Gateway

Lucky me...
I am sitting in the largest mall in the southern hemisphere right now and I feel like I am in Florida rather than South Africa. the contradictions of this country are incredible. this mall, full of designer shops and an imax theater, is in the home of a country with the largest HIV/AIDS rate in the world in the province with the highest poverty rate and highest HIV/AIDS rate in all of South Africa. Yet here I am, sitting in a large arm chair drinking purified tap water, working on my mac at Gloria Jean's Coffees.

I feel like an oxymoron all by myself. I have spent the past 2 hours looking up international development internships for next summer in both the US and Africa. As I am looking for these opportunities where I can help the worlds poorest develop banking strategies to help them grow in my bureaucratic, global, world bank run world I sit here comfortable because I am surrounded by familiar "white" faces in an environment that suites me because I am american and mall is my culture. Now i am aware that I am lucky enough to have been born into the world I live in and that I work hard academically so I can help others and achieve personal "greatness" but, I still cannot help but think how I call the kettle black and then realize I am the kettle too. Call it white guilt or what have you but I have spent so much time both in Africa and America mulling over this idea and no matter what I do I cant seem to change this nagging opinion that I ironic.

I dont know if anyone else feels this way but in South Africa you are confronted with contradictions from every corner. I can live in a rural homestead but you better believe that there one outlet for power in the house will be used to hook up there satellite television so they can be inundated with american culture that they believe is the best life to live.

Please send me comments on what you guys think about this post or any others. I dont now how to respond on blogger but I would love some on going conversations of relating to me agreeing with me disagreeing with me yelling at me laughing or whatever. I miss all of you incredible and this blog is not just to inform but also to keep in touch so keep in touch back with me

ok now I am going to see an American movie in this monstrosity of a mall



Poverty In Kwazulu-Natal
Size 92 100km2
Share of country -7.6%
Total farming land- 6.5 mill ha
Livestock farming suitability-82%
Arable farming suitability-18%

Total Population
Share of national population- 20.7%
Population growth rate-12%
Population in rural areas-54%
Black people-84.9%
Coloured people-1.5%
Indian people-8.5%
White people-5.1%

Working age population economically active-51.3%
Unemployment rate-45%
Average annual household income-R64 359
Adults with no education-12%
Adults with degree or higher-3.7%
Pupil to teacher ratio-36:1
Matric pass rate-77%

Proportion population HIV+-18.4%
Women at ante-natal clinics HIV+-36.5%

Source- http://www.afra.co.za/jit_default_975.html