35 Days Until Takeoff

Official! The blog is up! Allow me to outline what will be going on this summer!

I'll be in Bloemfontein, South Africa for a month (May 9th June 5th) with the University of the Free State to shadow various branches of dietetics practice. This will fulfill my honors college requirements at Appalachian State University. I will be staying with university housing and I am told that every week will feature differing elements of dietetics, such as clinical, emergency medical, community, etc. I am incredibly enthused at the prospect of exploring the dynamics of the health care situation in South Africa, particularly concerning low-income nutrition.

I will catch a flight to Nelspruit and stay in Bulembu for four more weeks (June 5th to July 6th) to volunteer with Bulembu Christian Academy. Bulembu is a beautiful village within the mountainous regions by the northwestern border between Swaziland and SA. Bulembu is exceptional as it is a community dedicated to reviving economic stability in an area where HIV/AIDS epidemics and poor education systems have destroyed the financial situation of countless families. http://www.bulembu.org :

"We are a not-for-profit organization serving Jesus Christ through community enterprise and community care. Bulembu has an ambitious vision and a large heart. The sustainability of Bulembu depends equally on the success of our community enterprise initiatives and community care programs. Today, Bulembu has a clear vision to become a vibrant, sustainable community. This vision for sustainability includes fostering the development of a new generation of emerging leaders through orphan care, education, health services and commerce. As people from outside of Swaziland recognize the unique opportunity to invest in this town’s vision and partner with the people of Bulembu, a new generation of Swazi leaders will emerge. These young people will become men and women equipped, engaged and prepared to contribute to the transformational work so desperately needed in this country."

Volunteering in Bulembu will provide a tangible model of development that I can gain experience and knowledge from. I also have the opportunity to serve as the hands and feet (or mind and mouth) of Christ through my knowledge of public health and nutrition.

 

I'm getting a bit nervous as the flight date is approaching and I have been increasingly engrossed by informal research about South Africa and Swaziland's political and social history. I'll post something compiling my discoveries in the near future.

So far I have been just getting all my ducks in a row. I've already got my passport, my tickets, influenza and Hep.A vaccinations, travel nurse counseling, fund raising campaigns, OIED approval, and international health insurance. However, I still need to collect all the various things that I need to pack including any medications that I might need to combat any travel-induced illnesses. I should be getting malaria and typhoid fever vaccinations in the next week or so, but my biggest stressor right now is really financial preparation (http://www.gofundme.com/qxzbvk).

I am incredibly excited about the adventures to come, but for right now I have been avoiding deep contemplation about where I am headed because I have no idea what to expect. I am a bit afraid as I'll be traveling alone and staying at the UFS with strangers, but I know I'll make loads of friends and be far too busy and fulfilled to feel lonely. At the very least I'll have the comfort of a chilly South African winter to remind me of the good old frosty days of Boone, NC.