A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words?

The reaction I got from a bunch of students walking to recess while I was watching an intervention. They love the camera! And what you can't see are the little ones sneaking up behind me to touch my hair - I don't think they'd ever touched a white person's hair and I'm guessing they thought I wouldn't care. It was pretty cute.




These two depict my "fan club" at one of the primary schools where we work every week. We also held our Skillz Street league there so the kids are pretty comfortable with us. They run and crowd our car when we arrive, making it almost impossible to get out. It's a highlight of the week that I never miss.


Participants celebrating a goal. Love it.

Skillz Superstars

Two days after our VCT, we had a weeklong holiday program. Rather than describing the logistics and practicalities of the program, which were similar to the holiday programs we held at the end of September, I want to share about a special group of girls that attended.

A few of the girls during one of their Skillz lessons.

Some of the girls celebrating a goal.

To begin, our holiday program was by invitation only. We do this to ensure that participants have not previously gone through the Skillz program and to maintain at least some semblance of order. Despite not being invited, a group of about ten girls from our Skillz Street league walked three miles to get to the camp and arrived promptly at 8am. Lindsay and I were in awe. We didn’t know how they could even know about the camp. Apparently, they had learned about it from their Skillz coach, Tweeny, who had told them that she would be working at it. They insisted that they be allowed to partake in the camp even though they had already been through Skillz. We couldn’t say no to them, after all, they had just trekked all the way there. Who were we to deny them something they were really excited about? Besides, we had a rather lopsided ratio of boys to girls and they would help to maintain more of a balance.

Ipeleng (in hat) - a true rockstar

Like the holiday programs we had at the end of September, each day combined the Skillz curriculum with small-sided soccer games. In the Skillz curriculum and soccer games, these girls were all-stars. For some of them, this was their third time participating in the program and they knew it better than any other kids I’ve seen. When participating in activities, they would wait to see if any new kids wanted to answer first and then they would raise their hands and give perfect responses. They were considerate, but eager and their knowledge made me proud. After having been here for a few months, I’ve seen my fair share of rather poor interventions and sometimes I worry that our program is not effective. But these girls instantly restored my faith. They were like a breath of fresh air. Even if the majority of our kids did not retain the key messages, our program was still worth it simply because of graduates like them. To see them spread their knowledge was absolutely beautiful.


At one point, they shared that they had phone numbers of the male Skillz coaches. I jokingly asked them if the coaches were their boyfriends and warned about sugar daddies (older men who court young girls and provide them with gifts). Sugar daddies are one of the risks we discuss in Skillz that can lead to the spread of HIV. They are actually quite common in South Africa and a huge risk for young girls. The girls immediately started shouting at me about the risks associated with sugar daddies and how they would never even consider them. They explained that the coaches were their friends. Their quick defense made me smile. I had never been so happy to be verbally attacked by a bunch of 12 year old girls.

One of our girls, showing the boys how it's done.

During the last Skillz lesson, participants are given a chance to share their own “coach’s stories”. A girl from one of the groups gathered the confidence to share how she had been raped and contracted HIV from the event. Most of our girls were in her group and they were in tears. From afar, I had no idea what was happening and why everyone was upset. Only soon after did I learn what had occurred when one of her Skillz coaches approached me. The girl immediately entered the post-counseling tent of our testing partner and spoke with a counselor for awhile. Later, her coach sat and comforted her away from the rest of the group. During this time, the girl asked if she could speak to me. I was really surprised, as I had not spoken to her once during the whole week. I felt unprepared for the situation and unsure of what to say, but was happy to provide any sort of assurance she needed. She was timid and said little, but I could tell that my presence as someone who truly cared definitely made a difference. I found that listening and giving a hug is sometimes the best thing you can do. Interacting with this girl was one of the most real confrontations I have faced regarding HIV. Although I’ve read numerous stories of the realities of HIV in Africa, meeting someone who has undergone a horrible experience and become infected with HIV in the process, was more powerful and unnerving than anything I could ever read. There was no way to deny the harsh reality of HIV when suddenly faced with it head-on.


On the last day of the holiday program, I organized for one of our testing partners to be present and offer testing to any interested participants. An important part of HIV testing in South Africa is that an individual must be at least 14 years old to be tested at a mobile clinic. However, all ages are able to receive pre-counseling to better understand the testing process. Our girls were among the first participants to receive pre-counseling. They listened to new information and quickly impressed the testing organization with their Skillz knowledge regarding HIV. I was, again, quite proud. The only problem was that the girls, in their excitement and curiosity surround testing, attempted to lie about their ages in order to test. It was only after seeing that some of them were on the list to be tested that I realized what was happening. I immediately gave the testing partner our roster, with the ages of all participants (provided by parents) and then told the girls that they were too young to test. They were diasappointed and a little mad at me, but I explained that they could still be tested for HIV at any local clinic as long as they brought a parent with them. Their disappointment at being unable to test reinforced my admiration for them. Although I would love for all participants to be like them, I am realizing that having these occasional Skillz rockstars are the blessings that I must use to sustain me through the more frustrating times.



Sharp - a happy participant gives the "sharp" signal. I think sharp is the first thing babies learn. It seems to universally mean that everything is okay and when I can't understand someone speaking in Setswana, I just say sharp and give a thumbs-up. It somehow seems to always work. Sharp!

Voluntary Counseling and Testing Tournament

I apologize for my blog absence over the last two months. With a surprise trip home for Christmas and settling back into the daily Kimberley routine, I’ve somehow left my blog behind. Now that I’m finally facing the task of getting you up to speed, it makes sense to start chronologically….bringing us to the VCT we hosted on December 5th, in honor of World AIDS Day (December 1st).

VCT stands for Voluntary Counseling and Testing. Grassroot Soccer has adopted the VCT concept and combined it with soccer and the Skillz curriculum. A Grassroot Soccer VCT occurs during one day, with the goal of making participants comfortable with the idea of testing for HIV and testing as many community members and participants as possible. This event was especially important to me because I was placed in charge of it. From delegating tasks to the other interns to ensuring that our testing partners were committed, everything ultimately fell back on me.

Our VCT occurred in Galeshewe, the local township, on two large dirt pitches (grass fields are hard to come by). We recruited eight girls’ soccer teams and eight boys’ soccer teams from the community to compete in separate tournaments. In addition to these teams’ own coaches, they were paired with one of our Skillz coaches for the day. In their down time, between matches, the teams went through two Skillz games – My Supporters and Find the Ball. These games were chosen because they emphasize the importance of supporting one another, erasing stigma associated with HIV and getting tested to know your status. Prior to the optional testing portion of the tournament, coaches also shared their Coach’s Story. Coach’s Story is an integral part of GRS that allows coaches to share a story of their own resiliency, often related to HIV. By telling these stories, coaches reveal their own vulnerability and triumph, thereby creating a space in which participants feel more comfortable opening up to coaches about their own struggles.

Playing "Find the Ball" with Skillz Coaches


The day started off fairly smoothly, with teams learning the tournament rules and being introduced to their Skillz coach. Our first testing partner arrived and began to setup. According to the schedule, each team would have a break in playing to visit the testing tents and proceed with the optional counseling and testing. Anyone interested in testing must be at least fourteen years old. First, they go through a round of pre-counseling that usually lasts between ten and fifteen minutes. It ensures that they understand the process they are about to undergo and are prepared to handle their results, whether positive or negative. The counselors also discuss the person’s behavior to assess whether or not they are at high risk for HIV. All of this occurs in a confidential, enclosed tent. Following pre-counseling, if the person still wishes to proceed, they enter a new tent to undergo their HIV test. It is done with a simple pin-prick of the finger. The tester then analyzes the blood for the amount of antibodies and gives the results to the post-counselor. In the last test, the post-counselor provides the results to the individual. People who test positive are offered immediate support and referred to a local clinic to begin testing. Overall, HIV testing is incredibly important because people who are positive can begin treatment to live more healthily and they can take the proper steps to prevent spreading the virus to others.


The testing part of the tournament was the part I was most excited about and the part for which I was most responsible. Thus, I was extremely frustrated and disappointed with both myself and our testing partners when it became obvious that the testing component was not adequate to handle the number of people we wanted to test. At the previous year’s VCT, well over 300 people had tested. Granted, their event was the finale of a national Sports Heroes Walk, which featured multiple sports stars, but I still believed that we could reach large numbers with our event. We had placed posters and handed out flyers in the township and even been featured on the radio station to advertize our event. Things were looking good.

The problem arose when I began talking to our first testing partner and realized that they brought fewer than 50 testing kits, which meant that they could not test more than 50 people that day. They also brought numerous counselors, but only one tester. Before the teams even had the option to test, community members had already flooded the testing tents and created a major backlog. Panic set in as I realized that the participants would not be able to test if they desired. I decided to phone the Department of Health, which had made a habit of ignoring me despite my persistent visits to their office and phone calls. A woman answered and after a discussion about testing kits and my explaining that I would drive anywhere in town to pick her up and get the testing kits, she hung up and turned off her phone. Exasperated, I pleaded with our first testing partner about where we could find extra kits. I was willing to buy kits or drive their staff anywhere, such as their office to get more, but they insisted that the Department of Health was the only place they could get them and with the office closed on Saturday and our one contact eliminated, I was helpless.

The testing problem was only compounded by the fact that our second and typically more reliable testing partner had yet to arrive and it was almost noon. I called them numerous times and was finally able to make contact. They had apparently decided to be part of an opening ceremony for tourism in Galeshewe, rather than arrive early in the morning, as we had previously agreed numerous times. However, when they finally arrived, I was just relieved to have another testing partner to begin testing our participants. The relief was short lived, as I quickly learned that they also brought only one tester and could test a maximum of 35 people. Although I knew they had a training for some of their employees in Johannesburg, they did not inform me that they would be able to test so few people. They had numerous kits, but they focus on quality pre and post counseling. I fully support and appreciate this aspect of their work, but I was still desperate to be able to test more participants from the tournament. So, in a last attempt to be able to test more people, I asked if they had extra testing kits that they could share with the other testing partner. Unfortunately, their organization is unable to share them. I quickly changed the game plan to stop testing community members and give priority to tournament participants. After going through the Skillz games, many of them were eager to test. We were able to test a few teams, but ultimately had to turn people away. It completely crushed me to tell people they couldn’t be tested at the moment and must instead visit a local clinic for testing. It’s unusual for people to be so motivated to test and I hated that we were unable to capture the full potential of this precious opportunity.


As the event came to a close and we cleaned up the venue and thanked our coaches, I felt extremely demoralized. I felt as though I had let the GRS team and the Galeshewe community down. We probably tested between 50 and 75 people – a meager number compared to the previous year. But I was much more upset about having to tell people that they couldn’t test because we weren’t adequately prepared. It was hard to realize the obvious missteps I had taken – not telling our testing partners exactly how many testing kits we need, believing that since they had worked with us at the same event last year, that they would understand the scale of it.


Coach Vuyi about to receive his results after testing for the first time!

With time, I have come to recognize that I did not completely fail the people that were depending on me. I did disappoint, but there were still positives. For example, the kids enjoyed the tournament and the Skillz games and became excited and interested by the idea of testing for HIV. They made valuable connections with their Skillz coaches and I hope that their awareness and behavior related to HIV has changed for the better. Also, despite testing many fewer people than anticipated, we still tested over 50 people. Each one of those people took an important step that day to learn their status. They overcame fear and stigma in order to ensure healthier lives for themselves and others. We even had Skillz coaches test for the first time, thereby becoming beautiful examples for the children they taught. Lastly, I learned a lot about planning and interacting with partner organizations. Although I made mistakes, I think that I am stronger for it. A quote by Nelson Mandela that I have happened upon a few times during this internship sums up the situation:

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

I hope that I can heed Mandela’s wisdom and rise from this experience. We no longer have funding to have any more VCTs, but I’ve been talking to Lindsay and I think we can plan some small-scale VCTs where we play pickup soccer, have Skillz coaches teaching games, and offer testing to the community. The soccer would attract both kids and adults and the Skillz games would encourage people to test. It’s all just an idea right now, but I think we can do it.

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day! We started it off with a bang this morning by visiting the local radio station and having Hooter give an impromptu talk about GRS and our event this weekend (more to come about that soon). He did an awesome job, especially for having no idea that he was going to be on air. Linds and I definitely enjoyed being able to sit in the studio with him without having to actually talk. We're both still a little too shy for that. The DJ at the station liked our program so much that he is having Hooter go back with Thuso tomorrow morning during primetime to go through one of our games on air. It sounds like he also wants us to come back on a regular basis to be part of his show. What a great partnership to be started on World AIDS Day!

President Zuma also gave a speech today about improving care for people living with HIV. It's kind of a big deal since he has not always acknowledged the severity of HIV in South Africa. The New York Times featured the speech as one of its headlines today. Check it out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/world/africa/02safrica.html?_r=1&hp


Today is also the day that Nike launches their partnership with the (RED) campaign to leverage the power of sport to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Grassroot Soccer is Nike’s long-term partner in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and is prominently featured as part of Nike’s story telling around this initiative, bringing to life how football can play a powerful role in educating youth about HIV/AIDS prevention. Nike’s (RED) campaign promotes Grassroot Soccer as an example of the type of program that is making a difference through raising awareness of HIV/AIDS and by providing education, enabling young people to make informed decisions, and using sport as a catalyst to engage and communicate to African youth.

Check out the inspirational Nike video profiling GRS South Africa: http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikesoccer/2009/11/30/fighting-hivaids-through-soccer


Bono, Nike’s President/CEO Mark Parker and (NIKE)RED's Global Ambassador Didier Drogba announced this new campaign last night when football stars from around the world gathered at Niketown London to debut red laces that they all will wear on the field to show their support for this campaign.

Nike’s signature (RED) product for the partnership, Red Laces, are available online or at Nike stores throughout the world. Nike is contributing 100% of the proceeds from the laces to the Global Fund and organizations like GRS who are committed to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS through the power of football.

And as a bonus, if you buy your laces today you get free shipping: http://store.nike.com/index.jsp?country=US&lang_locale=en_US#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-307448

If you want to learn more about the (NIKE)RED campaign and GRS’s involvement, check out www.nikefootball.com/red.


Thanks for your interest and support in the fight against HIV and AIDS!

Skillz Street

So I’ve been meaning to write about Skillz Street for awhile and it seems that I’m finally getting around to it. First, I have to give mad props to my roommate, Lindsay for implementing the first ever Skillz Street league in Kimberley. It’s also the first girls-only league, which, I must add, is awesome. Although the intended target has always been girls, until now, the model has failed to come to fruition as boys naturally dominate the soccer scene. She has done an amazing job organizing it and even stepping in as a coach when one of our beloved coaches dropped out the morning of the first practice (Unfortunately, in the words of our site coordinator, Mandla, “We’re facing a bit of a challenge” when it comes to coaches. We currently have only 6 coaches in Kimberley and need to reach 5,000 kids with our program this year. The Training of Coaches we have in early January cannot come soon enough). All of the girls were thrilled to see that Lindsay was one of the coaches on the first day. Their faces lit up with excitement and I even saw a fist-pump from a girl assigned to her team.


Skillz Street at its simplest is an organized soccer league for youth after school. However, it provides much more than just a safe space to play twice a week. For example, one of its major tenants is the incorporation of Fair Play rules, which are based on respect and self-officiating. Before starting their matches, the two teams gather together in the “Skillz Zone” to agree on three additional Fair Play rules. The most popularly chosen rules are helping an opponent up when she falls and having both teams celebrate when a goal is scored. I was initially hesitant as to whether these rules would actually be followed. When’s the last time you saw a twelve year old celebrate when they were scored on? But to my surprise, this rule has been beautifully adopted. I’m often astounded at the celebrations in which both teams take part after a goal is scored. They’re often so loud that teams on neighboring fields turn to watch. Players on the sideline run onto the field with coaches to exchange high fives and hugs. I tried to capture the essence in some of these pictures, but they really don’t do the experience justice.



In addition to the emphasis on Fair Play, every practice has a theme. They have included such vital topics as teamwork, gender, and self-efficacy. Lindsay creates questions for each theme and the teams discuss them in the Skillz Zone for ten minutes after the game. These topics are important, yet too often unaddressed. The idea is for the girls to feel comfortable talking about such issues at Skillz Street. It offers them an intimate space where they can express themselves and ask questions. Thus far, the discussions have been relatively successful. Although some questions need to be reworked, the girls actively participate and contribute insightful thoughts. I love seeing these girls, who are limited in so many ways, take charge and find solutions to the inherent problems they face.

We also decided to add Skillz Core to Skillz Street (Skillz Core is the 8 practices that teach about HIV and AIDS). It was advertised to the girls as an optional component of Skillz Street, but to our blissful amazement, nearly all of the girls who had not already graduated from Skillz Core decided to attend these sessions before their games. Even girls who had graduated from the program came back to do it again. Such a positive turnout was a necessary reassurance in the initial days of the league. The other great part of Skillz Core with Skillz Street is that we get to see our assistant site coordinator, Thuso Jones, teach all the lessons. He’s usually too busy with office duties to be a coach as well, but seeing him in action is nothing less than beautiful. Although normally shy and reserved, Thuso bursts into a new energetic persona when he’s coaching. He teaches the lessons as they were meant to be taught, emphasizing key messages and keeping the girls engaged. It seems as though he was meant to be a Skillz Coach. After practices, the girls swarm him, joking and just trying to be near him. If only all of our coaches could be like him…

Playing Find the Ball - the girls pass the pall behind their backs and the other team has to guess who has it when Thuso says "stop". It's usually tough to figure out who has the ball. The ball is labeled "HIV" and is supposed to signify a person who has HIV. The message of the game is that you cannot tell just my looking at someone whether or not they have HIV, just as you cannot tell who is holding the ball just by looking at them.


Since attending and assisting Lindsay with all of the logistical duties of Skillz Street, I have managed to amass a personal fan club that ranges anywhere from one to fifteen kids on a given day. They love to hold my hand, braid my hair, sit with me, climb on me, ask endless questions, and generally help me with anything and everything. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoy it. I’ve also become the unofficial photographer and the kids love having their picture taken. I included some of their fun pictures here. I can’t get over their beauty and saucy personalities. Just when you think one of them is shy, they bust out a sweet dance move or dramatic impersonation. I love that they are so much more comfortable with themselves and outgoing than American kids. Every time, someone new joins and I instantly become attached. I could seriously just play with them all day. Alas, I have to make due with the snippets I get on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.


My favorite girl is on the far right. Although she's normally shy, she got a little attitude for this picture.

Yesterday, we celebrated Thanksgiving! We delayed the holiday until Saturday so that we would actually have time to prepare our delicious feast. It officially marked my fifth consecutive Thanksgiving away from home. Sad, yet, it felt much more like the 4th of July than Thanksgiving with the 95 degree heat. Our menu was so extensive that Lindsay had to go out and buy three extra pans so that we would be able to cook everything. My favorite dish was the sweet potato casserole, which my mom makes for all the holidays. We also had mashed potatoes, green beans with almonds, scalloped corn, stuffing (and gluten free stuffing for Lindsay!), chicken (couldn’t find turkey), pecan pie, and pumpkin san crust (i.e. sans gluten). After the sun had set, we dusted off our dining room table (read: black plastic) outback by the bbq pit and Hooter lit a fire. We set the table and had an amazing, candlelit, Kimberley Family Thanksgiving. The warm night felt great. Since we rarely eat at the same time and I usually eat on the floor, the table feast made it feel like a true holiday. It was one of my favorite nights thus far.