Zulu Fashion Show and Cobbler School

The second Mountain High Fashion Show was a big hit with the men and women patient models Dressed to the Nines with their handsewn creations and beadwork. Fifteen of the women planned a grand entrance and danced in two by two led by the queen of the parade, a woman clad in a bright yellow dress leaning on her cane for support. The audience cheered as they watched the women dance in. The Jabule men and women then gathered in front and began to sing. Individual soloists and dancers did their numbers with high kicks and a stomp for drama. Each solo attempt was more inventive than the one before. The theme was Celebrate the Abundant Life-Love Life! For a couple of hours the patients had energy, excitement and smiles on their faces. Most are in their 20’s and 30’s, a time for enjoying parties and fun rather than confinement to a hospital. Their spirit was bright and entertainment great!

This weekend we are at the Natal Spa, a natural hot spring outside our shopping town of Vryheid. This is a great place to visit for those that enjoy soaking in very warm water (only a slight whiff of sulfur rising from the hottest pools.) The irony is the fact that three mornings this week we had no water for showers. On Monday I injured my back carrying heavy bags of fabric and could not bend over. One hour of soaking in the hot water got the kink out-So be careful what you say about health frauds and spas. A few months ago a codirector of an NGO in Ladysmith told us the history of the spa. Her grandmother was herding sheep and stumbled on a natural pool of the warm water. Shortly afterward, the Afrikaans fenced off the spring and prohibited the Zulus from using entering the water. (The spa has a different story of the discovery of the spring, however).

The Men’s Jabule Group has been going well with a consistent core group showing up every day to make fleece hats, scarves, bags, and T shirts to ward of the chill. However, from the start the men have wanted to learn how to make and repair shoes. A hospital employee and I hitched a ride to Nongoma, the headquarters for the Zulu Kingdom and allegedly a great place to buy supplies for making shoes. Our tip was to find Mr. Bond’s dry goods store which would have soles, leather, impala skins, glue and rope. I introduced myself to Mr. Bond himself, an eighty year old patriarch who owns most of the property in town and teased him about being his niece from America. His store was a journey back in time, with shelves of shoes and clothing behind the counter and metal bars protecting the owner. His store had no cobbler supplies but in front of his shop a man was making sandals from old tires. Just the skill the hospital needed! Vusi was eager to chat (wonderful characteristic of all South Africans) and showed us the tires, soles he cut from the tires, and the white wall strips for straps. He agreed to come to the Hospital and teach his craft.

On Monday morning he called and said he was on his way and asked for directions to the Hospital. He had misunderstood that the Hospital was an hour away by taxi and that the last 4 km was a long walk down the dirt road. Vusi was a good sport and arrived just as he promised. Thirty men (and women) plus staff onlookers gathered in the Chapel to learn the tricks of turning throwaway tires into sturdy shoes. First step was to cut the tire apart and make the forms for the soles. He prepared patterns for the sole and leather top, cut the inner sole, glued and tacked the sandal together. Next week he is coming back to teach vinyl straps, impala and whitewall. A trip to the shopping town produced a source for the tires, which cannot be steel belted and need to be very thin so that they can be easily cut by the patients. The owner of a tire shop had a stash behind the store and offered them for free for the taking. Amazing how a stash of discarded tires can make one feel so good!

Shoes are very important to South Africans and no tuck shop (equivalent of 7-11 on a very small scale) is without shoe polish. The Peace Crops training advised that South Africans look at your shoes first and determine your character by the cleanliness and care of your shoes. Peace Corps volunteers were chided for their dirty sneakers and scuffed sandals. The streets have many shoe repair stalls with instant shoe repair. New heel blanks are put on shoes and cut to fit. Hopefully, the men will learn cobbler skills and find a way of using those skills when then go back to their village. Several of the men are enterprising and planning to make fleece hats or scarves for sale.