Link Church in Kimberley and Kuruman Diocese
This year there have been a number of visitors to our link diocese, both from Deddington church, Deddington primary school and other parishes in Oxford Diocese. In February our vicar was joined for part of his sabbatical visit by me, by one of his daughters and by staff from Deddington Primary. Parishioners from Watlington and Kidlington have also visited their link parishes and Rosemary Pearce from Church House spent some time with Bishop Ossie Swartz in Kimberley. These visits helped to build bonds of friendship, fellowship and understanding and also enabled the participants to learn more about the church life, daily life and challenges of our brothers and sisters in Christ in South Africa.
The Deddington Link with the Church of the Resurrection in Mmabatho had a focus on helping children affected/infected by HIV/AIDS right from the beginning. What has become the Tsogo Project was a local initiative and is locally run. Deddington has contributed substantially to the building work necessary for it to become a reality. The former church building is now in use as a day centre for pre-school children. The name “Tsogo” means resurrection in Setswana, the main language of the area. Tsogo is Christians in action ministering to widows and orphans. Tsogo is opportunity for volunteers and for the children. Tsogo is love. I consider myself very blessed to be involved in what is now a meaningful link and would urge you to pray for and about the link and how you might become involved.
Our next big link event will be the visit (part of the Revd Maurice Frost anniversary celebrations) by the Choir of the Church of the Resurrection in May 2010. This will be a cultural and spiritual experience for us and for our visitors. Please come and talk to me if you can help with hosting, hospitality or entertainment.
Video compilation, 2009
Please click on the play button for a movie compilation taken at the Family Weekend with was a gathering of all the churches in the diocese at the University of the North West. All the action took place in the sports hall of the university.
Seven weeks in Mmbatho
Week One Mmabatho
I have spent the week getting used to the South African winter, as Mmabatho is on a high plateau at the edge of the Kalahari the nights can be very cold but when the skies are clear the temperatures rise during the day ranging between 2-6 oC at night at 20-25 oC in the daytime approximately.
The children at the Tsogo Centre come dressed in layers of jumpers against the cold. The schools are on holiday for 3 weeks so many of the children are staying at home with their older siblings. The ones who have been attending this week range from 8 months to 5 years old and they are here from 0800 to 1600. There are now four members of staff working at the centre, a cook, a cleaner a teacher and a manager. I am getting to know the staff and the children and their routines.
At 1030 the children have breakfast of sour porridge. When plates are given to them their response is to clap their hands say “thank you Mma” and make a graceful gesture with both hands moving up towards the chin the out along the shoulder line. When each child has finished eating he/she takes his/her plate to the kitchen as says “Thank you Mma” and puts it on the table. When they have all eaten we wash their faces and smooth on Vaseline. At 1300 the children have lunch. Lunches consist of mealie pap with beans and stew or similar, today spinach from the garden was being prepared with garlic and ginger. The vegetable garden has onions, carrots, spinach and beetroot growing at present. This supplements the groceries required to feed the children healthy meals.
I have been helping with playtimes and mealtimes and am enjoying the challenge of learning Tswana for 2 to 5 year olds. In this I am being coached by the staff and, of course the children themselves. Among the children the following languages are spoken, Setswana, Zulu, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Sotho and Xhosa with a smattering of English phrases. For instance the prayer before eating is “For the food we are about to receive we thank you Lord. Amen”. I am getting used to hearing a mixture of languages being spoken during conversations and even within sentences.
As well as being involved practically I have been observing the ways in which things are done here and the challenges faced by the staff, the children and the AIDS Committee.
Week Two in Mmabatho
Cast List
Gloria – my hostess
Marang – granddaughter of Gloria
Kedi – helper/housekeeper
Lerato – teacher at the Tsogo centre for children affected/infected by HIV/AIDS
Naughty – cook at the centre
Anna – cleaner at the centre
Marina – principal of Thelosho school – linked with Deddington Primary
Asnath – member of the congregation of the Resurrection and the AIDS committee
Cilly – school girl who showed me the way on my first visit to Mega City
Thabang, Refiloe, Tshepang, Vuyani, Anna, Christo, Justina, Onkarabile, Onkarabetse, Ntombi – children attending the Tsogo centre
The week started well weather wise, it was sunny during the day on Monday. I went to the centre and did some counting and singing with the children. Marina came and picked me up to go and see some of her adult learners and street kids but there were none attending at the centre we visited so we did a number of other errands and I got to see more of the city including the car dealership, the school offices and the driving licence office. We also had snoekbraai, which is barbequed fish, for lunch.
On Tuesday there was a bitter wind, it was very cold and the walk to the centre was most refreshing. I should have worn my coat. I had written out some English songs for Lerato, she says that they teach them to young children. She began to teach Old MacDonald with the children in a line repeating after her. A different method from what I am using with Marang, which is simply to sing to her and she gradually picks up the words. I was escorted to Mega City in the afternoon by my young friend Cilly and found an internet café where I checked my email.
Wednesday 15 July St Swithun’s Day and My Birthday…
Breakfast was a Vienna (Frankfurter) with bread and cheese, cereal and a banana and coffee. I was expecting Marina at the centre and when she turned up it was with a birthday cake, a really beautiful one with my name, MY AGE and flowers and decorations on it. (See picture). It was a day for gloves and a hat my first ever winter birthday. The children sang Happy Birthday to me, in a slightly bemused way. They were as excited about the cake as I was. (The greater part of it was left for them for the afternoon). They are beginning to pick up on the songs I’ve been singing with them. My Setswana is improving I now have the important instruction ‘didimela’ (be quiet). Thabang was missing today, he had to go to the hospital for treatment (Anti-Retrovirals).
At Gloria’s I am having my artistic talents stretched by Marang who wanted me to draw a zigzag, a lion, a giraffe, a zebra and various shapes. I think my drawing is improving. She is also learning English songs from me and knows ‘Jeremiah blows the fire’ and is learning Bobby Shaftoe which she loves.
Thursday was another very cold morning. The children at the centre were sitting quietly when I arrived. We sang some songs including “Bana ba sekolo” (Children are at school) and “Re aga a tempele” (We are building up the temple). I sang Old MacDonald and got the children to join in on the eieio and tried to encourage them to make the animal noises, they just need time to get used to it. We also did ring-o-roses, which they are beginning to get the hang of. Thabang was not there again he was described as being ‘restless’ after treatment. He’s a lively little boy, small but full of energy, it’s difficult to think about him becoming really sick. He did come later in the morning but did seem a bit distracted.
I was taken to lunch in honour of my latest achievement in continuing to breathe, Gloria, Asnath, Marang, Cilly and I all went to Spur (Steak Ranch – or American style restaurant)
Friday came round again and I took some more songs I had written down for Lerato. I suggested using the clay (Bostik). Showed the kids how to roll a ball then they did it with varying degrees of sphericalness. Then showed them how to make a ball and squash it to make a round. Then showed them a sausage ‘woers’ which most of them managed. Refiloe very quick to pick things up. I then made a sausage into a doughnut, a ball into a bowl which they all had a go at as well and the older ones all managed, a spoon was next which they did surprisingly well at, particularly Tshepang. Then got them all to make sausages and I made a round face which I put together to make a stick person. We sang Twinkle, twinkle little star, Old MacDonald and Row, row your Boat. I just sang and encouraged them to join in with the eieio and the animal sounds. Thabang had arrived just as we finished with the clay and were doing some drawing. He was beginning to sing the words though. He is bright, mischievous and I hope he will grow up, he has quite a bad cough. I took photos of some of the clay activities and of Lerato pointing out shapes on the blackboard and showing them a storybook. The kids LOVE the flash and all jump up and down laughing and waving their arms about each time it goes off.
Marang has totally got Jeremiah and knows most of Bobby Shaftoe, she has an amazing English vocabulary for a child not yet three in her second language.
Mmabatho Week 3
This week has brought new experiences and new people into the story. With the schools starting back the number of children attending the centre has risen to sixteen. The teacher has begun more formal sessions of teaching with the children with the aims of counting to five in English, naming colours in English, naming shapes in Setswana and enunciating vowels as per Setswana pronunciation. Thabang is an able little boy. He can count to five, speaks clearly and confidently can catch a ball and is quick and agile, a good little all rounder; he will push to get what he wants though and is usually in the thick of any scrap. Vuyani can speak and sing well but hasn’t got the counting pegged yet. Also, he is clumsy, probably because of his squint. He can be very insistent and stubborn at times and can’t understand why I don’t understand him when he strings more than three words together. (I can just about manage three word sentences myself). Sometimes he looks a bit scary because of his eyes but he can also look very charming. The twins are becoming more sociable though one of them, I can’t remember which is still prone to tantrums and attention seeking while the other is more attentive and responsive. Each time I think I’ve worked out which is which I become unsure. They are beginning to ask for “Row, row” and will put out their hands for “Round and round the garden”. One morning when Ntombi was not eating her bread and tea, after seeing me break of some bread and get her to eat one of the twins spontaneously at a later point broke of some bread, dipped it in the tea and fed it to the child. It was and incredibly touching moment. The three little girls then had a little party, feeding one another. I’ve met two more children, but haven’t got their names memorised yet – they are complicated, the little girl has a nickname in addition to her given name so help me!
The centre has received a donation of blankets and receives donated groceries from “Pick’n’Pay” and “Fruit and Veg Market”.
On Thursday I had lunch with two of the special ladies who visited Deddington and who still sing the praises of the people there for their welcome, Rhoda and Edith. It was an ecumenical, intercontinental cross-generational and bi-coloured. Everywhere we went one or other of the ladies met someone she knew and there were greetings and introductions and explanations of my presence. After this pleasant time of renewing friendships Gloria took me to visit a widow in mourning. The Mothers’ Union were had the house making speeches of condolence, some of which were quite long and impassioned, with singing in between speakers. I could pick out some of the words in the speeches. The singing was like nothing I’ve experienced before, not like in church, yet very spiritual with harmonies that just seem to come from the hearts of the singers. On the way home we stopped to visit a sick lady along the road from Gloria. It is one of those cases where friends suspect AIDS but the patient and family won’t speak of it. Because it is so common people know the signs but the stigma is still great. People with AIDS are usually referred to merely as being “sick” or “very sick”.
Tonight (Friday) –2 is forecast and it certainly feels cold already, tomorrow should be a balmy 15 but the wind has been of the sort that goes right through you, slicing. At least the skies are blue! Among the natural wonders I have seen various birds, some of which are very familiar such as sparrows and finches (probably) and others which are more exotic but I don’t have an African bird book. I’ve also seen little lizards and a whole family of mice running about in a garden on the way to the centre. Dogs wander the streets, sometimes in pairs and for the most part seem to get on with their own business of sniffing about and so on. I did see two lads being chased by two dogs on the other side of the fence from the centre. It was quite comical. No dogs or boys were harmed.
Mmabatho Week 4
On Saturday morning Gloria left early in the cold and the dark to attend the funeral of a church member. She had not been back for long when I returned from Mega City at 12noon. In the afternoon I attended a meeting of the Anglican Men’s/Women’s Fellowship. As is customary I didn’t not know what to expect but as is customary there was singing and dancing and I was able to join in some of the time. I have still preserved a bit of stiff Britishness in my bones, which I blame on the cold, but my movements are becoming more African. The main speaker was a man, Itumeleng (Joyful) but everyone got a chance to speak. As with the condolence speeches during the week some of these speeches were impassioned and they were a mixture of testimony and prayer and were based on the reading 1 Samuel 2: 7-8. I spoke briefly about my reason for coming – to share fellowship as well as be involved in the AIDS project - and the work being done at Tsogo locally and our interest back home.
On Monday the vehicle used to transport the children was having a major service so the children did not come. On Tuesday the van still wasn’t ready so the children arrived in the church van, which is a “bakkie” or pick up and doesn’t accommodate so many children so just eight were brought and Thabang was delivered later by a couple of young lads. Continuing spring cleaning started yesterday, Lerato washed the plastic toys while I conducted a bubble blowing master class and then a ball game which went surprisingly well. I think the children were too bewildered to just run off with the ball which is the usual trick of certain of them. They stood in line and passed it backwards then the last one came to the front to start again. They did need a lot of prompting and leading by the hand but were incredibly co-operative. Wednesday seemed like a good day to make movies, so I filmed Lerato conducting lessons with the children on the carpet. We also got out the clay again which was greeted with eagerness by the children who already experienced clay play and with curiosity by those yet to taste the delights of Bostik. (Some of them literally). The end of the week saw me returning to Thelesho School with the Principal, Marina. Thelesho is linked with Deddington Primary and they are looking forward to the forthcoming visit from Deddington Headteacher, Judith. It was pretty cold at 0750 when the children are arriving for assembly, which takes place on the sunny side of the courtyard outside the Grade 5 and 6 classrooms. Most were well wrapped up with hats and coats, others were still in shorts and flimsy shirts and shoes. We had passed some learners on the road as far back as about 3 km from the school, they would have come from some distance just to get to the main road. The first task of the day was cleaning the school grounds, raking, sweeping, picking up litter, burning waste and watering the plants. This is done about twice a week and the children do seem to enjoy the activity. I took a turn at stirring the cauldron of samp for the children’s lunch. In the kitchen shed there is a large collection of bottles a means of fundraising for the school as the deposits can be claimed on them. I took some photographs and observed parts of some lessons then sat in on a meeting about a proposed school trip, which was fascinating. Tumi (a former teacher) of Tumi’s Tours specialises in custom-made trips for school children focussing on educational visits. Marina plans to take about 80 children either to Johannesburg or Pilanesberg in October. I then witnessed the paperwork for the cooks who are volunteers, which means that they are actually paid a “stipend”. The ladies had to sign a Memorandum of Agreement in, triplicate of course. In the afternoon Marina took me to a meeting to elect governors for a middle school in Mmabatho. I am enjoying speeches in Setswana partially to help my understanding of the language and partly for the little phrases which pop up in the middle of what to me is unintelligible, for instance; “at the end of the day”, “Responsibility”, “Substance abusey” (rhyming with Lucy), “apparently” and so on. I have also bought first aid kit items for the centre with some money given to me by a friend in England. (NB it’s Monday and I’ve used antiseptic and cotton wool to clean up Thabang’s ear. He has otitis media badly and he arrived with his ear caked in dried discharge).
I had been expecting to attend a graduation of adult learners in Lichtenburg on Saturday but Marina told me she had to attend a wedding in Botswana. I didn’t not realise until 1030 in the morning that I was going too. I had a shower and packed my camera and passport and was ready by 1100. More about the wedding at a later time.
On Sunday morning, which was cold and rather dreary, there was a baptism then the blessing of new servers and their robes and a lot of singing, banging of bibles and dancing to welcome them into their new role. An extra collection was made for the Family Weekend which is happening this weekend and is a gathering of people from throughout the diocese. This year, as in 2005 when I first visited, it is being held here in Mmabatho. The event was instigated by Jacky Ntuane, the late husband of Gloria (with whom I am staying). Adjacent to the house is the Jacky Ntuane Park which I took a walk in in the afternoon.
I keep thinking of more to add but must got now. Sala sentle! (Stay well) Fiona
Mmabatho Week 5
Thabang’s ear was looking better on Tuesday, which was a relief. Observing the children’s behaviour and interactions is becoming more interesting as I get to know their character’s better. (I will let you know when I finally sort out the twins – their personalities are quite different, one is prone to tantrums, is not able to feed herself and seems generally less advanced than the other who not only feeds herself, but Ntombi as well and is more attentive and calmer.) Sometimes Christo and Thabang stick together, perhaps due to both having linguistic backgrounds other than Setswana. Christo is originally from Pomfret and of Angolan parentage possibly speaking Portugese as his first language and Thabang is from Lesotho, so Sotho is his first language. Justina is also from Pomfret. All of them are picking up Setswana. Thabang particularly is very chatty, Sotho is very close to Setswana. Christo is almost visibly improving, his Setswana is probably nearly as good as mine! (I am sure it is better in truth.) Justina doesn’t speak much but is becoming more talkative. All of the children are able to follow my instructions in Setswana from “dula fatshe” (sit down) to “Baya mo dustbini” (put (it) in (the) dustbin) and beyond. My main teacher is still Marang (sunbeam), who does not hesitate to correct my pronunciation.
There were just seven children present on Wednesday but this gave me more of an opportunity to work with individuals. We did some drawing Thabang managed to produce a fair likeness of a human face with eyes, nose, ears, mouth and hair. Both Christo and Justina needed hands on help. It is highly unlikely that any of them have access to pencils and paper at home so any time spent holding a pencil and making marks on paper will help. Thabang and Justina have mastered the art of building a tower from the set of tumblers. They then celebrate by dancing and singing “Happy Birthday to You”. The dancing is no wild leaping but really cool moves and they then invented a game of swinging one leg over the top of the tower without knocking it over – until one of them does knock it over or another child crashes into it.
On Friday the children we took the children home after they had eaten breakfast because the vehicle is still not back from the mechanic and the church bakkie was needed for the Family Weekend. We had had some playtime and singing and dancing. I took some pictures of the bumpy, rocky, mud tracks we had to drive along to get to where the children live. We won’t be seeing them until Tuesday because Monday is a national holiday.
Gloria took me to visit a man whose wife died suddenly last week. The father of the widower was very surprised to hear a white person speaking Setswana and the family were very gracious in receiving me in their time of mourning. From there we went to the University where Gloria passed me into the care of Fr Pule for the beginning of the Family Weekend event. I spent the evening meeting people from various congregations including three more visitors from Oxfordshire. Kathryn and Eleanor from Kidlington and Rosemary from Church House. Rosemary was with Bishop Ossie and his crew. So I was absorbed into the group and ended up having dinner with them. Bishop Ossie Swarts is a compact, grey haired man with a look of permanent amusement in his eyes. He slips easily between English, Setswana and Afrikaans joking as he goes.
More news about the weekend next time.
Mmabatho Week 6
The Family Weekend was meant for “Fellowship, Fun and Fundraising”. On the Saturday I walked to the university, it was a fresh gorgeous morning. I arrived at about 7.30, just in time to help lay tables for breakfast, which was running late, I then took off my apron and tucked into egg and sausage and bread. Fr Joseph Pule was doing his bit in the kitchen, complete with frilly apron. Morning prayer was lead by the youth. The motto “The Spirit is moving, ooon and ooon” was very true, these guys moved. They danced, blew whistles, drummed, jumped up and down and yet when it came to prayer were quiet and contemplative. I had met my colleagues from Oxford Diocese on Friday evening, Kathryn and Eleanor from Kidlington and Rosemary from the Bishop’s office. Rosemary had arrived in the country a few days before and was working at the Bishop’s office in Kimberley. As things were running a bit late I slipped of with Rosemary to show her the glories of MegaCity and send email. We got back to the campus just in time for the beginning of the choir competition. Six choirs took part and each sang two pieces, one of choice, one prescribed. Resurrection was the overall winner. Following the singing there were sports and the Bishop had suggested that we form up an Oxford team for the football! However, we couldn’t even make five a side and none of us are footballers so we sidestepped that one and went to lunch. The afternoon was taken up with fundraising “Mjikelelo” which I will try to describe – but you kinda had to be there! Firstly there was the action of “dusting the table” where everyone gathers at the back of the hall and, led by someone wielding a big stick move rhythmically round one side of the hall up to the front, singing as they go, where they then place small amounts of money on the table for collections. Following that in turn congregants from each parish do likewise, making as much noise as possible (some people even had vuvuzelas*). Among the offerings are the envelopes with the church donations collected prior to the event. Other groups such as the MU and FU have their own turn and the “Baruti” (priests) led by the Bishop wielding the big stick. Our last event was a puppet show by the youth about someone discovering that he had AIDS and then going to tell his former lover. Gift and Nata, the son and daughter of Fr Raymond and Winnie Holele, performed the parts very well, giving life to some old socks and communicating a serious message yet with humour. A supper was provided after which I was driven home by Deacon Letta Mosadi. The service on Sunday was programmed from 0800 to 1200 and I went with Gloria, Marang and “Mama Dite” (Marang’s mother, Diteboga). There was some waiting for the procession of servers, clergy and lay readers but it was filled with spontaneous singing. When all the robed persons were in place there were two short ceremonies before the service began. The first was the swearing in and blessing of the new president of the Mothers’ Union and the second was the blessing and welcoming of new servers and the blessing of their robes and T-shirts. These were both followed by song and dance of celebration and congratulations. Rosemary then delivered a message from the Bishop of Oxford. The service was conducted by Bishop Ossie and other clergy in English, Setswana and Afrikaans. Bishop Ossie preached in English with an interpreter giving us the Setswana version – very helpful for someone learning Setswana! The essence of the sermon was about finding God in the ordinary, not just the spectacular; giving of ourselves to the fullest and seeing the beauty of God in our neighbour. After the service we Oxfordonions were requested for a photo call with the Bishop. Jenny and Judy watch out, Bishop Ossie doesn’t stand about for second chances it was reassuringly quick and fairly painless. After lunch the afternoon was our own to relax.
Monday was a national holiday for Women’s Day. Diteboga had to drive back to Joburg and took us for breakfast at the Protea Hotel which was sumptuous, food and surroundings. Gloria then took me and Marang to visit a member of the congregation in hospital. Please pray for Archie, who is in a coma and his wife Pheany who we visited after the hospital. There were some other members of the Resurrection visiting at the same time. We then visited an old lady called Mrs Namane who was resting on her stoop after doing some gardening.
When I arrived at the centre on Tuesday there were no children and no teacher. The children arrived but Lerato was sick so while Anna and Teko did their jobs I played with – er looked after – the children. I had a very delightful but exhausting day. Thabang still has some goo in his ear and has a chesty cough. He was pretty tired and had a sleep at the end of the day. In the evening I went to Mmabatho International Airport with Marina to meet Judith. We spent Wednesday at the centre and I have pictures of Judith buried in children. Both of us wore out our voices singing and talking. We had a session with the parachute which got all the children so excited. The gratifying thing is that in the afternoon ALL the children had a sleep, so we must have worn them out with fun!
On Thursday morning we began the journey to school with Thabo on board then stopped to pick up Grace and Mmagauta and chucked Thabo out. We thought he was left to fend for himself completely but when we got to school he arrived with Opa, one of the other teachers. It was a cold morning and the learners were wrapped in hats and scarves again, they sang wonderfully at their assembly, prayed, greeted us with “Shine Judith, shine…” then “marched” to their classes, most of them ran. We helped Marina with the paperwork regarding the children’s progression from one grade to the next. After school when everyone had gone apart from a group of boys playing football we went to visit Nono. She was very sick when we visited her in February and Fr Hugh prayed for her. I hardly recognised her, she was lively, her eyes bright and seemed to have put on a bit of weight. Her two children arrived as we did Kutlwano wheeling a barrow and Sasa carrying a small bucket of milk. Nono’s grandmother takes care of the three of them.
It is hard to believe that I now have less than a week here. I will try to send one more mail before leaving but if I don’t manage go siame! Over and out from Afrika Borwa.
*Vuvuzela – a long plastic horn used at football matches.
Mmoledie High School traditional dance performance
Anglican Women's Fellowship pamphlet
The Anglican Women's Fellowship co-ordinates the work of existing groups of women, guilds and fellowships and increases fellowship between them.
To see the complete Kimberley & Kuruman Diocese AWF pamphlet in .pdf format, please click here.
All of the above has been provided by Fiona Gillespie - thank you.