Day #1: 16 March, Wednesday:
We arrived at O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Jo'burg and headed to the Protea Hotel Balalaika Sandton. After settling into the hotel and finding their way around the adjacent Village Walk Shopping Centre, taking a dip in the pool, and/or working out at the gym it was time for dinner at the HomBaze African Cuisine Restaurant.
Day #2: 17 March, Thursday:
We traveled to Sharpeville, site of the Sharpeville Massacre which occurred on March 21, 1960.
That event is now commemorated each year on 21 March, Human Rights Day, a public holiday in South Africa. It was significant for the group to travel to this memorial since they had studied the causes and effects of this event in their class on the History and Politics of South Africa. Listing to the story told by our guide, viewing the exhibit, and visiting the graves of those who were murdered on that day was a moving experience for us all.
That evening we traveled to Nelson Mandela Square for dinner where the group had a chance to relax and enjoy yet another aspect of Jo'burg.
The group in front of the fountain and statue of Nelson Mandela (which is hidden someplace in the background)
Day #3: Friday, 18 March
In the morning we traveled to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, "with its 2'964 beds, is the largest acute hospital in the world. It is situated to the south west of Johannesburg, on the southern border of Soweto. The Hospital grounds cover an area of 173 acres, consisting of 429 buildings with a total floor area of 233'785.19m2.
It is the only public hospital serving approximately 3.5 million people in Soweto and it provides half of all the hospital services in Southern Gauteng. Being a specialist hospital, referrals for specialist treatment are received from all over the country, as well as surrounding African States." Listing to presentations by social workers, doctors, nurses, researchers, and community advocates gave us all an opportunity to learn a tremendous amount about HIV/AIDS and TB which is so prevalent in South Africa. Following that we had lunch at the Maponya Mall in Soweto.
Friday evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the University of Johannesburg which was hosted by Dr. Jimmy Ellis, Director of Internationalization, and prepared by university students from the hospitality management program. Prior to dinner Dr. Ellis provided us with an overview of the fascinating history of the university which included: The University of Johannesburg, established on 1 January 2005, is the result of the incorporation of the East Rand and Soweto campuses of Vista University into the Rand Afrikaans University(RAU) (1 January 2004). The merger of the modified RAU and the Technikon Witwatersrand took place on 1 January 2005 thus creating the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The Technikon of the Witwatersrand was established in 1925. The Rand Afrikaans University was established in 1967. Vista University was established in 1982. UJ has currently four urban campuses spread over the Witwatersrand in use and one dormant since 2007. More than 48 000 full-time students and 2 700 permanent staff makes it the largest residential university in the Republic of South Africa.
Following dinner some of the students interested in the field of social work had an opportunity to speak with Hettie Ellis, a member of the faculty of Humanities Department of Social Work, while others enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and wonderful views of the city skyline.
Day #4: Saturday, 19 March
Memorial Johannesburg Prison and
Constitutional Court
Day #5: Sunday, 20 March
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