Day 6 Community Service Day

We started our day at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The largest hospital in South Africa with 4000 beds. We pass through the armored gates and drive nearly a mile to get to the Psychiatric child HIV buildings, Ward 80. Here we are let into the day room armed with paint, rollers, and brushes to give it a white wash in preparation for murals, which will be painted by the next P2P delegation. The ward houses the children with HIV that have severe psychiatric disabilities. Wall and ceilings have peeling paint, dry wall is kicked out by some of the more disturbed patients. The accommodations are sparse, a cot, blanket and pillow and a window with jail bars. It’s really depressing, yet it is the only care available for these children.

Our students manage to get more paint on the walls and ceiling than on the floor or themselves (barely!) After two hours the room was ready to move the couches back in, and the students had almost cleaned the paint from hands, arms, legs and hair. Before we left the hospital, we presented the head warden with a suitcase full of stuffed animals, art supplies and toys for the children.

We then took a tour of Soweto – the most well known township in Jo burg. It was the hotbed of political activity, including the slaying of the first student, Hector Peterson, during a demonstration that went sour. There are matchbook houses in rows that were government housing for men, still occupied although newer houses are being built. There are now some very nice homes just across the street (and dumping grounds). Kenny explained that it is prestigious to say you are from Soweto as it signifies a status in the historic struggle with Apartheid. We go to a B&B for lunch and have authentic SA food, including food never seen or tasted before. A local guitarist serenades us, and we pass around a hat to than him.

After lunch we head to Masibambisane Center – a day care center for hundreds of children whose lives are affected by HIV and poverty. Elton John established the center in 2005. Currently 220 children from 3-18 attend each day for activities, a warm plate of food and attention in the form of songs, games and crafts. Our students help serve the meal, and then divide into 3 groups. One group plays games on the playground with the itty-bitty children. One group stays inside and sub-divides into groups to work on collages with the middle age group. Another group go with the teenagers for an afternoon of line dancing. The teens laugh at our boys since they don’t seem to know how to dance very well! We spend 2 hours laughing and playing with our new friends. At the end, they all assemble in a room and we present them with a song – “Alice the Camel” using a bed sheet from the hotel and some “Zeb-bra” hand masks. The children all laugh. Andrew gives a lovely presentation to the students and faculty, and we leave them with two huge suitcases full of school supplies, bags of socks, hats, t-shirts and toys knowing that no matter how much we give them, they have given us more!