AIDS education class was in progress, the students for the health exchange program were all huddled around the recently installed stove, and the last of the patients was seen for blood samples. JD and Joel stayed in the village to continue with a number of construction projects (i.e. installing a second wood burning stove in the thatched roof buildings so we could use the facilities in winter) as well as tutoring and driving lessons for the team while Dave and I left... not before dropping off bread, peanut butter and soya milk for the creche and taking a patient home to get his ID # so we could process his blood sample.

On our way home I receive a call from the Underberg Country Women knitters saying they have more sweaters for us and another call asking if I could return to the village as we had an unexpected guest from the Valley Trust who wanted to see what we were doing that was getting such positive press.

On arrival at our house I learn that we have burst pipes, therefore need a plumber, and that the man to do the controlled burn on the property was ready to get underway... all this before 10:30 AM. (for the lawyers /insurance types in my group of friends, if a fire starts on your property in SA and spreads to your neighbors you are entirely liable....thus the burning of grasses on properties all over SA at this time of year.

This same day:

• One of our new home based care trainees gave birth in the village much to everyone's surprise as no one knew she was pregnant. She returned to classes after only one day's absence.

• A call to the mechanic provided the information that the overheated Mazda had not only a cracked radiator but a cracked cylinder.

• We would get no water to our house for two more days because the pump which takes the water from the river is no longer functioning.

• Calls to the Dept. of Education and Health to get better clarity on the impact of what maybe a national strike by the entire public sector (i.e. police, teachers, health, and prison wardens) effective June 1, 2007.

I won't continue but you can see how flexible one must be to manage an operation like this half way around the world from Edmonton. Jim and Chris Newton have been moving mountains against all odds. They have started something that has captured the imagination and hearts of people both in South Africa and Canada. I am convinced that they have found the right formula not only for making headway in the AIDS pandemic but in building bridges that result in better understanding between and among cultures.

Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement. We are involved in a truly wonderful project in Ndawana with truly remarkable people.

Be well my friends.

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