Introducing our Volunteer Co-ordinator's new hairstyle!  

The staff of the Cape Town - Newlands' office started their week with a surprise from Shuan - an awesome new hairstyle he had done over the weekend.  Any volunteer or colleague who knows Shuan will agree that this hairstyle totally suits his unique, energetic, and fun personality!  Go Shuan!

Eric Miller didn't start out as a photojournalist; actually, he sort of fell into it. While working in corporate South Africa, he picked up photography as a hobby, starting out with a box of equipment from someone's garage. Work was paramount, photography was just a hobby. 

As time passed, it became clear the the urge to take pictures wasn't going to go anywhere, and so Eric made the decision to quit his corporate job and become a full-time freelance photographer working out of Cape Town. His work has shown him the darkest sides of the world, violence in South Africa during the Apartheid, violence and less than lovely living and working conditions for people throughout Africa, but it's also shown him the brightest sides of hope.

His most recent photojournalism assignment let him into the lives of grandmothers who are working to raise their grandchildren while also creating a support network for other grandmothers who are in the same position. 

The journalism interns were thrilled to view a slideshow that Eric had prepared and were full of questions about his methods and materials. 

The softer side of the Mighty Limpopo

The road from Alldays to Camp

Research drive

A curious teenage elephant

In the spirit of the recent FIFA World Cup, the volunteers decided to construct a football field, they named it “Theatre of Dreams”

The field became a big hit. Eventually the locals from the nearby village “Mathathane”, started coming by everyday in the late afternoon to take on our volunteers. We had some epic games, but it seems that the locals got the best of our volunteers and returned home triumphantly, many times.

Sitting on the roof of Legodimo Nature Reserve. WOW. That is the only word that can describe the view from the highest point of Legodimo. It is not easy getting all the way up that mountain and at some point you might consider giving up, but it is absolutely breathtaking and worth it once you make it to the top. All around you is the vast open wilderness. Up here is where your thoughts calm down and you can take the time .to appreciate the beauty of Earth.

Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts:

mango groove

Sunday, 5^th December 17:30 – 19:00

Tickets are R95

Bring your own picnic!

RSVP Gisela 079 254 3961

by Tuesday 30 November 16:30

I’m still trying to organize transport:

details to follow!

Mango Groove’s unique and magical blend of South African marabi, kwela and pop influences, together with the voice and presence of lead singer Claire Johnston and the evocative penny whistle melodies of Mduduzi Magwaza, has captivated audiences around the world. Their first single went multi platinum in 1989 and they have since become a household name in this country.

The Mango Sound is a pop sound, aiming at simple and accessible songs, grooves and melodies and certainly it is eclectic. This eclecticism is primarily reflected in the extent to which Mango Groove has drawn on the rich legacy of South African urban music forms from the ‘40’s and 50’s:

For more information about the Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts:

http://www.oldmutual.co.za/about-us/sponsorship/arts-and-lifestyle/kirstenbosch-concerts.aspx

On Monday 29th November, the Projects Abroad Human Rights Office will convene a conference on 'Violent Crime in South Africa'.

The conference will focus on the issues surrounding violent crime in South Africa, debating the reasons why crime is so violent in South Africa, looking to the responsibility of the State to protect its citizens from violent crime, and assessing the treatment of victims in the criminal justice system. The closing session will focus on the experience of violent crime in communities in Cape Town, assessing feedback from focus groups in Lavender Hill, Manenberg, Khayelitsha and Gugulethu.

The Provincial Minister for Community Safety, MEC Albert Fritz, will deliver a keynote address on the State's response to violent crime and Judge Vincent Saldanha will present a keynote address on the nature of violent crime in South Africa. Marjorie Jobson (Khulumani Support Group) and Orly Stern (Independent Researcher in Human Rights, Gender and Conflict) will look to issues relating to violent crime in rural communities and sexual violence respectively.

The conference will take place in the Centre for African Studies at the University of Cape Town. Registration begins at 8.30am and the conference will open at 9am. Refreshments will be provided and the conference will close at 4pm.

Please RSVP by 25th November to humanrights@projects-abroad.org.za or call PAHRO on 021 685 1998. 

There is just a little over a month left before I head off to South Africa and it is all a bit exciting :). I must admit I have been a bit pre-occupied with finishing school and celebrating so there is still a fair bit to organise in terms of injections, reading up on Africa and the animals and the rest. So if anyone has any suggestions of what to take or not take or any advice I would very much appreciate it!

Can't say I have ever written a blog before so I am not quite sure what to write, I guess it is more for when I am actually in Africa adventuring around. So I'll just say that the 30th of December (departure date) is now in sight :)

This week presents the volunteers with an awesome opportunity to experience Cape Town Stadium, as Bafana Bafana take on the USA.  Volunteers in country who are keen to join this social are to rsvp to Ryanne asap.

(Above: Special thanks to the talented Alice Hedworth for decorating our office socials board so amazingly!)

(Above: the USA soccer team)

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(Above: the Cape Town Stadium, located in Greenpoint - between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean)

Ryanne van Dormolen (volunteer supervisor at PAHRO)

After a long day on your project it's nice to kick back and relax with friends and catch up on all the gossip from the weekend. Last week's social had volunteers from various projects meeting up at Asoka to soak up some fruity cocktails and relaxed Capetonian Jazz. Amid the plush atmosphere and babble of European languages it felt like a far cry from the tin shacks of Khayelitsha. After a couple of lychee martinis we gave up on chatting and just let the music do the talking...