looking out the window on my ride into the cape town airport and seeing the extent of informal settlements, i thought again about the hopes for 2010 and the staggering reality of the level of need. i also began to think about the last day i spent with the other pKers in guguletu and khayelitsha. loyiso brought us to the cemeteries and as we took in the vast size he commented quite simply "people are dying of AIDS." it was the physical representation of such an overwhelming crisis. and an image that will stay with me. but that image will also be contrasted by the hope that the women of MonkeyBiz, many of whom are HIV positive, emanated with their tireless creativity and collective determintaion. these 450 women have begun the process of change in their community, and though the problems are overwhelming the accumulation of small progressive steps can potentially have a powerful effect. we hope the building of the eKhaya eKasi center will be one of these steps as a further catalyst for economic empowerment and community wellness. the time spent in khayelitsha has and will continue to strengthen pK's commitment to helping the process forward to the best of our known and expanded abilities as designers and community advocates.
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