Home stretch

Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote. Things have changed so much in the last weeks and we are now already in the home stretch. It is hectic and I love it. Kim and I only have a month and a bit left in Zithulele and there is a lot to be done at the Foundation.

Much of my time is taken up with a renovation project. Accommodation is scarce here and we needed to find space for health professionals and volunteers. We decided on renovating the old clinic building – a 50 year old structure that is in amazing shape. See www.igiveada.mn (do you see what he did there?) to read more about Andy Duncan and his team that are coming out to work on it in December. Before they get here we are doing a lot of prep work on the site and building and trying to ensure that all materials are going to be there on time. It’s exciting and just the kind of work that I like: pressure, clear goal, short timescale.

At the same time I am trying to get things into shape here for the new team of volunteers. I am not sure that I have made it clear to you all that the Jabulani Foundation is amazing. There is such a mint group of folk here with great skills and vision and energy and it has been a privilege to be part of it. IT has also been bastardly hard going on the emotions and everything else. But we have achieved a lot and there is scope for so much more with a bigger team. What I could do if I had the luxury of delegation. Mmm. Oh poo, I need to write the November newsletter. See?

We have got some tree guys here cutting down big blue gums that overhang our volunteer accommodation (never fear, prospective volunteers, they are gonna be gone soon). It is utterly cool watching them work as they tie off a huge limb to another tree and chainsaw it off to be lowered to the ground by a team on ropes. They are nice too – cut us some 4 inch cross sections to make into road signs and table tops. When I say ‘us, I mean someone who is better at making stuff out of trees.

We had a guy called Carlos here today. Trying to get him to shoot and edit a film for us to promote the Foundation and hospital. He is a good chap and has made some cool films (http://www.ahbfilms.blogspot.com). He is currently making a film about how bees are very endangered in South Africa. The blue gum trees that we are cutting down are havens for bees apparently, so he had an issue with that. They are non indigenous trees (Australian, I think) and there is a big drive to kill off such species and replace with indigenous species, but he says people don’t consider the spin offs that could occur. Really interesting chat. It’s never as simple as it seems. We are cutting them down so they don’t drop branches and kill our volunteers so my conscious is clear. Anyway, we have a tree hugger called Roger who is gonna plant a million indigenous trees. In fact, if you want to sponsor the planting of one, give me a shout. R250 and it is done, fenced and fertilized to get a good start.

So basically it is all go and the crapola slump that I was in (working alone, going mental) for a good few weeks has passed, thank goodness. Thanks to those who listened to me moaning.

Kim carries on chopping women’s tummies open and pulling babies out (that is where she is now) and that is good.

Clint’s birthday party was amazing. Someone told me to write that. It was mint to see Mike and Adri again and eat more of Mike’s legendary chicken with his new hot sauce (check out supermarket shelves).