Thursday, October 18, 2007

Two Weeks To Go!!!

Hi All,

I can't believe I'll be home two weeks from today!

I have been running around like crazy trying to fit 3 more months worth of activities and stories into these last two weeks.

Things I Did in Cape Town I Never Thought I Would:
  1. Snorkel with seals - it was fabulous when I wasn't freaking out
  2. Drive - on the left side and in a stick shift thank you very much
  3. Watch rugby - Springboks are in the World Cup finals Sunday... country is going crazy

I'm now in Cintsa at a place called Buccaneers Backpackers, making my way rather quickly towards Pretoria. No photos on this blog as it's not possible from here. Will overwhelm you next time with a picture of me standing where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.

As I meet more people and talk more about what I'm trying to put together, I learn about more and more programs and projects that I just don't have time to visit. Two very worthy ones are listed in brief at the end of the blog. South Africa is full of people taking steps, both big and small, to make a positive impact on other people's lives. I'm doing what I can counteract all the negative information you hear about this country (and all the others I've visited) and spread around a little love.

Two projects I did get to visit in Cape Town were African Angels and Bulugha Farm School.

African Angels is a not-for-profit organization based on the East Coast of South Africa, in a small coastal hamlet called Chintsa. African Angels is dedicated to identifying and distributing sponsorship for the education of needy and disadvantaged African children - our African Angels - so their future, their family's future and their country's future is brighter.

Bulugha is a school (on a farm) that has 3 classrooms, 3 toilets and 193 kids. Every Thursday, the kids perform a concert where they sing their hearts out and the backpackers and travelers that attend leave a donation which is then used to buy food for the breakfast and lunch. It was a wonderful experience and as soon as I can get a short video put together to show you, I will.

I'm heading to Coffee Bay tomorrow (where I will stay through the rugby final although I've just heard there is no tv!) and then to Durban. In Durban, I'll be talking to a filmmaker I met in Cape Town to find out more about how she got started and how it all works.

Future Filming for DREAM

As you know, the Dream team filmed me in Cape Town as I followed up on a story. They will also be coming to Durban to film me as I follow up on this fabulous connection. And where are they after that? Filming my triumphant return to SFO!

If you'd like to be there, let me know and I can get you details. For those of you with Monday-Friday 9-5 jobs... you may need to be sick. Did I just hear you cough?

See many of you very soon!

Miss K

More Projects in South Africa

Monkey Biz
Monkeybiz supplies richly coloured glass beads to women in the townships of Cape Town. The 450 women involved in the project are currently producing exquisite hand beaded artworks - each a unique one-off creation. The women are paid for each piece they produce; and since they work from home, can look after their families and avoid transport costs.

We run an HIV/AIDS Wellness Clinic located in the heart of Cape Town, which provides skills training and HIV/AIDS support for low-income HIV+ women. This thriving centre, started in 2003, caters for 60 women once a week, offering them beadwork training, HIV/AIDS counseling, yoga therapy, homeopathic HIV/AIDS treatment and basic nutrition.

Imbewu
Simply put, our biggest project has one objective: to guarantee the fundamental right of children to have access to education in an environment that is both pleasant and favourable to learning.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Superstar! I'm assuaging my guilty conscience about not hooking you up with Lyn Denny by convincing myself you have been just too damned busy anyway! You rock! I think I will be in China or on my way when you get back to SF. Sorry to miss the big entrance. :( But I can't wait to see you sometime next month! -Janet

Anonymous said...

Hi Kristian:
My name is Christine. I am a good friend of Teresa Fanucchi and she has recommended that I get in touch with your for some time. It is so WONDERFUL and inspiring to see what you have been up to. Thank you.

I would really love to speak with you about several of your projects, but most of all about CHILE. I was born in Chile and adopted when I was very young. I plan to return to the country this winter, but do not want to just go and visit. I would like to document, in both word and picture, the length and width of my journey.
I truly want to contribute in some way in Chile, and anywhere I go for that matter(as a note here: i was a living skills teacher for deaf/blind and am now a wellness counselor. my passions are special needs, sustainability-of environment, health, culture, community, and folk arts/stories).

I wonder if you have any suggestions as I am trying to solidify my plans so that I can committ to an organization/program/project, and also so that I can find funding for this time.

I would appreciate any and all advice you could offer.

And again, Kristian, thank you for your heart and extraordinary work, and for your openess to the beauty that is everywhere.

Warmly, Christine
christinejawski@communitymail.net
www.nourishingom.com

Anonymous said...

Kristian!!! or shall I say K-Rug? will you be back in time for Halloween??? cause you know how we do things in Alameda! you have to come if you are around. theme: R.I.P. RMS Alameda. Come on!!! and you know its always a little bit like Halloween around here anyway...what?! who said that. haha

Anonymous said...

oh and it's chris...i forgot to let you know. i think the K-Rug gave it away... :)