EIL Intercultural Learning

I’m into week three at this stage, which means I'm starting to get used to the place. By no means would I say that I know the ins and out of Kayamandi, the shacks are like mazes with only tiny routes going through them all. My mental GPS is quite confused still when it comes to navigating around the shacks, shack E157 could be right in front of you and then, shack D89 beside it. So it's safe to say I'm still getting the hang of things.

The Legacy Centre has been a place of constant learning for me, everyday I see new things, hear new stories and learn that little bit more about life in Kayamandi, HIV, the people, the culture, it's never ending. Before I arrived, I had an expectation or mental image in my head about what the HIV centre in Kayamandi would be like and now that I'm here its a totally different picture to what I had expected. When you think HIV respite centre, you often think of a formal, reserved, hospital like scenario. However this Centre doesn't fit that description in my opinion. In my opinion it's not even a centre, I look at it as being as a house. A house where people come for rest, medication, food, and the Legacy staff speciality: care. I don’t look at Legacy as being a centre, it's more like a house and without sounding too cheesy it's a house with a family inside, a family made up of; sick people, carers, volunteers, gardeners, house keepers, nurses and more. It's not impersonal or over formal, it's a house where people are constantly talking, laughing, people are always in and out just to drop in and say hi. It's like any normal house, and clients see that, it has character, a personality which is happy, and peaceful and most of all; relaxed. It's a great place for people to rest and get better in. When you or I get sick, where is the place you want to go? Home, right? And HIV centre in Kayamandi is giving the best of both worlds by providing a home for people to get better in as well as care, medication, warmth, heat and friendship.

Times can be tough, people don't always get better and unfortunately some do pass away. Just last week, a young man came in but it was too late for a recovery, however, a few days later that young man's brother came in too say how thankful he was that his brother had come to the Legacy House. He had said he had been able to go to work knowing his brother was in good hands and wasn't in a cold shack, or by himself in a hospital, that man went to work knowing his brother was being looked after and was being cared for. So, is the HIV centre in Kayamandi making a difference? Most certainly, and I'm extremely happy to be a part of it.

Iyakubonana (goodbye in Xhosa!)

Gill