The Time Has Come

The day is finally here. I leave tomorrow at around noon from Kansas City and will finally arrive sometime Saturday afternoon to the babyhouse.

Life has been a whirlwind over the last couple of weeks. For those reading that may not know me personally I am a teacher during the school year (this is why I have my summer to find adventure in Africa). Our school year was extended because of the many snow days that we enjoyed earlier in the year. So my 5th graders and I just finished our last day of school earlier today.

Leading a trip, leaving the country for a month, working full time, and trying to keep up with friends that I won't be able to see while I am gone has worn me out. I look forward to my flights with Christie as a time to chat, but also as a great time to catch up on my sleep. The next time you will hear from me, will be from the "motherland of Africa." Take care.

Itinerary:

KCMO to Detroit
Detroit to Amsterdam
Amsterdam to Johannesburg
Overnight layover with a friend in Johannesburg
Johannesburg to Nelspruit
In Nelspruit, Pieter is picking us up from the airport for a 3 hour ride to Maputo and the beautiful kids at the babyhouse.

The Team and Other News.

Here is a picture of the wonderful team!

They are from left to right:

Back Row: Kate, Me, My Massive Arm Muscles, Missy
Front Row: Christie, Suzy, Maranda, Natalie
Not able to be there for photo: Tiffany

I leave for Mozambique in under three days. I still have two days of work to complete with my class of 5th graders, and the following day I board a plane with my travel partner (Christie). We travel from Kansas City to Detroit, Detroit to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Johannesburg, and Johannesburg to Nelspruit, South Africa. In Nelspruit, Pieter will pick us up at the airport and take us the rest of the way to Maputo. We leave Thursday and arrive on Saturday.

I am extremely excited to be on my way back to see my friends at the babyhouse that have become so dear to my heart and somewhat like family to me. I am also extremely excited to have the opportunity to take this wonderful team of women with me and share the wonderfulness of the babyhouse with them.

In Mozambique News:

Flight From South Africa Slackens
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
NEWS
26 May 2008

Maputo--
Mozambicans are continuing to flee from South Africa, but in smaller numbers than at the height of last week's ethnic cleansing,

Orlando Cossa, the head of Mozambican immigration at Ressano Garcia, the main border post between Mozambique and South Africa, told AIM that on Monday, up until 14.00, a total of 1,194 Mozambicans had crossed the border.


This is a large number, but at the height of the exodus many more were fleeing. The worst day was last Wednesday, when 4,441 Mozambican poured across the Ressano Garcia border.

"We are now seeing a slackening in the number of Mozambican victims fleeing from xenophobia in South Africa", said Cossa. He said that the total number of Mozambicans who had returned, from the start of the violence until Sunday, was 26,434. Add Monday's figures and the total is over 27,500.

However, there is now some traffic in the opposite directions. With an apparent reduction in the number and scale of anti-foreigner attacks, some Mozambicans are beginning to return to South Africa.

During the past week very few Mozambicans indeed ventured into South Africa, but on Monday there was "a significant movement" of Mozambicans visiting South Africa for a variety of reasons, said Cossa. But he did not say how many had crossed the border.

They had told officials that they were going to Johannesburg, Durban and Nelspruit. Cossa said this group included not only traders, going to buy goods that they would resell in Maputo, but also some Mozambicans resident in South Africa who had fled last week, but had now judged it safe enough to return.

Cossa was optimistic that the movement of Mozambicans to South Africa would now return to normal.

As for the movement of South Africans (mostly tourists) across the border, this had continued normally, despite the violence. Cossa denied South African press reports that South African tourists were fleeing from Mozambique for fear that angry Mozambicans would take revenge against them.

"Foreigners are going in and out of the country as usual", said Cossa. "I see no relation between the xenophobia and the movement of foreigners, particularly South Africans, across the border".

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My understanding of this issue is that South Africa is having major problems with refugees and illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and other surrounding countries. The term that news sources are using for what is going on is xenophobia or the fear of foreigners. Foreigners are often accused of taking away people's jobs and fueling crime.
There have been many riots happening in and around Johannesburg, which has caused these foreigners to flee. Many foreigners are returning to their home countries.

The border that I will be traveling through is the one that is mentioned in the above news article. Over 27,500 Mozambicans have crossed back into Mozambique in the last week. When I have crossed this border in the past, the lines are always long and take a few hours to get through. I can not imagine what it is going to be like with such an increase of people coming across the border. I hope that the people of Mozambique will stay peaceful and not show hate to South Africans that are living in Mozambique.