I have had a few days and the weekend to get to know my homestay family, and they are fantastic. I live in Cato Manor, a community of about 150,000, 7 kilometers out of central Durban, referred to by the government as an “informal settlement.” It is now an almost entirely Zulu township. Education, healthcare, and poverty are points of major concern and lack of government aid in my community. Living arrangements range from shacks to the standardized Cato houses, like the one I am staying in, which was built by the government in 1993 and my family has turned into a very nice home. The community is wonderful, everyone knows everyone and watches out for one another’s children. Cato will be an interesting place to study community health, as we become more connected to the community and the struggles within it. Cato has 4 times the overcrowding recommended by WHO. Some of the social issues within the community include unemployment, alcoholism, teen pregnancy (44% of teenage girls 19 and under have at least one child), HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, and pollution.
My house is about 700-800 sq ft, with 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, living room and kitchen. It is really pleasant, cozy but not cluttered. My family has a TV, which is on most of the time, even when no one is paying attention. My mama, Mama Lungile, works at Pick’n Pay (the South African improved version of Fred Meyer) in the butchery department. She is a rockstar chef and I’ll include some of her recipes later on. She is the captain of the Pick n’ Pay netball team and tells incredible stories about the riots during the apartheid, how she got her house, Cato life and her family. I also live with my two sisis, Ayanda (20) and Amanda (6), Ayanda’s two children, Ndumiso (5) and Snenthlathla (11 months), and Xoli. Xoli is a housekeeper/nanny who lives with us and takes care of Sne when Mama and Ayanda are at work. She doesn’t speak English, but I from what I understand she is 26 and from a farm area North of Durban, and has a 2 year-old son.
My family
I haven’t been able to spend much time with Ayanda yet, because she works late shifts in the bakery (at a different Pick n’ pay than Mama). She wants to go back to school for hospitality and hotel management when her children are older and she has saved up the money. Amanda and Ndumiso are absolutely adorable. Amanda is a very social and Ndumiso is mischievous.
We just finished our first weekend in Cato, and got to meet my brother Chris (17), who lives with us on the weekends. He was able to clarify some cultural/Zulu questions I had and it was interesting to have a younger perspective on the violence, inequalities and social issues. On Saturday I took Amanda and Ndumiso to the huge mall, the Pavillion, with two of other students and their Mamas.
I am adjusting to the lifestyle here, my sleep schedule is unbelievably healthy-I go to bed at 9 or 9:30 and wake up between 5 and 6. There are moments of awkwardness with my family, but I think it is just a cultural adjustment period. I find myself always questioning and unsure how to act, even in the simplest situations you would never think to question, for example, getting grapes out of the refrigerator. It’s the random, small things that are often very different.
There are other adjustments too, for example there are always people everywhere-there is never time to yourself. The other major re-learning experience has been bathing with a little tub of water, since there aren’t showers. I have limited access to internet, so it is hard to keep in touch as well as I would like! We have a free weekend in Durban coming up, so I will try and upload pictures then.