Recently my first-grader came home with a new book from the media center at school. He excitedly presented me with his selection, a book about South Africa. Knowing my love for South Africa and my work with Beaded Hope, he was excited to sit down and read this book together. Little did we know that reading this book would result in a life lesson for all of us.

So, one night we read the entire book on South Africa in one sitting and, by the time we were done, I was absolutely and completely appalled.

For starters, the book explained that about 300 years ago people from “the country of Europe” began arriving in South Africa. What? Seriously? The COUNTRY of Europe? How did this mistake get written let alone pass through the editing process?

Then there were the political inaccuracies of the book. Nelson Mandela, according to this book, was a man who was jailed for 26 years because he spoke out against the government. Again I say, seriously? I spent a great deal of time, after reading this page, explaining to my children that Nelson Mandela was a man who fought for the equality of the people of South Africa, that he was willing to go to jail for his belief that all men (and women) should be treated equally, and that he was a great and brave man.

The book also contained more subtle inaccuracies such as the description of pap as being a common and much-loved food in South Africa. This is inaccurate on so many levels. For starters, pap is starch, much like porridge or grits, that was a staple for native South Africans. Typically, pap was served with salt on it. If you were lucky, it might be served with a bit of gravy. And if you were really lucky it would be served with a meat stew. So, while it’s true that pap was a common food in South Africa, it’s more accurate to describe it as a food of necessity rather than something that was much-loved.

If I had read this book to my children 3 or 4 years ago I would have believed the inaccuracies (okay, except the “country” thing, that just irks me). But now, having been to South Africa multiple times, befriending the people and listening to their life stories, I have a better, more complete understanding of the true history of the country.

Thanks to my first-grader, my life lesson from this experience is that, even though book learning is important, life experience is essential.

Twice a year the Sarah Center holds an event where women in the inner city can showcase their handcrafted work and make it available for purchase.  It’s an amazing event not to be missed and a great place to pick up a gift for Mother’s Day!

Beaded Hope is excited, once again, to participate in the Sarah Center’s Annual Spring Jewelry Show. Here are the details:

Sarah Center’s Annual Spring Jewelry Show
Thursday, April 23th through Sunday, April 26th
9:00 to 5:00 daily
11:00 to 3:00 Sunday
1618 Vine Street, Downtown Cincinnati (map)

The Sarah Center offering enrichment programs, like jewelry-making, quilting, sewing, social time and outings outside in the inner-city community of Over-the-Rhine. Learn more about the Sarah Center here

Traditional cooked porridge, which is made from finely ground maize meal, is called “Mealie Meal” in South Africa.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp pap (Maize Meal)
¬Ω tsp Salt
¼ cup cold Water
2 ¬Ω to 3 cups cold Water
Brown sugar, butter & milk – to serve

Blend the maize meal, salt & ¼ cup water together to form a smooth paste. Meanwhile, bring 2 ½ to 3 cups (depending on the size of your pot) of cold water to the boil. Once boiling, add the paste to it and stir to prevent lumps forming. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer (stirring occasionally) for about 12 to 15 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with brown sugar, a few small knobs of butter and a splash of cold milk.

recipe courtesy of: Lynda at http://foodfunfarm.blogspot.com/

Krummelpap means simply “crumbly” pap in South Africa.

Ingredients:

750 ml (3 cups) water
10 ml (2 tsp) salt
600 g (4 cups) pap

Poor the water in a pot (potjie). Then pour in the pap to form a cone like pile in the center of the potjie. Do not stir the pot yet, but reduce the heat and add some salt, put the lid on potjie and let pap simmer for about five minutes, until a skin forms.

Once a skin has formed, stir the pap with a fork until it is fine and crumbly. Cover the poitjie again and let pap simmer for about another 45mins.

Variation: For a little variety, add a can of drained sweet corn at the last minute of cooking.

Serve with gravy, stew or a bit of chicken.

recipe courtesy of: http://www.chirundu.com/

Pap is an Afrikaans word that simply means ‘porridge’ or ‘gruel’ and it’s a word that’s entered most sub-Saharan African languages. Many traditional Southern African dishes include pap.

Ingredients:

300g pap (maize meal or polenta)
300ml water

Bring the water to a boil and add the pap until a stiff mixture is attained. Leave to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes to prevent burning. Serve with a stew or a sauce.

recipe courtesy of: www.celtnet.org.uk