South Africa: Report from the Ground
Here is a moving report from my friend Catherine White, an HIV-AIDS activist who has been helping on the ground in Cape Town with the immigrant and refugee communities:
Hello Friends ,
My faith in humanity is slowly being renewed, though slowly. There are some incredible people, doing incredible things. A group of grade 10 students started a facebook group on Friday and have mobilised food and other donations and dropped them off at SHADE today. This was contrasted by two frightened Zimbabweans who were seeking shelter at the office because the safe house they had been promised ( and were willing to pay for ) was denied them. This happened after dark and only after they had moved all their belongings from their house in a township in the Southern Suburbs (Khayelitsha) to the house in town. The couple and their two month old baby (so frightened), had unloaded all their belongings from the transport from Khayelitsha to town, and then had to stand with their stuff on the sidewalk and defend their possessions from passing opportunistic thieves. While the couple were trying to find alternate arrangements, people were passing by and looting from them. Can you believe people!! It makes me sick.
Eventually a passing man on his way to work saw them trying not to have all their stuff stolen and loaded what he could into his car and drove them to our offices. The woman and baby was separated from her husband and when they were finally reunited it was beautiful. Sad though that the man had to do an inventory of what he still had, and what was stolen. Fortunately, the important things weren’t taken.
I also helped organise 25 individuals who had sought refuge at the woodstock police station to find safety. We found a Methodist church in Pinelands ( another neighbourbood in Cape Town) the pastor opened his doors. When we got to the church we then realised the 25 individuals had left their children in safe houses and we now needed to organise transport to return their children to their parents, and ensure accomodation (bedding, toiletries, baby formula, diapers, food etc) for an additional 25 people. All this is utter insanity, but beauty does emerge from horror, as I am learning.
So, while I am still not proudly South African, as I am ashamed of what people are doing to their neighbours, I am bouyed by the efforts of the individuals to bring hope to this horrible situation.
Sending love from this side of the world.
Catherine
