Before SA - 2

The Skinny

Come August 15, I'll head off to Philadelphia to begin my two-day orientation. I suspect this will include receiving a diplomatic passport, vaccinations, and a swearing-in ceremony.

August 17, I'll head off to South Africa with other volunteers from my assignment. It looks like our seven week month in-country training will take place in Pretoria. I'll be doing technical training and language study. There are 11 official languages in South Africa. I'm placing my bets on Zulu. But there's a little chance I could be learning the click language. So if there's ever a conflict between Japanese, Croats and Zulu, I'm the person to negotiate the cease-fire.

They're going to issue me a bike for the training session (and possibly for the rest of my stay). I hope mine is a shiny red mountain bike with lots of gears and a yellow basket. Maybe yellow tassels on the handlebars too*. Based on my performance during training and the aspiration statement and resume I recently submitted, I'll be placed with a certain host nonprofit organization in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga or Northwest provinces.

I am a Capacity Builder... which is a spiffy title that I didn't make up. I haven't been placed yet at all, so I don't have specifics, but I could be doing anything related to nongovernmental organization development, including fundraising, grant writing, building partnerships with other NGOs, developing missions statements, projects, programs etc... really I have no idea yet.

So, I'm spent.

* Adding tidbits about my hopes and dreams will keep this blog from being dull. Critiquing is encouraged.
P.S Please note: I justified my margins... in HTML.