A Humble Request

The strike continues....

Things have intensified recently in South Africa, where COSATU and other prominent unions are engaged in action against the government. Striking workers are getting more and more worked up; incidents of violence are not uncommon anymore. People are being threatened by gun-wielding union-sponsored thugs at some places. What started off as legitimate demands from the unions (and still are, to some extent) has been overshadowed, in my mind at least, by what some union members have been doing. They give other union members a bad name.

Here is what I think about the strike.

The strike seems set to intensify. Currently, the government has raised its offer up from the initial 5.5% up to 7.25%. The union has also decreased from its initial stand of 12% down to 10%. But they seem locked at these figures, and so the alliance of unions has been reaching out to other labor unions across South Africa; if demands are not met by Monday, they are threatening a total shutdown in the country. All workers at all stores, municipal offices, etc. could strike. Public-taxi and bus service would stop. Nobody would be able to get anywhere; nothing would run. We here in South Africa are waiting to see what the next step is.

In the meanwhile, I’ve been busy. This week I spent four hours working with Grade 12 students at the local high school; they have been without a Mathematics teacher for some time, and their Matric exams are coming up in October. I’ve volunteered to help teach the class once classes resume; this week was my first time doing any work with them. Some of these kids are very bright (and some are not) and I think it will be a pleasure to work with them.

On Wednesday after I finished up with the Grade 12 students, I was walking through my village, on my way to get a taxi to take me into town (for a meeting with the Red Cross), when something very mundane, very common, and very illustrating happened. I saw a half-naked toddler sitting in the dirt, wailing, crying inconsolably. As I passed the house, I waved at the crying young one; he immediately stopped crying and looked at me with a blank, fascinated stare. I waved some more; his older sister told him to greet me (in Shangaan), so he waved back. The beginnings of a smile had begun to creep into his face. This is one of the small pleasures of my life....something so simple, that happens very often, but says so much.

I’ve been hectic to an extreme recently. In addition to what I’ve mentioned above, I’ve been incredibly hectic with stuff for my HIV project, and when I’ve had free time I’ve been intensely studying for the GRE, which is less than a week away. In fact, in only a few days, I’ll be leaving my village, heading down to Gauteng to take the test.

After the test, I’m not coming back to my village; it’s Winter Holiday, from June 22 until July 15. For the first time since I’ve arrived in South Africa; I’m actually very guilty to leave my village for such a long time. I’ll be gone well over three weeks. Ordinarily I wouldn’t mind, but things have been gearing up into full swing with my HIV project and I’m leaving a lot undone and in the hands of my committee members, who will be working with Erica to get stuff done.

(For details about my HIV project, see my previous entry, “MY VAST PROPOSAL”)

Things are looking great with the project, though. We’ve gotten amazing support from the Municipality. The Red Cross is extremely helpful, excited, and eager to help us make our testing drive a success. The Department of Health is also on board. We have secured major support from local businesses, the most popular radio station in the province, and even Coca Cola!

There is a MAJOR problem with all of this, though. My HIV project, the “Tithembheni Tshamahansi” HIV Testing Drive, was funded by a VAST (Volunteer Activity Support & Training) Grant, which falls under Prez Bush’s PEPFAR Initiative. VAST funds are topped at USD $5,000; this is equal to about 35,000 Rand. That money is being stretched to the extreme; we are using it to fund a LOT of stuff. The Municipality is helping us out a lot with resources, but they have also imposed some extra conditions on the project to bring it up to Municipality-acceptable standards.

The biggest draw when speaking to anyone in my village about the testing drive has been the cash prizes that will be offered in the raffle. The real draw that we have, which we are hoping will draw people to the testing drive, is the raffle. There’s also going to be a free party and free meal for those who are tested, with special guests, etc. but the people are excited about the money. Someone who would be very apprehensive about getting tested for HIV will literally change their mind in an instant when faced with the prospect of winning a large amount of money. That’s what poverty will do to someone....the desire for any money is so strong that a person will reevaluate any existing preconceived notions. In most instances, this is a terrible thing; people will sink to robbing their neighbors or selling their bodies for any pittance. But in our case, with this project, it’s a benefit because it is drawing people toward something that will help them in the long run.

I may be a cynic; I believe that most people are motivated by greed. That’s why the money is so important. But I’m also an optimist at times; I believe that these improperly-motivated people will be exposed to a lot of informative material and confront their own health and their own behavioral choices when going to get tested; they will go through the experience and will leave the clinic having learned about HIV, about their own lifestyle, and about their own health. They will also leave the clinic knowing a lot about how the HIV test works. All of this new information will spread among the village; people will tell their family, their neighbors, their friends, their significant others. (Notice, I said OTHERS, not OTHER)

Basically, to sum up, the cash prizes are THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect of this HIV testing drive.

That brings us to the problem.....we don’t have the money for the cash prizes. The VAST funds don’t cover prizes (and we wouldn’t have enough left over for prizes, anyway, after all other expenses are accounted for). Erica and I have been busy going to businesses in Mokopane, sending out requests to local and international Rotary Clubs, etc. So far, the response has been tepid. We have received some small donations, a few hundred Rands here, a few hundred Rands there.

But, I’ve been advertising that I’m going to offer 10,000 Rand (approx. USD $1,500) in cash prizes at the raffle. That’s what’s been getting the attention. I hate asking for money (although I know I just asked for KLM donations a few months ago), but at this point Erica and I have exhausted all of our other options and are, basically, desperate.

Maybe you’re reading this, but you don’t think you can donate enough. Any small donation will be very helpful. USD $10, $20, $50, $100 ---anything would be helpful. My mother has Power Of Attorney for me; any (cash or check) donation could be addressed to me (Omar Ahmed) and sent to her; she could then deposit the funds into my bank account, which I have access to here in South Africa.

Her address is:
Nooshi Ahmed
1590 Westview Drive
Yorktown Heights, NY
10598

If you donate, I will gladly send you pictures from the event, a thank-you letter, and a report from the event. I know all about the pros and cons about giving a monetary donation to a foreign country; I’ve read Paul Theroux and I know that throwing money at a problem won’t make it go away. But I truly, truly believe that this situation is different. Your money WILL make a difference. I wouldn’t have spent so many (literally hundreds) of hours working on this if I didn’t believe that down to the bottom of my heart.

If you donate, you truly will be making a huge impact and I can’t tell you how grateful I would be.