Christmas Greetings 2011 from the Ozols

Christmas Greetings to all our family and friends in Europe, Africa, North America and Australia 

These two photos exemplify the meaning of Christmas. While some people in these photos are paid, most are volunteers in South Africa, supporting people living (and dying) with HIV/AIDS. In our material world, pause and give thanks for the blessings we enjoy wherever we are.

Seasons greetings
Eddie and Linda










2011 has been a year of significant change for the Ozols 
family!

85th  birthday celebrations with the family Oct 2010

While 2010 ended with plans for an overseas trip mid 2011, this was put on hold after Linda's father Roger entered hospital on 4 January following a sudden deterioration in his mobility which eventually resulted in the need to place him in aged care. Prior to discharge to aged care a brain tumour was diagnosed as the cause of the sudden deterioration and he remained hospitalised until he died on 30 May. This time was very special to Linda and the rest of the family who were able to share many memories with him as he faced death confident that this was a new beginning for him.

The beard coming off with a travelling barber engaged

In February Eddie had an epiphany, making the decison to leave the public sector after 39 years. Within a month he had four approaches (the first within a few days) to join non profit agencies and in May after giving his boss plenty of notice, joined Lifestyle Solutions, a support service for people (lifestylesolutions.org.au)  as the NSW Disability Development and Change Manager. The highlight of his farewell was a challenge to shave off the beard before he left. The last day was fun filled with activities including a travelling barber who took off the beard after Eddie's Target of $1000 for African AIDS Foundation was reached. A brief holiday at Nelson Bay  was enjoyed before starting the new job in May.

Stephen Bomford, Headmaster at St Peter's
Campbelltown  highlighting Linda's qualities

Linda's birthday this year was celebrated with family and friends from various areas of her life. The principal of her current school and the previous school deputy,  attended as did friends from Young World Singers and a Vietnamese family who we have known for 30 years.  

Our family after the funeral(f)

Sadly Roger died on 30 May. The funeral was pre-planned by Roger ten years ago and  his forward planning meant he left clear instructions for Linda to ensure all arrangements were understood. Those who knew him will understand that he was well prepared for everything. Merrin flew home from Canada for the funeral service and this afforded us the first opportunity since 2006 to have all our family together for a photo opportunity together with daughter in law Nell, wife of Ashley.

Felix at 9 weeks

After over eight years with Macquarie Bank Ashley decided to move to a smaller company. After tendering his resignation he was required to take 3 months "gardening leave" before he was allowed to start with his new employer in September. Ashley and Nell had their first child - Felix Roger - who was born on 12 October. Ashley was able to have a week off to assist when Nell came home from hospital despite only a month with his new employer. 

Having completed his degree mid year we were pleased to attend Rowan's graduation as a Bachelor of Project Management in October. This was the completion of four long years including   travel from Manly to Penrith by public transport for lectures. He  continues his cadetship with Buildcorp  working on the rebuilding of St Barnabas Church on Broadway. Rowan's girlfriend will be joining us for the extended family day after Christmas.

Home for a week in June for grandpa's funeral, Merrin returned to Canada where she has lived and worked since February 2009 with long term partner Carl. They left Banff for the summer and worked at Tofino on Vancouver Island . In between seasons they travelled with a group and had an extended holiday in Mexico before returning to Canada where they now have work in Fernie for the current winter. Merrin has commenced a Journalism Degree - her long held ambition.

After significant consideration (a discussion with dad helped) Corinneyoungest daughter CJO decided not to continue at university. She holidayed with long time friend Laura in Thailand after semester 1 (this was a long term commitment from years ago) and on her return headed to Queensland to the Gold Coast in August, obtaining a job with patent attorneys.  



She has settled in to her new position and was able to purchase a unit given the depressed market where 

 she lives. 

Philakahle 2011

These are some of the Philakahle staff who deliver various support to people in the Okhahlamba area. The ladies to the left are the Home Based Carers who coordinate the Referral Network. They come in weekly for training and meetings from the villages.

My last day at Philakahle was spring cleaning day. A special meal was cooked marking the end of the year and also I was invited as this was my last day in South Africa.

A Zulu Wedding

On Sunday 4 December 2011 I attended the wedding of Bongi Radebe and her fiancée Isaac Shabalala. Bongi has been instrumental in the development of the African AIDS Foundation School Partnership project between St Peters Anglican Primary School and Intumbane Primary School in South Africa.

All ready to start the wedding ceremoy

The wedding was a simple affair in the Shabalala home which comprises a number of buildings in a typical Zulu kraal where extended famly share the ground but have their own living quarters. Pastor Titus, Lutheran Pastor at Escourt about 100kms away conducted the ceremony.

There were four medical students with me from University of Western Sydney and they were able to get a better understanding of Zulu culture and prac tice which is changing slowly. .




However apart from the Australian contingent  there were less than 15 adults in attendance, most being siblings and extended family of Isaac and some of Bongi's friends from Intumbane.

We arrived about 11am having made a number of enquiries about the location from locals. There are no street addresses - simply unsealed roads off the main road. It was not easy to find. Bongi greeted all of us with her usual big smile and introduced us to those present which included four of Isaac's brothers, one of their aunts, a sister of Isaac and her children plus friends of Bongi including Thuli from school and a number of others helping with the preparations. As we sat waiting for things to commence, Isaac spoke to us and told us how fortunate he was to be marrying the woman he loves. It was clear from his discussion that he saw himself as privileged to be marrying Bongi.

The wedding took place in the lounge room of the main house. Everyone except Bongi and Isaac and the pastor were seated. Much of the service except for the vows was translated for our benefit in English. Once Isaac had said yes the Pastor had a bit of fun (and Isaac looked very worried during this time) when he said "well eveything is now up to Bongi. Will she say yes and confirm this man's future as a good one or will she say no." Everyone was laughing except for Isaac and Bongi looked like she was just wanting the question asked.

A worried Isaac as the pastor delayed asking Bongi if she took  this man etc...

Eventually the question was asked and Bongi had no hesitation in responding in the affirmative. There were tears from both and Bongi on more than one occasion wiped Isaac's face. The homily was from Ecclesiastes 9:9 and a passionate exhortation was given to them both about the future ups and downs. Then the exchanging of rings took place with Isaac stooping on one knee to place the ring on Bongi's finger.

The meal was served with us Aussies being served first. One of the students asked the question why were we eating when no one else was? Bongi explained the order was we were the special guests (and acknowledged as such during the ceremony by the pastor), then the women served the men (who in true Aussie style were seated outside under  a tree) and then the women and children ate (women were seated in the kitchen).

There was no formality and no speeches after the ceremony. The afternoon was spent just chatting and socialising. We Aussies we privileged to speak to people about village life and culture. The wedding was a long time coming and my visit provided the convenient reason to have a low key wedding without the huge party which may have included 500+ guests.

The women in the kitchen

With the boys

Rolling pap in my hands

I was called out to join the fellas late in the afternoon around the tree. There I saw a wooden dish known as an igwembhe filled with a chicken roasted on flame abd pap which is corn meal mixed with water and a staple of the African diet across many cultures. This was my first experience of eating by hand since my childhood. I was taught how to roll the pap into a ball and took pieces of chicken (which turns out to be Zulu chicken, a leaner and brown free range bird about six months old) which were more flavoursome than what we eat at home.

Bongi lives against the spectacularly beautiful backdrop of the Drakensberg

6 year olds help build their own school

On 29 November I visited a number of schools as part of a project African AIDS Foundation is developing.  A small unregistered school developed by the local community was an awareness raising visit. As South Africa struggles to overcome the past and develop infrastructure this visit too the KwaNkosana district highlighted the challenges being faced. The school is two small classrooms for 60 or so kids in kindergarten and Grade 1. As you can see the classrooms are still building sites. Staff from the nearest school drive up and take classes on rotation morning and afternoon.

The photo below is all that exists apart from some toilets being developed 50metres away. The school has no chalkboard, lacks fencing to keep the kids out of the deep ravines nearby which I imagined as raging torrents in wet weather, cement to finish off the existing structres, desks and other essentaill items such as educational materials.

The pictures below and above tell the story. During a break the kids help out by carrying the large blocks  to  the location where toilets are being constructed. Remember 5and 6 year old kids

Keeping up with the Jonses

Like so many of our friends and neighbours, we sometimes find ourselves comparing our lives to those of others. And most often, we look at those who make more and have more than we do.

As the old adage says, we look to “the Joneses.”

But who are the Joneses really?

Consider this: If you make $43,500 a year, you’re in the top 12% of earners in the world.
That’s right. The world.

So maybe we should turn this whole Jones thing around.

88% of the world is comparing itself to you … and me. WE are “the Joneses” to 88% of people on this planet. And yet, where do we most often look for comparison? The other 11%!

I’m not saying we should compare at all. We shouldn’t. Life is about much more than material things. But, just for a moment, let’s entertain this thought of keeping up with the proverbial family.

•If you make more than $2 a day, you are the Joneses to 1.2 billion people.

•If you have a warm bed to sleep in at night, you are the Joneses to the billions who are sleeping on cold, hard ground in makeshift huts and tents.

•If you drive a car to work every day, your number plate might as well read “RICH” to the billions who have to walk miles just to get access to clean water, medical care, education or even food.

•If you finished high school, you might as well be “Dr. Jones” to those who have no chance of getting an education.

•If you eat three full meals a day: Jones. Jones. Jones.

So should I run out the front door yelling, “I’m rich! I’m rich!” as if I just won the lottery? Probably not. But that’s what the rest of the world may think.

Just a little perspective.

27 November 2011

First day in ZAR found me at Winterton about 22kms from Bergville. The chairman of Philakahle is John Green the Anglican minister for the area. I was invited to speak an saw this hanging go up for the first Suday in Advent and the first Sunday in the church Calendar.

 This is quite a beautiful building outside and inside is wooden floors.

Sunset looking tot he Drakensbergs from my bed and breakfast

Pic of the Day

This was the view heading down to Bergville on the N3 from Johannesburg on 26/11/11

2 days to go

A lot to be doe prior to departure. Still packing. I have 3 laptops to give to people. One for Intumbane and the new school Nqobile which I am visitig. I am taking a fourth laptop for work use and keeping connected. Itinerary looks very busy.
AAF board last night gave approval to join Australian Charities Funds http://www.australiancharitiesfund.org.au/
and commence a workplace giving program.
Work - never ending. So much to do and so little time to do it. A colleague talked me out of taking a project to Africa to complete. We are contracting instead

University of Western Sydney Medical Students Africa Bound

Macarthur based international development agency African AIDS Foundation and Global Health Awareness Western Sydney (GHAWS), have entered a partnership which will see fourth year medical students from the University of Western Sydney undertake their electives in Africa. African AIDS Foundation, which supports young people impacted by the AIDS pandemic in Africa, was approached in 2010 by students from GHAWS on behalf of the University of Western Sydney Medical Society about the possibility of spending time in an African hospital during their forthcoming elective in December. Dr John Schwarz, a Camden based medical practitioner was able to assist by helping arrange a placement at a rural Zulu hospital where he was medical superintendent from 1975 to 1984. “Four students will undertake a five week placement which will allow them to learn about medicine in a developing nation, where resources taken for granted in Australia are not readily available,” said Dr Schwarz, who travels each year to Africa to monitor projects supported by the people of Macarthur for the last ten years. GHAWS representative Soondoos Raashed stated “This is a very exciting time for GHAWS and our students. We are a young medical school with even younger student groups and as such we have been very fortunate to encounter organisations such as AAF who are willing to help us not only further our education, but also to help us contribute to society as medical professionals in training.” AAF has provided the four students with an orientation to what they can expect while on placement in Africa. The students will undertake a two day orientation to medicine in a developing environment at a teaching hospital in Durban prior to commencing their placement on 5 December at Emmaus Hospital, four hours south of Johannesburg in an area surrounded by Zulu Villages. The students will be accommodated at a youth camp near the hospital.

Top photo - Jerome Crouche, Julia New-Tolley and Zainib Cheema with John and Rosalie Schwarz. Lower photo Kat Irwin practicing plastering

University of Western Sydney Medical Students to Africa

Jerome Crouche, Julia New-Tolley,  with Johna and Rosalie Schwarz founders of African AIDS Foundation

Kat Irwin was in Lismore on placemment when the above poto was taken. Seen here doing plastering practice.

One of the things I am doing on my forthcoming trip is liaising with Emmaus Hospital where AAF has arranged for four medical students from UWS to spend an elective placement for five weeks. The following is the press release being distributed to inform the community about this project.

Macarthur based international development agency African AIDS Foundation and Global Health Awareness Western Sydney (GHAWS), have entered a partnership which will see fourth year medical students from the University of Western Sydney undertake their electives in Africa. African AIDS Foundation, which supports young people impacted by the AIDS pandemic in Africa, was approached in 2010 by students from GHAWS on behalf of the University of Western Sydney Medical Society about the possibility of spending time in an African hospital during their forthcoming elective in December. Dr John Schwarz, a Camden based medical practitioner was able to assist by helping arrange a placement at a rural Zulu hospital where he was medical superintendent from 1975 to 1984. “Four students will undertake a five week placement which will allow them to learn about medicine in a developing nation, where resources taken for granted in Australia are not readily available,” said Dr Schwarz, who travels each year to Africa to monitor projects supported by the people of Macarthur for the last ten years. GHAWS representative Soondoos Raashed stated “This is a very exciting time for GHAWS and our students. We are a young medical school with even younger student groups and as such we have been very fortunate to encounter organisations such as AAF who are willing to help us not only further our education, but also to help us contribute to society as medical professionals in training.” AAF has provided the four students with an orientation to what they can expect while on placement in Africa. The students will undertake a two day orientation to medicine in a developing environment at a teaching hospital in Durban prior to commencing their placement on 5 December at Emmaus Hospital, four hours south of Johannesburg in an area surrounded by Zulu Villages. The students will be accommodated at a youth camp near the hospital. For more information check out African AIDS Foundation’s website    http://www.africanaidsfoundation.org.au/ or phone 46580555 or GHAWS http://uwsms.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=78&Itemid=169 Photo – Jerome Crouche, Julia New-Tolley and Zainib Cheema with Dr John and Rosalie Schwarz. Kathryn Irwin is the fourth student travelling to Africa.

Tax Deductibility ....at last

A three year project encompassing three months working in Africa with African AIDS Foundation's in-country partners and significant work in compiling evidence to satisfy AusAID that AAF is an organisation that can deliver development projects overseas in an accountable manner has been finalised today. The Australian Government through AusAID, the Tax Office and Treasury has confirmed that AAF meets the strict criteria to manage overseas projects. Well done South Africa, Kenya and the AAF Board

Africa Bound 2011

Heading off again to Africa on 26 november for 2 weeks. Lots to do. University of Western Sydney Medical Students Association has four Med Students going to Emmaus Hospital for a five week elective and I will be there on teheir arrival to ensure things go smoothly for them
 Visiting Intumbane School plus the two new schools which have partnered up with Wollondilly Anglican college and Broughton Anglican College and get those partnerships moving.

Meet with Philakahle Board to discuss current and future projects and visit current projects to see how support in Australia is assisting African kids. As well as that will meet with a Zulu chicken and egg farmer to look at possibilities for small business enterprises in the villages raising chickens.

Hope to get to Spion Kop Game Reserve and a game of golf as well as visiting people I met last time.

On 8 December off to Kenya for a whirlwind four days. Attending a meeting to discuss a microfinance project which we may have a donor interested in supporting. Will also discuss current projects we have in Kenya and spend time with Bernard our partner who does amazing work in Kenya.

Back home and work on 13/12/11

African AIDS Foundation's 2011 Fundraising Dinner

Mamuka Zimbabwean singers and dancers

 MC for the evening Luckson from Zambia

 The hall looked fabulous

 Two doctors from Africa and Australia in serious discussion

2011 dinner - Eddie Ozols - Picasa Web Albums

2011 dinner - Eddie Ozols - Picasa Web Albums:

'via Blog this'

African AIDS Foundation fundraising dinner was held on 8 October 2011 attended by 160 people. This year we had a strong African theme with a Zambian MC and Zimbabwean Youth singers and dancers.

Mad about Africa!

Staff and students at St Peters Anglican Primary School Campbelltown Australia have a partnership with Intumbane Primary School South Africa and are currently raising funds to build a library for their 800 Zulu friends in South Africa. At a recent fete and a secret item was announced at the end of the auction which was bidding to have the right to throw the ball at the dunking apparatus to have the Headmaster dunked.
Headmaster Stephen Bomford has promoted the partnership with his school and been very enthusiastic about his students understanding that their world extends beyond the comfortable lives they live. This partnership has brought a global understanding of poverty to children as young as kindergarten who are learning of their privileged status in the world. The video shows just how mad everyone at St Peters is about Africa!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muhoCcfrWfs&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stpeters.nsw.edu.au%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D78%26Itemid%3D1&feature=player_embedded

Red Week 2011 (1)

Red Week 2011 (1)

Red Week in the University of Newcastle!

Medical Students from the University of Newcastle gathered together in April to support the global movement to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. Speaking to over 500 medical students plus the wider university community, they sold hundreds of ribbons, condom roses and over 1000 cupcakes. There was a Trivia night, a Global Health shortcourse, personal insights from Dr John Schwarz, founder of the African AIDS Foundation and a Red Party to finish the week off, which is part of a national initiative co-ordinated by the Australian Medical Students Association Global Health Committee. The whole week raised just over $4000 for the African Aids Foundation. Thanks to everyone who got on board!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150161697003602.299102.363679948601

HIV a disease of the Poor

Poverty is the cause of HIV and other health related concerns in developing nations

Eddie Ozols' last week at ADHC

I left the NSW Public Sector on 15 April 2011 after 39 years. I had three occasions when I was farewelled - Wednesday 13/4 was an afternoo tea attended by a huge number of people (?60), a dinner on Thursday night and final exit activities to qualify for a Certificate of Exit. I indicated I did not wish to have a ift but for those who wished a donation to the Intumabne School Library fund to build a library for this school in KZN South Africa would be appreciated. A monetary gift was presented to me on Wednesday. At dinner on Thursday I was asked how much i would take for my beard to come off and having stated $500 this amount was collected withing 5 minutes prior to dinner. On Friday I was "paraded" around the building having to undertkae various activities with an "official" photographer. As part of ths people were asked to alos donate to the the Intumabne fund. All in all $1000.60 was collected as part of my farewell from colleagues. The collage is an amalgam of my last three days being farewelled including the shave on Friday.

Guest Speaker at Narellan Community Congregational Church 20 Feb 2011

Hope for Africa's children
I was invited to speak at the Narellan Congregational Community Church on Sunday 20 February 2011.
I presented on poverty and how AAF is dealing with HIV/AIDS by addressing issues of poverty through our projects

Click on the link to learn how rich you really are compared to the world's poor.

Latest news on HIV Treatment in South Africa

South Africa is rolling out Anti Retroviral Therapy according to the following article
http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/regions/easternandsouthernafrica/#2