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When we drove throughout the township this was my first experience of seeing what extreme poverty really was. I’ve read about townships before and even seen pictures of them, but nothing could ever prepare me for the moment in which I first laid eyes on the thousands of shacks ahead of me. There were heaps of people everywhere going about their daily lives. -Geneva
And then: our first taste of a township – exceeding all expectations. I can tell I am going to be completely falling in love with these people. The smiles they have on their faces in such hard times are eye-opening. Their strength is a bit shaming. To think about the things we complain about in our daily comfortable lives back home is embarrassing. -Kate
Before we left I had pulled out my bottle of water to quench my thirst. I had a boy look at me with a blank state and hopeless eyes begging to have a sip. Because I had more than half left I gave him the bottle and told him to share it with the others. Before I could blink he and the other children and consumed every last drop. I instantly remembered the granola bars and fruit snacks I had in my bag for a later meal and pulled them out. I dispersed them amongst the kids around me and they immediately thanked me and ate the snack. Even though I was hungry and still thirsty I knew it was nothing compared to their empty bellies. -Alison
She was speaking fluently in Xhosa, so we were not able to understand while she was telling the story about her oldest son who practically died in her arms from AIDS. In this moment, ______ began to cry so uncontrollably, and that is one of my weaknesses is when another person cries, I don’t even have to know why they are crying, but I feel their pain, and I begin to cry as well. The tears just kept forming in my eyes and did not even understand at all what the mother was saying, but I knew it was horrible to make _____ cry so much and to cause the Care and Support Team to cry as well. -Danielle
I talked to Lennox about the US because he went to New Jersey for over a year... He has ambition and I think that if given the opportunity he will flourish is a US school. This made me think about the opportunities that being American automatically gives me. Not going to college was not an option for me and I never really gave it a second thought as being regarded as a privilege. Lennox has helped me to look at what I have and value that. I know that I have already learned so much about myself on this trip. -Kellie
Today I realized how fortunate we have it back home. We have so many material things to make our lives comfortable and we take them for granted. Even our schools, we complain about budget cuts, of course education is important, but after seeing these schools, who are we to complain.
The one thing I have noticed though, the people here are genuinely happy. Regardless of what they have they are with out a doubt happy. They are also friendly. It is nice to be in a place where people approach you or vice versus and they will tell you their whole life story. -Sara F.
Before we left I had two older women asked to have their picture taken with me in the middle. Before I walked away they told me their names and asked if I could email them a copy. I told them I would and then they made me promise. I instantly felt pressure to follow through with the promise I made when they said, “don’t disappoint us”. These people have taught me so much about doing the things I say and never making an empty promise. They have little more than their words to depend on and I highly respect that. I will leave Africa being more careful with the things I say and whom I say them to. -Alison
As we were waiting to have tasks be delegated to us, Angela picked up a newspaper. The story was about a drunk off duty police officer that shot someone. But the picture hid nothing. Everything was exposed, the dead body on the ground, the blood, the gunshot wound. Something we would never see in a US newspaper--very graphic and a representation that death or crime is taken “lightly.” It’s part of everyone’s daily life. -Felicia
Following that, we went to a refugee housing. One thing I never really expected was to feel angry. It is upsetting to me to look in every which way and see another problem that these people seem to face. It is almost as if they cannot get a break. From poverty to violence to AIDS. When you throw the experience of children in the mix, and kids being the head of households, its downright overwhelming – exhausting, even. It’s difficult to be put in this situation and feel as though there isn’t possibly enough you could do to help. I feel like there is so much suffering, that there is not enough of us to go around. But then, I’ve begun to think, maybe that’s the point of all of this. South Africans are living day to day with this unending cycle of problems. And they keep going, they persevere. Because I think in this type of life, at the end of the day, a little bit goes quite a long way. The little things we CAN do to help while we are here is making such a difference that I most probably just can’t even grasp it. There’s no use in getting caught up in that inevitable feeling of helplessness, when you really get to experience what these people are all about. After this trip, I get to go home and worry about what I now see as some pretty petty issues. These people get to stay here and continue to deal with these HUGE issues. So, for the time being, I need to focus my energies on the people and what I can do for them and deal with my own feelings on this trip later. -Kate
Overall, today was an eye-opening experience. I learned a lot about the history of South Africa, and Cape Town, in particular… What I most want to remember are the pictures I saw at the District Six museum, the conditions that the people in Langa were living in, and how positive the people’s attitudes are, despite the hardships they’ve gone through. I hope to never forget these things, and I hope to look back at this day and what I’ve learned, and to count the many blessings I have and be thankful and have a positive outlook on life. Jody
Today I realized how diverse South Africa is. Every person we meet has a different story to tell and a different heritage to be proud of. Each person is a different shade and a different shape; it is impossible to differentiate who is considered colored from who is considered black with the naked eye. According to SouthAfrica.info Africans are in the majority with a little over 38-million, making up 79.6% of the total population. The white population has about 4.3-million people (9.1%), while the coloured population has 4.2-million (8.9%) and the Indian/Asian population is a little less than 1.2-million (2.5%). The diversity of this country is what makes is so beautiful. -Alison
The most remarkable part of Soweto was the range of status among the town. We drove over a ridge that housed hundreds of people in shacks and a small stream with pigs drinking out of it. Within the same city we drove by a neighborhood of mansions. -Courtney
Friday night, I enjoyed going to the refugee benefit concert at the Cathedral. The blend of people and voices was inspiring. You could feel the hope and compassion just dripping from everyone. It was a beautiful service. The thing that really shook me was a twelve-year-old girl that got up. She was speaking on behalf of children that are just as caught up in the difficult times here as everyone else. She ended her short speech by saying that she hopes that one day soon children will no longer be treated as animals, but as humans. That really hit me, hearing this young child speak like that. -Kate
That is a common misconception that I know myself and others had going into areas like this and believing that our issues at home are far different from the people living in urban South African communities and towns, but ironically they are quite the same… -Danielle
Having the opportunity to go into Vicky’s B&B opened my eyes to a world I never knew. I had no idea hardwood floors, flat screen televisions, and plumbing would be included in her shack… Because of Vicky I will be able to go home and correct many misunderstandings held by my friends and family. -Alison
How come I get to go home in 13 days and complain about gas prices, that I’ll find a way to afford anyways, and never have to go hungry at night, when these children are in such dire circumstances? It’s definitely hard for me to grasp. And it has been hard for me to get used to. But I am understanding that my role here, and elsewhere, from here on out in my life is to just care. I’m not always going to understand the inequalities I see, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do all I possibly can to just alleviate some little part of it. -Kate
Today was our introduction to the Hope Worldwide Organization. My initial reaction, however, was to the drive into Khayelitsha. This is the largest township and holds some one million people. The houses were made of metal scraps with plastic roofs. They were nothing more than a few square feet; just enough to use for shelter and that is all. Each home was built up against the next using one another for support; much like the community itself. The community was alive with people. It was remarkable to see so many people working together to survive. Businesses were formed out of roadside sheds and people cooked and sold meat in the streets. Each member of the society is dependent on the other for survival and yet they all seem to have a smile on their faces. In a society where everything is plentiful, you rarely see Americans with such a positive disposition. -Tammy
I also saw Geneva do something really remarkable. A woman she had been talking with made the comment that she wished she had something to remember Geneva by. Without hesitation, and having nothing else to give the woman, Geneva hopped up into the bus and grabbed her Cal State student ID, and gave it to the woman before we left. To Geneva, $5 will get her a duplicate ID. To that woman, every time she looks at this flimsy little card, she will be reminded of a great conversation with a kind-hearted girl who came to visit her on a really good day. I once again walked away from those we had come to help feeling as though we had learned more from them than they could have possibly learned from us. -Kate
This morning we visited the Green Market Square. Although it was raining and windy everyone I encountered had a smile on their face. These people are quite incredible. The people in these markets most likely come from the townships and have almost nothing and yet they greet you with kindness and sincerity. -Tammy
The statues in the city are all of white men; I have yet to see a statue of a black man. The legacy apartheid has left can be seen in everyday interactions, names, and economics among all people living in South Africa. One such example is Cecil John Rhodes, who monopolized the diamond industry and whose influence can still be seen today via the DeBeers company. Another example is that of changing peoples names when they sounded ‘white’ to non white names such as Ibrahim’s name. His family was made to drop the ‘s’ in Rhodes because it was not allowed for colored people to have white names. -Angela
To break the let down of having to leave the kids, excitement set in. We were on our way to the Nan Hua Buddhist Temple. We arrived after about an hour of sitting in the bus. It was this huge, breathtaking oasis set in the middle of seemingly nowhere. It literally popped out at you, from out of nowhere. We headed over to the dining hall, which was an experience within itself. For one thing, when eating with the monks, you have to observe total silence, as is their custom. Another thing I noticed is portions. Being in South Africa has shown me how skewed our portions are in America. We got our tiny little plates and made sure not to take too much on our first go around, as Buddhists have a very deep meaning of taking only what one needs. Once we got a taste of things and figured out the things that we liked, we were all soon up for seconds…I liked everything I tried, and had I not gotten full, would have wanted thirds. We respectfully brought our plates forward and then made our way back towards the main hall where we had the chance to poke our heads in the little museum on site and then the gift shop. -Kate
The most interesting part of the night was when I met one of the bartenders. We discussed our backgrounds and he told me he has lived in Khayelitsha his whole life… I never would have expected him to come from the township… He told me that he is very happy and content and that if he had the choice that is the life he would choose just because of his close family and friends… He told me that even though his family is not affected by AIDS he stills sees it all the time. Everyone in the townships care for one another and he said he would much rather have that mentality than lots of wealth. He was very genuine and I really learned something from him. -Kellie
I ordered a coffee to go thinking that he would get it quickly because I was obviously in a hurry. That’s when I realized South African’s are very leisurely. It took him over 15 minutes to get me the coffee and I was almost late for the bus. It was stressful, but I think that I (being an American) am just used to a faster paced life. Africa is just a slower paced place which is actuary nice and it would probably be healthier for me in general if I learned to relax a little bit. -Kellie
When we were waiting on the side of the road for a taxi to come we learned that there are certain hand signals that indicate which town you want to go to. We learned the one for Site C and Harara. -Geneva
What I learned about South Africa today was that apartheid has affected all demographics of people. For example, we met three people from different ethnic backgrounds who grew up during the apartheid era. We met Luke a white male who was conscripted into the national army during the apartheid era and did not want to be in it at all. He refused to carry a gun and was in the army for about two years. We met Arlene who would be considered to be under the “coloured” category and was against apartheid also. She talked about how she doesn’t want to be referred to as coloured and she mentioned how she protested during those times. Then we met Lutendo. Lutendo is a black African who also grew up during apartheid. I was unable to learn about his life during apartheid but what I can see is that Lutendo was able to come out of that era as an educated black man. So many black Africans were denied the right o an equal education and in turn are now suffering because they cannot get proper jobs. -Geneva
The second stop was to the Company Gardens, which had many beautiful trees and plants inside of the garden. We were able to see where parliament and the president of South Africa resided… This is where I began noticing that many of the statues that we were observing were of white people; despite the fact that South Africa’s population is 80% Black. -Danielle
From our tour guide Ibrahim, I’ve learned that under the rules of apartheid, Asians in South Africa for years have been subject to many of the same restrictions as the blacks. One law forbade their sex relations with whites while another forced them to live in nonwhite areas. They couldn’t buy liquor without a permit and were not allowed in white hotels and restaurants. But the racist regime began to have second thoughts about white supremacy as applied to Asians when it began industrial trade with Japan. As a result, Japanese in the country became favored heavily over the Chinese, and they became termed “honorary whites”. While the Japanese were the only Asian race to have such productive relations with South Africa, it became grossly unfair to South Africa's proud little community of Chinese, who enjoyed none of the new benefits granted to the Japanese. In their community Chinese were still looked down upon, and were considered “coloured”. -Eric
The next stop we made was at a little lunch place in the area of Cape Town where most of the Muslim population lives. As we drove up the hilly roads, we noticed all of the different brightly colored homes. At first, I just thought that people liked the bright colors; but as Ibrahim spoke on, we learned that these people were descendents of slaves, and as a sign of their freedom and their ownership of their homes, they painted their property the brightest of colors as a sign of their freedom. This really stuck out to me because I would have never thought that, but then after hearing that information, it made complete sense to me. The feelings that these people went through during and after slavery ended is one that I, as a free person my whole life, will never experience, so to see how they expressed their feelings allows some insight into the newfound pride they had gained with the end of slavery. Seeing this part of the city made me realize that there are so many different cultures and races living here, and they all have their own story, and they all expressed themselves in their own ways. -Jody
We got into the combi taxi and headed over to the Site C area where we went into a woman’s house. She lived in shack, but the inside was not what I expected at all. The inside had a linoleum floor and there was a television too. -Geneva
Seeing the living conditions that over a million people live in is so unreal. The people’s homes are not so safe because if they cook in their home sometimes the stove or flame might tip over and the house goes up in flames. Usually all their belongings get swept away. It is not like they have struggled and gone through such horrible things already, this just helps to top it off. -Sara F.
As we were traveling to the five-point fort, it was interesting to see some remnants of the apartheid era. In particular, a three-lane walkway was designated for whites, coloreds, and blacks that lead into the train station. This demonstrated how racism was strongly upheld, that different colors of people had to walk in different lanes to avoid any possibility of touching each other. The South African History reading stated that the “whites only” was “ingrained in the South African psyche” by the 1960s. Being black or colored did not only mean that whites got better privileges but they were considered morally superior. Apartheid did more than physically segregate people it altered the way people could think for themselves. -Sarah M.
The newspaper headlines were not discrete in their portrayal of death. In the office I found the current newspaper which showed the image of a man sprawled in the street covered in blood. The man was obviously dead and had been beaten to death. It was difficult to come to terms with the reality of the photograph. Every dead or dying image that I have seen has been a fabrication. Death in a natural sense has been shielded from us in the United States. We know it happens every day and yet no one wants to face it, not even the news. Tales of soldiers’ deaths and gang violence are made impersonal by the newscaster’s animated appearances, their two second reels of quick facts, and a lack of information. Death in these townships is a daily event and very much apart of everyone’s lives. Nothing is hidden away from these people because whether the news portrays it or not, it is surrounding and affecting them at all time. -Tammy
Today we had lecture and discussed what we experienced on our tour of Cape Town and the township of Langa. We discussed things that we take for granted as well as things that we assume all people have to live with, i.e. food, water, warm water, electricity, washers and dryers, one’s own bed, safety, dry homes, trash disposal, medical attention, etc. -Jody
Today is by far one of the longest days I have EVER experienced. Although it was long, it was remarkable. I have had the motto, “I’m only in South Africa once” and this has resulted in many late nights and a lack of sleep. As I am writing this my eyes are getting heavy and my mind is running all over the place, but I can hear my associates in the drum circle hooting/hollering and I can’t help but smile. It seems like such an appropriate conclusion to such an event filled day. I wish we could stay here longer because everyone seems to enjoy it immensely. -Alison