October 04th, 2012

Hi :) I’m Catherine, a volunteer for Jabulani. I know you’ve already had a post very similar to this from Emily (which is why I’m not starting mine with isiXhosa) but I feel I should introduce myself too. I work at the ARV clinic in the hospital, doing a lot of admin for patients that receive their treatment at clinics around the hospital. The Transkei is a poor area of South Africa, and transport is…hectic at the best of times, so by giving patients their ARVs at clinics instead of the hospital they are much more likely to stick with it, and therefore it will work a lot better.

I’m from England, and out here for a year before I go back for university. I was sent here by a charity that works in the UK, called Project Trust, who send gap year students all over the world to work at different teaching and social projects. Zithulele is a special project – both because it is the only medical project they do, and also because it’s just an amazing project. Living here you get to see a whole new culture; I see and speak to (often in very broken English/Xhosa) loads of new people, and the community just welcomes new people with open arms. I think I’ve lucked out this year – I’ve been here less than six weeks, but already I feel at home; I can’t imagine being anywhere else.