HELEN
- The physical separation of the townships from (previously) white towns & the fact
that they're 100% black
- The difference between shanty towns & townships & the squalor of the former, from
what we could see
- The old ladies! On the one hand their poverty, on the other their spirit, the welcome
they gave us, their singing & dancing
- The Zulu dancers in the school - passion, pride in their tradition & culture, lack
of self consciousness. Wow!
- The 24 hour security/armed response notices on the wire surrounding houses everywhere
we went.
- The agricultural project & its aims - to develop skills/employment, feed those who
need it
- Cultural things, like talk about traditional healing in relation to curing HIV/AIDS
- People like Mr Masina & his different roles in the community - headteacher, preacher,
choir leader, community leader & dancer.
- Seeing Africans walking along roads, sometimes with umbrellas. Roadside stalls.
- The funeral. Sophie's blanket (buried with her). The music. The eulogies. Digging
the grave.
- The hospice & conflicting feelings. White-run. corporate funding & the necessity
for this. Catholic organisation (any teaching about the use of condoms?) Completely
inadequate to meet the needs of the district which includes several townships
- The number of people who died while we were there or whose funerals were mentioned.
- The Mine - change in ownership, fears about foreign workers being brought in, how
long it will be viable. Elsa's delight at getting a permanent job
- Feeling very humbled by the generosity of our hosts, The Diamond Choir, and also
the people we met during the projects we visited.
- Feeling like V.I.P guests when we visited the Schools. The spirit and effort that
the children put into their singing and dancing was incredible - they are so full
of life!
- Seeing the Old Ladies’ faces light up as we walked into the township Community Hall
(surprise visit). They sang and danced for us - again, very humbling. A once in a
lifetime experience!
- The sadness of Maureen's daughter's funeral, but at the same time, the demonstration
of the community's togetherness - so many people came to pay their respects. Very
moving!
- I experienced how uplifting it is to sing every day and I still miss it.
- The spontaneous singing whenever we were all together was wonderful
- It was extraordinary to greet and be greeted each and every day with so much warmth,
I think we all felt liberated by it and it spurred our singing to new heights.