Here, I work with Maserame ("Ma-say-ram-ee") on building a koloi or "car" in English.
She really enjoys block building, as do I - it's actually lots of fun.
I initially started working with Mma Heyn’s grade 2 class
because I wanted to begin to work in a Foundation Phase (grades Kindergarten
through 3rd grade) classroom and because I wanted to given one
little girl, Maserame, a little extra attention.
I first noticed Maserame in the beginning year when she came
walking in to the staffroom dressed in what looked to be an older sibling’s
school uniform with a school sweater which dropped down past her knees and a
skirt that almost hit her ankles (most school skirts go to the knee). Maserame is 7 years old and about the
size of my 5-year old niece and half her weight. Her face at that moment looked saddened and she looked at
the floor as she walked slowly into the staff room holding one a teacher’s
purse draped across one shoulder, which was about her size. The teacher said with a huge smile and
very loudly: “Dankie Maserame-we!” and
she handed her what looked like R1.
She clapped her hands and then cupped her hands together to catch the
coin (something typically done in the Northern Cape when you receive a gift),
and then left the room as silently as she had entered.
I was standing next to Mma Chabaemang, who is my life skills
counterpart, and she whispered to me that Maserame was HIV-positive and an
orphan.
Maserame is a
Setswana name, which means “the cold one.” Mma Heyns told me that she probably got this name because
she was born on a very cold day. Her mom must have been HIV-positive and did
not take the Nevirapine.
When Nevirapine is given to the HIV-infected pregnant woman
3 days before her baby’s birth, and then one dose to the baby within 3 days of
birth this will greatly decrease the risk of the child contracting the HIV
virus. This cuts down the risk down
to 1 in 10 for contracting the virus. Either way it’s a really sad story for
this poor little girl who lives with her Gogo (grandmother) who is not working and responsible for providing support
for several children at home.
After my initial sighting of Maserame, I started to notice
her around the schoolyard during recess walking by herself and slinking along
the school walls quietly, not looking anyone in the eye. She hung around the kitchen after
school hoping to receive a second helping of food in case there was any left
for the needy children. She slowly
learned my name and would come up to me in smiles and give me “sharp”
thumbs-up, and soon would show up to find me in the mornings to tell me she
hadn’t eaten breakfast and was hungry.
Then, that would be my indicator that I needed to find Masego to whip up
some instant porridge for her.
One day I asked her friend Dimpho, where was Maserame. She replied, “Masarame is lapile Mma.” I
soon found her and she looked tired and she was burning up a fever and didn’t
want any of the food I offered her.
Later Mma Chabaemang and I drove her home to her family to see what was
going on. Her house is very far
from school and there her grandmother lived with several other grandchildren
and took care of, many on child social grants. Since the recent death of Maserame’s mother there was no
change of the child’s grant to the orphan’s grant, which is a little bit more
money. So we had the grandmother
agree that she would begin to pay for transport for Maserame in the mornings
and afternoons to get to and from school and have the home-based care group
come by to check in on the family about the grants situation.
To me, it just underlined the need for support this child
needed.
So this term, I worked hard with Maserame to correct and
flip her backwards letters, count correctly in Setswana and English, and how to
read in Setswana and English. Not
only did I give her more one-on-one attention in her studies, I called upon her
in class.
Here, I work with the kids on counting by 3's (tharo) to 90 (somamarobongwe) kwa Setswana, with Tlotliso ("Co-clee-show") to my right and Maserame ("Ma-say-ram-ee") next to him in the hood.
Slowly Maserame started to smile more. She started to get loud in class and
raise her hand more and more, and to answer questions in front of the entire
group of 38 other students without looking shy. Other students even started including her in their
activities and cheered her on in races during physical education class outside. They too began to see how my love for
her made her come alive. This girl
whose name speaks of the bite of the chilly winter, started to illuminate.
I look at her today and just watch her at the beginning of
what I hope is a bright future without being ashamed of being labeled as “sick”
and without being stigmatized and feeling that weight on her back for being
HIV-positive. Today she is proud
and I am just so honored to be part of that.
To my girl Masi - this one’s for you, keep going!
And ALWAYS remember you are worth it!
And that we all love you so much!
Here, Maserame ("Ma-say-ram-ee") stands in the schoolyard next to the Foundation Phase classrooms.
