I've now lived for two whole weeks in Zithulele and it is AMAZING. Sam and I are staying in a renovated rondavel which is pretty well kitted out – we have all the essentials like cooker, fridge, toilet and a nice hot shower :D. There are plenty of bugs to keep us entertained and so far we have evicted three cockroaches, a giant moth and so many spiders we gave up on them. We also have a resident gecko and sheep, dogs and chickens that roam in the garden.
Zithulele hospital is a crazy place: there are only seven doctors and they run out patients, surgery, maternity and a paediatrics ward as well as an anti-retroviral programme for HIV+/AIDS patients. Needless to say that the doctors, nurses, therapists, dentist, pharmacists etc etc etc here are doing a brilliant job! Everyone here (locals and otherwise) is really friendly and you can't pass anyone without having a quick chat. The day starts early when the mechanics next door starts with the ridiculously loud reggae at 6am to wake me up, but everyone is in bed by about 10pm so it works out quite well.
I work in the pharmacy everyday which is good times all round! Getting to work takes about, oh, 3 seconds so I roll out of bed about 10 minutes before and pitch up around 9am to start. My role is to manage the ARV (HIV meds) which are going out to the local clinics, Mapuzi and Ncwanguba. I have to make up the prescriptions for the patients, register it all on the computer and then get it all sent out on timeso the patients can pick them up. I am also a pill counting slave and prepack thousands of pills into smaller packs which is less than glamourous but its a worthwhile job. Then there are other random pharmacy things which I'm sure will pile up when the current pharmacist Monique leaves on Wednesday, leaving Zithulele with no one to run the pharmacy!
I also work for the NGO The Jabulani Rural Health Foundation (which by the way, got a new patron this week – Desmond Tutu) which includes a whole host of things. We are teaching computer classes at a local school, organising community volunteer work and sorting out bits and pieces in the hospital. Sam is busy with Jabulani helping to run the preschool and working towards opening another ten and training new teachers in the next few months so has her work cut out too.
Aside from work, there has been a lot going on. We've had three braais – South African barbecues – where we have met all the staff at the hospital (pretty good chat I'd say :D). The local beach LuBanzi is only an hours walk away with some great waves so we have been there a few times. Last time Sam and I got nice and sunburnt despite wearing factor 50 so that wasn't so pleasant. It is an absolutely stunning beach so we may end up spending a fair amount of time there!
It was Sam's birthday on Tuesday so we went to Karl and Sally Le Roux's house for dinner which was a great night and included birthday cake, need I say more? They were very welcoming and we had fun so hopefully that will continue! We've also been to Coffee Bay which is a local resort twice for Papazela's pizza which has been excellent both times – loads of people from Zithulele go and we all sit at a long table, eat pizza, chat and have a nice drink (which is pretty cheap here...1L beer is only £1.70).
For the first week we had an American medical student Justin staying with us which was hilarious and we had a riot in the rondavel with him :D He got us introduced to everyone and left a tonne of food so we are very grateful to him for that! Students come and go to the rondavel next door so hopefully more will follow in his footsteps...
Yesterday we had no water or power which was, shall I say, the best time of my life ever. Except it wasn't, because I only realised we had no water when I came back from a run at 7am and discovered there was no way I could have a shower. Then at work the power went out so I had to come home which was just greaaaaaaat since I do actually like work :D When the water did come on it was brown and muddy, oh how we are living the dream here! Thankfully its all back to normal now but you do realise how lucky we are compared to the locals who have to use paraffin stoves and drink out of the dirty lakes.
Last week Sam and I saw possibly the cutest thing that exists on the planet when we got to hold one day old twins in the maternity ward. Will definitely be popping down there again if I ever need cheering up!
If you are wondering how I am coping without a constant supply of deep fried goodness from working at the chippy, Justin introduced us to amaguena or Fat Cakes which are basically deep fried doughballs that cost 15p and taste amazing if you put icing sugar on them...so I will probably return obese despite the fact that we are living on £56 per month.
So the plan for the next few days is a trip to Umtata tomorrow to pick up the food for the next few weeks, a birthday party for one of the doctor's little girls, a trip to Mapuzi clinic, dinner at the pastors, computer classes, sorting out some regular internet and just general good times in the African sun.
Thanks for all the text messages, I do get them but can't reply too often without running up a nice credit card bill at home. I will get round to writing to everyone eventually so sorry if I miss you in my first batch! If you feel like brightening up my day, please email me on kayleigh892@hotmail.co.uk
Good luck to anyone doing prelims! And Happy Birthday (belated) to Gregor and Tides! Thanks for reading, hope you are all having fun :)
Until next time...
Salani Kakuhle xxxxx
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