Training is over, now I live in Tzaneen.

Hello everyone.

As I write this, I am sitting at my desk. It is my first day on the job at Tsogang. But I get ahead of myself…

Yesterday I was sworn in as a volunteer by the US Ambassador to South Africa. So, I am now officially a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). Aside from the new acronym, my new status means I am no longer attending classes. I am actually beginning to work.

Work? I am working for a non-profit called Tsogang (http://www.tsogang.org/). We work mainly on water and sanitation projects. Since I am new, I am still trying to get a grasp on exactly what I will be doing. Tsogang is different from many of the other NGOs that my fellow PCVs are working for in that it is exceptionally well funded and well established. Another key difference is that my supervisor is not a native South African but a fellow expatriate. His name is Jon and he is from England, though he has been living in Southern Africa for over twenty years with his wife Mary. Mary is Irish.

So, my working situation promises to be very different from the typical Peace Corps experience, but very rewarding nonetheless. Instead of focusing on ways to “capacity build” within my organization, I will be learning how a sizable, seasoned NGO gets things done. I am thrilled.

Another aspect of my Peace Corps experience that is going to be a little different is my housing situation. Most volunteers end up living in a rural or peri-urban setting, surrounded by black South Africans. In other words, they live in a situation much like the one I experienced with my host family in Mabula. Village life is amazing and constantly rewarding. A simple walk around the neighbourhood inevitably yields conversations. As an American, and a white American at that, I stick out. I am known to all. I am a celebrity.

I am now living in an urban setting, in the city of Tzaneen (pronounced with a mostly silent t). Not only am I living in a city, but I am living amongst Afrikaners. That’s right: white people. Walking around my new neighbourhood is like suddenly being transported to the States—kind of. People no longer look at me. There is much less foot-traffic. There are some differences though. People drive on the left hand side of the road. Signs are in Afrikaans. Security is very tight—for me to enter my little house I have 3 fences to unlock. My windows have bars, and my door is also augmented with a gate that must be unlocked. The fences have razor wire on the top of them. So, I’m pretty safe.

The house I live in is owned by an Afrikaner couple who live on the same property in there own house. Their names are Des and Mimi. They are very nice to me. The first couple of days I lived in the house, they stopped by with food for me at various times and eventually made me a truly magnificent breakfast. Speaking of generosity, my supervisor (henceforth to be referred to as Jon) and his wife Mary are also prone to giving me food and generally making me feel welcome. So, I am well taken care of. My housing situation is quite comfortable and my working situation is exciting.

I already have a list of things to start working on for my job. Familiarizing myself with the office and the various duties of my co-workers, updating an AIDS workbook, and updating the Tsogang website are a sampling of what is on my immediate agenda. Tonight I will be visiting with some local Peace Corps Volunteers that live in a township about half an hour outside of Tzaneen. I’ve already unpacked my stuff and feel at home. I think I will try to make tacos this weekend.

So now I’m rambling… I was only able to make one blog post about my home stay, which is inadequate. My next post will reflect on village life in general and my host family in particular. My experience in Mabula deeply impacted me and deserves greater attention. While I am sad to leave the loving embrace of my host family, the Chaukes, I am also relieved to finally have some semblence of permanence. I now know where I will be, and what I will be doing in a years time.

Now that I have easy internet access, I can post and email with more frequency. I also have a new mailing address, which is on the right hand side of the page. I also have not one, but two cell phone numbers that I can be contacted at. I have instructions on how to call on the side of this page. In short, I am easy to get ahold of now. Which is cool.

Anyway, until my next post-- thanks for reading.