Visit to the Transkei

The visit was the best time of the year. Everyone in this village just seemed to change into these perfect characters when they came. The village almost became like Utopia, or as we sometimes called it, Ubuntu.

A dark wisp of smoke rose from the early-morning fire and dispersed in the Saturday morning light. Everybody was excited as news spread about the outreach group’s arrival. The sight and sound of the Toyota Quantum that drove its thousandth mile stirred every heart zealously. No language barrier could stop the feeling they brought as they came. As a girl with such a fortunate life I greeted and talked with them in English. The day was spent along the dotted hillside with shouts and dust filling the air. No-one got hurt, nobody felt left out, and there was nothing that said “Zuma the new Mandela”, “Love potions for sale” or “Free and fast abortions”.

The life of an 8th-grader was quite something. It’s a time where you were brave enough to have asked questions about other faiths and cultures. Learning and taking part in something bigger in some small way. Monday I learned more about Jesus and during the week about heaven and different spirits. James told me a lot of personal things too. How pride destroys everything and how amazing every person is. The long winter grass moved along the wind. That Friday we had a huge festival under the sun and stars as some boys became young men. It was the first time we invited other people outside the village to join our festivities. The group was part of the village’s heart as much as the orphans.

Money was always one of life’s problems here. Materialism was even bigger. We grew up with old traditions that were still ruling our lives and some elder men still think it should. The problem grew when Eskom provided electricity to the village. The rich began to separate from the poor in our midst and conflict grew as Ubuntu seemed like a dream that needed contemplation.

The outreach group left us during this time....