Love Without Borders: A Look at Cross-Cultural Relationships

In today’s world, with globalization and the opportunities to travel, it is not surprising that so many people fall in love with a culture, a place, and, of course, the person that ties it all together.  Dating and relationships are hard work, and speaking different languages or having to learn and understand cultural differences can make it even harder.  The following women are great examples of love conquering all, despite these difficulties, and have shared some of their insights, struggles, and what they love about dating someone from a different cultural background.

A bit about yourself and your partner?

L: My name is Luyolo, I’m 26, South African and I’m currently living in Sweden and doing my Masters in Business Development and Internationalisation. My partner, Sebastian, is Swedish and he is a social worker. We met in Cape Town two and a half years ago, on Tinder, while he was there doing his field studies. We went on a date, clicked, and have been in love ever since.  Despite the fact that we grew up on opposite ends of the world and have our differences, we share the same values and are alike in many ways. We complement each other really well and it feels like we’ve known each other our whole lives.

K: My name is Krystal and his is Yangki.  I’m from America, Georgia specifically, and he’s from South Korea. We were both born in 1985, but I’m a few months older. He likes to tease me about this every year after my birthday. He tries calling me Noona (which is the Korean term for older sister), but I refuse to let him do it as it feels weird. We met in September 2015, on a language exchange app. I had just moved to Bundang, a new part of South Korea, a few months earlier, and missed having Korean friends to talk to and hang out with. After about 3 meetings, he asked me to start dating. I wasn’t sure at first, but I knew he was a nice guy and thought it would be okay. We’ve been together now for more than 2 1/2 years.

S: My name is Sanita.  I was born and raised in a small Balkan country in Europe called Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly known for wars (the first World War started in Sarajevo and then we had the longest war in the 90s, hence the highlighted recognition).  What is not emphasized is our warmth, our easy going personalities, how we indulge in food and live slowly, spending hours drinking one cup of coffee and call it "cejf"; not to mention our nature where you can hide from society from time to time and refill your soul with beauty, and the fact that we are the European heart of many different cultures in one country.  

So, getting back to the question, when the war ended, my parents did their best to get back on their feet and take us to as many places on the map as they could afford, to show us that there is more to this world than the hate and destruction that we grew up in. They made us fall in love with diversity and it made me love and enjoy all the life specters there are, to be fascinated while listening to the stories each person carries about in their life. In that lifestyle of meeting new people, my sister met a guy from the USA, who is now her husband, and through him I met Alejandro. When I met him I wasn't fond of him because he presented himself to me as a young arrogant American, similar to those frat boys we only saw in movies. Such was my fate that now I bite my tongue when I think of that, because the more we talked the more I realized how similar we are. Giving that man a chance has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. Even though we were people from totally different countries, and different lifestyles, our minds flew the same direction and I fell in love with him. He was born in Miami but moved around the world with his family for the purpose of his father’s job. So I would assume that there lies the tie we have, that he also was exposed to variety of cultures throughout his life so he was more understanding of my own. 

Was it easy to communicate initially (or was there a language barrier)?

L: Thankfully English is spoken in Sweden so we never had a huge language barrier issue. We can have very fluent conversations and understand each other, however, there are times when he can struggle to express himself because English isn’t his first language, so some things take longer to describe or explain. I’ve learnt some Swedish now, so it is a little easier because in those cases where he can’t really explain something in English he can try in Swedish and hopefully I’ll understand. Sometimes when I use a word that he hasn’t heard before then I would need to explain it and then the next time I wouldn’t have to explain it again.

K: At first, since it was language exchange, we both knew that we weren’t at each other’s levels (neither English nor Korean). However, we didn’t let it stop our relationship. We speak mostly in English, so for him he has improved greatly. Now we have great conversations about many things with very few language problems. I, however, definitely need to study more Korean. I’ve lost a lot of what I’ve learned, because he helps me so much with everything Korean-related. My goal in the next year is start learning more, so he can feel more at ease talking about the things he wants to in his native language.

S: To be honest, not to mind how good my English was or how good it becomes, there was always that little bump in our communication; but it has to do more with the way of communicating that you're used to with people you’ve lived among, than it has to do with the quality of language.  For example, we are passionate when we talk, so it sometimes sounds like we are fighting, and we like to be tough so our approach to verbal communication is quite different and some may not understand it. But whenever I have problems expressing myself, due to the language barrier, I just say, "learn Bosnian" as a joke, but he keeps encouraging me to speak more and not be afraid of those barriers. If there is something to be misunderstood, it can be explained. So it was a lot of work at the beginning. We have a common language that we are both learning, so we sometimes speak Spanish, just to be on the same level. 

What did you have to learn, or become more open-minded about, about your partner’s culture?

L: I’m not strictly religious but my faith and belief in God is important to me. Even though “the church” exists in Sweden, it is still quite a secular society so a lot of people, Sebastian included, don’t necessarily grow up with a religious influence, which is quite different to South Africa in my opinion. Even though I know that people don’t have to follow a religion to live a good and happy life, it’s still a challenge when you’ve met someone that you know you want to spend your life with because, for me, my faith influences how I think and how I deal with certain situations. I struggled with this a bit in the beginning, but I realized that what was most important to me was that we loved each other, I felt safe with him, and that I was with someone who has a good heart and shows love to other people. Even though he didn’t grow up in the church, we share the same values and want similar things in life and he accepts and appreciates my faith.

K: Having lived in Korea for 3 years prior to meeting him, I haven’t learned much more culturally. He’s opened my eyes to new food and new places. We both enjoy trying new things and constantly share things about our culture. He’s learned more about my lifestyle and culture than I with his.

S: Well, despite that lack of great opportunities in Bosnia, they always try to look ahead and devote their hours to being immersed in comfort. They practice 'sabur', which literally means patience; everything will go as it is supposed to go, keeping faith (too much for my taste) but growing up in that kind of environment and then being in a fast-paced one such as the USA, it  has  been a bit overwhelming. That is one thing that is difficult to get used to. We live by the rule called 'cejf' which is a way of living slowly, going through the day almost in a lazy way.  Being among people like that, you have a certain acceptance of all the missteps you take. Therefore, the USA has been a bit stressful to live in, in a way that I need to be more loud, more expressive,  but it is also a country where I can finally focus on my dreams and not be afraid of wanting more, and isn't that their trademark?

Then again, what also interests me is that Bosnia is a country with a tight community, where most people know each other and take care of each other. Even though we had a long war that painted our history with violence, people of this country are warmhearted and they will always help you if you're in need. What I felt in the USA is that people are individualists who are living their life in the fast lane and their priorities are different than that of a Bosnian. They move a lot, it is harder to keep closer friends over the years, and they are striving more for ambition than connection.  Even the food is fast there, big portions but without specific flavour. In my country we like to enjoy our food. All the cevapi, sarma, pita, corbas, etc that we make are made with love and you can definitely feel the difference between eating in Bosnia and eating in the USA.  To sum it up, the food and fast lifestyle are probably the important differences that I will have to get used to. I will have to be more open-minded of what their priorities are and I will have to learn to keep up with their tempo.

Did your family support the relationship?

L: Yes. Both of our families are very supportive of our relationship.

K: My family supported us from the beginning. For Christmas 2016, Yangki came home with me to America to meet my family. He won my dad’s heart instantly and vice versa. His family is a different matter. From early on in our relationship, Yangki stated that he has never introduced a girlfriend to his family. Mostly because he never had a serious relationship lasting longer than 6 months. Also, he stated that he didn’t want his family too involved in his personal life. In Korea, you either have really close families who discuss everything together, or families who keep their personal lives private. Yangki stated early on, as well, that I wouldn’t meet his family until after we got engaged. So, I’m still waiting to meet them. He mentions though that he knows his family will like me. HOPEFULLY!

S: His family made me love him even more. The culture that they grew up in and continued to cherish is Latin American culture which is, I learned, similar to Bosnian culture in the way of being passionate and enjoying simple things such as the sound of a song or the taste of food.  It is all about family ties, so I have been welcomed since the first day, even before I became family.  From both of our sides, there has only been continuous support and they are embracing the idea of having a family of different cultures in one.  

What is your favorite thing about your partner’s culture?

L: There are many things that I love about Swedish culture. One is that people don’t always feel the need to outshine or outperform the next person. There’s a Swedish phrase “Lagom” which basically means “just the right amount”. That’s how Swedes live their lives. It’s nice because it takes away some of the social pressure to always have your best foot forward.

The second thing I love about Swedish culture is the responsibility that people take to create a sustainable society, from both social and environmental perspectives. Lastly, much like South Africa, Swedes are very social people who enjoy celebrating and spending time together. So everyday Swedish “fikas” (cake and tea breaks) are a definite favourite.

K: I love the history and the various customs that exist in Korean culture. Coming from America, we don’t have a strong rooted culture based around traditions. I like learning more about his culture and ask many questions about why things are done in certain ways. He’s always willing to educate me, but sometimes he doesn’t understand why I find it so interesting. He’s so used to the culture or the way things are done he forgets that I don’t know as much. My favorite part though is the formal way that people speak to others. They have certain form of language that they use in formal situations. It sounds polite and I like hearing it.

S: Probably the open-minded characteristic they have. There is a strict pride in my country that denies anything new and leans on tradition.  We live in a state of stagnation, however in the USA it's quite the opposite. It allows you the freedom of change, explorations and the possibility to improve yourself and move in any direction you want.

There is a joke around my friends that you should be more like an American in life, in a sense that you should not care so much about simple things such as the way you are dressed or be sensitive about your complexes.  To strive for more and not be afraid of anything new, to be adventurous in life. That is probably what appeals to me the most.

What would you say are the biggest hurdles, and benefits to dating someone from a different cultural background? 

L: I think one hurdle is that for every new situation that you encounter there’s always the possibility that your reactions will differ because of cultural differences, and sometimes those differences can cause conflict. In mine and Sebbe’s case we can always talk about it and figure it out. Another hurdle, is when it comes to making big decisions like if there’s a need to get married or not, or how you plan to raise children and things like that, then it’s important to put values first and find a common ground. Not so much importance is put on getting married in Sweden so a lot of people have life-long partners who they have children with, which is different in South Africa and what I’m used to.

For me the biggest benefit to dating someone from a different cultural background is that I always have the opportunity to see something from two perspectives instead of just one, and my communication skills have definitely leveled up because of the need to make sure that we understand each other and why we sometimes act or think the way that we do. I’ve also had the opportunity to learn from and adopt those traits of his culture that I love.

K: The biggest hurdles come in the form of different cultures. Sometimes, we forget that we both grew up differently in different countries. I love talking to my family, whereas he doesn’t talk to his very much. It bothers me that he doesn’t spend more time or talk to them more. Where I grew up family was big part of everyday life and we included them in many parts of our life. We sometimes get frustrated at small cultural things that someone says or does, but we try to remember that we are different. We both go out of our way to explain why we think or act the way we do in order to help each other understand more.

The benefit is learning more about the different culture. Our education, childhood, and daily lives were both similar and very different at the same time. We love finding similarities that we have from our past. Of course, I don’t agree with everything about his culture and he feels the same way about mine. Though, we both try to keep an open mind and realize that we love each other despite our differences; talking about it really helps. 

S: Hurdles would be the different life experiences you get from living the certain way you are used to, from the country you live in and the habits you nurture.  In this case, it is hard to swim faster in a sea of opportunities when you are used to floating. There is a special kind of resignation here (in Bosnia) due to the bad political status, so you are accepting life as it is. There is a completely different struggle we have to go through, so being able to work on yourself as an individual will be a new experience.  It takes specific energy and a lot of confidence to keep up with them, if you compare the set of circumstances I grew up in.  Also, fighting all the stereotypes that each culture has, and presenting yourself to his friends without them, is a hurdle too. 

All of this, however, arouses desire for a new life, a multicultural environment painted with different languages that we have to grasp onto... those things make these types of relationships rich and valuable.  There is a certain advantage to dating someone from a different background; you, as a person, become more aware of the world and humanity, you become fuller.  There is so much to learn, and you should welcome knowledge to be able to understand more about people and have a new insight in other people's lives. 

With tenacity and without judgment, beautiful connections can be made, and such is my journey with an American husband. 

Sanita and Alejandro 

Luyolo and Sebastian

Krystal and Yangki

Megan Ross: Creating Space for Women

Megan Ross is a South African writer.  She has just published her first book, Milk Fever, a book of poetry about unexpected motherhood.  I recently had the opportunity to interview her, to find out a bit more about the process of signing a book deal and getting published in South Africa.  She gave insightful and honest answers about her experiences as a writer, and the hard work and dedication that goes into producing a book.

On the process of signing a book deal, Ross got this impetus from responding to a call for submissions at Uhlanga Press; a South-African-run, independent poetry press.  She sought out the opinions of Nick Mulgrew; a colleague, writer, and editor who later brought her book to life.  Ross loves what Mulgrew is doing at Uhlanga, and says that it is a very exciting space, continuing with the new wave of young poets.  By combining excellent book cover designs and type setting with his own brand of perfectionism, which extends to editing, and design; debut poets are able to bring out books of a really high quality, which is something that he insists on.  Her submission was received in December 2016, and she had heard by February 2017 that they were interested in creating a book, and could go ahead with it.

Having worked in publishing for many years, and then having been on the other side; Ross spoke honestly about the nuances of publishing in South Africa.  It can be described as a dog show; clients don’t pay, people don’t buy books, writers don’t support other poets and writers.  One has to fight for distribution and to get books into bookstores; which would never be the case in places like the UK or USA.  There’s a lazy approach to buying African literature. Ross contended that it is a double-edged sword; although the administrative side of it can be frustrating, once you find your people in the African literary community it feels like you’ve come home.  Through the industry she has been able to make digital relations and meet incredible writers from all over the continent, especially from Nigeria and Kenya.  Through competitions like Short Story Day Africa and the Short Sharp Awards, she has made really close friends with Efemia Chela, Sibongile Fisher, and Rachel Zadok.  Ross says that you need to work out who your friends are in the industry, and who’s going to have your back, as those people become your everything.  It is also a very exciting time to be a coming of age writer in Africa, because there are incredible bridges being formed between continental Africans and Africans on the diaspora.  There are debut works coming across from both sides which are uniting writers and bringing across a very diverse body of work.  Ross says that there’s so much talent here which is an exciting thing, as well as so much enthusiasm and determination.  A lot of the writers are being recognised and being signed to international agents, which a couple of years ago was a very difficult thing to do, but they are breaking glass ceilings now.  Being on the other side of publishing as a sole author, Ross said that it’s always heartening to see how many readers there are in the country, contrary to the myth that South Africa doesn’t have a reading culture.

A bit on her brilliant launch week in the Western Cape: the first launch was held at the Book Lounge in Cape Town on the 14^th May 2018.  Having been to launches for her short fiction which has been published in anthologies, this was her first launch as a sole author and the nerves were sickening.  The venue was full, and overwhelmed by the support that people had come out for her, she said that it was a beautiful evening.  As the week progressed she had a reading at a SHAWCO Health event for third and fourth year medical students, in which Ross and the students spoke about Post-Partum Depression, and explored the institutional violence that the young health professionals had encountered.  It was enlightening for them to see these issues from the perspective of the patient.  She enjoyed the experience of connecting with young readers and writers, and was honoured that even though they were students they still bought copies of her book.  She finds talking at schools and universities the most rewarding, as she gets to learn and teach at the same time.  Her other events included a poetry reading at ZEITZ MOCAA with Francine Simon, which allowed for the intersection between poetry and visual art, and speaking at the Franschhoek Literary Festival with Joseph Woods, an incredible Irish writer and poet.  Her next leg of launches will take place in Gauteng, and the Eastern Cape.

Megan is represented by Pontas Agency and signed with them in February 2018.  This was a huge compliment and affirmation as they represent individuals for life, which advocates that they strongly believe in her work.  This means that she now has people on her team.  She can email her agent at any time for help or advice.  She likens this experience to that of running a marathon with people handing her water along the way, and waiting for her at the finish line.  What this means for the future is that her short fiction and novels can be passed on to USA, UK, and European editors; which as a young writer from a small town in South Africa, is an amazing foot in the door, and will help her to further establish herself as a writer.

At the moment she is currently working on a novel, which has been two to three years in the making, trying to narrow down the plot.  The most important thing for her is to get the setting, sense of place, and voice right before she begins.  Her agent recently gave her advice which has helped her to provide a definitive outline of the novel and to work out the first chapter.  She is also working on a collection of short stories, called Delicious Monsters.  She is always thinking of ideas for short stories and for more novels in between the ‘work’- work that brings in money. Ross enjoys to work on multiple things at the same time.

When asked about what the reception of her book has been, Ross said that she was still awaiting the first media reviews from a literary critic.  She said that poetry is slow in South Africa; in terms of reviewers taking a while to pick it up.  Poets are the bastard step-children of the literary world, she notes.  Poetry is also one of the hardest genres to be published in.  She was surprised that she went back to it after the birth of her son; it was the first genre that she wrote as a teenager, but she never took herself seriously in it.  She is used to writing short-fiction, which makes it rousing that poetry ended up being her first book published as the sole author.  In terms of friends and colleagues supporting her and buying the book, and creating interest in it, she says that that response has been great.  She is excited for some criticism, and for an honest review of the book from someone not invested in it.  From being on the authoring side of publishing, she is overwhelmed by the generosity that has occurred, and has had many women from all walks getting in touch with her, to say that they relate to her experience.  On a personal level she says that it has been very satisfying to connect with people.  She gave the example of a single woman, with a four year old daughter, who put up her hand during the Q&A of her launch and thanked her, which she said was beautiful and unnerving to have someone connect with her work like that.  Ross has said that her priority has always been making a space for other women; and that is what she aims to do with her work.  She said that a writer has the opportunity to make space and make it possible for women to externalise what is often meant to stay internal and hidden.

Her advice to those who wish to write is to create a body of work.  If you want to take yourself seriously as a writer, you need to understand that it requires so much sacrifice.  When she decided to write the body of work that became her book, it came at a great personal cost.  She stopped drinking and partying, she gave up Friday nights and Saturday mornings.  It took the balance out of her life, but because of it she was able to finish a book and almost finish two others.  Her boyfriend describes it as an “arse to chair job” as every spare moment she had was devoted to writing.  If you’re just interested in the ‘part’ or looking like a writer, you’re not working.  It’s an art form that takes discipline and structure.  She says that if you really want to write, you have to be reading; if you don’t make time for that, you won’t make time to write.  Read widely; authors you love, authors you hate, read outside your comfort zone, reread things, read for pleasure, read to understand how people do things in their work.  Every single step is a step towards the finished product.  She says that you have to understand that self-doubt is just part of the process, and not throw pity-parties for yourself.  Ross went on to say that most of her favourite authors are almost all women, and almost all mothers, as they are so good with their time and wholly devote any spare time that they have to perfecting their craft.

Megan Ross is a force to be reckoned with, and you will be seeing much more of her work in years to come.

The dates (at the time of writing) for her next book launches are set for:

NELM, Grahamstown – 16^th July 2018

Love Books, Melville, Johannesburg- 26^th July 2018

Follow her @megan_ross_ for more information regarding launches and her work.

Books of the Week

The first set of books that I would like to review and recommend are all written by strong and formidable women.  The three that I would like to recommend today are ones that I have read over the last year.  Please note that I do not get paid by anyone to promote these; these are just my honest thoughts, and (immodestly) my good deed for the day.

The first, and most recently published book was written by my friend, phenomenal woman and writer, Megan Ross; who just launched her first book of poetry, Milk Fever, in May of this year.  Her emotive writing explores the complexities of motherhood and the plight of an unplanned pregnancy and postpartum depression.  Ross takes her work to new heights, opening avenues and allowing for important conversations to take place, wherein people usually fear stigma.  It is evocative, raw, and original. Her honesty is refreshing, and her emotions are powerful.  I felt overwhelmed reading this book, knowing bits and pieces of her experiences, but seeing them completely stripped and bared for the reader.  It was seeing my friend in this new light, no pretenses and not knowing that she had all of this magic and flair inside of her head through the past three years of her story.  She has a beautiful knack for turning her words into something magical that gives the reader a punch of reality.  This book of poetry is a testament to all mothers about the expectations and sentiments that women are supposed to feel, and the societal implications that surround pregnancy and motherhood.  Knowing her, and knowing her son, made the process of reading this so much more special.  It is the perfect book to go back to, flag pages, sit and deconstruct the content and let it overtake you; I know it is one that will be on my nightstand for a very long time. 

The second book that I deeply recommend is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  I don’t have enough words to describe what this book did for me.  I was going through a patch, as I often do when I battle to read, longing for a book that I couldn’t put down.  For me, this was that book!  Adichie provides such a refreshing lens through which to see the world, and race, in a subtle way that really gets the reader thinking.  She looks at the constructs of race, as an African in America and as an African American.  In my opinion, she hits the nail on the head with her descriptions of individuals, especially WASPS, and how people dance around race.  The protagonist interestingly states that she never thought about being black until she moved to America from Nigeria, and seamlessly brings the stereotypes associated with race into the book, in a sardonic and almost comical way.   It also provides an inside perspective on the life of an undocumented immigrant in London and showcases the sides of immigration that aren’t disclosed in the media.   I think with the current dynamics in both England and America, it is a very important novel to read, and beneficial in showcasing that everyone has a story.  It is insightful and eye-opening, with writing that comes so naturally it’s impossible to put down.  For the days I was reading it, I was completely absorbed in Ifemelu and Obinze’s world and I couldn’t wait to go back. 

(For TED Talks by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie click here and here) 

The third book on my recommendations list is one that a friend gave to me to review for the magazine that she worked for at the time.  I loved her job for my sake, because I got quite a few free books out of it.  I was glad that she knew my tastes and chose it for me, because I probably wouldn’t have known about it without her.  The War on Women: And the Brave Ones Who Fight Back by Sue Lloyd-Roberts is an account of twelve different plights that women all over the world still face today.  It is written by a BBC and ITN video-journalist and television reporter, who had first-hand accounts during her travels to make documentaries on such issues.  In efforts to not ‘other’ third world countries and cultures, she also takes it home to England to describe the inequalities that women still face there in the present day.  Her momentum for writing the book came to her when addressing an audience in Trafalgar Square.  She states:

“Why is it, I asked myself, that women who make up 51 per cent of world’s population are still campaigning for fair and humane treatment in the twenty-first century, as if we are just another of the world’s persecuted minorities?”

These ‘wars’ range from female genital mutilation, to honour killings, to the abuse of UN peacekeepers in war-torn countries.  Certain strides have been made in some regards as one chapter describes the laws in Saudi Arabia stating that women cannot drive, and what the repercussions were for those who cannot afford drivers.  This law was put in motion to change in September 2017, and will be put into practice on June 24th; which is a great first step, amongst many that still need to happen (See link here).    Sue Lloyd-Roberts sadly passed away before the book was finished, and her daughter put it together and wrote the introduction.  It was a moving account too, in which she touched on her mom’s strengths and weaknesses and stated how Sue felt that she wasn’t a good mother because she was always away on work trips.  The stigmas that are attached to women who chose careers are still very indicative, and her daughter felt that her mom had never chosen work over her, and was proud of all that her mom had accomplished.  It was touching to read about the pride of her children in what their mom had achieved and unearthed.

Cape Town Initiative: Downward Dogs for Dogs

Michelle Banwell is the founder of the brilliant initiative, Downward Dogs for Dogs.  She hosts the frequent event that saves the lives of so many animals.  She has shared her story of how Downward Dogs for Dogs began, what goes into the process, and what the reception has been.

A bit about Michelle:

I’m Michelle.  I've lived in Cape Town all my life, and for a living I study brains and bend bodies - I'm working on a Master's in Neuroscience at UCT, and I teach yoga. I had practiced yoga for a number of years while studying, and after completing my Honours in Psychology and feeling the frantic 'what the hell can I do with a degree but no Master's in Psych in South Africa?' existential dread, I decided to take the plunge and enroll in a yoga teacher training programme with the Jim Harrington Yoga Union.  Other things to answer the terrifying question of who I am: I love animals (obviously) and am a vegetarian for that reason, I always have my nose in a book, try to avoid the sun at all costs, and practically mainline chocolate milk in order to function. 

On why she started Downward Dogs for Dogs:

I've been involved with animal rescue for quite some time, and although it's incredibly rewarding on a case-by-case basis, the need is overwhelming and often seems insurmountable.  Animal shelters are bursting at the seams with unwanted dogs and cats (and often other animals), many of whom need rehabilitation and medical treatment, and all of whom need good homes and deserve love. As fast as shelters treat and rehome one animal, another six come in. The burden of animal overpopulation and mistreatment doesn't only affect certain shelters - almost every shelter is constantly battling issues of finance and capacity. For me, once I'd been exposed to the sheer volume of animals needing help, it wasn't something I could ignore. I wanted to help, and furthermore, wanted others to help, and here was where Downward Dog for Dogs (DDFD) spawned. 

Between finishing school and studying, I was lucky enough to spend a year interning at SALT, a non-profit organisation focusing on education, nutrition, and empowering vulnerable women in the townships of Dunoon and Joe Slovo. Amongst all the lessons I learned while there, one of the most striking was that people want to help, but they often don't know how. There's a gap between the need and those who want to meet the need, and that gap is people being uncertain of the avenues they can use to get involved; people thinking they have nothing to offer; people thinking that because they can't afford to donate money, they can't assist; people not having the space in their busy lives to take time to volunteer; etc. One of the biggest challenges in non-profit/funding work is finding a way to bridge that gap, and it often involves encouraging people to use what they have at their disposal. DDFD seemed like a viable idea, because giving a yoga class is something I can do (I like to think halfway decently!), and it allows people to do something for themselves, while still helping to meet a need. The premise of DDFD is pretty simple: instead of paying for a yoga class, participants bring a donation to gain entry. This can be anything - dog or cat food, towels, blankets, toys, or a monetary donation. People of all levels of experience are welcome to join (no, you don't have to be able to touch your toes!), and spectators are also more than welcome. I know not everybody is into yoga, so for the non-yogis, there are still a couple of draw cards: with the help of incredible sponsors, I've been able to run raffles for awesome prizes at the events, which has greatly increased the amount of money handed over to the shelters (as the events are obviously non-profit and all revenue is handed over). However, the best part of DDFD is the dogs - puppies from the beneficiaries are always around for some cuddles, and at the most recent event, three puppies were adopted into their forever homes!  I'm lucky to work with an amazing animal rescue called Change for the Better Foundation (link here) - they do such incredible work on a daily basis, and being able to offer them a small amount of support through these events is truly a privilege. 

On what the reception has been & plans for the future:

What I'd love to see happening is the event becoming bigger and more regular, maybe even becoming a standing monthly/bi-monthly occurrence. I definitely feel like the support would be there in terms of attendees, but my biggest hurdles are finding venues that are big enough for +-60-70 yogis, that are also dog-friendly, and preferably have food/drinks available, or the option to bring in a food company to keep the non-yogis entertained - and this is even more difficult in winter, as outdoor venues are a bit daunting for me in case it rains; and finding sponsors for the raffles - as I said, I've had incredible support from companies, (some of whom have generously thrown prizes at me for every event, but I am wary of donor fatigue) but many companies can only sponsor one or two events, which is great, and I'm so appreciative of it! However, the raffle does generate a large proportion of cash for the shelters, and I'm very conscious of wanting to have a variety of prizes at each event to encourage people to buy raffle tickets. 

At every event, I'm reduced to tears and completely blown away by the support. Over the course of five events, over R23 500 and 460 kg of food has been raised for animal shelters. Although the need is so big, every little bit helps, and I'm so grateful for each and every donation and contribution that people have made - from loyal sponsors who repeatedly show their generosity in terms of prizes, to people who show up at the event, to the donations they make, and even people who can't attend, but share the event with their friends - these actions literally help to save the lives of animals. With every event, the crowd of yogis and spectators grow, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store.

To watch a video of Michelle and the story of her dog from City of Cape Town watch here.

Follow her Facebook page to find out when the next events are happening @ Michelle Jeanne Yoga or click here.

"The greatness of a nation, and its moral progress, can be judged by the way its animals are treated" - Mahatma Gandhi

The Importance of the Humble Mosquito: Ashley Burke Shares Her Research

Ashley Morgan Burke is a PhD candidate based in Johannesburg, South Africa.  She is affiliated with the Wits Research Institute of Malaria, and the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic & Parasitic Diseases.  Upon hearing about her research and the implications that it has, both nationally and globally, I have asked her to share a bit about it.

Ashley's Story:

I adore insects (mostly). I find their interactions with the natural world and each other completely fascinating. Insects are among some of the most prolific life forms on earth so it’s a no-brainer to me that they should be a thoroughly researched group. Despite the ubiquity of all the pretty, unusual, and popular insect study offerings, I have found myself studying the most unpopular insect- the dreaded mosquito.

After having completed my undergrad and honours degree at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, I decided to make the jump to the larger and more exciting city of Jozi to undertake my MSc degree in Health Science at Wits. This was a decision that catapulted my scientific education and career into motion. My masters work was centred around malaria vector surveillance in South Africa, which involved a lot of field work in Mpumalanga as this is one of our malaria-endemic regions. I was involved in monthly field trips to rural villages in Mpumalanga where we would collect wild mosquitoes from clay pot resting traps and return to the labs in Johannesburg to analyse them. Back at the lab, the wild mosquitoes were identified to species using molecular techniques and screened for the presence of the malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum). I was very unlucky with the timing of my masters work, as all of my fieldwork (just over a year’s worth) coincided perfectly with the worst drought South Africa has experienced in 100 years. So that left me with a tiny sample size and a bit of a sinking feeling of having been defeated by the natural elements.

Then my luck bounced back. While processing and screening some of my wild-caught specimens, I got an unusual result that showed that one of my specimens tested positive for the malaria parasite. It was unusual because this species of mosquito had never before been implicated in malaria transmission anywhere in the world. This was highly significant to both the mosquito-world and the public health system and we (my supervisor and other departmental seniors) were very excited about it. Incriminating a new secondary vector mosquito of malaria contributes to our greater understanding of how this disease persists at the residual level in South Africa all through the year, in spite of the control strategies that have been implemented in the affected regions. This discovery led to a first-author publication with my fellow student at the time, now Dr Leonard Dandalo, in a very high impact journal. I was ecstatic.

My masters work then drew to a close and I decided to upgrade my MSc to a PhD degree, which was assisted by the publication on the MSc work, and I am now working towards completing my PhD degree. My work is still largely based on malaria vector surveillance in South Africa, with an additional focus on the seasonal biology of malaria vector mosquitoes. I am still involved with a lot of fieldwork and running of experiments to monitor the effects of season on mosquito metabolic activity. This work will give us an idea of how or if mosquitoes change their behaviour at the onset of different seasons and whether we could target them at their vulnerable (winter) stage to reduce their population growth in the following summer season. As it stands, malaria transmission continues right through the year, albeit with a decline in winter, and we are trying to figure out how best to tailor our control strategies to match the changing behaviour of the vector mosquitoes.

Malaria is considered one of the world’s most devastating diseases and the carrier mosquito has caused more human deaths than any other animal on the planet. This places a huge amount of gravity to our work on the national and global scale. I am so grateful to be working with and under the supervision of some world-renowned researchers who pioneered understanding of the vector mosquito Anopheles and its interaction with the malaria parasite. This field of work has ever-increasing scientific interest and it is time for the rest of world to appreciate the overwhelming importance of the humble mosquito.

  

Some key malaria facts from the World Health Organisation Malaria Report 2017:

http://www.who.int/malaria/media/world-malaria-report-2017/en/