Our Going Away Article

For all that missed it, here's a link that will get you to the article that Gail Ober wrote about our trip:

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090715/GJNEWS02/707159884/-1/CITNEWS

Thobela.... It is the morning after our return from South Africa. Yesterday we enjoyed a very scenic train ride through Switzerland and spent some time in Lucern... taking in the sights of the Swiss Alps and buying lots of chocolate to bring home. We left Switzerland at 5:30 and landed in Boston at 7:45... just two hours later but more than 8 hours had passed for us during that time. We also safely got through customs....although there was a bit of an issue as to whether dried Ostrich would be acceptable to bring into the country. We were greeted by several parents who came to pick up there tired travelers. We loaded up the van and headed home. We did make a stop at Dunkin Donuts for some much needed caffeine.... the coffee in South Africa left a bit to be desired. Ivy asked me to leave a post before I went to bed but I was so excited to share adventures about my trip with loved ones that I forgot so I am doing it now.
Words cannot describe my feeling about this life changing experience. For me personally... I had the opportunity to spent time in a high school in South Africa and although at times I struggle with many of the budget challenges at LHS... compared to South African schools we are truly blessed. I had the privilege of teaching a Physics class .... not to 20 kids in a classroom but to 60+.... They are used to a total lecture atmosphere as supplies for labs are unavailable. I visited a local grocery store... bought some balloon, tin foil, thread and some confetti and I dazzled them with what I would call rather simplistic demonstrations showing static electricity and I had them eating out of my hands. It was so much fun and they were totally amazed. I had their undivided attention for over two hours.... They were so eager to learn. I also had the opportunity to attend a volleyball practice. They play on a dirt court with a homemade poles and net... and they play barefoot because they can't afford sneakers. They were so pleased with the Mikasa volleyballs that I brought with me and wanted me to play with them and teach them AMERICAN drills.... it was such a blast. I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the orphanage... I became quickly attached to this one little boy.... if I had a duffle bag with me I probably would have brought him home with me.... he was so cute and so starving for attention.
Although it is great to be home... this was a trip that I will remember for a long time and I know that if I ever want to return that I will have a place to stay at Dorcas's... and I will return. I truly want to thank Ivy and Seth for organizing this trip and sharing this special place with us. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to be a part of it and it was a journey that I will never forget. To the parents of the participants.... you should be very proud of your children....they were incredible and I was very proud of what they did while they were there. They brought many smiles to the faces of the children of Mamabolo.

We will be having a South Africa night real soon.... we have a bizzillion of pictures and stories to share. The student will be presenting their EOLs and we have South African souvenirs to raffle off. We hope you will join us. So until then... gabotse !

Bonnie Ashworth aka: Labo










Gabotse..... Labo

Erica's Top Ten List

10 Favorite Things in South Africa

So as our amazing trip to South Africa comes to a close, I have been thinking a lot about what things have made this trip so special. So, here are my 10 favorite things that I have seen or experienced in South Africa:

1) The friendliness of the people: In the village, everyone was gracious and welcomed us with open arms. Whether driving or walking, we would greet everyone on the streets and they would greet us back. Everyone was happy to see us and was willing to give whatever they had to make our stay more comfortable. Whether it was an open home to stay in or a cold drink with cookies, it was really neat to see what a community that really cares about each other is like.

2) Our homestay family: There were 4 homestay families, and I feel like I got the coolest. I stayed with Ma, who is one of the strongest women I have ever met. She is independent, loves to watch the African version of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and can whip up some mean bogobe. Her laugh would resonate around the room and she can always make people smile.

3) Going to the orphanage: For me, that was one of my favorite parts because it gave me hope for the children. The orphanage was amazing; it was just like what you would find in the US. The children were happy and healthy, the facility was beautiful and the kids were so fun to play with. It was definitely one of the highlights for me.

4) How everything was slow paced: It was so weird for me to get used to ‘South African Time’ as the LC’s call it. In South Africa everything works much slower, but its kind of nice to take time to smell the roses. If you’re 20 minutes late its not a problem and if you have to wait in line at the bank for 45 minutes, well that just gives you more time to get to know the people around you a little better. The transition to being able to really not have to worry about deadlines or schedules was a little weird for me at first, but after I got used to it I started to appreciate the extra time.

5) The kids: All of the South African kids are so cute!!! The school children all want to high five and sharp-sharp (a cross between a high-five and thumbs up). They’re so enthusiastic even though most of them have very little.

6) Going to the clinic: Being able to go to the clinic was definitely a great experience that I wouldn’t be able to have had in the USA. I had been trying to be able to get the paperwork through to be able to volunteer at the Laconia Clinic and it took 5 months to go through and by then it was too late in the year for me to be able to volunteer there. All we had to do was ask and the next day I was able to sit in with a nurse while he took patients. It was really neat because he explained to me what he was doing as he examined the patients and gave them medicine, so that was a really good experience for me.

7) Seeing the boys come down from the mountain: This was really interesting because it was such a celebration for the families who hadn’t seen their sons/brothers in 3 months. It was really neat to be able to see such a cultural tradition that many wouldn’t have been able to see.

8) Going shopping: I never knew it would be so much fun to go souvenir shopping. There are little stands set up on the road that sell all sorts of little souvenirs. Not only are most of the items wicked cool, but also you get to haggle with the sellers, which makes you feel really satisfied, if you can get a good deal.

9) Going to Kruger: For many people this would be way higher up on the list, but for me while it was fun I enjoyed my time in the village a little more than my time out of it. Kruger is really neat because the animals get so close to you- we saw giraffes, rhinos and elephants that were just standing in the road! The night safari was a unique experience too because a lot of animals come out that you wouldn’t ever get to see in the daylight.

10) The soda: I know this sounds weird, but it’s just so good! I think I got hooked on ‘Fanta Grape’. For any of you who haven’t heard, in South Africa they make their soda with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and the difference is really noticeable.

Well, that’s all for now. These are just some of the things that we have done/seen that I really enjoyed, but everyone had different outlooks on what the best things that we did were. We’re currently heading back to Johannesburg to go to the Aparthied Museum, which should be fascinating, so we’ll catch up later. Bye!

~Erica

Hello All,

We are safe and sound in Zurich. We had an amazing two days in Kruger National Park. By the middle of the first day, we had seen all but one of the Big Five: Lion, Rhinoceros, Cape Buffalo, Elephant, and Leopard. (Still no leopard). When you see so many giraffes that you don't stop, but only slow down, you are (and we were) truly spoiled. We now don't even bat an eye at impala.

We will have much more that we will post, even when we are back in the US. And yes, a few animal pics will be up shortly.

For the second time, Ivy and I have left South Africa feeling blessed that we have two homes on two different continents. We are so glad that we have been able to share the wonderful people of Mamabolo and the surrounding areas.

There are many stories to tell and experiences to share. Those that don't appear here will be most certainly shared at our South Africa Night coming to LHS in August.

Thank you to all of our readers and we will be sure to think of you as we are eating Swiss chocolate.

Le sepeleng gabotse. Go well.

---Seth Leavitt-Carlson (Thabang)

Today is our last day in the village. This morning we took two duffle bags full of beanie babies to the orphanage. The kids were so cute and we even held the babies. It was hard to leave. We need to change money and change vehicles. They are having a farewell function for us today at 2... which will probably mean more tea and "cold drink". Tomorrow we will leave the village and go on a two day safari. We are excited about that but it will be hard to leave as we have made so many new friends. Sorry this is short but we are very busy making the most of the time we have left....

- Labo

A Quick Post from Amanda before we head to Kruger

July 18, 2009
Hey everyone this is Amanda (Naladi)
On Saturday, we learned how to do a little bit of the Quaito dancing. We then heard the boys singing, and stopping their feet, we all ran to see the boys come down from the mountain. Friends danced and chanted, around the two boys that were from the village. The boys were wearing brown shorts, and all of the carried a stick. As they approached the family’s house, someone would place a straw mat down, and the boys had to run to the mat and try to get hit too much by the sticks. Once the boys were on the mat the knelt down (like the child poise in yoga). The person who placed the mat down also put a dish down for donations. The boys would sing a song to get people to donate money. There were about 500 boys who went to the mountain, two from Komaneng, Mamablo. They had just come down after being up in the mountains for three months, these boys were starved, beaten, and circumcised. They came back dazed and ill. This was a journey on becoming a real man. Not all families participate in this journey to the mountain. Most families bring their boys to the doctor to get circumcised instead. It is a secret what exactly happens, when they are in the mountains. After getting donation they boys were welcomed in the home for food, and we offered food as well, and that is when we got to try our first taste of bogobe, we also had chicken, cabbage, and mashed potatoes. We enjoyed a great meal, and got to meet many new people. Vince loved the bogobe, and finished his, and ate the leftovers that we did not finish. The boys left after they finished at this house and the boys were chanting around the two that went, and they did a dance as they left, and they headed for the next house, and did this for many other houses too. That night we finished off meeting new people in the village. Erica and I met a friend of the LC’s, her name was Mary. Mary spent the night with us, and we talked, and sang, and Mary and Erica kept Ivy from sleeping the whole time.



Janet Mamablo, she is my new South African Grandmother, we call her Ma. You will never understand the way I feel about her, until you, yourself meet her. She is a wonderful lady that has accomplished so much. She is a member of the Zion Christian church, and has received a star, for being a member for so long. Ma is extremely funny, even when you are just talking to her she will say something, or make her ‘Ma face’ a go “mhmph”, and that can make you smile. Ma is a nice person you can talk to, she can be helpful with knowing information, but one thing she will never know is why we eat so little. We have a picture of Ma’s plate of bagobe compared to ours, and you can sure see the difference. Ma makes tasty bagobe, and always knows when you don’t salt the cabbage. I have not known Ma for long but, I have heard stories from the Lc’s and I know they are not lying. Ivy has always said Ma never liked children in her yard, and today we saw Ma yelling at a child to get out of her yard. Ma means well, and never gets upset for long. A way to make her happy is just the simple things that we have in America. When she received the pair of earrings, and cheap gold watch, she nearly cried, because she was so happy. She has been wearing them around town, and has received complements, and she is proud. She also like when she comes out of the car when people can see her. Ma loves to watch ‘Dancing with the stars (south Africa)’ Even though she thinks they are married. Ma loves to listen to her radio and you can hear it outside in the morning. Ma loves when people come over, or when she sees someone and they can talk about anything. Everyone has their stories of talking to Ma, and just watching her when they come over, and I hope you hear those stories when we arrive back in America. All of us have grown to love Ma, she is 75 and does not look it, we will all miss her greatly when we leave, but we will have the stories and will never forget them.
-Amanda

A post of epic proportions

Saturday:

Hello!
This is Brenna, writing from our apartments in Polokwane. We started off this morning late, at about 9:00 am (late being compared to waking up at 3:00 US time on a plane). The apartments are a little cold due to lack of “geezers,” the hot water heaters here. We started off our morning with lots of cereal including strawberry rice krispies which turned the milk as pink as the Pepto-Bismal we’ve used to cure plane sickness. Then we went to the airport here and dropped off one of the rental vans, which are as big as minibuses and about as hard to drive. It’s still taken some time to get used to turning into a different side of the road, Ms. LC almost had a cow this morning when she thought Mr. Davis turned onto the wrong side of the road. After that, we went to the mall a few kilometers down the road. There, we went into some clothing stores and ate. The mall wasn’t very different from many of the malls here in the United States, except it gets a little confusing when things cost $200 rands, which is only about $24 American dollars. After the mall, we were finally able to go to the village. Everyone was excited to go because we felt like we hadn’t really seen the real South Africa yet. It was weird to drive for about 30 minutes from the mall, and be in a place that was completely and totally different from it. In the village, everyone was really friendly, our Sotho greetings went over very well, although it felt like even the goats were gaping at us as we walked by. We met some of the host families we will be staying with, including mine which has a bath tub with running water. Score! The houses are all very nice, and the village has some beautiful views as well. Everyone is excited to spend some more time there. Well everyone is making fun of how fast I type (But they’re really just jealous) and we’re waking up at 6:00am tomorrow so I’m gonna say goodbye here. We’re having a great time and missing you all!
-Brenna (aka Itumeling)


Monday:

Hey! This is Erica writing from my incredibly cozy bed (yay for having 5 blankets!!) We just got back from a packed day, so I’m going to try to keep it mildly short. Last night, we all had an experience that paralleled none other. What was this experience? Well, sadly it wasn’t ostrich riding (although that sounds like fun), but it seemed just as new. This experience was going to the Zion Christian Church (the ZCC) in Moria. Now, the LC’s had told us that the church would be different than any we had ever gone to, but no one had really been able picture it. As we drove into Moria, through the car windows we saw ladies dressed in bright yellow shirts and long green skirts (this is the uniform for women who have been members of the ZCC for a long time). The church service is held outdoors, with the women on one side of the ministers and the men on the other. The women (including myself) had to sit up straight with their legs straight out underneath them. It was rather uncomfortable to sit like that for a long time, due to the rocks and the awkward position, but it was really cool to listen to the minister talk in Sotho. There was a translator just for us which was pretty cool, but it was kind of hard to understand him. All of the ministers stressed how important it was to welcome the Americans because God wants us to love all people. After the sermon we got onto our knees and prayed (at this point I had a healthy respect for all the people that could sit so still for an hour and a half!). Then, people came up to the center where the ministers were preaching with young children and mentally retarded people. The ministers said something in Sotho and the whole congregation chanted and the people that were standing up there were swatted at with some sort of green paper. I’m not quite sure what the symbolism of that was, but I believe it was the ministers trying to force any evil spirits out of those who were most vulnerable. Then, the ministers talked a little more and when the service was over a swarm of people (and I mean at least several hundred people) tried to shake our hands all at once. It was pretty cool but kind of weird at the same time. I liked it though because even the little kids wanted to shake our hands and they were so cute! Some people got really into it and kissed our hands, but they were all girls so I guess it was ok. After that a large band paraded around for about 45 minutes. It was pretty funny because we kept on thinking that they were done, but then they’d start right back up again. It got pretty cold so we just huddled together for warmth a little and Ms. LC bought us fat cakes (yummy yummy!). The whole service lasted about 3 hours and although parts seemed a little tedious at times it was fascinating to experience how different cultures worship. Well, my fingers are freezing so that’s all for tonight. Hope that you are all doing well.
~Erica (aka Khotso, or “peaceful”)



Ivy here. I just have to mention to everyone how adaptable our students have been in the village. They are making a wonderful impression as they have now mastered the greetings and have knocked the socks off of all the grannys and the teachers that they have met. They are patient when our plans change suddenly and have taken everything in stride. Today they were introduced to the first primary school we visited, the Mahlanhle Primary School. Seth and I ‘neglected’ to mention to anyone else on the trip that the traditional welcome for visitors at Mahlanhle involves the entire school singing a song about how beautiful and welcome you are. The song, of course, comes with the requisite dance across the raised platform that the teachers stand on to address the students. Vince (Tumelo) was up first, much to his surprise and the delight of the 200 or so learners singing for him. Everyone had a turn, with Scott Davis (Lethabo) and Ashley (Maphefo) getting a chance to really dance.
As for me, I’m shocked to discover two things- first of all, how much Sotho I remember, and secondly, how nothing has really changed at all in the village. The kids are a little taller, but seeing Mma, Mr. Mametja, Dorcas, and the Marys (old Mary and young Mary) again felt exactly like I had never left. I almost cried at Mma’s house, but she didn’t let me- she gave me a hug and shoved me out of the way to greet the next person in line. But I did get really weepy when I saw Mr. Mametja today. He’s such a wonderful guy. I really missed him.
My computer clock tells me it’s 3:34 pm in the US right now, but I’m just getting ready for bed. It’s been cold most nights here, but tonight is much better. I was actually able to take a bath tonight, and we have the laundry soaking to do tomorrow. I’m excited to show the girls how to do it. Ivy (Mpho)

One of my favorite parts of this trip was definitely going to the big church, even though it was so cold there, It was just really cool to see how welcoming they were to us, they had an English translator just for us, and after the service everyone wanted to shake our hands. I also liked seeing all the kids at school this morning, they sang their welcoming song and we all danced. It was just really joyful and fun.
-Brenna, aka Itumeling


The past couple days have been really interesting. We got a look into lives much different than ours. It surprised me how much people showed their appreciation to us, just to see us in their village makes these people happy. We got to go to the Zion Christian church in Moria, which is like the Vatican of their religion. The mass was interesting and so many people ran to greet us afterwards. Today we visited the elementary schools and a few preschools. All the children were adorable! We discussed projects to do around the village and are still deciding on a few.
-Jocelyn aka Lethabo

This trip so far has been an eye-opener. We have experienced many different things, such as a celebration of the boys coming down from the mountain as men, where we were asked to share a meal and we got our first taste of bagobe (ba-ho-bay). We went to church in Moria, where our presence was acknowledged and we were blessed as we travel. We received a very warm welcome with an assembly just for us at the school. We have attempt to learn the song “Head, ,shoulders, knees and toes” in Sotho. The little children will stop everything to have a “snap” taken. They love to see their picture on the camera. Everyone is so friendly and very appreciative. We have visited with many people and have consumed a lot of tea and cold drink. Now we need to get to work on our projects.
-Bonnie, aka Lebo


Marumo- Mackenzie about host family

After using the pit toilet, for which I had to use my thunderous thigh muscles so as to not touch the seat, I held the door for Ashley. While doing so, I heard a piteous whine from a few feet away. Taking my flashlight, I shined it toward the noise. The beam of light hit a small, but deep hole with (when I stepped closer), a small, cute puppy down in the pit. It was in fact an old pit toilet. To sum up the whole event I ended going down into the pit on a small, broken ladder to grab the pup. It was a “Timmy fell in the well” kind of moment. I have found that in South Africa the dogs are simply guard dogs, and not pets.


Mapefo- Ashley about Moria

Adorned in maxi-dresses and headscarves, the women sat on the dirt ground separated from the men. The minister and two translators gave the sermon. We were later informed that the English translator was there specifically for us. I have noticed that guests are very welcomed and honored in this culture. After the sermon and prayer, woman rushed from all over to greet us. Brenna and I could hardly move with all the eager hands grabbing for ours. They smiled and spoke enthusiastically to us in Sotho; one woman even kissed my hand! It feels wonderful to be so welcomed here.

Tumello- Vince

So hey, I just thought I'd put something on the blog =P

Polokwane

Hi - we are now in a mall in Polokwane - a city that gives the appearance of size between Concord and Manchester. Everyone is safe and sound - we slept in a horizontal position last night which was good for a change. We are in a condo type of complex for another night in Polokwane which is good for us to have a group meal, shower (of sorts), etc.. We just got cell phones for each other - we are looking for international calling cards so we can can call you!

The vans worked great albeit a little weird driving on the left. We are off to the village of Mamabolo shortly so that we can meet the homestays and get a feel for the area. I think we are all well rested, and now are looking forward to our new challenges and experiences. Students are doing great with going with the flow, not showering for a couple of days, and being very adaptable. Us older and more experienced folk aren't doing so bad either. Personally, I really like trying some of the local foods - but nothing too unusual yet. The people we have met at the stores, petrol station, and car rental have been very friendly and helpful so we are finding our way into the comfort zone.

We will attempt to post and communicate later when we have more to report, but for now - we are thinking of you in Laconia!

Scott Davis

How to spend 10 hours in Zurich on 2 hours of sleep

Auf Wiedersehn die Schweiz!! (Good-bye Switzerland)

Yesterday the websites all said 100% chance of rain. If it happened, it must have been before we landed, for the weather today in Zurich went from overcast to bright sunshine. We had a great time today, walking through the old part of the city, marveling at its cleanliness and efficiency and retreating from an aggressive swan.

We visited two massive churches–one 900 years old, the Grossmünster, and the other, the Fraumünster, a mere 300 years old. The Grossmünster has twin spire and for 2 Swiss Francs, about $2, we could climb all 187 steps and get amazing views of the city. The bottom 60 or so of the steps were part of a very narrow and steep ancient stone spiral staircase. Far too narrow for a proper swordfight, but unfortunately, not small enough for over eager imbeciles who insisted on going up as we were going down. Imagine two people trying to do-si-do in a tilted phone booth and you get the idea.

Chocolate was excellent, but we have determined that we are far too poor to live in Zurich. However, we will be having a another go at this cosmopolitan life on the way home.

Plane leaves in two hours or so. Tonight we will all sleep well as many of us got about two to three hours last night as a result of the time change.

Next up---South Africa.

Boarding Plane to Zurich in 30min

We arrived at Logan, unloaded, got our tickets (and all bags made weight!) and went through security. Even though they are providing (a late) dinner on the plane, we are grabbing something to eat.

Spirits are high: I think that there is a little nervousness, but that it is mostly from the unknown. I believe that for some it has hit them that we are actually going, while it may take landing in a foreign country for the others. I cannot speak for everyone, but I know that I will have no trouble falling asleep on this flight. May Mackenzie, on her first flight ever, also have a relaxing flight.

One longish flight for man (and woman), one amazing journey for Laconia Key Club kind.

The next post will be from rainy Zurich. Viel Spaß!!

Gute Nacht und schlaf schön.

"Twenty, twenty, twenty-four hours to go..."

The word has been sent out...

Welcome to the what will soon be the most popular site in central New Hampshire (South African-related division) ... We are ready for South Africa.

Passports, fundraising, tickets, parents' worries, fundraising, permission, South African connections/friends, packing, and fundraising have all been handled and done. Whew.

24 hours until we have to be at Logan--we are very excited. This trip has been the result of many, many hours of hard work by Key Club and our supporters.

I have almost started packing--Ms. Leavitt-Carlson is threatening to go to South Africa without me if I don't start soon.

A little bit of background:

Ms. Leavitt-Carlson and I spent two years in SA in the Peace Corps and wanted to find a way for others to have at least a small taste of our amazing experiences. However, photos and stories can only go so far. Rather than try to bring Africa to Laconia, we proposed bringing our Key Clubbers to Africa.

With the great support of Superintendent Champlin, the School Board, Principal Beals, and the Laconia High School Community, this is now a reality. None of this would have been possible, though, without the tremendous support that we have received from the Greater Laconia community. We were able to raise $24,000 from the wonderful donations of parents, friends, strangers, businesses and organizations, in particular our parent organization, the Kiwanis Club of Laconia. It is encouraging to see a community, in difficult economic times, still come together to help give their children a chance to for an amazing learning opportunity.

Students going on the trip: Ashley Witham, Amanda Bridge, Kyle Beetle, Brenna Cass, Erica Cross, Vince Denaris, Mackenzie Duquette, Jocelyn Morin.

Staff: Ivy Leavitt-Carlson, Seth Leavitt-Carlson, Bonnie Ashworth, Scott Davis

Thank you so much. Please feel free to post comments and ask questions. We would love to hear from you and share our experiences.

Almost Ready

Pretty excited - all packed and ready to go. One more day and we are off

Welcome Letter

Thanks for visiting the Laconia High School Key Club trip to South Africa Blog! We will try to update this site every few days once we are in South Africa. We are all busy right now with packing, getting travelers cheques, and other things in order before we leave on Tuesday afternoon from the high school. It's hard to believe that after months of fundraising and planning, our date of departure is finally in sight!