Stones, Sand and Cattle

Just a quick update. I’m still busy up in the far reaches of Northern South Africa (Vhemba country), just south of the border with Zimbabwe. I should be leaving soon and will provide a better update at that time, but I wanted to give a teaser for what’s to come:

Merit Badges

Where no 18 Wheeler Has Gone Before…!

Local Politics

and more…

Life is good. Work is challenging, but moving forward. I’ve accomplished a lot in the month I’ve been out here and looking forward to doing more in the future. Sounds like I’ll be around South Africa for another year or so as there is a project outside of Durban funded by DANIDA (Danish Aid) gearing for March or April. I’ve got a trip to Namibia planned with my boy Dee in February…busy, busy, busy. Stay tuned!

Happy New Year

Greetings one and all! I apologize for the hiatus, but I’ve been busy spending time eating, sleeping, laying on the beach and hiking in the mountains. It’s exhausting, but I figured that somebody had to do it and it might as well be me! Anyway, I wanted to wish all my readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I hope that all of your dreams come true and your efforts rewarded. I’m very excited about the prospects of the new year. A new job. An old country. A wonderful girlfriend in the same country. Another niece or nephew on the way. A change in leadership. The potential is great and very exciting.

Anyway, I wanted to quickly say hello and to wish everyone the best that this new year has to offer. I’m heading up north of Jo’Burg for the next month to pre-test some educational materials and to help design and build some model latrines at an Eco-Village north of Polokwane (Pietersberg). After that I’m heading back up to Zimbabwe for a short Community Health Club training and then either back here to Cape Town to work on a project in Khayelitsha, one of the sprawling townships that covers the entire length and width of the Cape Flats, or down to Durban to work on a new project in informal settlements. Either way I’m very excited and am looking forward to honing my recently gained skills as well as learning a few things about community development in a South African context.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the 5 or 6 potential conferences on slate for this year. All very exciting, especially the Social Capital conference on Malta in September. Amazingly, I have landed in a perfect situation because not only does my ‘boss’ have an interest in social capital, but the entire Western Cape of South Africa has a state focus on social capital! I’m in heaven…