Lebola Wedding Negotiations...aka Trying not to Get Traded for a Cow

You know, it’s amazing. I have the hardest time remembering people’s names, but teach me a new word for booze and I’m likely to remember it until the day I die. Point in case: this past weekend I went to my first Lebola wedding negotiations (traditional African ceremony that involves changing cows, goats and cash for the bride’s hand in marriage) and of all the words in Pedi, Zulu and Setswana that others tried to teach me the first ones that come to mind are Zamalek and Sogam. The words for a cheap local beer and for a homemade liquor made from mielie pap (cornmeal) respectively. I met a million people as well, but ask me for any of their names and all you will get from me is a blank stare. Food names I seem to be ok with though, so I’ve managed to pick up the basics there but I think my homestay mom may think I’m slow since I cannot for the life of me remember how to say good night in Pedi despite having been told a million times (I had to ask again just now, it’s: “robhala ghabots”). Clearly it’s not hard to see where my priorities lie. An ex once told me I was too complicated, but I think at times I am a ridiculously simple creature – give me a beer and some food and usually I’m quite happy.

But enough introspection and on to the narrative! So the wedding negotiations took place in an even smaller town than Groblersdal called Burgersfort. It’s 3 hours North of Groblersdal meaning I was in total 6 hours away from any major city and even further in the middle of nowhere. The drive up, even though it was on my favourite cramped mode of transport, the minibus taxi, was rather a pretty one. Low rocky mountains, red earth, and yellow grassy savannah dotted with low trees and the occasional aloe or cactus like plant, with fruit and vegetable shacks adding intermittent colour and a human texture to the whole landscape. Thankfully the music on the taxi was kept at a reasonable level for once and consisted mainly of some recent hip-hop – a nice change from the country-western and cheesy retro 80’s tunes favoured by my everyday work taxi driver. Figures. I travel all the way across the world to the middle of nowhere in Africa where most of the drivers love afro-pop, reggae and hip-hop, and the minibus taxi driver servicing my end of town happens to be in love with Shania Twain.

Arriving in Burgersfort, Ruth and I were picked up by her cousin who took us back to his home for the preparations. The wedding negotiations were set to take place the following day so we lounged around with the family and mostly watched TV while I got to know the closer family members. We bonded over watching the E! Channel’s special on the Baddest Hollywood Boyfriends. Some things just transcend cultural barriers.

When asked what I wanted to drink they were all very surprised however, when I asked for a Black Label (zamalek) beer because it is generally considered the cheap ghetto beer. What can I say? Class is not always my thing, but in this case I just happen to like the ghetto beer! As I sat inside with some of the family, outside the music was blasting and the people of the township were dancing on the street. I figured I’d save the partying for the following day so instead I chatted with Ruth’s family until 1 am before heading to sleep. Since there were so many people over we had to share rooms and beds. For a little while it looked as if I would be sandwiched between my friend and her pregnant cousin on a double bed, but at the last moment the pregnant lady was replaced by a younger and thankfully smaller girl. Still it was cozy, but it was a chilly night and I really didn’t mind. Lord knows I’ve shared my various beds over the years with dozens of partied out friends in large cuddle puddles that defied physical laws of space utilization. I think my record in Japan was 5 people in a queen size bed. It makes for quicker bonding.

In the morning I was woken up early by the sounds of preparations. Entering the kitchen I found it packed and was offered milk and biscuits as everyone ran around doing something or other. Not being able to help with anything I joined the kids in the TV room for a bit and waited for the fun to start. Soon the yard and house were both packed (and it was a pretty big place!) with family and friends and lots and lots of biscuits. Most of the day consisted of people sitting around in smaller groups and drinking pop and juice and eating lots of different kinds of cookies and scones. The men of course were drinking beer from early on so most were in quite the state by the early afternoon. As I was mostly with the women, I had to gaze at the beer longingly from afar. Once the music started up though, a lot of the ladies started dancing. Many of them had on traditional costumes and the songs were decidedly African, as were the dances. It was great to watch but I felt a little self conscious to join – which is unusual for me, but hey, so is sobriety. I decided instead to wander around taking pictures and talking to whoever wanted to talk with me.

I soon happened upon an interesting character – an older guy with a funny hat who spotted me and practically leaped in my direction. As my mother would say, I have a special talent for befriending somewhat crazy older men who like to drink. In any case, he brought me over to his little group of guys and made them all sing for me. When I asked what they were all drinking from a large plastic vat in the center of the circle he told me it was “sogam” and insisted I try. When the people around us saw me with the milky white substance (which smelled a little like vinegar, a little like something burnt and, well, a little like vomit) they started to gather around in amazement. My host noticed my hesitation at the smell and so he grabbed the cup and drank some to show me it was ok. I decided to bite the bullet and drink. I can’t say it tasted great but it was definitely an experience. Imagine sour, roast corn-flavoured milk and you won’t be far off. The men all clapped loudly and cheered as I drank the stuff and after a full cup I was suddenly feeling tipsy. When I went back into the house for food and told the ladies what I had drunk, they practically fell over laughing with shocked amusement. I must at this point admit to a guilty pleasure of mine – I love surprising people by doing the unexpected. I think it’s mostly because I also love being surprised and seeing something different or new so I like bringing that feeling to others. It’s a great way to entertain people.

The rest of the day was spent in watching the dancing and finally dancing a little myself, though mostly from the sidelines. Eventually the groom came out of the house accompanied by a cousin and they, and a goat, were put into a car to go to the bride’s house for the negotiations. The rest of us stayed behind to continue eating and drinking. I was thoroughly stuffed that night. Pap is damn filling let me tell you. That night I headed back with Ruth’s parents in a bakkie (something akin to a pick-up truck, but usually covered at the back). This meant I spent two hours lying down in the back of a truck on a bed of pillows next to Ruth and another friend. It was surprisingly comfortable, except for when Ruth’s father hit some hidden speed bumps and my body literally came a half a meter off the back of the truck and crashed back down violently, causing me to be sketchy and anxious for the rest of the ride. For the most part though, I felt strangely at peace watching the sunset from the back of a speeding pick-up truck.

Today I had to go to work however, so alas I had to miss Sunday church. Darn. Since it was a gorgeous and warm morning (yay, Spring has started!) and since I had stuffed myself the previous day I decided to walk to town. Again I was met by shock at the suggestion as some warned that it was dangerous while others said it was just quite far. No one ever wants to walk anywhere in South Africa I am discovering, and everyone thinks I’m crazy for doing so. Again, I must refer to the previous point – I sometimes just like doing things a little differently. The taxis to and from where I’m staying usually take about 20 minutes so I figured it was about an hour and a half to town. It turned out to be over two dusty hours and I walk fast. I have some blisters now but it was worth it. The only thing that disturbed my peaceful rendezvous with a beautiful African Sunday morning in the savannah bush was the fact that almost every second car stopped and asked me if I needed a ride. Those that stopped seemed to be of every race and walk of life, but all were equally shocked to see me walking and despite my reassurances that I was fine and getting exercise, seemed to almost want to stuff me into their car and take me against my will into town. I managed to reassure them all but by the end of the 14 km walk I was getting bored with the explanations and reassurances. Honestly, I think South Africans need to take back their streets and walk more! I know it’s not always realistic and I would not be so stupid as to walk around most places in Johannesburg, but being careful doesn’t mean being paranoid.

As I write this I am now back in the place I call home for the next two months and I’m sitting in the back yard. It is a sunny place this little township, and last week I had climbed a nearby hill and watched the sunset on the valley below. It was a beautiful sight. The sun is setting now and I think I might go watch the sunset again if I can find some joiners. I am developing an obsession with sunsets, but they really are gorgeous here. Or perhaps I just never have the time to really admire them in most other places.

In any case I don’t feel like writing anymore as living in a township is definitely a loud and lively experience. Music, drums and voices are everywhere! I don’t mind though. It feels alive. And I feel at peace. But don’t get me wrong. In two months I am going to need to party in a city like nobody’s business. For now however, you’ll have to excuse me, as there is a sunset that I need to attend to.

On to Groblersdal....small town, Africa!

Leaving gorgeous, oceanic Cape Town, I returned to sunny but chilly Jo’burg for one day before heading off to the middle of the African bush. I was picked up by Fleur and we headed to a picnic with her friends near the botanical gardens. It’s quite a nice large park area actually, except for the fact that everything is super dry and the grass is yellow because it’s winter. Of course after a few glasses of wine I was a little too fascinated by the “African savannah” feel and I’m sure that most of Fleur’s friends think I’m a little bit retarded. Whatever. I taught a few of them how to pee in the bushes Canadian style so it’s all good. I knew it was going to be my last party day for a while so I made the most of it. I love the people in Jo’burg I have to say and Fleur is a doll for putting me up so many times.

In any case, Monday meant the journey off to the middle of nowhere. I had by now had a variety of reactions from the locals when I said I was going to Groblersdal – from “oh, that’s a nice little town...” to flat out laughter and outbursts of “you’re going WHERE??”, which I have to admit did not inspire much confidence. I was mostly told to expect a very small town feel and prepare to get in touch with Jesus as the little towns are quite into religion. I was also told I was going to pick up some Afrikaans and either Setswana or Sesotho up there, as English was likely to be a little less common. Since it’s only two and a half months however, I figured how bad could it be really? It’s all part of the adventure.

As Monday morning came I was picked up by Ruth, a rather nice and funny girl about my age with whom I will be working and living with for the next little while. She is the main administrator at the MFI where I will be interning.

As there is no major transport route to Groblersdal except car (already a good sign) we had to take a minibus taxi. So once again I found myself packed tightly into a minivan rolling through increasingly archetypal African landscapes, while having gospel music blasted in my ear. It was a three hour journey, the last hour of which was punctuated by my head hitting the “emergency exit” sign, painted rather ironically on a small glass window with no discernible emergency handle of any sort, as we hit pothole after pothole in the road.

Finally arriving in Groblersdal I felt a lot more like I was in the real Africa. It is definitely a small town, but situated in a pretty valley surrounded by farmland and mountains. There are oranges, avocados and other fresh produce everywhere. There are also tonnes, and tonnes of red dust.

Ruth had rather kindly arranged for me to stay with her family. I have to admit I had no idea what to expect, but since I am on a budget I was willing to pretty much take anything. I have to say I was more than pleasantly surprised. They have a one floor bungalow type house on a small dirt road settlement. The landmark of their house is the greenest lawn on the street since the father is retired and seems to have fully invested himself in the yard work. Everything is incredibly clean and meticulously cared for, and they have a dog which is always a bonus for me. Ruth’s parents are also just incredibly wonderful people. I was given my own room and told to help myself to whatever. So far their hospitality and generosity has overwhelmed me. I am trying to do my part by offering to cook and clean whenever I can but mostly they won’t let me. Today however I did manage to sneak my way into the kitchen in order to learn how to make a proper African meal. I think I could actually make a decent pap now! Two degrees later and I now well on my way to becoming a proper housewife. Mom and Dad will be proud.

Everyone in the neighbourhood seems fascinated by me and likely wonders what I am doing here, since I seem to be the only white person anywhere nearby. I’ve met a few of the neighbours and again, as I’ve noticed all over South Africa, everyone is just so friendly! People are curious and open and love to laugh and joke. They also all want to know what I think of South Africa. In some weird way it reminds me a little bit of Japan in fact.

I went in to work at the MFI today for the first time as well, and realized how much work there is to do! I am excited for it though. I have learned so much already. Finally all those MBA accounting courses are reluctantly coming to my aid. It is really nice to apply concepts to the real world and realize just how far you were from actually getting the concept until you have to use it. It is going to be a great experience.

It is definitely rural Africa though. Until now I have been having an amazing time in major cities but this is certainly not much like either Jo’burg or Cape Town. With the exception of the townships I have been to in the major cities I didn’t really feel that there was much of a culture shock in coming to South Africa. Here though I can see that I will be challenged and will see a whole other side to things.

For one, getting to work everyday is via taxi (minibus) of course so I expect I will be an expert in using them by the time I leave here – that is if I survive with the way that they drive. Today I also went for my first jog around the area where I am staying, which is just outside town, and it caused quite a stir. A lot of people here hang out on the street and there were lots of shocked faces when they saw me run by. Some of the braver young guys called out after me with suggestive smiles, while others shouted a surprised ‘hello’. A lot of the younger women giggled in surprise. Many of the kids on the other hand started running with me down the street and for a while I had a little jogging club. Everyone with whom I made eye contact smiled at me, though with a bit of shocked amusement. Again I was reminded of Japan as I felt like a celebrity for doing what to me seems like such an ordinary thing. I wonder if they will get used to me by the time that I leave.

This weekend I have been invited to a wedding negotiation which sounds exciting. And yes, it is what you are thinking! Apparently they discuss exchanging cows for the bride. Unless of course my host is pulling my leg, which she very well could be given that she seems to have a healthy sense of humour. In any case there should be lots of partying involved and I will report more on that next week.

Net access is in fact going to be difficult as there is nothing much at home nor even work but luckily there is a net café near the office so I am not totally without it. I am definitely going to get the local experience that I wanted though which is great. I might be a little stir crazy on the weekends but I’m sure I will find something to amuse myself. I always do. Fleur and co. have promised to visit one weekend though so at least I have that to look forward to! Since Ruth goes to Jo’burg and Pretoria lots as well I might join her one weekend too but I do have to watch the spending so its best that I just make the most of being in this little town surrounded by low mountains that seem to just be crying out for me to hike them. That, and there is always the possibility of suddenly being moved by the Holy Spirit and getting down with G.O.D. on the weekends….

Leaving Cape Town in Style....

Well my last day in Cape Town was a suitably crazy one. Having gone out the night before on Long St. (the main Cape Town party street that has a decidedly colonial charm to) I woke up at a friend’s house Satuday morning in a somewhat sorry state, and unsure of how to get back to the hostel to make it to my hike. Looking outside I soon realized that the hike was not likely to happen – it was raining and foggy meaning that there would be no visibility from Table Mountain. Crap. Not one to sit around lamenting the weather I reluctantly woke up my host and explained the situation. We soon hatched a brilliant plan – it was a perfect day for a road trip to Franschoek!

Packing ourselves into my friend’s car we first set off for the Biscuit Mill, which is a cute little warehouse district area that has been redone into artsey shops and food and alcohol stands. Naturally, what better way to avoid a hangover than gluhwine first thing in the morning along with some fresh made jalapeno rolls! The Biscuit Mill is incredibly charming and I highly recommend a visit if you’re in Cape Town. If (or rather, when!) I move here I plan to do most of my furniture, decoration and food shopping there.

As we wandered around slowly gathering strength and supplies for our trip we were stopped by a lady selling crystals. She offered to read our cards and though neither of us believes in that sort of thing the lady offered it for free. The thing is, she was amazingly good! She must just be really intuitive because she was eerily accurate in what she said. Kinda creeped me out! It was actually too personal to even share on a blog but yeah, if I am back there I kinda wanna go talk to her again. I mean the world is a strange place and really, you just never know.

Finally ready for the day we set off on the road and the pretty Huguenot wine region of Franschoek. I found it much prettier than Stellenbosch actually as there were more mountains and it seemed less touristy. Of course we did the requisite tastings. I really must say that I now officially have a new favourite varietal – the Pinotage – which apparently is of South African origin. Following lunch in a gorgeous fusion restaurant (I still can’t get over how cheap it is here!) we strolled around the pretty town in the now fully sunny day. Everything was going well until we walked up to my friend’s car and realized that it was in fact missing the front bumper! Thankfully there were people nearby who had seen what happened. Some guy had backed up into her car while it was parked. The damage was so severe that I can’t imagine how fast he had to be going. Luckily it had been reported so we went to the police station to get the details. The day only gets weirder from here and I won’t go into too many details for a variety of reasons but let’s just say that I have now seen the inside of two South African police stations, and have had the experience of driving in a car while seated next to its front bumper. Good times.

Last night I had a really solid sleep curled up next to a friend’s dog, and I am now sitting at Cape Town airport for my flight back to Jozi. I get to spend another day with Fleur, and then I am being picked up to go to tiny, rural Groblersdal in the African bush. Not entirely sure what to expect! Hopefully my net access will be steady enough to update this blog once a week at least from here on in...

Last days in the Cape...heading to Groblersdal and the Bush!

So in the interest of simplicity I have decided to start a seperate blog that will deal with the more serious aspect of my time here in Africa: microfinance and social entrepreneurship. I will continue to write on this blog about my more fun extracurricular activities and will use the other one for those who are more interested in the technical details of what I am doing. There will be some overlap, especially when I get to do something really cool at work (which admittedly happens fairly often...see below.) but it should make it easier for everyone.

Ok so on that note, let me talk about my recent visit to a township here in Cape Town.

It was an exciting day. It was my first time joining a Loan Officer (LO) out in the field in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township. The idea was for me to see the daily functioning of an MFI that works well, before I go up north to help the one that is in trouble.

The day started with being dropped off in Khayelitsha, where I was supposed to meet the LO who would be my guide. After waiting for half an hour we were starting to wonder where he was and so called him to see if we could meet him. It turned out to be quite the ordeal to track him down but finally a little over an hour later we found him and the real work began. I guess "African Time" is just something I have to get used to though it is important to keep the context in mind as well -- the LO was probably more concerned with doing his job than showing some random girl around.

Once we met the LO it turned out he was a very friendly guy who seemed to know everyone. Something that is no doubt very useful in his line of work. The LOs are essentially the first line of an MFI. They are responsible for a certain region and will give all the relevant information about the loans to potential clients as well as help them fill out their loan applications and assess their small businesses. The loans are mainly for survivalist business -- meaning they just help their owners get by, and include things like small shops, hair salons (very popular for some reason! I guess everyone has to look good...), and market stands.

Being left with the LO, we set off on foot to the post office to collect payments. It was my first time being left alone in a township and I got some stares from the locals but people were mostly quite friendly. I do think that some of the danger is exaggerated, but that being said I had dressed down and was not carry anything valuable nor a bag of any kind. Still, some of my South African friends think I'm crazy for walking around in a township at all.

Once we had secured the first of the two payments we headed into the market in the center of the district where Eric had to meet another group of clients. It was a group that had taken out and repaid 5 previous loans and was now asking for a 6th. While I waited, I got a chance to talk to some of the borrowers, which was great. They were a bit shy to speak in English at first(most black Africans speak Xhosa in the Cape Town area, which is the infamous clicking language and is very, very cool to listen to) and were probably a little hesitant to talk to some strange girl who was asking all kinds of somewhat intrusive questions about their lives. I heard some interesting stories when they opened up a bit however. One lady in particular stood out. She has 6 kids to take care of and is a single mom. The income from her clothing stand supports the entire family, which is just incredible. I can't imagine how she finds the time to also feed all the kids and take care of them but she was very matter of fact about it. In asking her whether the loans have helped she said they had a lot. What better evidence of the effectiveness of microfinance than from those that it is supposed to help? It was very inspiring.

Back at the post we filled out the deposit slip for the last client that had to repay. As she waited in line the LO and I waited by the side and everyone coming in was asking him all kinds of questions about the post office. It was interesting that instead of asking the employees they came to him. He helped people fill in forms and gave people advice and everyone seemed to know that he knew what was going on. I could tell that he really enjoys helping others and being respected in the community, and that is another benefit of the MFIs -- providing respected jobs for individuals in the townships.

Unfortunately though just then the post machines went down, and they advised they couldn't take any more deposits. They wouldn't do it manually so the client was left with a large wad of cash with which it was dangerous for her to just walk around. Also, the taxi-buses had just gone on strike (it's the main form of transport for those in the townships) and so there was no way to get to another post office nearby! Luckily my supervisor had to come and get me anyways, so we ended up dropping them all off at another post office. It was a good thing we were there though.

All in all it was a great learning experience and I got to experience a totally different culture. It's amazing that you can drive 20 minutes in South Africa and be in a whole other world. From city life to small towns and farm to townships. All have their unique cultures, languages and vibes. All this complexity and beauty in one place: no wonder I am falling in love!

Tomorrow I am doing my last fun thing here in Cape town. I am hiking up table mountain through skeleton gorge. Sunday I am off to Johannesburg again for one night before being picked up to go to where I will spend the next two months -- the little town of Groblersdal out in the northeast Bush. It's supposed to be very rural but very beautiful there and I am staying with a local family. Should be quite the experience!

As a side note, I realize I probably sound like I am on drugs or something because I am constantly so excited. I assure you all I am not and that this is in fact a natural high. Unless rooibos tea has properties I am not aware of.....

Cape Town orientation

So I made it to Cape Town – also known as the most beautiful place on earth! Well the center city itself is ok, but the surrounding area is absolutely amazing.
I am staying in a very cool hostel in the suburb of Observatory – a little rundown but mostly student area so it’s not too bad danger wise. I’ve tried to avoid walking around at night but the once or twice that I have it turned out to be totally fine. Much safer than Johannesburg I am happy to report. Of course, I don’t carry anything when I go out. I put a little cash, my phone and my keys in my pockets and that’s it. If someone tries to rob me I know better than to put up a fight here so it’s good to carry nothing you cannot afford to lose.

My hostel is filled with all kinds of interesting characters. A lot of locals stay here in transition so it’s not your typical backpackers. There are people of all ages and the overall feel is a little more worldly and hardcore, which is exactly how I like it. It is never boring! So far I’ve gotten to play djembe, eat lots of African meals and have heard some great stories over beer and braais. I’ve also met a lot of people through Couchsurfing and have had some great times out and about as well.


The internship is exciting and a great education, but I will elaborate on that in the next section so that I can stick to my “Pleasure & Business” format.
On that note, the past weekend was one of the best ever. It was a three day weekend and I certainly made the most of it. On Saturday a local Afrikaner I met at a Couchsurfing party last week took me around to Simons town, Boulder beach and Cape Point. We covered the whole False Bay area culminating in a visit to the most south-west point of Africa – The Cape of Good Hope. It was stunning. We saw baboons on the road and stopped to take pictures but had to get back into the car quickly as the baboons actually invaded another stopped car down the road! It was pretty funny to watch but at the same time I was glad it wasn’t us! They sure are clever little pests.

Arriving in Simons town and heading to Boulder beach I got to see the Cape Penguins in their natural habitat, which was very cute and odd given that most people think of penguins in the cold. It was such a nice day however that people were actually swimming as well. Did I mention its winter here?? In any case we continued on and spent the day hiking to and from abandoned beaches, and through the bush, finding more wild animals along the way. The Cape of Good Hope was just as gorgeous as expected and after the exercise filled day, we ended up at Kalk Bay for a meal of freshly caught fish and chips. When I came back to the hostel there was a braai going so I decided to join and ended up staying till the wee hours chatting away on the terrace next to a roaring fire.

The following day was wine country! I went with a really nice Pilipino-American guy from California who picked me up at the hostel. We headed for Stellenbosch and were joined by two more of his friends along the way. It was great! But how could wine and sunshine in Africa not be?? Stellenbosch looks more or less like the south of France though, just more exotic. I’ve always liked South African wines but I have to admit the ones you can get here are even better. Many don’t even get exported. It was yet another beautiful sunny day so we all sat drinking wine on the lawns of manicured Stellenbosch estates. The day ended in another seafood restaurant (ok, ok, those who know me know that I cannot resist seafood), this time at Gordon’s Bay. I had some Malay Curry Fish, a speciality of the region. After that and a few gluhwines (yes, they have them here too my European friends) the Afrikaner family at the next table somehow started talking to us. Well mostly the father was drunk and had to tell me that I had absolutely beautiful eyes. Repeatedly. Of course his wife was not too happy about that, but with a few well placed jokes they were at our table along with their daughter and her new fiancé – who had just proposed. I love how open and friendly people here seem to be because within minutes we were all laughing and celebrating together, even though their English wasn’t the greatest as they live in a small mainly Afrikaans town near Stellenbosch. Coming back in the evening from the great day I somehow got roped into going clubbing in the really posh Camps Bay. This was a whole other side of South Africa. Think Miami Beach. Very, very upscale. I managed to last the whole night but I can’t say I was really in the mood for clubbing. Something about Cape Town makes me just wanna be outside all the time or on a beach and actually talking to people. If I stayed here longer I am sure I would learn to appreciate the clubbing scene as well though, because after all, I am me.

The next day I woke up a little bleary eyed from lack of sleep as I had made plans to go surfing and sandboarding with a really hilarious and fun Dutch girl who is also here for an internship, and luckily also has a car. It had rained that morning so we couldn’t sandboard and I guess I will have to do that next time. The weather was great for surfing though so we got to spend the whole day doing that in Muizenberg beach instead. Having only done it twice before in Japan in not so great conditions I finally got to see what it feels like for real! I stood up pretty quickly and had some great runs. It was a bit cold though, even with a wetsuit, so it got pretty tiring. We ended up having to take a break for some quick shots of sherry at the beach bar in order to warm up and keep going. There were lots of people in the water even though the black flag was flying – meaning that visibility was poor and the shark spotters wouldn’t not be able to see anything. The danger is all part of the fun! Overall it was a great day and we were totally exhausted by the end. On the way back we found the cutest little restaurant bar called “Cape to Cuba”. If you’re ever down here I highly recommend it! Its fusion African and Cuban cuisine in the coolest, artsy, antiquey setting. They have great Mojitos as well. That night I only had enough energy to crash out on the couch and watch TV in the hostel common room. What a weekend!

I really am serious about wanting to stay here. If I have to leave, which is likely, I will work on paying off my loan as soon as possible so that I can come back here and start my own business. I think the surf beach bar plan is going to turn into a backpackers hostel, with a NGO and surf bar on the side. Plans within glorious plans! Now to just find some more partners in crime…..
And now, as promised, a little about the work that I swear I am actually doing!

MICROFINANCE: The internship so far

For my first two days of work I got to go to a workshop on social entrepreneurship (SE) hosted by The Business Place in the township of Phillipi, Cape Town. In total there were about 25 individuals present, including members of local NGOs (mostly business development related), government workers, a representative from the UN’s ILO, and an international consultant. It seemed that many local attendees were not familiar with SE nor impact measures, although there are many agencies that provide small business consulting services as well as microfinancing, thus suggesting that there is a lot of potential to stimulate SE in the South African context.

The bulk of the workshop was run by a consultant from the Netherlands who focused discussion on what SE is and how is differs from regular entrepreneurship and/or NGOs and how it differs from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). As this is something that is highly debated at the moment, it was no surprise to find a diversity of opinion on the subject. While some individuals feel that SE should include any and all business that has a social impact others think that this needs to be better proven and guidelines established. Otherwise it becomes difficult to know where to draw the line between that and just CSR; making it difficult to separate who should get grants or social start up funding for example. The key thing agreed on was that SE should have a social impact (and that the organization should strive to demonstrate this impact) and that it should be self-sustaining in the long-term.

The workshop also covered how to make a social business plan in the framework of the Theory of Change (which I have worked in a lot the past year and was excited to see used in a different context). The participants then practiced making social business plans and elements that were considered included the ability of the enterprise to generate money, the relevance of the social intervention for that particular community (i.e. how important/needed was that good or service in the context in question), whether the objectives stated were SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely), and so forth. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were also covered in the context of selecting the right KPIs for the desired impact and making sure that the relevant data can in fact be collected. Finally we went over social budgeting where KPIs were added to normal budgets and social benefits were quantified and things like volunteer time monetized.

For the final part of the workshop the ILO representative went over the ILO’s plans to host a local SE competition in the Cape Town area. The idea would be to have the local NGOs and the government workers use the knowledge obtained in the workshop in order to help individuals put together good social business plans that they can then submit into the competition. The prizes could include things like start up capital for the social enterprise; access to preferred loans; access to business consultants; office space; etc. The overall goal of the competition is to stimulate SE in the local townships as well as improve local infrastructure in order to promote the success of SE. The ILO representative went over all the ideas with the local representatives in order to make sure that there would be local buy in, and that the prizes, categories and so forth would all be relevant. I was really impressed by the participatory nature of the entire workshop. It looks like the UN and other NGOs are finally understanding the need for not only consulting but fully involving the communities with whom they work in the process of project development. That gives me a lot of hope, along with the focus on cross over fields such as SE in which I so strongly believe, especially since microfinance is one of the best examples of an SE.

After the workshop I finally got down to the real work. My first few days at the office I was presented with all the accounts and files of the small MFI that I will be helping and had to try to sort it all out. It is a lot of information to process but I have already learned a lot. I had to quickly try to make some basic spreadsheets as well as checklists in order to diagnose all their problems effectively. Their biggest problem seems to be a lack of adhering to procedures and lack of a proper entry and accounting system. Their numbers are in disarray. My first task when I get there will be to get their debtors book in order and to shadow their Loan Officers (LOs) and attend all the center meetings to see what is happening in the field. I have until end of August to get them on the right track or they might shut down. If I can get them going in a good direction then I will spend another month or so trying to formalize their systems and help them streamline. If all goes well I might get to go to another MFI as well which is also having trouble. The great thing about that would be that I would get to go to the Eastern Cape as well, meaning I would have seen a lot of South Africa at the end as well as been able to see 3 MFIs at work.

I have to admit it is a challenge and I was a bit overwhelmed at first, but I am also very dedicated and determined. Microfinance is very challenging in SA in particular. People tend to associate it with payroll lending which has done a lot of harm. The government also doesn’t have very good policies towards it and some government agencies do it so badly they ruin it for everyone else. There is a lot of potential though, and what is truly needed is an excellent PR campaign to get the government in line and make people more aware. It is something that I hope I can find some way of being involved with. I have never felt that I was on a more right career path.

Well that’s it for now! I had to force myself to finally sit down alone and write all this as I have been so busy. Only a week left in Cape Town though, and then off to Groblersdal to start the real work!

Arriving in Jozi….via Cairo and the pyramids

So, I held a lion cub and was then almost been killed by lions; I drank in a freezing cold and dark shebeen with Soweto locals after seeing where the freedom charter was drafted; I ate mopane worms and other interesting local delicacies (not so bad as long as you don’t look at them up close); and I jumped into a frigid and dirty pool in the middle of African winter during a braai (ok so not as impressive as if it were a Canadian winter…but still!). All in all, not bad for my first 4 days in Africa!

It is an interesting place, South Africa. I landed in Johannesburg last Thursday, after a very hectic but amazing day in Cairo (where I finally saw the pyramids! A life long dream of mine) and I was picked up by my friend’s mom -- a very interesting and intelligent lady who gave me a lot of good background on life in South Africa. As we rolled past a dry and dreary Jozi through endless suburbs, there were security fences everywhere. There are no houses or buildings that aren’t surrounded by high walls and barbed wire! Yet strangely, everywhere you go and talk to someone, people are incredibly friendly rather than being paranoid and distrustful. It is quite a contrast.

Racial differentiation is still quite strongly felt however. The whole time I was in Johannesburg I never saw a white person walking on the streets. Crime, I have been now told many times, is a huge issue. My friend’s home had just been recently broken into and everyone is very careful where they drive at night. Everyone I’ve met has a mugging/robbery story of some kind, most have more than one. Yet again, people are so helpful and outgoing and have an amazing sense of humour and this goes across the racial boundaries. It is a very strange and fascinating place indeed.

On the first day we went to the Lion park which is a large section of bush where lions roam free. There is also a petting zoo type place where you can actually play with lions cubs! That was an amazing experience. Smelling like lion pee was definitely worth holding a cub! The best part was that we tried to go inside with a convertible, not thinking it was that dangerous, but luckily the lion keeper persuaded us otherwise, with a good laugh. Once we were inside we understood why – the lions were right there! Had our windows and roof been down I might not be writing this email right now.

That night we had an amazing braai (SA word for BBQ) in Fleur’s friend’s place. This was where I instigated a frigid pool jump. Two SAfricans took me up on it but Fleur chickened out last minute. It was not my smartest move ever but hey, how many people can say they jumped into a pool in the middle of winter?

The following day we went to Soweto. The infamous tomwship that came to be known primarily due to the uprisings of 1976. It was a chilly and rainy day, but somehow that seemed to fit the mood as we drove around the place. The best part was when we stopped in the shebeen to have drinks with the locals however! It was quite the experience drinking in a small tin shack, with no heating and only beer (including homemade with icecream!!) to drink and keep us warm. These are the sort of experiences that make me feel alive.

All in all it was a great introduction to South Africa (thanks Fleur and company!) and I cannot wait to get to Cape Town to start work! From now on, the blog entries will have two sections: pleasure, and business (one for general info and the other for internship related stuff).

Kisses from the African continent!