Katherine's reflections and advice

I struggled to figure out what to write for this last post. While I don’t think I’ve skipped out on anything important in any of my posts, I wanted this one to really mean something. Therefore, I have a few things I want to cover in this post. First, as I am leaving, I want to take time out to thank everyone that’s made this semester as great as it’s been. To my professors Marita, Vernon and Vincent, I want to say thank you because without them this program wouldn’t be possible. They have provided so much valuable knowledge and guidance throughout my time here. Next to my internship co-coordinator Stan for not only allowing me to work with him, but also for going above and beyond the role of a boss. I would also like to thank Ben and Jess for being the best RA’s I’ve ever had and Ben for his notable story telling abilities. Finally, I’d like to thank all of my roommates for making this trip as memorable as it was. This would not have been as great had any of you not been there to experience this with me.

I also want to take time out to speak to any readers considering this program..DO IT!!! This was perhaps the best decision of my life to partake in this study abroad program. While studying abroad in general is great, I think this program is truly the best one offered at Uconn. This program is filled with amazing people (see above) that help to enhance your understanding of your environment politically, geographically, historically, culturally, and any other which way you could think of. Additionally, this is the only program at Uconn that provides you with an internship. This is not only a great way to build your resume, but for three months you really get to become one of the locals, and as a result get to see the city from a perspective you otherwise would miss out on. And finally, for those people that are looking to study abroad in Europe so they can travel to many different countries, although it would be more difficult to do in Cape Town, there is so much to do in South Africa that you don’t really have time to consider other countries.

Finally, in this last part of my last blog, I want to share a bit of advice for future Cape Town study abroad students. First, don’t leave things to the last minute! Cape Town has sooo much to offer and you’re going to want to do it all, so my advice is to do it early while you still have time and money. Secondly, don’t say no to anything (aside from the dangerous of course!). One of the great things about South Africa is that it’s sooo different from the United States. Embrace it! You may discover some things that you love that otherwise you would have never experienced. And even if you don’t like it, at least you can say you’ve tried it. Finally, don’t expect to change the world. This experience is as much about you growing and learning as it is you helping others. Come in with an open mind and open heart and you’ll certainly have the time of your life!!

Katherine on relationships--here and there

As our time here in Cape Town dwindles down, I find myself thinking more and more about the many different friendships I have. One of the biggest things I’ve learned since being here is just how much I appreciate my best friend back home. Whenever I’m abroad, I have a terrible habit of not keeping in touch with people back home. However, since meeting my best friend freshman year of college, this is the first time I have been abroad. Never have I made such an effort to keep someone so included and up-to-date on what is going on with my life. Partially I think this has to do with the fact that a lot of what I’m dealing with here she takes great interest in back home. She very much advocates for women’s rights, and before Cape Town that was a topic she and I could never agree on. I always saw feminism as a group of annoying women that always have a bone to pick. But being here I’ve learned that there is much more to feminism that holding grudges against the oppressor. And now I think that my relationship with my best friend is going to be that much stronger now that we have another common ground on which to agree. Additionally, there were times during this semester that I found myself getting frustrated with the people around me, or just unable to share certain feelings I was having with my housemates. I couldn’t wait to get onto Skype and talk them out with my best friend. It was times like these that I really appreciated the bond we have and the fact that despite us being half way around the world from one another, we could still connect with what each other was going through. If I take nothing else away from this trip, it’s that I realize how grateful and lucky I am to have a friend like her waiting for me back home.

In contrast to that, I also find myself worrying about how some of my relationships with people back home will be once I return. While this program was only three months long, it has certainly changed me in a drastic way. And I worry that although I’ve changed, I know that people back home haven’t. I don’t know what kind of toll that will take on my relationships with certain people. It’s hard to connect to someone when I no longer want to engage in the things that used to bond us together. Yet at the same time no one ever wants to say goodbye to an old friend. While I can’t say for sure how my relationships with certain people will change once I get back home, just by the fact that I’m already thinking about it is an uneasy feeling for me.

On the flip side, I’m also sad to leave behind the people I have met here on this trip. I’ve made some great relationships with people here, and it’s an unsettling feeling knowing that in a week’s time I will be leaving and don’t know if I’ll ever see them again. For instance, by internship coordinator, Stan, has become what I’ve termed as my “South African father.” He has certainly gone above and beyond his role as my boss, and he is someone that I will miss dearly. And I don’t even want to venture into thinking about life without Ben.

I also think that one of the saddest parts of this experience ending will be waking up back in the States and not being surrounded by 15 other people. Living in a house with so many people certainly made me nervous when I first started this trip. Now, living without them makes me nervous. The times we’ve shared here in this house are some of my fondest memories, and I couldn’t imagine spending them with anyone else. I know that we will all remain close back at Uconn, but it’s sad knowing that this living arrangement will never occur again.

Overall, this trip has made me come to realize just how important my relationships with other people are. I’m grateful for every single friendship I’ve made here, as well as this programs ability to strengthen my relationship with people thousands of miles away from me back home. 

Katherine introducing her family to Cape Town

These past few days I’ve been lucky enough to have my sister come visit. It was great to see her, and it made being away from home a bit easier. One of the reasons I was most grateful to have her come was that I was finally able to merge part of my life back home with my life here in South Africa. Being here and working at my internship, participating on my activist project and just learning about the many different aspects of South Africa always gets me so excited. And now, I finally had a chance to get to introduce my family to all the things that excited me about being here, and get them excited about it as well.

Having my family here was also great because it reaffirmed just how much I’ve learned since arriving here. Being able to show them some of my favorite parts of Cape Town, or introduce them so some local things that otherwise they may not have experienced was a great feeling. It was also nice to pass on some of the knowledge I learned. I was able to teach them about South Africa’s history and about their current politics, which I think is so important. I only wish they had more time to spend here so that they could get to know South Africa just as I have.

Katherine-- a great excursion but happy to be back "home"

Clockwise--Susie, Siobhan, Teddy, Sharielle, Brenna, Ashley, Katherine

First night in Jo'burg at Homebaze: African Cuisine

This past week was perhaps the best spring weekend I’ve ever had. Exploring Johannesburg and Kruger was so much fun! Johannesburg was really interesting because we were able to see so many historical places and visit a number of museums, all of which taught me a lot. Visiting the actual sites of the Sharpeville Massacre, the Soweto riots, and the house of Nelson Mandela helped to put South Africa’s history into a more realistic and personal context. Even though these events had happened some years ago, you could still feel the atmosphere. One of my favorite parts of being in Johannesburg was visiting the Apartheid Museum. Right from the start, they divide people into whites and non-whites, and entrance is based on what your admission ticket classifies you as. Doing so helps to set the scene for what people are to experience in the museum. Inside the museum, there is sooo much information. The museum does an excellent job of creating exhibits that display information in a way that is sequential and interesting, so it made it easy to follow and understand everything going on. I especially enjoyed seeing the wall of Mandela quotes. Each one was so inspiring that it was hard to choose a favorite. The worst part of visiting the museum was not having enough time to further explore every exhibit.

The trip to Kruger following Johannesburg was equally as amazing. Unlike Johannesburg, the weather there was sunny and hot, so it was a nice change. Looking back, exploring the park seemed so surreal. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking from every angle. Seeing the beautiful South African sunset each night followed by the clear starry skies at night was so peaceful. It was an environment I had never before experienced in my life. Seeing the animals was a whole other level. There’s nothing like ending your night with a heard of elephants followed by seeing a jaime of giraffes and a lion walking beside you first thing in the morning. The bush walk will definitely go down as one of my all time favorite memories. I had expected to be taken to a trail that we would walk along, but instead, the guides pulled to the side of the road and we simply walked into the tall grass. What I found most interesting about the walk was the different angles and perspectives of the park compared to the two drives we had done. You get to see the park in a whole new level. At one point, we had stopped on top of a rock and you could see the park beyond the horizon in every direction; it was so serene and peaceful. I could not have asked for a better way to spend my spring break.

While our excursion was an amazing week, it definitely made me miss Cape Town. Being away for seven days, I realized just how much Cape Town has become my home. Perhaps it was the constant downpour in Johannesburg, but I really came to appreciate where I live. I missed seeing Ben and going to my internship. I missed going by the commons everyday, and I missed the friendly people of Cape Town. I even missed hearing the sound of the mini bus taxis shouting out at people. While we were away, I kept thinking about all the fun things we have done since arriving in January, and I realized just how hard it will be to have to say goodbye at the end of April. This trip is something that I will forever hold near and dear to my heart, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of having the opportunity to participate in it.

Katherine's growing awareness and appreciation

Katherine's new perspective on the world

This study abroad program is very much human rights oriented. And while that was one of the many reasons I was drawn to this program, as a business major I was afraid I was going to feel out of place on this trip. Unlike many other people participating in this program, because of my major I haven’t taken very many courses on human rights or social justice. In fact, prior to this semester, the extent of courses I’ve taken related to human rights consisted of one woman’s studies course. So when I came into this program, I was afraid I wasn’t going to have much to contribute on the subject. But like we’ve discussed many times throughout the semester, a big part of this program is not about what you can contribute or do to change my surroundings, but rather it’s about learning from my surroundings and experiencing change for myself. And I’ve come to realize that that is exactly what is happening.

Being here in South Africa I’ve come to learn a lot; much more in this one semester than my previous semesters at Uconn. And I think the one greatest thing I’ve gotten out of this trip is a newfound sense of awareness and appreciation. I’ve learned so much about issues surrounding human rights and social justice while being here. And while a good portion of what I am learning comes from the classes I’m taking this semester, so much more of it has come from other outside sources. Just interacting with locals and hearing their stories, their points of view, the issues they are facing, how they live their day-to-day lives, I am constantly soaking up new knowledge. I can see how this has shifted the attitude and perspective on just about everything from the attitudes and perspectives I came here with. Seeing something as simple as Facebook statuses that friends post that while I would have come to find them funny back in January, I now find them disturbing and inconsiderate of others. I see the lack of awareness in other people back home through their points of view, and I am thankful because I know that those are points of views that I had before I left. And had I not done this study abroad program, I would probably still carry those points of view.

One of the greatest things this program will provide for me is a newfound sense of appreciation. I’ve learned to see things through a different perspective because I’ve seen the inequalities faced by many people here that I don’t usually see when I’m home. And as Marita likes to point out, we must first learn to acknowledge our privileges in order to see the true injustice people face. I’ve certainly come to realize the privileges I receive on a day-to-day basis, and as a result, I’ve learned to become more appreciative of the things I have. I know that not everyone is given the opportunities that I am given, and it’s important that I take full opportunity of them. Going into the schools in Mitchell’s Plain, I see how children there are put at a disadvantage to learn. Knowing that I have access to such great educational facilities while most of the world doesn’t, I must take full advantage of that. Taking advantage of opportunities such as this study abroad program allows me to become more aware and in turn a better person. I just hope that I can bring these revelations back home and inspire those around me.

Katherine's experiential understanding of human rights

This past weekend was spent at a human rights conference on an olive farm. While I went into the weekend expecting it to be long and repetitive, it was anything but. Through the different exercises and discussions, I managed to learn a lot. There were three things about this weekend that stuck out most for me. The first was a simple, two minute exercise on point of view. Two people had their backs against each other, facing opposite directions. A white board was standing in front of one of the people. When asked where the white board was in relation to their position, one person said it was in front of them, while the other person said it was in back of them. Neither person was wrong in this case, despite the fact that they had different answers. This exercise was important because it emphasized the fact that sometimes there is no best answer. People can have different answers to the same question without either of them having to be wrong. I think that is a concept that a lot of people struggle with. Oftentimes we want a simple black and white answer. But that can’t always be granted. What’s right to one person may not be right for another. It all depends on your point of view and the situation in which you are coming from, and I think that that activity was a great demonstration of that.

 Katherine (far left) and friends

The next aspect of this weekend that stuck out to me was the planet exercise. In this exercise, groups were divided into different countries. A scenario was placed in which Earth was no longer inhabitable but a newly discovered planet was. One country had already landed on that new planet and began to live there. Three other countries had followed after the first country; however they landed on the wrong, uninhabitable, side of the planet and wished to be granted the right to join the first country. A final country was still on planet Earth, waiting to be told whether or not they could come join the first country on the habitable part of the new planet. Each group had to decide what rights they wanted to establish for their country, as well as what rights the other countries would have if they were to all merge together. What I found most interesting was when the first country presented their stance; they decided they wanted everyone to unite to create one new, unified country on the new planet. However, they also decided that while they wanted everyone to be unified, they did not want to grant the right to vote to any people other than those of their original country. This to me was a clear example of why things are so complicated in real life. While most people would advocate for human equality, the natural tendency for people to put their own best interests first often can get in the way of things. By taking away the right to vote, the first country had placed themselves above the others. It showed a lack of trust for the rest of the countries, as well as a fear of not having total control over the situation. I think that this showed a great parallel to the issues surrounding Apartheid, and for me it helped to make clear the thought process behind human actions. It made me realize why change can be so slow, and how the lack of one right can hinder the ability to practice other rights.

The final aspect of this weekend that I enjoyed was meeting people from different countries. While we didn’t have a great amount of time to get to know everyone on a personal basis, getting a chance to speak to people from different countries was a great experience. Hearing their viewpoints during discussions as well as why they have those different viewpoints opened up my mind to different interpretations of what is considered acceptable to people of different cultures and countries. I think that just being able to speak with people of different backgrounds added that much more understanding to the issues surrounding human rights.

Katherine finding her niche

After being in Cape Town for over a month, it’s interesting to see how much we’ve all acclimated to our new surroundings. When I take a step back and look at all we’ve done so far, both on a group and an individual level, I can see a big difference from when we first arrived in January. Now that everyone has internships and is on there way to beginning their activist projects, we’ve begun to take on responsibilities in this town. Everyone has some sort of project that they are working on, and sometimes it even runs past our set internship hours. We’ve also learned to make our way to other places through public transport, which is something that at least I know I was very nervous about having to do. Many of us have also had the opportunity to befriend locals and have them show us what Cape Town has to offer. It makes me really excited to see everyone finding their own niche in this town, and it makes me look forward to the upcoming events of the next two months. 

Katherine on schools in the townships

Today, as part of my internship, I got to visit a few schools in the Mitchells Plain district. Unlike the schools I’ve visited up until this point (which have cleaner facilities and a more dedicated body of students), the schools in this district were definitely lacking in every aspect possible. For most schools, the story was the same: the parking lot of the school, in which all the faculty and staff parked, was comprised of approximately twenty car spaces.  Most of the time, there were empty spaces in these lots. It was a shock to me to see just how understaffed these schools really are. In one instance, the 9^th grade class consisted of ten classes with 50 learners in each class. However, with absentee rates, there are approximately 40 learners on any given day. On top of the high absent rates, many students were walking into these schools an hour, an hour and a half late. When we got to talking with one of the vice presidents at one of the high schools we visited, he began telling us that their most recent principal had just been fired, and they were in the process of searching for another. However, when he was telling us about the candidates, he mentioned the fact that there’s a lot of corruption involved in who gets chosen, and that he doesn’t make enough money to try to extend his role. These comments absolutely shocked me. A teacher’s primary focus should be on their students, not their paycheck. It made me wonder how these children can even have a chance at success in school. For the most part, these students come from households in the townships, where their home environment alone is enough to deter them from wanting to go to school. On top of that, these students have to come to these schools were negative attitudes of the staff can be easily rubbed off on them. It made me really sad for these children. Sad because I know that there are facilities such as Christel House where students are almost guaranteed a college education. And yet, because of the role money plays in our lives, we can’t afford to give those amenities to all children. Therefore, these students may never come to know their full potential, and that is the worst shame of all.

Katherine's focus on the positive

Cape Town Study AbroadCoordinator & Capetonian Extraordinaire,Vernon Rose with Katherine on Signal Hill

These past few days we were given the opportunity to visit each others’ internship sites. On our way to the last internship site, we stopped off for lunch. While we were waiting for our food, the woman working at the counter started asking us questions about where we were from. As we got to talking, she told us that she would love to come back to American with us. One of the girls in our group replied by saying she would gladly switch places with her and live in South Africa. As this conversation was going on, I couldn’t help but think about how amazing it would be to live in this city, as well as why on earth anyone would want to leave this place. But then I thought to myself “Am I saying this because I’m a white middle class American here for a short period of time?” I mean while three months may seem like a long time to stay in a country, it’s no measure to actually living there. The sad reality is that as beautiful as this country is, there is still so many issues facing this country- this city. After hearing about the issues of social, economical, political, as well as sexual injustice mentioned at the internship sites, you begin to realize just how much depth there is to this city beyond mountain ranges. However, I did observe another aspect of Cape Town through the various internship sites; as much as the people of this country are facing poverty and crime and injustice, they all still seem to focus on the lighter aspects of life. There wasn’t a single internship that we visited where people didn’t mention the beneficial impacts that have occurred in Cape Town. And I hope that that is something that I can take out of this experience- having such a positive attitude on life, focusing on the good rather than dwelling on the bad. And I hope that as I work at my internship, I, too can be a part of that difference that keeps people of this town focused on the positive.

Katherine: hardest part waiting to leave

Getting accepted to go to Cape Town was certainly the highlight of my semester. I’ve heard so many great things about this program, and was told that it will be a life changing experience. I’m certainly a bit nervous to be going so far away from home for so long, but I’m more excited than anything else. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone and making some great memories. The more things come together, the more realistic this whole process becomes. Getting our flight itineraries and housing assignments definitely makes it seem more official, yet I know that it won’t really hit me that I’m in Africa until I’m there.  I can’t wait to experience a way of life so different from ours. I look forward to doing my internship and engaging myself in the culture. I think the hardest part about getting accepted is having to wait until I can leave.