Profiles of Spiwo, Zethu and Siyaya

It has been two weeks since I last blogged (sounds like the start of a Catholic Confession!) and I really have no excuse other than I have been busy and the weeks went by so fast. Last week officially marked my 4 month stay in Cape Town. I am shocked and amazed how fast the time has gone. I realized that I have not introduced you to Rev. Spiwo of the JL Zwane Centre, his wife Zethu and one of the programs at the centre, Siyaya.

Rev. Dr. Spiwo (his name means "gift" in Xhosa) Xapile is the minister at the JL Zwane Presbyterian Church. JL Zwane was named for Jeremiah Zwane who came to Guguletu in 1952 to help reestablish the church community. In 1989, Rev. Spiwo came to JL Zwane to create a model for community focused ministry. Rev. Spiwo was the first minister to openly speak out about HIV/AIDS and educate its congregants about the problems in their community. When I visited the centre the first time in 2001, there was just a hole in the ground where the centre now proudly stands and where I work. The church itself was a dilapidated building that needed a lot of loving care. Spiwo reached out to the international community to find funding for the centre. What a wonderful sight it was for me when I returned in 2002 to see the completed building and realize all the work that went into building a foundation for the programs that have been established at JL Zwane and the relationships that have developed and grown over the years. The church hall is painted in vibrant colors with paintings and stenciling of bible verses that were done by a couple from the Netherlands. There are over 1000 congregants at JL Zwane who are very proud of their church and centre.

Zethu (her name means "ours" in Zulu) Xapile is a nurse and director of the Browns Farm Clinic in the township of Phillipi. The clinic has officially been named "Inzame Zabantu" which means "Peoples Initiative" by the South African Government. Zethu has been at the clinic since 1997. When I visited the clinic in 2001 it was a building made out of 6 shipping containers. Patients would line up outside the containers at 5:00 AM, even though the doors didn't open until 8:00 AM, just to try to be seen that day. In 2006, the government funded a new building that now has a waiting area and a system in place where the patients can actually make an appointment in advance and not have to wait hours to be seen.

Spiwo and Zethu have two children, Salume (his name means "stand up" sort of to be strong) and Nonkie (her name means "helpful").

In 2004, Spiwo and Bongani Magatyana, an accomplished musician and composer, formed the group "Siyaya" (it means on the move in Xhosa) to bring HIV/AIDS awareness by educating people through music, dance and theatre.

Siyaya is made up of 6 singers and 4 musicians, ages 20 to 25 from the townships surrounding Cape Town. Siyaya's music is a fusion of tradional African songs, opera, jazz and pop. Nearly all their songs are originals, with music, lyrics and choreography created by Bongani. Siyaya teaches the ABC's of AIDS-Abstain, Be faithful and use Condoms. Through highly entertaining and moving performances, their shows pierce through the powerful stigma of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, exposing the myths and risks of the disease. They perform regularly at schools, churches, community centers, health clinics and public events.

Siyaya has performed in the US three times. Their first visit was in May of 2005 in three cities. In September 2006 they opened in more cities and venues, even performed at the National Cathedral in Washington DC. In June 2008 they did a six city, six week tour traveling from NYC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Dallas and Pensacola, FL. They are a group of energetic, talented and caring individuals.

On Friday I went to a high school in Phillipi with Bongani to watch Siyaya perform for the students on a fund raising day. The students held a Braai (a BBQ) and Siyaya performed for free because Bongani had been the music director at the school and he wanted the students to see Siyaya and be inspired by them. As I sat and watched the students singing and dancing to the music I wondered if the uplifiting music and energy of Siyaya could help make them forget, at least for an hour, the fact that their school was in utter decay with broken windows, desks with no tops, chalkboards that weren't even usable. Looking at their faces and hearing the screams emit from the crowd I think Siyaya performed their job well!

(pictures: Zethu, Rev. Spiwo, Bongani, Siyaya, high school in Phillipi. I have no clue how the pictures ended up lined up this way!)

Bye for now...