Terri overlooking the beautiful city
My first impression of Cape Town was very different than what I had expected. I had no idea the city was as beautiful as it is and am not surprised that it is on the top cities one must see in a lifetime list. The weather, Table Mountain, and the city in general are absolutely gorgeous. On the other hand, after seeing the townships I realized that although I have always known there was a lot of poverty in the world I never knew the extent of it. It breaks my heart every time we drive by the townships and I have to see how some people must live their lives on a day to day basis.
Orientation week has been one of the most educational weeks of my life. Not only have I learned a lot about South Africa as a country but I have also learned about the people of Cape Town, the history of the country, the world, and myself. I thing the part of orientation that has affected me the most was the township tour and the Baptist Church experience. The tour put the truth about poverty and the affects of Apartheid right in front of our faces. Nothing was hidden and we were able to see with our own eyes how people who were classified black and coloured live differently from one another and from whites of South Africa. As a medical student I could not stop thinking about sanitation and how the life styles of these people must impact their health and well-being. It was heart breaking to see children walking around barefoot, people hanging clothes that they had just washed in large buckets, and the size and conditions of their homes. All of these things made me realize how lucky I am and that at times I take the privileges I have for granted.
The visit to the Baptist Church was an unforgettable experience. Although I could not understand most of what was said I was able to feel the spirit of the church and because of that was able to understand what the people where saying. I have never been so touched in such a short period of time. Before this experience I never could imagine being brought to tears because of songs and emotions of a language I do not understand. Its blows my mind that these people who live in the conditions they do and have to face the challenges of poverty, HIV/AIDS, other diseases, and racism can have so much faith and spirit.
The internship visits was also very educational. I learned more about the country and people at all the internship I attended and look forward to hearing everyone’s stories about their days at work. I am especially excited for my internship which will be working at Maitland Cottage Hospital for physically impaired children. We are all extremely lucky to have been selected for a program that is run by people like Vernon and Marita who care so much about each and every one of our individual needs. I love orthopedics and am so happy that Vernon was able to get me an internship working in that field. I cannot wait for Monday to start my internship and learn more about everyone else’s!
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