Our friend Nyasha introduced us to something called The Touch Project. It's a movement started by a handful of people - mainly 2 girls, Anna and Clair (with no e) - and its main goal is to spread awareness in Port Elizabeth. Awareness about needs in the community, awareness of opportunities to help, awareness of God and how He works in our lives. They go out to different organizations - orphanages, care centers, things like that - and find their needs. Then Clair goes on a Christian radio station here in town and talks about the different places they go to and how others can help. People do pledges and donate. Also, they organize a "Day of Kindness" where people go out and volunteer there for a day. So it's basically just raising awareness about things going on in PE. Nyasha helps them out, when she's not in school, and she put us in contact with them. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it every week, but today was cool.
We met the girls at Anna's house, and then went to an AIDS Haven that's about 10 minutes from the Gelvan Park church building. There, we gave some items that were donated - food, a blanket, and nappies (diapers). When we pulled up in the parking lot, Clair got a phone call. We were waiting for her to get off the phone when we saw a group of about 15 little kids, on their way to the preschool they have set up in the compound. (There are little apartments there for AIDS victims to live in, and there's a big building that has a dining room, a room with a tv, bathrooms, and a kitchen. It's like a little town within a town.) At first they were just checking us out, looking us over - and we weren't really sure what to do either. But one suddenly just started running with his arms open towards us, and Neysia picked him up. Then they all came. They wanted to see what we were bringing, and they wanted us to hold them. I've held little kids before, but none of them have ever held me that tight. They didn't want to be put down. Most of them are AIDS orphans - but I got the impression that some of them might be HIV-positive. We played with them for about 10 minutes, and then got a tour of the facility.
I've never seen people so sick. We actually didn't get to talk with the people who lived there - just the staff - but as we were walking down the hall, I could see into their rooms. Most of them were just laying on their beds. They looked so skinny. The kids too, all of them were skinny. But I held two little boys and their stomachs were bloated up and stiff. I'm not sure if that's a symptom or what, but it was very sad.
This AIDS Haven - I think it's called the House of Resurrection - takes really good care of these people. They have nurses and staff that know what they're doing. The kids were just like any other kids. They pushed each other, ran a lot, laughed and smiled. Just like normal kids.
Only they've been affected by a disease they're too young to understand.
The woman who gave us the tour seemed to be the head of the operation. She's only been there for 7 years, but she knows what she's doing. She told us that the percentage of people with AIDS in Port Elizabeth has gone up significantly in the past two years - it's now at 35%. And those are only the people who know they have AIDS, and who've admitted they have AIDS. It's understood that there are more.
I would really like to volunteer there. It's very sanitary, and they know how to handle HIV and AIDS. I'm not sure if they need volunteers, but I'm going to contact them tomorrow hopefully and see what kind of information I can get.
Those kids...man. I can't get them out of my head. They held on so tight. But you know, it's not just the kids. The woman we talked to said that everybody is moved and affected by the kids.
The adults deserve just as much time and energy given to them. It takes one choice to have your life be affected forever. It takes a lack of knowledge for your world to be upside down.
And it takes one person at a time to spread knowledge, love, and care.
For more information about The Touch Project, go here.
-Tara.
