Extension 13

Extension 13 is a neighborhood in the Boitekong squatter village. One of the Neo Birth ladies told me that it was a “rough” place. Today we went with four OVC program workers. Extension 13 really did look rough. There was trash everywhere—on the roads, yards, and even in the trees. There were also dogs hanging around most street corners lying under the shade of trees. A lot of the dogs looked pretty skinny. Along with dogs, I also saw many chickens roaming around. The homes were made out of clay or metal panels, and sometimes a combination of both. Some homes were larger than others. Some homes were tiny metal shacks. There was rust everywhere in this neighborhood. Chicken wire fences surrounded some of the front yards to homes. There were many shops. I saw a beauty salon in the neighborhood, as well as food shops that looked like lemonade stands in front of homes. I saw many barefoot children with backpacks that I assumed were on their way home from school. I saw a little boy who looked around four or five years old wandering down a street pushing a tire. It looked like he was playing and not on any particular mission. I also noticed another little boy pick up some scrap metal and start waving it around and playing with it. I saw a man walking down the middle of the street with scissors, cutting something up discretely into his fist. I could only assume what he was cutting up. The only white person I could spot in the entire neighborhood was myself. I really felt like I was in a different world.

Today we went to three homes. The OVC ladies were told that these families were in need of help. We went into each of the homes and talked to the caregivers of the children in the families. The purpose of the visits was to assess the family’s situation and familiarize the OVC program ladies with each home and family. These families will now receive assistance from the OVC program. Each day after school one of the OVC program workers will go to one of these homes and look after the children and help them with homework. Setswana was the only language spoken during the house visits, but I was informed of what went down right after each visit. In two of the families, the grandmother was the caretaker of the children because her daughter had died. In the other home a 17-year-old girl was caring for an orphan boy. The OVC ladies are planning on going door to door in extension 13 to find more families in need of after school care and inform the families of the OVC’s services.