I got to the meeting late, of course. I should have left earlier - the westside king church is well, way on the west side and although I've been there before the church is hidden and I couldn't remember how to find it. So, 10 after 7 - I was the last to arrive to our very frst meeting as a team.
It meant that when I walked inside the small house behind the church... there they all were. 12 other people sitting around 3 tables in a little U formation. 12 people that I - right now - know nothing about but will soon, likely, think of as family. Its odd to look at a room full of strangers and realize that together we are about to share an experience that I probably can't comprehend right now. Intense. Heart Breaking. Stressful. Inspiring. I imagine what's ahead will be all of those things.
But... what do I really know right now?
I learned tonight that 43 million people have HIV/AIDS around the world andmany of them are in Africa.
I learned that in the communities we will be in, the men work far away - hundreds of miles from their families and often those men sleep around when they're gone
I learned that women are labelled sluts if they insist their husbands wear condoms
I learned that people in these communities spend their weekends going to funerals, the way we spend our weekends going to the mall.
I learned that often young teenagers are left to be the head of the home with no choice but to raise their orphaned siblings.
And I learned that for the most part ... people pretend nothing is wrong.
"They'll admit to having TB. They won't admit to having AIDS"
On our team- a father and daughter. Two college students. A newly retired couple. A Fanshaw multimedia student and her Mom. A former respiratory tech turned stay at home Mom... and me. 13 people. 11 women. 2 men. 1 month of training. 3 weeks together in a village of 40 000 in the south east part of South Africa. "Cork".
Over the next month we will be learning about the programs Hands at Work implements. Programs for youth, orphans and vulnerable children, programs for the very sick and dying education and literacy programs and we will be launching a new program for young mothers.
Tonight's meeting was less than 2 hours long, I have another on wednesday, a 3 day retreat in Banff this weekend and it continues like that up until we leave. After 3 weeks that team comes home but I'm staying put. At least until the end of July. My backpack of gear is almost ready to go. I've been nervous about my technical abilities and asking the very talented photographers I work endless questions. I have assembled a little rig - a camera, tripod, light and reflector, a laptop with final cut and some microphones. Everything I need to try and share with all of you the stories of the people I'm about to meet.
People that right now - I know nothing about - that maybe somehow you'll think of as family.
It feels like I've been thinking about doing something like this forever! Planning it for ages... and now its finally getting started. I'm very grateful to be here... and anxious to see what the future hold.
* * *
A Night for Africa
Kits on 16th Avenue N
Calgary, Alberta
May 30th
Doors 6:30 pm
Featuring the music of:
Smith on Sunday
McKinley Matters
Jay Bawcott
Dean Morrison
A[Soh-Shuhl] Art
Tara Warburton
Tickets $25
*All money raised will come with us to Cork!*
