Not Too Much And In A Dream-Like State

3 generations in Gueydan, LA-Milly aka RG Dimple, Megan, Bronwyn, and Peg
It's been a long time since I last wrote. I really didn't think it would take me this long to get on the ol' blog and update about life back home.... but time has flown and I'm not sure where the weeks and days have gone. It's hard to believe it's been over a month since I left South Africa... and almost a month and a half since I've seen all my family and friends in Metz... really hard to believe. The last month has been pretty great and it's been really fun to see family, friends, and Austin again.
Top fun things? I flew with Keri halfway home, we left South Africa together and flew to London where we split up to take our next flights. A good group of friends and my family met me at the airport and welcomed me home. The first week was a daze... I spent lots of time sleeping and sleeping hard at that. Jet lag can really do a number on you... and recovering from about 30 hours of traveling. I've had many good coffee dates with good friends, dinners, Mexican food, conversations, and lots of laughing. I went to visit my Grandma and all my family in Louisiana... they welcomed me home with a nice sign and plenty of hugs. I had coffee and conversation with my grandma and every morning I was there, I was made a bowl of Malt-O-Meal. My cousin June got me a ticket to see Bruce Springsteen in his home state of New Jersey and the concert just so happened to be ON my 31st birthday. An amazing show.. and one I don't think I'll ever forget, I'm glad June and I got to go together. I spent a lovely few days walking around the Baltimore Harbor, drinking coffee, and people watching. I had a chance to meet up with Ronda, who's living just outside of D.C. It's nice to know that bonds are still tight between volunteers even when we're on "this side." Dominique, one of my closest friends, threw me a birthday party where I got to celebrate with some of my favorite people. My friend Jen, who was in AmeriCorps NCCC with me in Denver right after I graduated high school, flew in for a visit over Columbus Day weekend. We had some good laughs and good conversations. I've been 80's dancing and I've seen my friend Brian DJ.... two things I really missed doing.
I can't put into words what I'm feeling and how I'm transitioning... I'm just taking it one day at a time and trying to get settled. Everything feels like a dream. Was I really in Metz Village for 2 years? How small was my room? What did it feel like to be all sweaty and hot and smushed in a taxi? I miss my friends and family there greatly and I feel so lucky to be back home with my friends and family here. I think I've grown up, I think I've aged, I think I've let a lot of things go... I really feel like I'm one person that has lived in two different worlds. Two worlds that don't have much chance of touching... two worlds that only a select few people have seen and know about. It's surreal. Very, very surreal.
I am planning on keeping this blog up for a little while... post some pictures of life in the states, of things I think are important.... it just might be sporadic for the next few weeks, I'm still trying to organize pictures and get used to the internet being so fast and computers being available all the time... shockingly, that's a little overwhelming. So, I'll be in touch... I'll be back on here soon.
This is Megan Mmapula Owen signing off at 11:05 pm, it's time for bed. The Phokungwane family has now been up for a good 2 hours.

last day in metz

On my last night in the village we had a cake from Taposa. Emma, the woman MmaDiapo has hired to help with things around the house, won R1,000 in a women's running competition and used R50 of it to get a "Goodbye Mmapula" cake. While sipping juice and eating tons of icing, Maite came over to sit with me, said she wanted to tell me a story. Earlier in the week, while they were all sitting on their back stoop, Karabo crossed her legs and was genuinely confused when the family seemed to be amused. "Karabo! Where did you learn such a thing? Are you a lekgowa (white person)? Only white people sit with their legs crossed, we Africans sit with our legs straight in front of us." "I'm not a lekgowa! I saw Mmapula sit like this! I'm just sitting like Mmapula." "Mmapula is a lekgowa, she is white." "No, no, Mmapula is just like me, she is just like you." Maite said she and Margaret were so excited that Karabo would think such a thing... think that I was no different than her in any way, that I was one of the family. That was the perfect end to my chapter in Metz. I know there were a lot of things I wanted to accomplish when I found myself in Peace Corps and in my village, but those things were constantly changing during my service. Now that it's the end, I see that I was pretty successful with my service and am most proud of all the relationships I made and cultivated during my time here. I have friends, family, and a place for life in a little, rural, South African Village.


I left good ol' Metz 3 days ago and it's been a whirlwind of activity ever since.
I'm not sure what all is going to come in the future, what directions I will turn and take, but I'm really, really glad I did this and stuck it out until the very end. There are new adventures ahead. New people to know. Old friends and family to keep in touch with. Food to eat. Bowling and dancing to do. Beautiful places to see. Thank you for this life.

This is Mmapula Phokungwane signing off in Metz Village and South Africa for the last time. Stay tuned for updates on the adventure of transition back to America!

Final Result

This winter, because it would get dark so early, I spent a good chunk of time making not one, but TWO blankets with the colors of the South African flag...black, green, white, red, yellow, and blue. One for me and one for MmaDiapo as a thank you gift. I sent my finished blanket home with June in her big ol' suitcase and presented MmaDiapo with hers tonight. It's about 5'5" by 5'5", wasn't made off of any kind of pattern, and I couldn't tell you how many skeins I used. I think it turned out pretty well!

A Little Heart

Thanks to so many giving people that I am lucky to know in the States some pretty awesome things have been able to happen while I've been living in Metz.
My Uncle Hansford, who lives in Gueydan, gave me a little bit of money to do something for my village, and with the help of my high school English teacher, Cohen, I was able to successfully support The Women's Literacy Group of Metz with new school supplies! This is a group of women that comes together under the mango trees in MmaLetsoalo's yard three afternoons a week. They are learning to read and write in their mother tongue, Sotho.
I spent one lovely afternoon with their teacher, Maggy, at her house, hanging out with her family, and going through all the supplies I was able to buy.
Here's Maggy with some of her grandchildren and some of the supplies that were purchased.
And here's the amazing traditional meal we ate together after we had our meeting. At one point, Maggy looked at her daughter and said, "I am eating with my friend Mmapula and it is so nice for my heart."

I told Maggy that people at home wanted to help me support projects in Metz. Her literacy class has done so much for the ladies and we wanted to do a little something to help her be able to teach them just a little bit better. Each student was given a plastic folder with a new notebook, pens, Gueydan Museum pencils, a sharpener, an eraser, and a pencil bag to keep everything organized. A whiteboard with new markers, a filing system, and two books for Math and Writing were given to the teacher.
Some of the money was also used to buy World and Africa maps for the Kodumela office and all 7 of the drop in centers.
Rejoice, June, and I all drove to all the centers to hang them up and give the cookers and kids little lessons in geography. I can't tell you how awesome it was to see kids really interested... and how cool it is to sit in the office and watch people try to find places in the world, have discussions about locations on the maps, and ask me questions about different countries and continents. HUGE!

SO many people are touched by the generosity. It's pretty neat when you think about how much we're all working together.

That R20,000

This morning, John and Mary came out to visit Metz and all the projects the R20,000 funded. It was a nice visit, with the three of us smushed in the front of their bakkie, riding around different villages seeing the sites and catching up. We talked of how beautiful the mountains are, we talked of how successful Kodumela is, and they expressed interest in trying to help Cedric with his home gardens plan... they may have some funds he can apply for!
Here is what some of the money went towards:
A brand new bed for Ophelia's house!!! She had been sleeping on a boxspring.
The steel doors for the drop in center storage rooms at Sally's Place Creche in Makgaung Village. These doors replaced some wooden ones that weren't holding up well after all the big rains last summer.
Each of the 7 drop in centers got a filing cabinet for the new filing system Rejoice is trying to create. When all is said and done, each center will have a file with a birth certificate, proof of grants, and other personal information about each child on the register.
Ophelia's yard (shown) will have a nice fence going all around it. The new fence will go along with the new toilet and house that was built by the Limpopo Provincial Government. (in the picture you can see the foundation that was laid for her house... she's been waiting for 2 years for this to happen and it FINALLY is!!)
And Mokgadi's yard now has a new toilet and water pipe and tap! I have to say, the new additions go nicely with the house Kodumela built them and their leafy green veggie garden.

RDP Houses

Here are some pictures of the government housing (RDP- Reconstruction and Development Programme) and the houses the families lived in before they got their new ones. Sometimes there is quite a difference.
This RDP house is still in the finishing stages... it needs a roof!
Straight ahead is the newer government housing and to the left is the house the family was living in before.
Most families move into their new housing and still use their old house for an extra bedroom, storage, etc.

Brenda Fassie Dance Party Awesomeness

My Sunday evening consisted of dancing with some of the women in my family. Aw yeah. Maite, Karabo, Lethabo, MmaDiapo, MmaKori, Linda, Margaret, Salome, Maria, and I all squeezed into MmaDiapo's living room and danced to Brenda Fassie... the queen of African pop.

Anonymous Donor

Worcester Primary School.
There is a kid in the WorldVision Sponsorship Program at Kodumela who is attending the primary school in Worcester, a village down the tar road from Metz. When his sponsor heard how many children were attending the school and how much space they had in the old buildings, he donated the funds to build a whole new wing! The new school building doubles the size of the school and it's beautiful. The principal and all the students are so excited for the final touches to be finished so they can move in and start using the new rooms. Thank you, Anonymous Donor, the support you are giving this community is very much appreciated. You are, for sure, helping the future of this country. I hope you know that.

Cold Drink and Simbas. Yeah!

Today was my Cold Drink and Simbas Farewell Party at Kodumela. With 6 types of Simbas, some peanuts and raisins, sweets, chocolate from America, 4 different kinds of biscuits, and an assortment of cold drink that Nyasha, Rejoice, and I all hauled from Taposa... we had a right nice time. I'm going to miss all of these people so much. When it was time for my speech it went a little something like this:
"Oh you guys, there are no words to really express how much you've done for me. For a long time I struggled to find myself a place in Metz and six months ago, when I walked through the door here and offered to work with you, everything changed. I'm proud of every single one of you, for the work that you do, and the passion you have for helping people in Metz and all the surrounding communities. Please don't ever underestimate the impact you've had on the children and families in this area... and the impact you've had on me. You welcomed me with open arms and there is no way I could ever forget you. You are part of my African family and I'll love you forever."
And then there were speeches from a few staff members that made me tear up. Mosuma, one of the security guards, told me to go well and that God had many wonderous things planned for my future. Ledile said that she wished I didn't have to leave, that I would always have a family in Africa who loves and cares about me as much as the one I'm heading back to in just a few weeks. And Collins' speech. Wow. Collins talked about how much he was going to miss me and how impressed he was with me as a person. That he felt I never drew a boundary between me and "them".... that my relationship with everyone in that office and the community went beyond color and culture. He ended by saying that I would always belong. I didn't cry then, but I certainly cried later on when I was thinking about it. Amazing.
Kodumela ADP with its dairy project, goat project, community garden, 26 lay counselors, 26 carers, 112 home visitors, 30 full time staff members, WorldVision Sponsorship Program sponsoring over 3,000 kids in the local area, 7 drop in centers with their cookers and staff, 15 "kids" sponsored by an ABSA grant for monthly food purchases, overseeing several construction projects in the local area including a disability center and a school building in Worcester Village, arts and crafts trainings for income generating activities, mealie meal grinding, and the list goes on.....
And here's some of the awesome staff....
Our cold drink and Simbas party which included lots of singing and dancing.
Mmapula and Mmapula, the YellowWood Tree, my gift to the office. It's going to grow big and shady, and when it blooms, it is covered with yellow flowers. It was planted right in front of the office.
The teapot I gave Maite so she could continue to enjoy tea times after I'm back home.
Rejoice enjoying her gifts!

Guess Who Smiled!!!!!

This is the facial expression Lethabo wears most of the time....
BUT you give her some Ritz Cheese crackers from a package and spend the afternoon with her...
and look what happens! I love this kid... and that grin... and those two big front teeth that just came in a month ago.

The Day She Saw A Plane Up Close

A few weeks ago,MmaDiapo asked me if it was possible for us to visit an airport and see a plane up close before I left to fly home. I told her I would try my level best to see what we could do. Yesterday we had quite the adventure... and it was a day I'm pretty sure none of us will forget.
MmaDiapo, Rejoice, Nyasha (a new volunteer for Kodumela who is from Zimbabwe), and Mmapula all set out on the open road.
First stop was dropping off Simon (pronounced Sea-Mon), Maite's brother, at the banana plantation in Lestitele Valley. He just got a job there. I ate a banana or two and talked to some of the workers...

Then it was off to Tzaneen, with the car SMOKING again (near the emergency brake), to buy some cigarettes at the Cash and Carry to sell in Metz, visit with Solly, MmaDiapo's brother-in-law, AND get the car checked out to make sure we wouldn't blow up.
After running all our errands in town, we, once again, hit the open road. Not 10 minutes down the road, we were pulled over for speeding. As soon as the officer noticed that I was from Texas... we were free to go after a brief conversation about America and about how the speed limit signs were just a little too hard to see.
THEN we made it to Polokwane International Airport. Yep. Up until this point in her life, MmaDiapo had only seen airplanes on TV...
MmaDiapo, Nyasha, and Mmapula.
We made it just in time to see a commuter plane from Jo'burg land, have all its passengers unload, refuel, and then prepare itself for another trip back to Jo'burg. We had the perfect view from the second floor of the airport, in a little room with windows all around. It was pretty loud and VERY cool. We saw a plane land and then, a plane take off... and we were RIGHT THERE.
Then we went and stared at a big plane they had on display outside and took photos of the whole experience.
Lunch time was spent at Maxi's... a restaurant that is a step up from Wimpy. We all stuffed ourselves silly with avocado, chips, and chicken plates and sandwiches.
And MmaDiapo very much enjoyed a Passion Fruit Milkshake.
The whole ride home, between long periods of silence because we were so tired and full, someone would pipe up and say, "Woo, eish! That was a nice day! A very nice day." And everyone else would agree. Man, it was a nice day.

That ABSA Bank

Mmapula, Rejoice, Jane, and Gift with some of the "kids" who go to Pick 'n Pay once a month to buy their groceries through an ABSA sponsorship. Jane is the Customer Service Manager and goes above and beyond the call of duty. Any time the store has food that it must donate or find a home for, she said she thinks of Kodumela. That's what I call networking, folks.
I am SO excited to announce that a proposal Rejoice worked on and sent in to ABSA Bank (here in South Africa) a few months ago has been accepted!!!!! The drop in center program has received a whopping R480,000 for the next year! You know what this means? This means more balanced meals at the centers! This means TWO meals can be served a day instead of just one! This means there are no worries about the centers running out of food any time in the next year! This means all those kids are going to get to eat! This means Rejoice rocks!

Talk It Out- Transition SUCKS

I never thought I would count the days. My whole goal was to be present, be in AFRICA, while I was in Africa.... but, yeah, that whole idea has been thrown out the window. It's Tuesday and although there are plenty of things I could be doing at Kodumela, I feel like there are a ton of things I need to do at home... because they need to be done and because I need to chill out and tell myself everything will get done. I need to chill out. Last week I was talking to Matt online and he asked how I was feeling about my impending departure from the village and my return to good ol' America. You know what my response was? I told him I was feeling nothing. And.. I really was feeling nothing. I could care less about deadlines, I was focusing on having fun with my family and coworkers, I didn't feel like I had all that much stuff to pack, and I couldn't even think about everything that might happen when I found myself back on American soil. A few hours later, Chris called me on his way to his last day at his job in San Antonio (he's moving back to Austin!!!!) and I told him the same thing when he asked the same question. While on the phone I was standing in the middle of a garden at Kodumela. I ate a piece of Spring Onion, I weeded around a tomato plant, and I listened to his excitement about a new change, moving back to where he wants to live. I was so excited for him. A few minutes later we said goodbye and I headed back to my desk. As soon as I sat down PANIC hit me. Heart pounding, tears coming to my eyes. What about a job? What about adjusting to a town I once knew so well? What are my friendships going to be like? What the hell am I going to do when I'm still adjusting, but I've been home long enough that people are used to me being around? How am I going to say bye to all these people? How am I going to leave Metz without kicking and screaming because I'm not sure I'm ready for the unknown... or sort of known? I think this lasted about 15 minutes and then I distracted myself or someone asked me a question....
I have decided, once again, that I hate transition... and I've never been good with change. These feelings, of course, don't stop me from trying new things and putting myself out there, but man they suck. With that being said, I wouldn't trade all the people I know, the love in my heart, and all the amazing experiences I've been given to not feel the pain of saying goodbye and to not face all the weirdness of change and adjustment. No, I wouldn't, and I'm going to remind myself of that weeks from now and months from now.
From the Africa side of things... I'm trying not to stress too much about saying my goodbyes and finishing up last minute things. I'm also not going to add any more things to my to do list... time is running short and I have to stop thinking so grand. And I'm still trying to figure out how the hell you say bye to people who mean a lot to you, who have carved places in your heart, and you're not sure when you're going to see them, some people you'll never see again. That's a toughie. In some ways, although I'm going to miss a lot of things, I'M JUST READY FOR THESE LAST FEW DAYS TO JUST SPEED UP.
From the America side of things? Can I say that I can't even go there yet? I have plans to hang out with people, watch them laugh, hear all about what they've been doing since I've been gone, get plenty of hugs, and just hang out. I have visions of meals I want to eat. I want to walk around Austin and soak it all up. I want to go to Gueydan and have coffee time with my Grandma. Then the plans stop. I can't go any farther. No, no, it's not denial... not at all. I'm aware that things are going to be different and there are most certainly going to be challenges. I get all that for sure. I just can't think too far ahead because I have NO idea what to expect. When you have NO idea, how are you supposed to make plans? How are you supposed to know what you're going to be feeling or what you're going to want to do if you're not in that situation yet? Uh huh. It stumps me.

The Keepers Of The Goats

Kodumela used some of the money they got from one of their funders to purchase a herd of goats for part of a project they wanted to start with some local kids. Everyday, after school, about 5 boys walk from Metz, across the tar road, through the front gates of Kodumela, and to the area where the goats have been grazing all day. All the goats are then herded into their pen for the night, given fresh water, and the gate is made secure. Then all the boys tramp over to the big garden they're working in to check and see if any new veggies have made an appearance. The kids are doing most of the work to raise and grow their own food.... they acquire skills for food production AND they take home food they've grown for their families to eat. Once the goats are old enough, they'll be distributed to some of the families and child headed households Kodumela helps out... goat's milk and meat will be very much welcomed. Not only is the whole project off setting the need for large food parcels for each family every month, but it's also teaching the kids to be self reliant.


Man, they have some great smiles.

That Blue Sky

Tonight, after work, I drove to Letsitele Valley with MmaDiapo and Charlie to pick up MmaDiapo's brother, Daniel. Daniel comes home on the weekends when MmaDiapo has enough money for petrol... and his weekends aren't full of a lot of downtime. This weekend he's going to a funeral on Saturday morning and one on Sunday as well. All that time in between funerals? He's still working on the house he's building in MmaDiapo's yard.. brick by brick. We were quite the roadtrip crew I tell ya. We drove to one petrol station near Metz to have someone check out the right front tire that has a slow puncture. They sent us on to a tyre place just down the road. Those guys filled the tire with air and said to come back when it got low again. We stopped at the next petrol station for petrol and while sitting at the pump SMOKE started curling all around the interior of the car. "Uh MmaDiapo, I think the car is smoking." "No no... that must be the dust reflecting in the light." "Uh, no no, I really think it's smoke, it's not going away." There was no smell and after some investigating by the station workers under the hood, it was summed up that the smoke was coming from somewhere around the tire. Yeaaaaahhhhhhhh. They said it would be fine, so we drove. I silently prayed for us to make it back to Metz in one piece. Prayed for the car to stay on the road and for us to NOT have some sort of blow out. After all the pit stops, we were running late to pick up Daniel. When we turned at the cross near Nkowankowa the sun was starting to set. Letsitele Valley is gorgeous. Orange groves on either side of the road. Papaya orchards full of row after row after row of sweet fruit. The sides of mountains have been cleared for banana plantations. This is the area of Limpopo where the Letsoalo and Phokungwane families of Metz used to live. They lived there right before the government forced them to move to the Metz area and, basically, start their lives over. It was 1958 and MmaDiapo was a young girl. She remembers the move and how long they had to live in tents while they built new homes in the area.
We drove to the end of the tar road and kept going straight on a gravel road full of potholes (please, please no blow outs!!!). We found Daniel at the farm he works on... full of orange trees and packing warehouses and headed back home a little after 6. On the way home I noticed how many funeral processions we were passing... a total of 6 when driving TO Metz... I can't report how many we saw when we were heading in the opposite direction. It's clearly Friday. It's that day of the week where you're done with the everyday work and you're ready for a rest, except a rest won't come because you have two funerals to attend over the course of the weekend.
Tomorrow a cousin in the Phokungwane family is being buried. She was 28 when she died just last week. She was HIV positive. She had gone to a sangoma (traditional healer) when she started feeling sick and he had told her that she was too sick for his help. She went to the hospital, they told her she should start on some medication, she never took the meds, and they're burying her tomorrow. Some people in Metz believe she was bewitched by her in-laws... some believe that she died because she didn't get on medication.
We discuss everything as we're heading home... the headlights just don't seem to be bright enough for how dark the night is....how many funerals are going on, Eish! Too many people dying, it's going to be a packed weekend, and Hey! We should find bananas to make bread tomorrow! Such is life in the village.

Sweet Po'tater

The biggest sweet potato I've ever seen. I think June's expression about covers it. Thanks Phokungwane Farms!

How We Do

The bucket bath. Yep. I've taken my fair share over the last two years. I get pretty clean and I've learned the art so well that my skills have come in handy whenever I'm in the city and the hot water goes out in the shower... I wash parts of my body one at a time.
I usually heat up a kettle full of water and put it in my wash bucket... but when summer rolls around, straight cold is the way to go, gotta have some way to lower the ol' body temperature.
I first wash my face by wetting it with water from my pitcher... apply soap and lather... then rinse with my pitcher. I then hang over the side and wash my arms and chest before hanging my head over the side to wash my hair
Here's Keri showing us how it's done. You lather up your hair, use a cup to use water in the bucket to rinse,
then lather up again, and use clean water for the final rinse. It does the trick.
After washing my hair, I step in my bucket and wash the lower half of my body, ending with my feet. When all is said and done... I dump my wash water outside under the tree and use my mop to soak up all the sloshed out water.
If you have a guest, after the washing of bodies and feet, before bedtime, you have an excuse to drink wine out of a plastic cup with flamingos all over it.