Lianna wanting to apply realizations gained here

I can’t help but noticed that a lot of the posting’s lately have been about different people visiting townships.  I feel that we’re finally getting comfortable enough here, and settling in enough to head into these areas, and that we all are really eager share our experiences, in addition to learn more about the culture here.  It’s a strange experience getting to the townships.  This past weekend I went into both Crossroads and Khayelitsha, each time people didn’t believe us.  We had people asking “Are you sure you want to go there?” and worrying that we were in the wrong place.  It took a bit of convincing, but finally we were able to get across that yes, we knew what we were doing.  After getting to them, and finding the people we aimed to see and the places we intended to go, we were introduced to different people, and particularly in Khayelitsha, people thanked us for coming.  While it was nice being hugged and thanked for going there, it just seemed so odd to me that all I was being thanked for was visiting some friends, the fact that people asked to take photos with us was flattering but at the same time uncomfortable, you can’t help but think it shouldn’t be this way, we shouldn’t be praised for trying to learn about a culture and a population of people, especially when everyone seems to know a lot about our culture.  The woman we visited in Khayelitsha told us that the photo her husband took with us was brought to his work, where everyone was jealous and mad that they weren’t informed that we were coming.  Being treated as if we were celebrities is a really strange feeling, and I wish it weren’t such a big deal for white people to be seen hanging out in a township.

Through work we head into schools in the township, and while a lot of teachers have no idea who I am, they assume that I am here to help and kindly point me to the bathroom or classroom that I’m having trouble finding, no questions asked.  Another thing that I found odd is one of my coworkers admitted that when they see a white person in the townships, they just assume that person is a foreigner, and that white South Africans do not come to the townships.  While this isn’t 100% true – a lot of my coworkers are white South Africans working in the townships, a guy I work with my age admits that his friends express concern for his safety, and even question his reasons for volunteering in Philippe. We’ve been talking in class about using your privilege to improve inequalities, and this would make it seem that that isn’t really the case here in South Africa.  And while it’s easy to point fingers and to blame South Africans for not helping themselves, you could say the same thing about people in the US.  So many of us have never gone into Hartford to help out, or even Willimantic, which is right down the road from Uconn. Also, a lot of the time, when people do volunteer, they tend to go far away- not to say that that isn’t helping, I’m just trying to point out that our home still needs a lot of work too.  It is just sad that sometimes we are so oblivious to the sad, terrible things that go on in our backyard, and through this program, I think that a lot of us are learning that we can’t ignore the problems, no matter where they are.  And while it may only be 23 Uconn students who are coming to this realization, hopefully when we return we can work in our community, and make some type of difference, even if it is small.

Teddy's update on his internship

Update on my internship at Christel House South Africa

So, having spent several weeks with the fourth graders I talked to the principals of the primary school and the high school, Midge Hilton-Green and Ronald Fortune respectively, and told them I was interested in working with the high-schoolers. Mr. Fortune connected me with Mr. Cedric Esterhuizen, the grade 12 English teacher, with whom I created a lesson plan that focuses on human rights and requires the students to present on human rights abuses in Cape Town. These presentations are actually to take place today and I am very excited to see how the students do.

This was the lesson plan that took place over several days, using the learners’ English periods:

Over the first two periods we held two group discussions. The first was a comparison of American and South African life, mostly to build discussion on how similar the countries’ social issues are and also to ‘break the ice’. Following this the students were asked to consider the social issues that they observe in Cape Town.

Following these two discussion periods I introduced the students to some of the basics of human rights - I went over some major documents such as the International Bill of Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, CEDAW, the South African Constitution’s Bill of Rights, the Freedom Charter, etc. I then described to them some of the NGOs which UCONN students are interning for and how these work towards providing access to human rights.  

Then the students were presented with their task: to choose a specific social issue and research related human rights documents or NGOs doing work related to that issue. Then to present on that issue and a document/NGO and lastly, the most interesting part, to present in detailed step-by-step fashion what exactly they can do in their own capacity to help in reducing the impact of that issue. They were then given time to do research and prep their presentations.

And then they’ll be presenting today!

Marie's view from the top

“Climb Table Mountain -- Ford every stream -- Follow every rainbow -- 'Till you find your Cape Town dream!” by Marie

Behold—Table Mountain!  After three months, I finally made it to the top (with the help of the lovely rotating cable car, of course).  I was surprised that it took me this long to make it to the top of the Table when almost everyone else has already been.  Now that I think back on my experience, however, I could not have picked a better time to go.  My time spent atop one of the most beautiful mountains in the world gave me a chance to look down on the city that I have grown to love and reflect on all of the life-changing experiences that I had there.  Perhaps the trip was so special because, in my eyes, it was the physical expression of an internal climb.  Over the past three months, I faced some of the greatest challenges of my life; all stemming from the sheer difference of the environment and the difficult situations that I was forced to deal with emotionally and intellectually.

It was so odd to go halfway around the world and be treated differently simply because I was white (if I ever experienced this back in the U.S., I never noticed).  When I say “treated differently” I mean in both negative and positive ways (although it all ends up negative in the end).  I saw people favor me and discriminate against darker skinned people; this made me feel guilty and angry.  I also experienced sexual harassment and racism against me because I am white; this made me hurt and angry.  In both situations, I felt angry (not a good emotion to be feeling a lot of the time).  In addition to my personal experiences, I went through the wringer while attempting to soak up as much knowledge as I could about: the difficulties of township life (especially for women and children), racism both among and WITHIN races, poverty, lack of healthcare, lack of proper sanitation, South Africa’s position as both the rape capital of the world and the country with the highest number of people infected with HIV/AIDS, the awful losses from which people are still suffering as a result of what happened during apartheid, the fact that for many life has not improved since apartheid ended, the awful situations of refugees, xenophobic violence……….I could go on and On and ON!

So, after all of the above, I found a quiet place on Table Mountain where I sat, looked down at the city, and considered my life.  I will never be at peace with the world (there are simply too many issues and too much suffering for me to sit idly and do nothing); but I am now at peace with myself and the new person who I have become as a result of being forced to climb such a tall and perilous mountain.  The more I think about it, the more I realize that my personal mountain was not only comprised of the emotional pain that I felt when forced to look upon the pain of others; but it also included the doubts and fears that I had about my abilities and talents.  I have never been surer of myself, of my life in relation to others, and of my faith in God than I am at this very moment.  This, I believe, not only puts me on top of the mountain, but on top of the world!

Sharielle's thoughts on Mandla

Mandla, is the name of the little boy from the orphanage that I volunteered at in Khayelitsha for two Sundays. I have searched for words in how to describe him to people, but yet I nothing comes to mind, so here is my best attempt. He is a cute brown skin little boy, with the most precious laugh. He is one of those kids who interacts with all the other little kids, but at the same time is fine by sitting by himself. His eyes are warm and inviting with a tad bit of mischief in them.

I think this is by far the hardest post that I have had to write. I actually have taken a break from writing this blog just thinking about him. Leaving him on Sunday was very hard for me. I think it was a good thing he was eating when I had to leave because I would've probably not been able to stop hugging him. My greatest regret was not bringing my camera. Mandla is the cutest little boy, and the whole time that we played together, I could not stop thinking about what his future will be like. I wanted so bad to take him back with me, but for many reasons this is obviously not possible. This is not a long blog, but I just thought that he deserved a special shout out. I wish more could be done for children like Mandla. I hope that they grow up knowing what amazing people they can be and what they have to offer to our world. 

Posted at the request of Joe & Meaghan

Joe's commitment to study and work for human rights

Our trip to Plettenberg Bay proved to be a great way for the group to unwind before we have to deal with the realities of returning home. We enjoyed surfing in the Indian Ocean which was great because none of us had ever been there before. We also got to bond by all sleeping in one big room with over 10 bunk beds. On Saturday we did the bungee jump which, to me, was so frightening. Every instinct in my body was telling me not to jump but after doing it, I realized it was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done, right behind making the decision to come to South Africa. After Plettenberg we came back for our last week of internships. I am so happy that about my placement and therefore was very sad to leave. On Monday and Tuesday I conducted my last set of interviews with new clients and had to say goodbye to some clients that I had grown to know over the past three months. I was sad to leave because I know that some of the people that I interacted with on a daily basis, I will not get to see again. Yet it’s comforting knowing that I put in 100% and I benefitted the lives of those that I was given the opportunity to help. For example, there was one refugee who had recently traveled to South Africa and spoke little English. Since he had no contacts in the city it was hard for him to network but eventually the priest from his church allowed him to stay in the church basement. Eventually the priest did not want him to stay there any longer so he came to us for help. We were able to help him network with other refugees of the same nationality and find a place for him to stay. I will really miss working for Cape Town Refugee Centre but I am so grateful for the experience that they provided me with. I was able to receive an inside look into the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people. I was able to speak with them first hand, visit their homes, and even provide them with small assistance. I learned something new there every day; I also realized that human rights is something that I will continue to study and work towards for the rest of my life. 

Kayla and friends loving the Braai

One thing I am definitely going to miss from South Africa is Braai. Braai is a type of food similar to BBQ, but way better in my opinion. It consists of getting some raw meat of choice and grilling it on a charcoal grill in some sort of crate thing. It takes a while for the coal to heat and light up but once it does, the meat can start to cook. The best part of this is the marinade that is put on the meat. It is usually called Braai sauce and is SO GOOD. Each place does it differently and there is really no right way for it to be done.  Another great part about Braais is the actual experience of it. It is commonly an event in which people gather and spend time together. They are meant to be stress free and enjoyable for all. Usually they last a while and include some drinking such as beer and wine. We have had a few Braais at our house and have gone to a few that other people have invited us to. Although they have been different, some things remained the same. There were people there enjoying each other’s company, food and drinks, and a relaxed, stress free atmosphere. I always have such a great time when at a Braai and ALWAYS enjoy the food! It is something I really hope to bring back to the US and enjoy there as well. I am definitely bringing back a big bottle of the Braai Sauce and plan to introduce it with my family and friends.

 Another thing I enjoy about Braai and the meat is how it is eaten. If you go out to a place that serves Braaid meat, people usually eat it with some bread or just by itself. At a popular Braai restaurant called Mzoli’s, they literally just serve meat and you can buy the bread separate before you go. When you get to this place, you go inside and order what meat you want and how much you want. There is so much raw meat it is crazy! But then they weigh it out and put it in a huge bowl and send it back to the grilling area where they Braai it. Their sauce is so good and is definitely the best I have had since being here. Once the meat is done, you bring it to your table and eat it. They do not have plates or napkins or anything else except for that huge bowl of meat. So we usually bring some napkins, a drink, and the bread. Everyone kind of just digs in and eats together. It is different than American culture but it is something we have all grown to love. Braai is very common here and I truly enjoy every time I get to eat Braai’d meet or actually go to a Braai outing. I can’t wait to eat it a few more times before I leave and hopefully bring it back to the US! 

Logan on the magnitude of Table Mountain

We had been talking about doing it for a couple months and now finally Julian and I did the three peaks in one day. The three peaks include Devil’s peak, Table Mountain, and Lions head. We left the house at 6 AM and started hiking while it was still dark out. Conditions were not great. It had been raining the past couple days as it is now starting to become winter so the path was pretty slick. At the top of the mountains there was no view. Actually if we had not done the mountains before I don’t think we would have found the summit of Devils since we could only see about 20 feet in front of us through the fog and the paths are thin and disappear at times. We didn’t care about the views though, that is not why we were doing it. We were doing it for the challenge. By the time we started the second mountain (Table) my legs were already cramping. Going down the backside of Table we were running in order to save time and I took a pretty bad spill where I landed in two trees that saved me from a cliff. Also on the way down it started raining which made us a little nervous because it is not good to hike in the rain especially because we didn’t know how bad it was going to get. At this point there was no stopping. We had already done the two hardest ones and we were not going to stop with just Lions Head left. The way up Lions Head was hard. My legs cramped with every step. The chains that brought us up the rock wall were slippery. By the end my legs had locked and it was hard to bend them. Luckily Julian was able to help me reach the top. Touching the pole that signified the summit and the end of our challenge was euphoric. I got such a high from completing the Table Mountain Range. It had taken us nine hours of hiking at a very fast pace, running down mountains, and jogging some of the flat parts. We were finally done. Never has a peanut butter and jelly tasted so damn good.

 The Table Mountain range is very important to Cape Town. To many it is a symbol of Cape Town and is used as a logo for many businesses. It can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the city. It is the mountain that Nelson Mandela viewed every day during his imprisonment at Robin Island. It is sad that many people living in Cape Town have never had the privilege to climb it or even know that you could climb it. This is a privilege I have since I have the time and money to engage in this leisure activity.

Table Mountain range is also very important to me. When we came back from excursion seeing it was a sign that I was home again.  The multiple times I hiked the different mountains are memories I will never forget, even if I did have a few people who wanted to kill me. Hiking and mountains also remind me of my childhood and I always feel closer to my mom when I am hiking. This specific experience of hiking the three mountains in one day was also very important to me. First of all I was with Julian someone who has really been there for me and taking on a challenge like this only brings us closer. I am so fortunate I gained him as a friend and that we could experience this hike together. Also I always get the most thinking done when I am hiking. There is something spiritual about being tired and hungry in nature that allows me to think clearly. I have a lot to think about with my experiences the past few months and there is no better way to grasp my thoughts and feelings than on a 9 hour hike.  Table Mountain range will always be one of the first things I think of when I think of my new home in Cape Town. This is why I decided to get the range tattooed onto my back. It is so important to me in so many ways. 

Dana on Huskymania--they're #1

Although most of these blog entries have been pretty heavy (understandably considering the harsh realities that we are all becoming aware of), but one of the highlights of the past few weeks was definitely the UConn men’s basketball team becoming national champions!! Yes, even half way around the world, huskies have pride! On last Monday night (in reality it was 3:30 a.m. here on Tuesday), 16 of us woke up groggily and bleary-eyed to watch the UConn men play Butler in the finals. Let me tell you, that was not an easy task!!

Some of us at Loch Rd. had tried to watch the previous tournament games a number of different ways. They tried streaming video online, but with the iffy and comparatively slower internet connection here, that wasn’t very successful. They tried video skyping with someone from home to watch the game. They even tried having Happy Landings, a sports bar, stay open extra late to watch a game on their tv. However, the only successful attempt was to listen to it over an online radio station. BUT, we weren’t convinced that we had tried everything come Monday when we made it to the final game!! So, we borrowed Marita’s 3g internet stick to hopefully stream it faster and more effectively.

At 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning as we shuffled into the common room, we came to find that the 3g stick was also mostly a fail. Although the video would work for spurts of time, it would freeze too often to get a good feel for what was going on in the game. We finally gave in to listening to the game over the radio and periodically checking the video.

At 5:46 a.m. with internships in only about two and a half hours, all 16 of us celebrated the win with a group picture doing the signature husky hand sign.  I sent the picture into the Daily Campus, the UConn paper asking if they would post our picture and story to show students that huskies have pride no matter where they are in the world. Low and behold, the next day I received an email from the daily campus editor in chief with a link to the online PDF with our picture on it! Here is the link for those who are interested:


 HYPERLINK http://issuu.com/dailycampus/docs/dc4.6.11/12



If that doesn’t work, go to  HYPERLINK "http://dailycampus.com" \t "_blank" dailycampus.com and go to the PDFs section and load the paper from April 6th - page 12. However here is the picture we sent in. We were all really excited to finally make the daily campus without even being on campus!! And, as tired as we all were the next day, it was exciting to be able to be a part of UConn while still having the amazing experiences we are while here in South Africa. GO UCONN!!

Julian, Tom, Terri, Joe, Taylor, Susie, Meaghan, Sharielle, Kate, Lianna, Siobhan, Dana, Anna, Kayla, Logan, Emily

Leanne on a community working together

I wrote about my internship placement in a previous blog entry, but it feels like years and years ago, and I have learned so much since then!  I have been interning at the Cape Town Community Housing Company. Specifically, I shadow James, the community organizer / social facilitator, who has been assigned to work with Morgen's Village, a low income, government subsidized development comprised of 671 houses. James started with CTCHC exactly one day after I did, so it has been interesting to watch the process from the beginning - how he got his bearings with the company, set up connections in the community and identified the key role players there.  Three women in particular stick out to me: Zelda, Mischka and Mashaba. They have started a beautiful garden along a formerly dismal, arid strip of land near the boundary of the village.  All three women are well liked and respected and were instrumental in recruiting volunteers for the project.  I admire them for taking the initiative to improve their community and taking responsibility for their surroundings in a way that other people from the area have not.

Last week marked the culmination of James' first big project with the community.  People living in the first phase of the village spoke about the problem of people cutting through a sandy area near the edge of a retention pond as a shortcut to the taxi rank.  The edge of the retention pond was eroding and the area was collecting trash.  The community identified that they would like to have a formal walkway in place there so that people would not need to trudge through the sand.  Having people walk in only one place would stop the erosion, and the area to the side could be beautified and used as a garden.  Additionally, the name "Morgen's Village" could be painted on the wall by the pathway, as it marks the entrance to the neighborhood.

James started gathering resources for the project two months ago.  He spoke with representatives from municipal government posts to try to find funding for the walkway, the painting project and the gardening.  Since the government's financial year ends in June, none of the departments were able to contribute any money.  One of the biggest issues was trying to secure a water connection along the side of the pond for the garden (the pond only has water in it during the winter), and trying to get dirt bins placed in the area.  In both cases, the roads department said that this was the responsibility of the parks department who said this was the responsibility of the solid waste department who said that the councilor should be able to provide the funding and so forth.

 Digging the tires into the ground to form the edges of the walkway

 In the end, James got donations of cool drink (soda) and chips from local sponsors, and a sign writer from the Quality Beverage Company was able to paint the wall.   Nearly fifty people came on Monday: school children (it was during their holiday), young men and other members of the community. Over the course of the week, all of the trash and brush was removed from the area, plants were put in along the wall, the wall was adorned with the name of the village, and two rows of tires were dug into the ground to provide a defined walkway.  The tires were painted to add aesthetic value to the area.  When the municipal government realized the effort that the community was putting forth, the solid waste department supplied them with gravel and a bulldozing crew to level the pathway and harden the surface. The pathway is now functional and the area looks so much nicer!  James did a wonderful job helping the community take charge of their area, and I can tell that they are eager to do similar projects in the future.  I am so happy to have been involved - and it was awesome to get to see the project through from start to finish!

Kate discovering a whole new world--without technology!

Recently I can’t help but think about everything I’m going to miss when we leave Cape Town in less than 3 weeks. Yesterday the thing on my mind was technology, or rather the lack there of. I can’t help but dread going back to my blackberry, having wifi on my ipod touch, youtube, tivo, the list goes on. I never thought I’d say it, but being without these things for so long has been nothing short of heaven. I lost my cell phone about 2 months ago, and because getting a new one requires both a passport and proof of residence (something I still don’t have) I’ve been without any sort of phone since that fateful day. At first it really bothered me, having no way to contact anyone, but I’ve grown to absolutely love it. And for all you readers worried about the safety that a phone provides, worry no longer, I’m very good about making sure I’m ALWAYS with someone who has one. Not only is being out of contact extremely refreshing, but so too has not having present the constant distraction that seems to come with cell phones these days. I’ve come to despise the day that I’m responsible for not only responding promptly to calls and texts, but to emails too. Furthermore, the experience I’ve had without my precious dvr has really made me question how necessary things like these are; things that seem to have become almost necessities in many people’s lives. I promise life is enjoyable even without your favorite TV show, or TV in general, and I’ll be the first to admit that I too was skeptical of this before journeying across the ocean. Recently I’ve been questioning if I’ll even pick those same shows back up when I get home. I have gained more from interacting with people on the street (people who I probably wouldn’t even see at home because of how focused on my cell phone I was) than I ever could from a cell phone, reality TV show, or useless youtube video. I guess the point of this post is to encourage everyone to step out of his or her “comfort zones,” and get away from technology, even if it’s just for a little! I promise you’ll survive.

Emily on beauty & danger on the mountain . . . and in life

This past weekend I endured what was the hardest hike of my life, an 11-hour trek across the 12 Apostles. I knew this was going to be a long, hard hike but I did not realize just how difficult it was going to be. Not only was the climb extremely difficult, I found myself reaching up and grabbing for the next rock but we also unfortunately missed the path we were supposed to take for our descent and so we got lost and had to wander for a while, a 3 hours while, and then we ran out of water.. luckily we finally found the path, or some semblance of a path and we made our way through the prickers. Nicole and I had to tie our shirts around our legs because they were getting so scratched up from the rough brush! Hiking down the waterfall was incredibly difficult as we were all dead tired but we finally made it to the bottom and even met a wonderful retired park ranger, Jim who helped to show us the way and got us on the right side of the trail. When Ben arrived baring peanuts and Gatorade-like drinks I nearly cried with joy. I was definitely worried for a bit that we were going to have to be airlifted of off the mountain or spend the night, not that I would’ve minded the helicopter ride through Cape Town but the money and embarrassment would’ve sucked! The pain I thought I had felt the day before when getting my cartilage pierced (sorry mom & dad!) was nothing compared to the pain my legs felt the next few days as I stumbled around the house. 

This experience reminded me that we are in AFRICA and we were not climbing Sugarbusch in Vermont but rather the 12 Apostles, which contains many dangerous peaks. Although the mountain is beautiful and is surrounded by the beautiful sea and city, it is still dangerous. It could easily claim your life in a multitude of ways whether its falling from it, running out of water or become trapped on it. It’s easy to relate this to the idea that although Cape Town is a beautiful place, it is still surrounded by poverty, violence, racism, sexism and corruption. It will take a lot of work for Cape Town and South Africa to become as beautiful on the inside as it appears on the outside. 

As the end of this trip draws closer and closer I find myself to be struggling with the same scenario I’m sure many others on this trip are struggling with and have struggled with in the past, the dual happiness and sadness of going home. While I absolutely cannot wait to see my parents, brother, dog, car, beloved Vermont Green Mountains and the rest of my family and friends, I also could easily burst into tears at the thought of leaving this beautiful country that has changed me as a person. The experiences I’ve had here and especially those I’ve had with all my wonderful housemates (Malleson included) will never be forgotten and can never be matched by anyone else. 

Nicole, lesson learned

Last weekend I almost died.

Okay, not really but being my dramatic self that’s the way I like to put it. Last weekend a group of 6 of us (myself included) decided that we wanted to finally hike the Twelve Apostles. I knew in advance that the hike was not going to be easy, and I knew that it was going to take a long time, but it was something on my list of things to do before leaving Cape Town. If I had it in my mind that the hike was going to be difficult, it thought wasn’t anywhere near matched to how hard the climb actually was. The group of us set out before seven in the morning to start our ascent up a trail called Diagonal. It was extremely steep and had a very rocky path. However, just as expected. once we reached the top the view was amazing! There were valleys mountain peaks all around us, and we still had an amazing view of the ocean beaches that were far below us. However, as our hike continued, the realization that the beauty of the mountains was comparable to their danger smacked us in the face. We ended up getting lost on one of the last peaks of the mountain range, (this is after about 7 hours of hiking mind you) with only about 500 mls of water and one peanut butter sandwich leftover. Since we were desperate to start getting down the mountain before dark, we made an incorrect turn onto a “path” that wasn’t really a path at all, but rather was an INCREDIBLY steep rockslide type of ravine. Once we realized we had to manage to crawl back up and back track, I started to lose it. My entire body was exhausted, and I was so frustrated by our predicament that I was on the brink of tears. Eventually however, by some stroke of luck, after blindly pushing our way through what seemed like endless miles of pricker bushes and spiny plants, we managed to find a path that led down the mountain. (the very same path that we had been attempting to find for the past 2 hours) Needless to say, I have never been so excited to see a paved road in my entire life!! Even more of a comfort was when Ben came to the rescue with Energade and Jungle Bars. I definitely learned a lot from the experience though. I’ve never felt myself be so desperate to do something that I didn’t know if I could. I literally felt like I was trapped on that mountain, and that the only way I was going to get off would be in a helicopter. Luckily for us though, we managed to find our way. But I will make sure that next time I plan to go on a hike as long as this one, that I will have a map and a enough water and food to feed a small army.

Anna enjoying final weeks/reflecting on harsh realities

It’s now the second week in April, meaning our time in Cape Town is rapidly coming to a close.  As sad as I am to know we’re leaving so soon, our impending departure has provided motivation to go out and make the best of the time we have left.  For me this has meant leaving Mowbray to experience a little bit more of the areas around us.

Last weekend a group of us decided to take the train to Simon’s Town to see Seal Island.  Seal Island is essentially a small rocky island completely covered with seals.  It has been featured on Shark Week on the Discovery Channel and on the series Planet Earth, mainly because it also functions as a feeding ground for great white sharks.  When we first got to the dock, none of us really knew what to expect.  Soon we were ushered in to a tiny boat, really more of a life raft, and given rain coats.  We took off towards the island, spray in our faces, with the beautiful coastline and mountainsides disappearing behind us.  After about a fifteen minute boat ride, which really felt more like a rollercoaster, we were approaching Seal Island.  No more than two minutes after we arrived alongside the island, a twelve foot great white shark leapt out of the water no more than five feet away from us to attack a piece of seaweed it thought was a seal.  The entire experience was incredible.

The next day some of us decided to start off the morning at the Neighbourgoods Market in the Old Biscuit Mill not too far away.  The market is full of local traders, farmers and food vendors selling delicious and relatively cheap meals and goods.  It is definitely a bit of a sensory overload but the food is so fresh and delicious that I always leave stuffed.  After breakfast/lunch, Brenna, Leanne, Tom, and I went to a soccer tournament our friend Bongi’s teams were playing in.  The teams recently received a ton of slightly used cleats from Tom’s hometown, and I was awed to see their amazing foot skills on the field.  Unfortunately the difference in racial classification and economic status of the different soccer teams participating in the tournament was still glaringly obvious.  To some extent activities like soccer can provide somewhat of an equalizer, but there will always be teams with better equipment, more support, and more resources for transportation or even halftime orange slices.  Bongi’s dedication to coaching the teams is beyond inspiring, I just wish there was more I could do besides provide an audience and the occasional donation.

So the beat goes on.  Life in Cape Town continues to exist in two irreconcilable worlds for me – the incredible experiences we are privileged enough to be able to afford and enjoy, and the realities of poverty and marginalization we experience at our internships and inside of local communities.  

Terri on learning examples to live by

Our time here in Cape Town is coming to an end and I cannot believe it.  It seems like we were just meeting each other and getting off the plane to begin this amazing journey.  Now we have been here for 3 months and have gotten to know each other better than I could have ever expected.  I have met so many great people here in Cape Town and many of them have touched my life in so many ways that I know I will remember them forever. 

Last night a good friend of ours Abongile (Bongi) came over for the night!  He is one of the most amazing men I have ever met.  I could not have asked to meet a better person while here in South Africa.  Bongi loves kids and we all love talking to him about his soccer team and the things he wants to do to help them.  He came out with us last night and we had a great time.  He definitely showed all of us up on the dance floor, but that was expected.  I hope he had as good of a time out with us as we did with him.  I think I can speak for everyone when I say his presence made our night!

On Sunday a couple of us went on a hike along with some friends we have met here. Koko, Lolly, and Mikhululi.  It was a great time and a good way to get to know some of the people from South Africa.  Not only was it a good way to spend time together but we also got to see the city from a different side and it was beautiful (of course).  We ate lunch in a small indent in the mountain, and got to view the city side of the mountain and the water side.  Like Bongi; Koko, Lolli, and Mihululi are all amazing people.  They seem to love being around us, which is great for us because we love hanging out with them too.  I can honestly say that Mikhululi is one of if not the sweetest person I have ever met.  He is always so happy to come over and so grateful when we invite him to hike with us or come to our braais.  He wrote one of the nicest thank you letters to Julian that made me want to cry.  I wish everyone in the world could be as happy and grateful all the time like these people are.  They are definitely examples to live by. 

I am still learning more and more everyday at my internship and still loving every second of it.  The doctors have been giving me more responsibility and trusting me to do more things.  Last week they taught me how to suture and allowed me to suture one of the incisions after surgery; it was awesome!  There is a new intern from Holland who joined me this past week and will be at Maitland until I leave.  It is nice having someone else there who is learning the same things that I am.  However, his presence has also made me realize how much I have learned the past couple months.  When I first arrived at my internship I knew very little about medicine or orthopedics.  Now I am explaining different diagnoses and procedures to new interns.  I guess I knew I was learning a lot but it didn’t hit me until this past week. 

Logan on his day in Nyanga

The one thing I wish I had done more this trip is spend time in the townships. This is why I was glad when Julian and I went to Nyanga to go to a human rights workshop. My good friend Koko was putting on his first peer education human rights program, and invited me to go, so I was thrilled to be able to witness such an inspiring interaction.

The entire experience there was amazing. When we first arrived in Nyanga we were a little lost on how to find the building we needed to go to. Since we are white we stuck out and I think it surprised people that we were there without having a black person with us. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. Multiple people stopped to make sure we were okay, knew where we were, and if we needed anything. One Rasta man, liking my new hair (I just got my hair locked) walked with us for a while just talking to us and trying to help with directions. This was just the beginning of the warm welcoming from the people of Nyanga.

After we found the place we were still early, so we decided to go get some food from an African Cuisine restaurant.  First of all the standard of hygiene is very different than in the US or even than in the wealthier parts of Cape Town. We were served a plate with two forks. The women who served us brought out a cup of water with no soap and dumped it over the forks in order to clean it. Also when we asked for water she took a cup of water from a bucket, rinsed the cup out, and then refilled it out of the same bucket. Julian and I did not mind, it was just kind of a cool cultural experience. The part I didn’t like about it was the realization that this food take out place did not have running water, a problem all too familiar for many South Africans. While eating we experienced more Nyanga hospitality. The women who served us our food came and sat with us and we were able to talk to her. In the US it would be really weird if a worker came and sat with you during your meal, but here it felt so natural. She just sat with us and had friendly conversation, and it just showed the community feeling in the township. When someone came and asked if we were tourists she snapped back that we were not tourists but her friends. Soon after that a young boy and girl came up to us to say hello and then told us that we were always welcome in East Nyanga. These two comments about us being friends and us being welcome gave me cold chills and I felt so blessed to be able to experience the tightness of the community in the township. I am not saying that I would want to live in the poverty they have to deal with every day, but that I would love to live in a place where you can go from stranger to friend is less than 15 minutes. And it was not just like she said it, I actually feel like she became my friend.

The workshop itself was great. Koko had worked really hard on his presentation and the group discussion at the end was really inspiring. They had a discussion on refugees and foreign nationals. South Africa and even in Nyanga itself there is a problem with xenophobia. When they discussed the issue and their feelings towards refugees nothing was sugar coated. Even with a refugee there who was leading the discussion with Koko, people shared their feelings. They said how people from other countries sell drugs, don’t speak the language, take all the jobs, ask for too much, and a lot of other stereotypes that go along with being a foreign national. The conversation was all too familiar. If they replaced refugee with Mexicans and South Africa with the US, I have heard the same conversation many times before. At first I was taken back and even appalled by their openness on their prejudices. But out of their openness and conversation with a refugee progress came out. As the refugee explained it from his point of view and how people get in these situations, you could see the light bulbs light in everybody’s head as they started to make the connection of human rights and their treatment of refugees. The conversation even went from there into what each person can do to succeed. Sitting back and observing this really made me see the benefits of being honest with yourself. If they had sugarcoated how they felt and tried to make it seem like there was not that much of a problem, then they would have never grown from the conversation. I realized that I also need to be open with myself with my prejudices, because if I try to ignore them or water them down, I will never get to the root of it. I was also thrilled to see that at least 13 people showed up on their holiday from school. I do not know if I could get the same turnout in the US and if I did it would be from people who already have a strong interest in human rights. Most of the young adults who were there had little to no idea what human rights are, yet were still willing to come to expand their knowledge. This program of peer education on human rights is such a wonderful program. I just do not know if it would work in the US where there is not such a close knit community, and people who are not already interested in human rights rarely have an interest in learning about it.

 I could not believe that Koko was disappointed in himself on the workshop. The fact that he has only studied human rights for a couple weeks now and was willing to plan an entire workshop and get up in front of his peers to educate them on these issues was an accomplishment in itself even if the workshop hadn’t gone well. On top of that the workshop in my opinion was a success with discussion, bonding, community building, and knowledge being shared. I was so touched by the entire experience. My new friend is now my new role model for doing so much to advance his community while still in high school.

After the program Julian and I wanted to hang out with Koko and his friend for a little bit to celebrate their first of many workshops. First we went to a barber shop in one of the trailers in Nyanga to get Julian’s hair done which was a really cool experience. Loud music, people just hanging out in the shop, and a very precise barber were all parts of the shop that made it a unique experience for Julian and I. Koko also stopped into his sister’s house who lives in one of the small homes (I don’t know if they are considered informal or not) with metal sheets as walls and down a skinny dirt ally. I was so surprised when we saw inside. Everything was so neat and organized with nice furnish and not a spot of dirt anywhere to be found. The only reason I expected it to be messier was because it must be hard to not have a cluttered house when there is so little room to work with. Even if it was a big house, I have seen few houses better organized. I was so happy to see the pride put into what they have.  We finished that day off by grabbing a beer in a bar in Nyanga to toast their hard work and successful workshop. It was one of the best days I have had since arriving in Cape Town and I look forward to spending more time with Koko in Nyanga the last few weeks I am here. 

Julian creating days to remember

As time here in Cape Town winds down, I’ve made sure that each day I have remaining will be one to remember. Time is the one thing in this world that has the ability to make me nervous, but I think it’s for the best.

Logan invited me to go to Koko’s Human Rights workshop in Nyanga with him on Friday. I feel that I haven’t seen enough of the townships here in Cape Town so I decided to go with him. We took a mini bus over to Nyanga and the minute we stepped out on the street we got about 12 variations of “do you need help” from people on the sidewalk. White people aren’t found in Nyanga too often, I think we may have stuck out a little.

Since people here run on Cape Town time everyone got to the workshop at 2:00. It was supposed to start at 12:30. Logan and I had a feeling that this would happen so we went to Linda’s take-out for lunch. This restaurant was just a makeshift kitchen with no running water in a trailer. We knew there was no running water because when Linda cleaned our spoons she filled a mug with water from a bucket, took it outside and poured the water over our spoons. I haven’t gotten sick yet so the delicious food was worth it. While we were waiting for our meal a little boy and girl came over and said “you are welcome in Nyanga east.” They even complimented Logan on his hair.

Julian getting a haircut in Nyanga

After getting my hair cut in a trailer, Koko showed us around Nyanga and brought us to his sister’s house. On our way through the township Logan and I were called colored by someone walking by. This made us super excited until some little boy said “look! Another whitey!” We went to a nearby bar for a little bit afterwards and took a mini cab home.

The next morning six of us left the house at 6:30a.m. We didn’t exactly know what we were in for, but our plan was to hike the 12 Apostles on the Table Mountain Range. I packed four liters of water, three pb&j’s, and two bananas. After about eight or nine hours of incredible sights and occasionally intense hiking the group ran pretty low on water and out of food. I’ll have to admit that the lack of water had me a little concerned but I personally was feeling all right. We may or may not have had other people in the group worrying a bit more but I was fairly confident that we would end up home some way or another.

Emily & Logan hiking 12 Apostles Mountain

We found the path that I knew we had to take but we still had a few doubters in the group. We made our way down Myburgh’s Waterfall Ravine when we met our savior, Jim. Jim is an ex-park ranger who hiked this incredibly eroded, steep path once already, about 20 years ago. I really think that fate or karma or destiny or something supernatural led Jim to us because we hadn’t seen another person for about 4 hours until this 60 year old tour guide crossed our path on one of the least travelled paths on the range. I’m still in shock. Anyways, this wonderful man showed us down the ravine while giving us nature lessons and all of that cool stuff. We ended up in Hout Bay where Ben, our RA, picked us up in his car. We may or may not have thought that we needed to be airlifted earlier in the hike so we called Ben who offered to pick us up if we made it down. This was again a gift from god because we definitely would not have found our way back from Hout Bay. So in the end, after 11 hours of hiking Ben drove us to McDonalds and back home and we fell asleep before 10.

Now I’m late to get ready for Mzoli’s, a popular Braai restaurant in Gugulethu. It’s BYOB (bring your own bread) because they only serve meat. Anyways, I’m going to wrap this up because I need to make today count as well. It’s been a great weekend

Brenna hit hard by harsh realities

Imagine having a pool of sewage overflow in your backyard. Everyday you live and breathe in the fumes around you. This is how several of the students from Lianna and my environmental club live. They stay in Cosovu, one of the most rundown sections of Philippi, where the only toilets accessible to them sit in a water bath of the overflowed sewage and garbage; and, what’s even worse, is that it’s normal for them. We asked them to show us around their community and point out some of the biggest environmental problems they face. As I stood there staring at this reality, I was overcome with the foul smell and I felt sick. I could barely stand it for the fifteen minutes we were in that area and they are in it everyday. They told me that during election season, government officials and candidates will come in, clean it up and promise that they will change it for good – but it never happens. They use the people for their vote and then leave them neglected once again. This happens over and over and over – my friends are used by their own people and then their lives are thrown out of consciousness just like that, as if they are some lifeless tool that’s no longer needed so it can just be discarded. Some of the students may think of it this w ay, some may not, but either way they still laughed and joked throughout the entire walk, guiding us with their bright spirits through the wreckage injustice leaves in its path. Before I came here this poverty was a distant idea, I knew I wanted to see it, though, and the materialization of it hits me hard. But even so, I have a house to go back to in the quiet, clean suburbs here and back in the U.S. I don’t live in it like my friends do.

Even outside of the townships, my friends still deal with the effects follow them. I’ve gone out with my black friends a couple times recently, and on both nights a discriminating event happened. On two separate occasions, a friend of mine left the club and then tried to come back in but was not allowed to for one reason or another, both of the excuses I know wouldn’t have used for me if I were in that position be it because of my race or gender. Why do people in positions of authority more often than not abuse their power instead of using it for good? The government knows how to exploit people just as the bouncers do. Almost everywhere I have gone here reeks of some facet of discrimination. I love this beautiful country and the wonderful people that live in it, but knowing that I am leaving it soon when its still ridden with such severe, harmful and exacerbating issues is something I do not think I will ever find a way to deal with. 

Teddy's activist project

Here I’d like to provide a quick update on my activist project.

It’s a bit of a story and starts with when our group first met Lucy Campbell during our orientation program. She gave us a tour of Cape Town’s downtown, focusing on its slave history and the still present physical remnants of slavery.

She is an activist committed to starting conversations and discussions on the history of slavery and its ongoing legacy of racism and oppression; she believes firmly that open discussion and the sharing of memory is central to healing these wounds of the past. Here you can check out some of her writing: http://www.archivalplatform.org/blog/entry/whitewashed/

Cape Town has numerous physical reminders of slavery, including the VOC logo installed in the ground at St. George’s Mall, the Slave Lodge museum, Jan van Riebeeck’s almond hedge, the VOC hospital building, the slave auction block on Spin Street, and even the phonebooks (several of the months of the year were used as last names for arriving slaves and these surnames are still very common).

One of the critical issues that Lucy wants to change is the fact that so many people in Cape Town are generally unaware of the history of slavery in the region. Many are ignorant of the enormous influence slaves and slavery had on life and society in the Cape, as well as throughout South Africa. During the tours Lucy has even stopped passer-bys and asked what their last names are, and with that information she has been able to inform them of their own slave ancestry. Many people will stop and listen and contribute during her tours while they are just walking past; sometimes they are rare individuals who know a great deal about the topic or on the other hand they are generally uninformed and listen eagerly. Sometimes tour participants are extremely resistant and do not want to accept the influence that slaves had in the construction of the city and its culture.

Lucy explains this material with such passion that it was impossible to not be drawn in. For my activist project I’ve decided to help her with her marketing so that more people can hear about and learn about their city’s slavery history. I got this idea because we were once discussing the challenges of being a tour guide and working in the world of social history museums, and we agreed that it would be very useful for her to have a life history and a condensed version in pamphlet form. So, I’ve been working on this with her and hope it will be of great use to her once finished. The idea is that the life history and accompanying pamphlet can be used to show her story of growing more aware of her own heritage and becoming interested in healing the “wounds of the past” (as she would say). As mentioned above, getting conversations started is necessary in ending racism and if this material can help her reach out to more people, than I think it will be a worthwhile project.

Meaghan on experiencing the two worlds that are Cape Town

I really can’t believe we have less than a month left here in Cape Town! I hate to think about how quickly time is passing, but instead focus on having as much fun as possible in the time we still have. This past Friday, Kate, Kayla, Lianna, Dana, Joe, and I all came to Beautiful Gate for a community party they throw annually. They invite all of the children who attend the local ARV clinic and provide a fun afternoon of games and activities for them to enjoy. I had an awesome time running around with the kids after some face painting, and it was great to see how Beautiful Gate caters to the community while helping to raise the spirits of children facing great challenges. 

Joe & Meaghan

On Saturday we visited the Old Biscuit Mill for the second time, and enjoyed some of the incredible food they have to offer. 

On Sunday we went to Khayelitsha to have lunch at a local place with Ntswaki, one of the nurses at Beautiful Gate. This was really awesome because it was a pretty unique experience and one I might not do again. It was nice to hang out with local people and actually be in Khayelitsha where I have spent so little time.

One thing that was striking to me however was the stark contrast in the crowds we were with on Friday and Sunday versus on Saturday. Since we have been in this country, it has been very clear the two different worlds that seem to independently coexist here, if that makes sense. One of extreme wealth and one of extreme poverty, the two worlds provide entirely different experiences for people involved in each, and yet never seem to really mesh. I can’t say that these two worlds don’t also exist in the United States, but I feel as though I am thrown in between them more often here. 

It is really difficult for me to process how I feel when I am in either environment, but I feel as though I’m never really in an in-between, or entirely belong in one. I’m not really sure what point I am trying to make here, but I think it relates to a lot of things we have been learning about since being here. As the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and it can be draining to see both sides of this just depending on what day of the week it is. As difficult and heart wrenching as this can be, I can see the impact it is making on my beliefs and teaching me a valuable lesson.