Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Southern Free State: Smithfield

Summary

We travelled to Smithfield to learn about the Stoffel Coetzee Hospital and give a presentation on perishable meats and fruits.  I was supposed to give a presentation about nutrition and HIV but it was cancelled due to the fact that no one showed up for it.  We were extremely fortunate and went on a game drive back in Philippolis.

Detailed Account

The drive to Trompsburg followed by Smithfield was long so a very early morning was required.  We began at the Stoffel Coetzee Hospital, one of the three district hospitals.  I was surprised to see the emptiness of the place, the clinics are packed with people wait yet the hospitals are barren.  People are allowed to walk into the hospital just as the clinic but no one seems to, very interesting. 

We immediately made our way to the kitchen to have a look around.  It was large and open but with only one stove and one oven.  The food manager at this hospital had recently been promoted from being the cleaner.  She had no knowledge in food so it has resulted in a difficult transition for Marli.  We went over what was being made for lunch and reminded the cook how to prepare the food properly.  Marli asked what was going to be for dessert and she replied “chocolate mousse.”  Although mousse had to sit overnight so that was yet another learning experience for the kitchen staff that day.  The more I see what Marli deals with on a daily basis the more I realize how necessary a sense of humor is in her sector.

The hospital kitchen 

We gathered all of the two cooks in the hospital for the day and gave a presentation on perishable meats and fruits.  Lastly we went to the cooler to take a look at their fruits and it was remarkable.  The walk in cooler was practically empty with one lone box sitting on a shelf.  Inside the box was fruit, two-thirds were bruised and unusable.  Hopefully the presentation will help with their future meals and preparation.  I found that the cook did as she was told and the best she could, it seemed that a great deal of problems rooted from the food service manager.

We then made our way to another clinic so I could give my HIV and nutrition talk.  I had prepared a presentation to teach newly diagnosed HIV patients about what to eat and how to prepare the food hygienically correct.  We were told that one person had showed up for the talk but left shortly after and therefore my presentation was cancelled.  I was able to learn a great deal about HIV nonetheless.

We headed back to Trompsburg after a lunch break where I tried another traditional dish, Bobotie.  We had passed signs for a place called Otterskloof in Philippolis, something about a game drive.  We called to see what it was about and informed them that we were poor college students.  They told us to drive out and we could talk with them when we arrived so we did just that.  After a cup of tea they loaded us onto one of the coolest cars ever and we set out for an incredible afternoon.  The reserve was 33,000 acres so the animals roamed freely.  Their main income was hunting, many people from around the world pay thousands to come and hunt their animals (so very sad).  We saw everything from waterbuck to buffalo to white and black rinos to zebra to springbok.  It was such an incredible day of adventure and bonding between Imke, Regardt, the guides, and me.  Luckily I made it back with my teeth still intact, I had a near miss.

Otterskloof Game Drive: White rinos!

We made such good friends with the guides that they took us back to their place to play with their Blue Monkey (my future pet) and calf.  We then received fresh biltong (beef jerky but so much better) before they took us to visit their lions!  The lion is such an incredible animal.  There was a father, Simba (really that was his name), three females, and 7 pups of all ages.  They were so cute interacting although Simba's roar was intimidating and downright scary.  The kindness of these people touched my heart deeply and I hope to be able to repay them their hospitality when they come to the states in the future.  This confirms my love for small towns completely.

Conclusion

Working in the community is difficult and you have to make the best of what you have.  I learned a great amount during this section including communicating with people from different backgrounds, the importance of a sense of humor, what roads in the Southern Free State are really like, and the kindness of people and friends.  Overall we put over 1,400 kilometers on the car in 3 and a half days but I came home with experiences and friends that will last a life time. 

My South African Opa!