Ten years ago, the pastor of Christusgemeinde Bad Vilbel, Dr. Klaus Neumeier, made a “Diaconal Year Abroad” possible for the first time in cooperation with the Protestant Voluntary Services. This year, Feline and Lukas are volunteering with the Ndlovu Care Group in Elandsdoorn. They tell us about their impressions and experiences in the foreign country, the different culture and new people:
Sawubona, Unjani? That’s isiZulu and means something like “Hello, how are you!”
We, Lukas and Feline, are two volunteers from Germany and are doing a development volunteer service in South Africa, more precisely in the province of Limpopo, from November 2 to September 5. The organization Ndlovu Care Group, where we are working, has many different projects, which we would like to introduce to you in more detail in the near future. Since our arrival in November last year, we have been able to learn a lot about the culture and the people here in South Africa. For example, transportation is handled very differently here than in Germany. While almost 78% (2022) of households in Germany own a car, the figure is significantly lower in South Africa. The infrastructure here is in need of development and people rely on cabs to get to work. As there is no other public transport here, there are hardly any footpaths or cyclists and the roads are littered with potholes and bumps. We have often wondered how some cars are still allowed to drive at all, but here there is no TÜV as we know it from Germany: without lights, with people in the trunk or on the loading area, and with turf on the dashboard or laminate as the rear window – people come up with the craziest ideas. In Germany, people are much more independent and free, and can rely more on public transport. Many Ndlovu employees are dependent on public transportation, such as cabs. The children are also brought to the projects and transported home by the organization’s employees in buggies or buses every time, which is quite time-consuming. That’s why we appreciate the fact that we can drive our own car to work all the more. Over the next few months, we will introduce you to the individual projects at Ndlovu in more detail!
