The Delft Township

Claire Goodrich

01-16-2013

The Delft Township

Today was our third day working in the Delft Township and I just wanted to give a recap of what we've done and my thoughts so far in the township.

Day 1:

-Orientation:

The staff at Afrika Takkun is truly inspiring, and they provide so many services to the people of the township. 

-Playing with the kids of Delft:

                They are living in very tough situations but they seem to be so happy.  They loved playing with us even though we were complete strangers.  Their joy and laughter are so contagious and I was the happiest I have been this trip playing soccer and nickie ball with the kids.

Day 2:

-Kitchen Duty:

Two wonderful ladies run the kitchen at Afrika Takkun.  Every day, the two of them make one meal that feeds 400 people! I cut onions, peppers, and cabbage for at least two hours.  My hands were so sore but I'm okay with it because I would rather have my hands hurt for one day and have the hands of the two women not hurt for one day.  With the amount of food that they have to prepare, their hands but get so sore every day! I feel as if the kitchen gets overlooked but they are truly providing so much for the Delft community.

Day 3:

-Visit to the health care facility:

This was very eye-opening, but also not what I was expecting.  The waiting rooms are overcrowded and it was very warm and smelly.  We only got to see the waiting rooms of the buildings, so I wish that we would have been able to see more of how the facility was run.  In the trauma unit, they see 36,000 patients in one month.  I cannot imagine the chaotic nature of this facility and the stamina of the five doctors who have to see roughly 1,000 patients per day. 

-Home Visits:

We went on one home visit after the health care facility.  The "house" had one bedroom with a small kitchen and an even smaller sitting room.  The house is home to a grandmother, grandfather, 2 daughters, and 8 grandchildren.  Before Afrika Takkun intervened, the two daughters were addicted to meth, the family did not communicate, and the grandmother, who has a heart condition, had to run the whole house.  Since Afrka Takkun intervened, the daughters went to rehab and are now looking for a job. The family also communicates daily by sitting down during the evening to talk about their day.  The house is still very messy with flies everywhere but it is in much better condition.  Afrika Takkun is truly doing God's work and I am so thankful that I am having the opportunity to learn from this program.

I cannot wait to see what Day 4 and Day 5 have in store!