So it has been quite a while since I have written. Yes, I know, I’m terrible. There are people here
who actually update their blogs weekly I have no idea what is wrong with them. You are in South
Africa; get the hell away from your computer. Sorry I’m being a little passionate, I have just spent
two weeks straight on a computer and my eyes are shot and my carpel-tunnel syndrome is thoroughly
flared.
Regardless, I realized I should update some of you on what exactly it is I’m doing here. The program
I’m on is a service-learning program, thus I take classes while working at a service site, developing a
service project. My service site is at Yabonga, a HIV/AIDS outreach and support NGO. They have a
bunch of support centers out in the townships where they run adult support groups, youth groups, and a
program for orphaned and vulnerable children. Yabonga only employs HIV positive people, and mainly
women. I, with another girl from my program, are helping Yabonga oversee and supervise this new
program for post-high school youth who did not move on to tertiary education and who have grown out
of Yabonga youth groups. Each youth works part-time as an assistant in one of Yabonga’s programs for
a 9-month contract. Their stipend comes from a government fund. During all of this, they are also
supposed to be receiving skills building courses and career counseling. Myself and the other girl are
supposed to be mentors to these youth, of which there are 7. We visit them at their sites in the townships
and are tying to spearhead the personal development aspect of the program. We also have been writing
teaching manuals for Internet and computer skills, which was why I was on a computer this whole past
week. Overall a good mix of office work and out in the field stuff. Its definitely challenging, particularly
working with someone else (I’m kinda a control freak, I bet you couldn’t have guessed) but I do feel
pretty comfortable in that setting so I guess that’s a good sign.
