Our Purpose

Lebby and I have decided to go on an independent study abroad program to South Africa, through Union College, so that we can volunteer at Tapologo Hospice. Tapologo is an NGO that receives all of its funding through fundraising and donations. It is an impressive organization. Tapologo has an in patient unit on site that provides medical care to people suffering from deficient health. There is also an onsite blood laboratory. Because the major cause of death in South Africa is currently HIV/AIDS, Tapologo’s focus is on HIV/AIDS. Although Tapologo is a hospice organization, it does not just focus on end of life care. Tapologo has many programs dedicated to prevention, treatment, and empowerment.

Tapologo runs programs at a place called Freedom Park. Freedom Park is a squatter village located in the Bafokeng region of Rustenburg, close to the Impala platinum mine. There is a center area in Freedom Park where Tapologo runs HIV clinics where people can get there health status checked once a week, and an Orphan and Vulnerable Children program (OVC). These services are free of charge and open to all the residents. Because Freedom Park is a squatter village, and the land is not owned by the people, Tapologo can not put up permanent structures. Instead their programs take place in trailer type of buildings. The structures are in very poor quality, as I have seen construction work being done all week in the buildings. I have been at Freedom Park all week helping out the OVC program.

The OVC program is run by about seven women who come every morning to discuss the status of the children and plan the lessons and activities for the afternoon. When school is let out, the children come to the OVC program to learn life skills. The women who run this program are very kind. They have been teaching me simple words in Setswana and always give me a grin when I speak the words they have taught me.

It appears that we will be spending a majority of our time at the OVC program in Freedom Park. This week has shown me that it will take a lot of initiative to be useful. Tapologo does not have a formal volunteer program, nor the extra resources to waste time giving us instructions. We have had to be very observant to find jobs to do. Our first full day at Freedom Park we arrived before our supervisor. While we were waiting, we saw two women folding clothes outside of the clinic, so we went over and asked if we could help. We took the donated clothes out of the boxes and organized them into outfits. Afterwards, we handed the outfits out to people waiting in line for the clinic. Most of the clothes were for young children. During the week we have made ourselves useful by doing odd jobs such as doing dishes and mopping. It is a great environment. I am so happy to be here!