Fire! And, a Farewell to Tiko
February the month of love, Community Strength, Phoenix/fire, and Cobras
The year has started with a bang - it’s been difficult to keep up with all the activities happening in the village!
Valentines:
Everyone enjoyed the BCDT Valentine parties, and some high school students attended parties at other nearby schools. Like most festivals, Valentine’s is a good indicator where one stands on the happy scale. Yes, cynics might dismiss it as a manipulative capitalist tool, or a silly irrelevant made-up event. But for BCDT, it’s a time to celebrate, wear ‘civies’ to school, enjoy loads of dancing and music. The managers curtailed all anonymous letter writing at school because of letters filled with naughty innuendos, or hurtful messages, but there were a few beautiful love letters exchanged. BCDT uses all such occasions as learning opportunities - to teach how to celebrate and enjoy social events, and to appreciate community.
A makeshift Valentines picnic
Our gratitude for the donations and food. The children arrived back from holidays very thin, and some were not ashamed to admit there was not enough food at home. It is a Hobsons choice: being with your mother but without sufficient food, or having enough food but being without her. Fortunately, due to your generosity they can maintain the delicate balance between their first love and food and protection.
BCDT’s own Science of Stupid group hold hands to see what will happen if the electric fence is on! (Note only males attempted this stunt, the ladies wisely sat this one out).
A tribute to Tiko
Village Managers confirmed the death of one of the young men who grew up on BCDT. His name was Tiko, in his 30’s. We mention Tiko because his entire life was filled with suffering. He was born into physical disability, apartheid, and ancient beliefs, with no place to escape until his mother brought him to BCDT.
In his community, the severe club foot he was born with was seen as a harbinger of evil. Afraid for his life, his mother hid him amongst their goats. There he lived and ate and socialized for the first 10 years of his life before she brought him to BCDT. He was the feral child of the goats. He had no developed speech patterns, but he eventually spoke. Up to the day he died, he still made odd sounds in certain stress situations. BCDT collected money for an operation to correct the foot, but ultimately chose not to proceed because the surgeon’s diagnosis was that the operation was likely to leave him in constant pain, and unable to play games. Because of the angle of his foot, he was known as 7, an added insult to his stolen life. He could not complete schooling and dropped out. He never become adept at socializing and was too traumatized for any relationship, but did odd jobs till his death.
Fortunately, his sisters had already established a home at BCDT, and he joined them. Subsequently Tiko began to have grand mal epileptic seizures and we surmise from the scene of the death he could not turn during a fit and suffocated in his pillow. We loved him and felt the agonising pain for his sisters and BCDT burying another family member. We would appreciate if you would take a moment to acknowledge him as a fellow human and send him a loving thought. Born invisible and left unseen, he is one of the innumerable voiceless shadow children that were caught up in the social engineering of apartheid and dodgy beliefs. His isolation and abandonment as a child was so tragic and damaging that it set his life course for anguish and suffering.
Thanks to Nicole who has become the perennial hospital and funeral parlour negotiator. Nicole and Leigh run constant battles with hospital administrators to provide a minimum standard of care. BCDT paid for his funeral, all R15 000 of it and R12 000 for food and transport. We’re not ashamed to admit mixed feelings about using food and transport money for a funeral, but it is what it is.
Dodging snakes, fires and other bullets
We continue to dodge bullets: the runaway truck which very nearly killed several of us, dodging the runaway number of cobras born this season due to the high rainfall, and finally, the runaway fire. The little incidents between these we negotiate. Miraculously, we managed to fight an impossibly huge fire, preventing its spread from one home to its double storey wooden chalet neighbour, home to a family with three pre-school children. Yes, it really does take a village – a village carrying buckets of water from the village pool to save the houses. Villagers grabbed hoses, then stood perplexed as only one drop came out. Loadshedding. Everyone in the village stood shoulder to shoulder fighting the fire, including an elderly, sickly man who lost a relative in a similar fire. A fire we previously fought but lost and the friend inside; it took courage for him to stand with us. When modern inventions and technology fail us, we turn to each other for help. The people quotient seldom fails. Hours later, we watched the sunrise, tears in our eyes, mourning the loss of a valuable home in a poor community. But also overwhelmed by the community spirit that saved the other houses. Saved by men and woman would brush the ashes from their tired faces, then put on a brave face and head off to their own difficult, backbreaking jobs.
Later that same week, we were called to catch an angry, large mature cobra discovered in a cupboard in the remedial classroom. Leigh heads the snake-catching crew, and Richard has caught snakes since he was a child. Despite their experience and precautions, we struggled to catch him and only realized in retrospect that it was almost as dangerous as the fire and truck incidents. Let’s just say that catching a large uncooperative cobra amidst a roomful of screaming children running wild was a challenge. But fortunately, it all ended well. Another day, another bullet dodged.
This cobra was taken into the mountain hoping it wont return, some people say that you must drop it off at least 6km away otherwise it comes back, if true we will be catching it again.
Bureaucracy and inept government
Ironically, our government is like living with an alcoholic parent. You know you need them, and that they will provide for you - until they don’t. What should one do, especially when the belated excuses and justifications begin for the lack of care and basic services?
When Leigh and Nicole recently attempted to track down missing “snail” mail, they were sent to a very dodgy part of town and arrived at an apocalyptic paper scene. Post was piled in disorganized heaps. The staff said that they would try to track down the missing mail, and moreover, were happy to see them because they never get visitors. The following week Nicole returned for a follow-up and was given a piece of torn paper as an official tracking number.
Endangered species - children
BCDT remains vigilant of all the children and youth living in the village, because we live next to one of the identified access roads for human trafficking. The most endangered individuals in our country are the children, who continue to fall through cracks in the welfare system, and endure new lows for what passes as acceptable parental care. The number of abused and missing children and teenagers has reached a worrying level.
Criminologist and national coordinator for Missing Children SA, Biance can Aswegan notes the rise in kidnappings, human trafficking and randomly disappeared children in South Africa. The actions of perpetrators, and the myriad social problems in our communities demonstrates the need for early intervention – schooling, counselling and therapy.
BCDT has strict house visit and stranger rules in place. Strangers in the village must be reported immediately, as should any suspect or dodgy request from an adult. Never be alone with youth or adults, unless they are family members, and even then exercise caution. None of this negates the many responsible and loving families in the village, regardless of their poverty status.
Our utility provider (Eskom) still switches BCDT off for seven hours a day. But the largest problem facing the youth is lack of employment opportunities. However, life is but a continuum, and as we watch the eager faces of the new children jostling for their little space in the sun, we must remain optimistic.
Politics
Political elections are in May, and it is a struggle to interest the youth in registering to vote. During apartheid, the youth were angry for what the government had done to the country; now they are angry for what our government has left undone. Politics in South Africa include acts of hypocritical rhetoric, corruption, even political assassinations. Closer to home, government shortcomings are obvious, with little to no employment opportunities, skills training, and inadequate number and quality of schools and hospitals. However, the difference this time is that we will likely have an unstable coalition government.
Closing comments
Thank you for taking the time to read an update on the village and hope to have your continued support and good thoughts.