The Ship Came In! Blessings from the Berg

Blog 8 April
Happy Easter Everyone! Blessings from the “Berg” (Drakensberg That Is)

Great News Came This Week!!!! The Peace Corps, using the President’s AIDS funds, approved our $3800 grant request to fund the Occupational Therapy Program for one year at Mountain High Hospital. I was so excited to hear the news and to have our handcraft/sewing group, Jabule (Happiness) SizaBuntu (People Helping), receive this gift which will fund handcraft supplies, two sewing machines, three paid assistants that begin as volunteers, and six weeks of instruction from the Zulu beading teacher. The Jabule group has been a blessing to me as the patients in their blue hospital gowns become individuals with personalities and artistic talent. They tease me and I joke with them as I show them simple beading, cut materials, hand out yarn, and demonstrate cooking. With this funding the program will no longer be hit or miss, depending on the availability of materials (and my access to town) or the demands of the office duties. Local volunteers will be trained to run the program so that it is sustainable and to teach sewing machine skills that may be used when the patients go home.


Thanks to all of the donors in South Africa and America that contributed materials to seed the program. It has been a great success as every day 15 women and a few men clamor for projects and want to learn new skills. They are interested in making practical items for themselves and their children but respond with big smiles when told that their work is Ihle (beautiful). The grant will allow expansion of the program to more men (shoe repair, carving and wire sculpture) as well as to bedridden women who can do handwork. The patients in this TB/AIDS hospital are not old and they are interested in fun, useful activities. What a great opportunity to use those skills learned from Mom and Home Ec in the US. A personal benefit is that the handcraft program has been an excuse to visit every available gift shop to look for new project ideas and admire the Zulu culture.


My skills have been put to use in the Peace Corps-environmental health, disease prevention, infection control, proposal writing, office management, budgeting, data inputs, computer graphics, payroll, embroidery, sewing, knitting, cutting out patterns, cooking, gardening, making pom poms for booties, and church youth programs. It seems that every opportunity for learning leads to a future, parallel opportunity to use that skill even for those of us who are not perfectionists. . So friends, be glad when you enter your prime years because Experience Counts and it can be used in the Peace Corps!


Easter in South Africa is a four day weekend so the Bond’s packed up to visit their neighboring World Heritage Site, Giant’s Castle in the Drakenberg Mountains. The usual scramble to get off our own mountain was worth the effort when we arrived at our mountain lodge and caught a glimpse at the magnificent mountain range which extends over 100 miles and has peaks 10,000ft rock peaks. Giant’s Castle is so named because a silhouette of a giant and castle create the peaks of the escarpment at this point in the range. Some of the other noteworthy peaks are Cathedral Peak, Monk’s Cowl and the famous Champagne Castle. This trip we are on the Peace Corps Budget and did not splurge for the Champagne Castle but settled into a lodge just outside the national park with thatched bungalows, hiking trails and plenty of charm for only $90 a night for two, including a hearty breakfast and dinner. The lodge is full of families enjoying the long weekend and the pond with canoeing, sports equipment, ping pong and cricket. It is hard to believe it is Easter as the leaves here at 5000ft have begun to turn color, the air is cool and the afternoons deliver heavy rainstorms.

The hiking in the national park is great with well marked trails that extend into the lofty peaks and a hut system for overnighters. We hiked to the World’s View, which delivered on its name. The easy trail transversed the mountains and then jutted up to the top of the highest hill where one has a 360 degree view of the entire escarpment and the rolling hills that lead up to the Drakensberg. The tops of the peaks were shrouded in fog but the view was stunning nonetheless. About half way a herd of eland and their young strolled alongside the trail looking to graze on the upper side of the ridge. They were still there when we returned from the top of the view point. The elder large grey males take the lead and rear to keep the young in line. Their movements were beautiful to watch as the herd of around 25 made random patterns but always keeping with the group up the side of the tapestry of flora on the mountain.

The visit to the Drakensberg included a hike to the mountain cave paintings done by the San people, the original inhabitants of South Africa. Drakensberg is a geographic and cultural world heritage site because of the rock wall paintings, which include warriors, sangomas (witch doctors), eland, and mytholocial half man half beasts with two tails and three animal heads. The paintings were dynamic in their depiction of movement and color but were mystical in their meaning. Much of the ancient art from the early inhabitants shows leash lines from the man figure to the animal but the significance of these tethers remains unknown.

Easter Blessings to you- family, friends and neighbors! At the holidays we get homesick for familiarity, comfort and renewal of our faith. This special Easter we seek joy in the Easter Message of Hope and New Beginnings for All. This Easter it is exciting to be in a New Democracy with so many opportunities for service and personal growth. .