Ashley is ready and willing to learn

Devil's Peak & Table Mountain overlook the Mother City

It is difficult for me to believe that I have been in South Africa for almost three weeks.  This has been the most amazing two weeks of my life! I miss my family and friends dearly but the experiences I’ve had have been so wonderful that I can’t help but imagine how depressing it will be to see April 30^th come around.  I love how we were able to see the tourist’s view of Cape Town along with a local Capetonian’s view.  As many people have explained the Church service in Gugulethu was absolutely amazing.  You can see how much hope and love for God every single person had.  It was also beautiful to see how comfortable the locals were to sit tightly packed in the heat, all with long sleeves, sweaters, skirts, and stockings.  It made me think about how privileged we are and how quick we are to complain when our air conditioners or fans aren’t working.  This was also my first time driving through a township.  Now this was truly a humbling experience! 

Every time I think about the townships and how the people from the communities there live their daily lives I can’t help but relate it to my easy life back at home.  One of the issues regarding the living conditions from the townships that stuck with me was when I learned that many of the shacks don’t have toilets.  The toilets that are available may be miles away or one toilet for ten families.  For some reason I couldn’t get this reality out of my mind.  Just the thought that your child doesn’t have a safe place to use the bathroom in the middle of the night is heart wrenching. 

Internships also began this weekJ I have only been in my placement for two days and already I have learned so much about the organization and the community it works for.  I was given the opportunity to sit in on a staff meeting and absolutely loved the way the organization is structured.  The manager genuinely asked every department how they felt and if they needed any one to speak to.  I found this amazing as I compared my past mangers and past jobs I have worked for.  I also couldn’t help but notice just how much more relaxed everything was compared to jobs, organizations or clubs I had been part of back home.  At first it was difficult for me to adjust because I felt that I should be kept busy or getting some sort of work done.  As the day went on I noticed that everything was getting done but at a different pace than what I was accustomed to.  Again, in the beginning I was tempted to ask or want to do something about the fact that the team I was working with wasn’t working on a fast pace but then I remembered that I am not here to change the organization but help and learn.  By the end of the next day I was able to notice another reason why so many people fall in love with this country.  Not only do the people I’m working with have great character and values but they also eventually get their work done and do it amazingly well! As a business student this was tough for me to realize because I’m used to sticking to the most efficient, profitable way to get a certain project done.  It’s only been two days and already my mind set is changing outside of the classroom.  Something I find incredibly inspiring since we have this idea that you receive most of your skills within the classroom.  This has been an exciting two days and I cannot wait to learn more about my internship and the people who are affected by the commitment and work done by my fellow co workers.