The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 24, 1993 - Page Bi

The Terrace Standard offers
What's Up as a pubilc service to
Its readers and ‘community
organizations.

This column Is Intended for
non-profit organizations. and
those events for which there is
no admission charge.

‘Items will run two weeks
before each event,

We ask. that Items be submlt-
ted by noon on the FRIDAY
before the issue in which it is to
appear. .

For other contributed articles,
the deadline is 5 p.m. on the
THURSDAY before the Issue
comes out.

Submissions shovld be typed
or printed neatly.

ap k&B6
FEBRUARY 23, 1993 -
Alzheimers and Dementia support
groups will be held at the Mental
Health Centre at 1:00 pm call 638-
3325, 1p45

asece
MARCH 2, 1993 - Terrace
Breastfeeding support group is
having a monthly meeting, discus-
sion topic is breastfeeding and
aids, meeting takes place in the
Education Room at Mills Memo-
rial Hospital at 8:00pm. 1p45

ee eee

MARCH 2-5, 1993 - The Instant
Science Centre from Science
World will be at the Terrace Public
Library, during library regular
hours. 2p44
+e enk
MARCH §, 1993 - Womens
Interchurch council of canada is
having a World Day of Prayer at
the Terrace Alliance Church at
7,00 pm. ; 2p45
. ee ee
MARCH 6, 1993 - The Terrace
Science Fair feature displays &
Contests through the day. Children
may sign up for contests in the
morning. This takes place in the
Caledonia school sym. 2p44

MARCH. vb, 1993 - Cronlic
Fatigue support group is having a
combined meeting for those with
fibromyalgia, ‘this is held at the
Happy Gang Centre at
5:00pm... . . Spas

Terr

OCTOBER. 23, 1993 + The
BCOAPO Branch 73 is having an
“Annual Tea and Bazaar featuring
year-round practical gifts and
baked.‘ goods. It’ is held at the
Happy Gang Centre, 3226 Kalum
Street, at 1:30 pm. tin
ee oe
._| CRISIS LINE is open 24 hours a
‘| day. for anyone in crisis. Call 635-
4042. 4 tfa
aeeee
FAMILY DAYCARE Days at the
Terrace Public Library, Thursdays
at'10:30 am, January 28, Febrary
25, and March. 25, Caregivers are
welcome to bring children of all
ages for a special storytime. Please
Jet us know if you plan to attend as
a. minimum registration is needed
to’ go ahead with this program.
There is no charge. Te. 638-8177.
aaen
“TALES FOR OS"? at the
Terrace Public Library begins
Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 10:30 am
and will run for six weeks. This is
a half-hour storytime with picture
‘books, puppets ‘and fingerplays
especially. for two year olds. Chil-
dren must be accompanied by an
adult, Please register in advance.
‘There is rio charge. To register call
the library, tel, 638-8177,
ee
TERRACE VOLUNTEER
BUREAU for Volunteer Opportu-
nitic} to suit your needs & time
available. Contact Lovina Tyler at
638-1330, Mon-Fri, 8:30 - 4:30.
eee
EVERY WEDNESDAY from 8-
8:00 pm. Terrace Narcotics Anon-
yudus : “Steps ta Recovery” meets
at the Skeena Health. Unit audito-
rlam,. ue

EVERY: WEDNESDAY - Terrace
Ladies Kermodei Lions Club
meets at-the Inn of the West. For
times: “and more info contact Doro-
thy. Barlsoff. at 638-8183,

ane. or ee
EVERY “THURSDAY at 7:30pm
Overeaters Anonymous at Wom-
‘Len’s Resource Centre. Call 635-
6446,

neers

-EVERY MONDAY Terrace Co-
Dependants Anonymous meets
from 8-9 pu. Call Karen 638-
0707,

. ens ‘ *

EVERY 3RD MONDAY of each
month the Arthritis Society has a
drop-in for information at Happy
ous Centre: 3226 Kalum 1:30-

The: “**CHILD HEALTH
CLINICS'’ need ‘your .volunteer
setvices. Dutles include weighing
& ‘menpuring children, No lifling
necessity. Clinics are Tuesdays
from 9/30'a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and
from 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Thurs-
‘days 2:30 p.m. - 4:00-p.m. For
cathe re Abformation call Catherine “a

CROSSROADER’S DIARY

Ethel lives for tomorr

By KIRSTEN MURPHY
NDER <A_ marble
blue sky, 26-year-old
Ettel Mpofu sits in
the shade of her two-

room hut.

While she gently weaves green
thread into starched orange fab-
ric, asticky breeze teases the hem
of her dress.

‘‘Aiya, it’s too hot,’ she says,
putting her work down and giving
her brow a backhanded -wipe.
“The rains must come soon.”?

The call for rain is a nalional
cry — one that has reached the

lips of newscastérs throughout the

world.

Unlike the media images
beamed into living rooms, how~
ever, Ethel- Mpofu’s problems
will not vanish with the changing
of a channel.

I remember: meeting Ethel the
afternoon I arrived at
Tshelanyemba, At the time she
was working as Dr. Friedli’s
house girl and I was immediately
put at ease by her playful grin and
fluent English. ,

Two weeks later, I developed

chicken pox and Ethel was one of

the few people who dared. visit
the spotted Canadian, Needless to
say, when she developed the
same affliction two weeks later, I
went to her homestead, offering
my condolences and apologies.
Like the deep-rooted trees of
the area, Ethel has spent all her
life. in one location:
Tshelanyemba.

Tshelanyemba is a community. .

of traditional subsistance farmers
— mainly women -- who live-in

random clusters of mud ‘huts ad- ”

jacent to hard dusty fields,

Due to the infertile nature of the
soil and low aniual rainfall, farm-
ing is difficult and most men go
to Botswana or South Africa to
work,

‘¢When they’ come homie it’s
often just for a couple weeks ance
a year, * she says, pausing to ad-
mire her work,

Besides staff housing at the
hospital, rural homesteads do not
have running water, indoor
plumbing or electricity,

“Of course it’s cheaper living
out. here (compared to the city),
but it’s not very fun,’’ she says.

When Ethel was seven months
old, her mother decided she could
no longer care for the child and
deposited the baby in the arms of
the Gogo (grandmother).

**There was no money and she
probably felt she couldn’t cope,”’
Ethel says of her mother.

A couple years later, for similar
reasons, Ethel was joined by a
younger brother. Despite growing
up amongst an extended family of
aunts, uncles, cousins. and
brothers, she admits: ‘I always
wished by mother was around,”’

And her father? ‘“T’ve never
met him,’’ she says.

. Wiggling her weight between
either hip, Ethel lcans against the.
hut and sighs. ‘‘Sure it has been a

tough life, but not too tough. Just |;

nat very smooth.”’

While growing up, meals were.

Strictrations of sadza and vegela-
bles. Meat was sometimes served
but usually saved for guests or
special occasions. When their
meagre portions ran oul, she and
her family simply did without.

She recalls rising with the sun
to fetch water and ploughing in
the fields before walking to
school. She did this every day un-
til the age of 18, when she could
no longer attend.

Ethel became pregnant with her
first child, Nomagugu (meaning
precious) in 1984, four years after
Zimbabwe gained independence.

Although Ethel may
regard her past with bitter
humour, it is a future of
second chances that gives
her hope.

“IT knew about . planned
parenthood and was on the pill at
the time, but the tablets (pills)
were no longer available,”’ she
says, her volce trailing off.

_ During the time Ethel became
pregnant, political dissidents from
the War of Independence were
suspected of hiding in the nearby
Matobos Park, Transport through
the park to Tshkelanyemba was
curtailed and supplics, such as

pharmaceuticals, came to’a starid-

still. ceo, .
'“T wanted to’be-a mother,’’ she
says, rethreading her needle.
“But I loved school and was very
sad when [ had to leave,” _

_ The father of Nomagugu

promised to marry Ethel and sup-—
port the child, but his promises.

failed to materialize. ‘‘Of course I
was very dissappointed,”? she
says, waving off fies.

Following the birth three years
later of ber second child,
Buthokuhle, Ethel found herself
in a similar situation with a dif-
ferent man.

With two yong children, no job

Cont'd Page B4

EXPLORING: Beaver
skulls and animal furs
Were among the find-
ings for children at
Parkside Elementary
School last Friday. They
went on a voyage of
discovery when 30
‘Discovery Boxes’ ar-
rived fram: Science
Word filled == with
wonders. The boxes are
a lead-up to.the Science
Fair that begins next
week,

Kirsten Murphy is a 24-year-old Northwest Community College stu-
dent working in Zimbabwe with Canadian Crossroads International.
TSHELANYEMBA, ZIMBABWE _

VOLUNTEERS

Bureau sign ups

‘A BETTER FUTURE may be in store for 26-year-old Zimbabwe woman Ethel Mpotu, ¥ who i is now
able to go back to high scheol for a new beginnng.

keep on climbing

The Terrace Voluntcer Bureau
has hardly had time to celebrate
its 100th volunteer before that
figure started to be left behind.

Co-ordinator Lovina Tyler said
there are now 120 people on its
books...and there’s no slowing in
the stream coming forward to of-

_ fer their services,

That’s just as well because the

- - Bureau will soon face its biggest
_ challenge, finding enough people
to help out.at this year’s Pacific -

Northwest Music Festival.
“We need 100 volunteers,”
Tyler . explained, - emphasizing

they wouldn’t be expected to
work every day of the festival's

two week span.

work during the day, there was

room for help at the event’s eves .

ning sessions.
Jobs volunteers will be asked to

do included acting as-an ushét for _
‘scribed as vital to its continued
and handling registration of the -

both participants. and. spectators

young artists. .

Although the festival : doesn't:

get under way until March 22,

Tyler sald the bureau. wants to.
sign up volunteers as quickly as

possible,
“They. cai: phone us: gh
now,’”? she added.

And if no-one’s. in ‘the. otic ice -
when they call,” the: answering.‘
machine will cnsure:the message:

gets through to Tyler or assistant
Mary Alice Neilly.

All yolunicers are interviewed
in an effort to match the person
up with the type of work they'd |
like to do.

Although those usually take
place during normal office hours,
Tyler stressed special arrange-
ments can be made to interview
and register people at a time con-
venient to potential volunteer.

The. typical volunteer? There

-isn’t one.

Tyler said they: range in: age
from 75 to 14 years of age and 35
per cent are men, twice the aver-
age of other such bureaus ACTOSS

the province.
“Even half a day will do,”’ she - -
pointed out. And for those who:

Co-incidentally, : the “bureau's

_ 100th volunteer was a male,

Brian Penman.
“He ‘is one of i4 volunteers the

Bureau has supplicd to the Deep”

Creek”. hatchery, . help facility
manager Jorma Jyrkkanen de-

operation, :
The hatchery is one 2 of 34 agen:

: cles which are on the Bureau's
~ books, Social Services: ‘ministry's

Emergency Services ‘program.

being the latest addition.:

With the varicty of work those.

“ groups offer, it shouldn’t be hard.
- for those wishing to get involved.
to find something to suit them.” ”

To find ont just what is avail-.—

7 able, call the: Bureau: at 638-1330,"