Well, it's Friday and our official "work week" is over. We just got back to our hostel, and you can tell everyone is emotionally and physically drained. This past week has been super fun, but extremely busy and very trying at times.
On Monday, we were up at 5:30, leaving the hostel before 7am to get to the Pelican Park build site to help set up, hand out hard hats and vests, and then begin social scoping. While most of the other volunteers for the build worked on site actually helping build the houses, our group was working in the already established part of Pelican Park surveying the residents about the time they have spent in their new home. We surveyed on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Pelican Park is a newer establishment, with most of the residents being there for two years or less. Each member of our team was paired with a local youth to help with translation, and to allow us to not only meet and interact on a personal level with local youth, but also have a sort of guide who was familiar with the area. We went from house to house, knocking on doors and asking the residents how they felt about their homes. To enter someone else's home that is housing sometimes up to six people that is no bigger than 500 square feet is very emotional, especially when the survey goes from a question and answer session to a personal conversation. Sitting in someone's living room/kitchen/bedroom and listening them talk about how sometimes they can't afford meals every day for three days takes a huge emotional toll on you. What was amazing to me, though, was that for the most part everyone was so thankful that they at least had a roof. It was an extremely eye opening experience, and it hit me hard seeing how much these people were struggling to survive on a daily basis and knowing that I have never and probably will never be in the situation that they are in. It's also very hard to have the thoughts while you're sitting there "I have $20 USD in my pocket and will spend it on one meal, and I'm in a house where I could leave this and help them for two weeks." You can't help everyone, and that to me was the hardest thing. I don't really know how to put it into words, but I came to South Africa to facilitate the growth of a community in the long run, not to give them short term gain. That's not the point of Mercer on Mission. Reading that back, it sounds so bad and selfish, but you have to think about it like this- If I left money for one family, and then three surveys later I got to a family who was worse off, I would want to and feel obliged to give them something as well, and then by the end of day one, I would have no money. There's also the fact that I'm walking into a house with three TVs and cell phones, but no food. Me giving money would not help. Anyways, back to social scoping. It's extremely emotional draining, but so so so eye opening. It really shows me how blessed I am. We had a very emotional team debrief last night, and Dr Brennan made the comment that Mercer on Mission is supposed to drag you out of your comfort zone, and put you in situations that make you really dig deep to keep your head on your shoulders.
On Wednesday, our team actually got to partake in the building process. We mixed dugha, moved blocks, and made sure the walls were properly sealed while Power Construction, Habitat South Africa's building partner, actually laid the block. While I helped Michael, the site manager, most of the day making sure everyone had the proper tools, checking for safety hazards, building morale and going to and from the different houses, I did take a break from that to join my team in mixing dugha. Let me explain this process: 3 wheelbarrow loads of sand, a bag of concrete and half a bag of lime all mixed together, then fashioned into a sort of "bowl" that you fill with water, then you build the mixture up on the side until the wall breaks, then you go crazy mixing it until it's uniform. Sounds like hard work? Yeah. It is. But it was also my favorite thing I have done to date. Being able to actually see the work I was doing was also a huge accomplishment, because I won't be in South Africa when the information gathered by the surveys is put to use but I could see these houses growing.
On Friday, the final day of the build, it rained, well, it flooded. All day long. The thing about South African rain, it comes sideways. So we helped clean up the morning meeting area, then went to the build site to help get ready for lunch.
Now, back at our hostel, everyone is napping or wishing they were. It's a cold rainy day in Cape Town, so no walks on the beach or outdoor adventures. Just recuperation from the past week, which is good because everyone needs it. We get to social scope one, maybe two more days then we have to work on some final project work and then it's back to the United Staes in nine days. It's been an amazing trip, and I can't wait to see what we will accomplish in the next few days.
I'll try to do better about posting. Miss you all,
Reed
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