I am back
Posted in 1 on July 30, 2008 by brandihill
I AM BACK I apologize for the leave of absence. As you can imagine, getting settled now, on a permanent basis has been a timely process. However, I am almost settled and things seem to be getting organized, VERYYYY slowly, but surely. This would probably be perfect timing for an “African Time” joke but because I now reside in Africa I am highly sensitive to any reference regarding the continent’s issues on time management. The frequent visits to South Africa’s Office of Home Affairs (where residency paperwork is done- or in my case, not done) have seemed to decrease in frequency. I now only visit about twice a week versus the initial daily visits. EVERYONE there knows my name and I recently had to explain to the janitor that I, in fact, do not work there.
THANK GOD FOR SOLITARE Service in government facilities here could be compared to that of, America’s tax collectors offices, DMVs, and for all my legal friends, Public Defender’s office, combined and then multiplied by 10. They are disastrous to no belief. Except here I also encounter a language barrier which in this country works against me. Unfortunately South Africa has yet to embrace those little number machines, where you take a number and just sit and wait until its called. So people just sit sporadically all around the waiting rooms somehow remembering who is next, to be served. Needless, to say, I am a foreigner and I can’t understand what’s being said around me, so I get skipped, ALOT. It use to bother me, like to the point of near tears, but I have calmed down and realized that I have little control of what goes on around me once I enter that building called Home Affairs. For those, who know me well, my type A personality has diminished, I have long passed the TYPE B personality, and now I lie somewhere in between a TYPE Z personality and the complete unconscious personality. These tedious processes no longer affect me, they merely build character – crazy, crazy, psychotic character and I thank GOD hourly that my laptop has solitaire.
THANKS Again, I want to thank everyone! All the individuals and the student organizations at the University of Florida who helped in gathering the school supplies. Also those on facebook who helped in covering the cost of shipping and the spam email respondents (sorry I don’t usually send out mass emails begging my friends and family for dollars but towards the end there, things were looking desperate with the shipping) – thanks to the complete strangers who logged on and donated $1 and $2 – it added up! Of course, Mrs. Trevett who contributed $300 to the initiative. She has always been a long time supporter of my trips and I want to thank her and her family of social workers J All of this added up and I was able to ship the supplies successfully. After much confusion with the airline prices and policies I was forced to find a shipping company last minute. Thanks to XS Baggage.com who graciously helped by granting a substantial discount of $1000 off the total price of shipping. Yes, shipping is that expensive!
50 CENT TOILET PAPER 2 weeks after my arrival I traveled to fetch the supplies at South Africa’s Customs Office. I was greeted by a public servant who doesn’t serve the public and a $340 tax fee and some other various, “you are foreign- and we want to take your money” administrative fee . These fees were obviously not an option considering I just put my last $100 in my friend’s gas tank before the 2 hour drive there. After having a complete breakdown in the public restroom, the bathroom attendant help me clean the tears off my face …then charged me for the toilet paper I used. Capitalism is catching on here.
IMPORTANT MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR After cleaning myself up, I realized this was one big conspiracy and that I, Miss. Brandi Hill needed to speak to a manager, because he would surely prioritize my desperate need to attain the 500 pounds of coloring books. From other similar situations I have been in, I know, in places like this manager’s offices are generally located behind big security gates and not for security reasons either, but because they hide away from the Americans who want to better understand what “administrative fees” are. So after paying the gate attendant my McDonalds money I saved for the drive home, I got in the office building of the Director of Air Cargo South Africa. I walked confidently up to his secretary (in my cut off jeans and Nike hoodie) and told her that I had a meeting with the Director (that she didn’t know about?) AND he was expecting me. THANK GOD his name was written on the door. I won’t lie, I used my thickest American accent to weasel my way through her doubts, while cautious of my flip-flops, she rung him anyways to make him aware I was waiting. After waiting for about 2 hours outside his door, he invited me in. Needless, to say he was confused on my presence but a little impressed with my diligence. He couldn’t explain the administrative fees, after some small talk, I showed him my website and offered him and his family a photoshoot, it wasn’t long before he agreed to waive the taxes AND the mysterious admin fees. He was a very understanding man! (I believe in America this is called networking). He even had one of his assistants walk me into the warehouse where all the cargo was and I got to skip the tedious 17 hour searching process (no exaggeration that’s how back logged they were). I will post the pictures of him and his family soon! Very nice family. After getting the supplies home I sorted them by age and sex which took about 2 days.
GRACE PERIOD EXTENSION? Since, my arrival I have been volunteering at a primary school in the Thabane, Township. I say volunteering, because it has been 6 weeks and I have yet to see my first pay check J When and if I do get paid it will be R5,000 a month that is $666. I thought it was going to be more, but just recently I learned about the country’s income tax scheme at a whopping %14. WHEW! It may be time for me to begin looking for a paying job because the “grace” period offered by the U.S.’s student loan program is losing its grace. They are already starting with the harassing, “we want money phone calls” (there is nothing “graceful” about these phone calls) Anyways, This school is the same school in which I run the after school program for at-risk orphans so no matter what I decide, I will still be able to spend time with the kids. Mr. Obama if you are reading this, all the recent graduates could use a pardon on our school loans. We are trying to make it out here and the school loans are stressing us out- Thank you!
HEWLETT PACKARD This school I work at is a very needy school. It is located in the heart of the most poverty ridden township in the area, Thabane. You will see what Thabane looks like in the photos I posted. I recently was able to get 25 computers donated to the school from Hewlett Packard. They eventually do respond when you email them 357 times (I am not exaggerating). I have been trying to teach computers since my arrival. I say try because the instruction here at this school is done in the local language of Tswana. I am learning the language QUICKLY- especially all the important phrases like, be quite, sit down, stop that and most important,I love you too) J
KIDS ARE HUNGRY While working I have noticed great need with all the students at the school. Again, I am witnessing students sharing pencils with their neighbors because they cannot afford their own. Additionally, I am witnessing hunger. I didn’t witness such hunger in the rural schools I have worked in. I am seeing the typical signs of extreme hunger like hoarding of food and malnutrition, 12 year olds look like 9 year olds. This is something I am working on confronting through my after-school program (you will read in the photo captions)
THEY ARE GRATEFUL For the school supply give away, I selected the 50 most neediest orphans and created bags filled with your donated supplies, candy and oranges, and I was even able to purchase paper to fill the folders with and a little more supplies on this side with the extra cash donations. The 50 who received supplies were instructed to bring these supplies to class everyday and share them with their peers-so the supplies are actually helping all the students at the school. Additionally, on the day of the school supply delivery every student at the school received 2 pencils, 2 pens, and an eraser. You will see in the pictures where I even made some home deliveries due to the absence of some of the kids. Then afterwards, I was even able to travel around Thabane and hand out the extra folders, pens and pencils. There was plenty to go around and the extra deliveries in the shanty-towns were a true treat. While the residents were a little confused at what exactly I was doing there, after we opened the trunk and they saw all the pencils they all hesitantly approached, then when we assured them they were free, they were truly grateful, especially the parents.
I hope everyone reading this can take the time to view the pictures. It is important to keep in mind that standards of living are relative to where one lives, however, emotions and aspirations are not. The yearning to want better for your children is a universal concept. These people, especially the foreigners from Zimbabwe and Mozambique want very badly for their children to be educated. Several of them came together and approached me about teaching their children because they cannot afford to put their children in school, offering to pay me what little money they had- these foreigners know that education is the only thing that will save their child.
Please take the time to view the photos in the album called: School Supply Delivery in Thabane: http://www.brandihill.com/gallery/5574199_hranS#341755856_wTQ5N
Also if you would like to personally help any of the people in the photos please email me at info@photosforafrica.org
I can facilitate ANYTHING- I live here now and have daily contact with everyone in the area.
J Additionally, if anyone has hacking capabilities or any connections with the student loan companies; Nelnet, Direct Loans or ESCI please contact me, I am trying to find an alternative way to pay off my student loan debt, for instance I take pretty good pictures maybe I could work out a trade of some sort, a couple of free photoshoots, or something? anything! J
Have a good one!!
