Experiential learning continued....

4.     Words only matter sometimes, and fail often.

Communication’s challenge: Code switching is the norm. Things get lost in translation so easily and so quickly when there is not a common language. There are often miscommunications between me and my friends at home, but generally they are resolved quickly and don’t cost anyone too much time or money- maybe a few extra chai tea lattes in my life, but nothing serious. Here in Limpopo and at the University of Venda, common language skills don’t exist and there are constantly places in which language literally cannot be translated. Language is incredibly complex and you only realize it when you are forced to speak at the level of a 3 year old. Hi, How are you, I want this, I like that, My name is Kate… the list goes on but never gets too detailed.

South Africa has 11 official languages, and in the past the language that was used in schools was not English. Now it is. There are so many people that speak many languages, but for many these changes in language provide only a place for mistakes, misunderstandings, and poor usage of direct translation. While I think language is critical to expressing humanity’s intricacy, it also creates a space for these intricacies to morph into far greater levels of detail and complexity. It opens doors for misunderstanding between peoples, and alienates people by limiting who they are able to connect with.

I have been taught the importance of language since my first study abroad trip, but this time has proved particularly applicable. Since people are constantly miscommunicating, people purposefully withholding the translation of previous statements is just frustrating. While it is very much my own fault (and that of the programs which brought me to this point) that I speak zero Venda and or Tsonga, it is truly isolating to know people who are capable translating will not do so in order to let you into their conversation. I won’t say that I even slightly became knowledgeable enough in Xhosa, I did begin to learn some of it. I could pick (understand) a decent amount of words, and was dutifully attempting to broaden my vocabulary. With the experience (from Acacia), language was ignored on account of the partners wanting the training sessions in English. While our student assistants from Univen did not all speak the same language , they knew what each other meant, and how to react.

This leads directly into non-verbal communication. Exuberance, love, friendliness, apologies, etc. Most things can and have had real, physical representations. While these are often cultural, anger is clear, love is clear, and other more universal notions do exist as well. Dance is a fabulous form of expression and the women at our certificate ceremony on Wednesday were ecstatic with the possibilities this mere piece of paper had to offer them. The smiles, the laughter, the bravery, and the connections that were found through heavy skirts, necklaces, and the DJ’s music were incredible. The shy danced and the loud maintained their air for the dramatic! The costuming is traditionally reserved for celebrations or funerals- this was in a way their graduation. The certificates for the two days were well deserved in some ways- skills were learned, practice, and in their work many lessons were already being woven into their own lives. The energy around the ‘event’ was immense, and I felt very lucky to have had the opportunity to celebrate with these women. At one celebration, one woman told my team mate, “I thought I would only ever earn one certificate, but it would be my death certificate.” So much pride in one place.

Certificates seem trivial to those in the US unless they are from an accredited institution, but these mere pieces of paper were truly important. They will help people to get better jobs, to feel empowered to do their work well, and to have a deeper knowledge of the patients they already treat. In many ways, this piece of paper that represents nothing of how much information was absorbed means a lot for the progress of the individuals and the specific patients that they will go back and speak to about their diet.

5.     Humans are animals and vice versa.

Something else I have noticed beyond the language barriers are the commonalities between humans and animals – even if I cannot understand what animals say or the reasons behind their actions- something is common. Songs of birds and their fights. They fight over theft and over badgering of one another. They sing in hopes of finding friends and warn their friends of dangers even if it puts themselves at risk.

For the zebras we saw this past weekend, they prance with each other, follow the leader in their travels (we’ve been caravanning all over the country), are so curious and wary of strangers. In some ways these are just survival tactics, but in other ways perhaps it is a desire to understand that which is different. Curiosity of babies (zebras and humans alike) is slowly dissolved through the experiences of life.

Now monkeys are brilliant. While this seems to be over stated, seeing the way monkeys have learned to get the foods they want – rather than those they would eat in nature. They are clever, rather than trying to lift up a garbage can lid off of the can, they merely know shoving it over will spill the contents out or that if the lid gets shoved off (or forgotten) they can quickly dart in and grab food. Even when visiting Kruger, the picnic area was a risky spot to take out food! One of my colleagues brought out her peanut butter, apples, avocadoes and bread. Within moments of having thing set out, a monkey darted in and grabbed her entire loaf of bread! As we all hollered out and watched him carry the loaf off, the park staff came running over as my friend ran after the bread (and monkey). The monkey had already torn open the bag for a few nibbles by the time he dropped it. He ran off with both of the two people running after him, but the rest of the monkeys had begun to gather around our table, in the trees or elsewhere. In Cape Town, there was talk of baboon patrols trying to keep the monkeys out of homes. Who knew they would learn the break open windows by throwing rocks, but it is true! The rest of lunch was far more guarded. Each person’s food stayed in a bag unless it was being eaten at that very moment! While the monkeys were not stealing food, they were sitting in pairs or little families watching out for each other. Grooming or playing in the tree branches kept the little ones occupied, and the adults seemed to keep an eye out for us (just in case an opportunity to dine and dash arose).

6.     Natural wonders are not so wonderful to everyone. 

While this would apply to many of the sights we’ve been lucky enough to visit, it is interesting to take a step back and recognize the immense challenges that nature is providing people. I have mostly focused on the beautiful surroundings (the animal life, mountains, lakes, plains, peninsulas etc), but often these things are also very deadly.

Hippos may be the most dangerous to those living near water, but the dams that create gorgeous lakes also bring about the flooding of what would have been the homes of many people and sometimes entire villages who once lived by streams or riverbeds. The mountains form a natural barrier preventing easy access to other spaces, and national parks require admission fees. As a tourist, this is of course something you budget in, but in many ways, this prevents the very people who come from these regions from actually enjoying them. There is so much work to be done in conservation, but sometimes by limiting the animals’ movement, you inadvertently prevent natural migrations to watering holes or grazing pastures. While I had not particularly thought about these elements, it is because the animals are being protected in these more controlled environments.

Even in Rwanda, there were friends of mine who had never seen safari animals (zebras, impalas etc) - let alone elephants or rhinos. To me it seems incredibly strange and almost unfair for the human element to be removed from the places of their ancestors and then socio-economically barred from visiting these places. It is of course not that simple. The animals are destructive. Elephants knock over entire trees in less than 2 minutes, so imagine the devastation they could create in a nicely tilled farm!

More still to come!