Reflecting on the Experience

After a 36-hour travel extravaganza (Cape Town, Jo'burg, Singapore, Tokya, L.A.), I am now safe and sound at home in California!  The end of my Cape Town trip was fabulous, including a lovely end-of-the-program dinner at a wonderful restaurant on a vineyard, round-table discussions with activists in the townships of Manenburg and Khayelitsha, and shopping at an African Market.


Overall, my experience in South Africa was incredibly fun and deeply meaningful.  Not only did I make lifelong friends, step out of my comfort zone with hikes and sharkdiving, and teach kids how to do simple mathematics, but I also gained valuable insight into the problems of poverty and inequality and how this affect people at the individual and collective levels.  Seeing the devastating results of racism and discrimination first hand, I was able to draw conclusions and gain inspiration about how I can help people in the future.  In the United States, so many of us live our lives in safety and relative comfort, unaware of the problems that are still so potent throughout the world.  We take it for granted that we learn our simple multiplication and division in 2nd and 3rd grade, while some kids are 15 years old and incapable of calculating "3x6 = 18."  Basic math along with reading and writing skills are integral parts of our education in the United States, but in other countries like South Africa, illiteracy is high and a good education is considered a privilege that many children do not gain access to.  The cyclical nature of poverty is rampant in situations like those of the people in the townships, and helping the children first hand gave me the perspective and realization of the tremendous inequalities that exist in our society.


That said, I also gained perspective on the importance of happiness and living in the moment.  Although many of the people in the townships were starving and wearing rags, there was a level of simplicity and enjoyment in their lives that many of us don't experience in the developed world when stresses and concerns over unimportant things overwhelm us.  The adults and children that we worked with were incredibly loving and caring about each other, passionate about changing their lives, and willing to sit back, relax, and enjoy the small things in life--because without that enjoyment, they have nothing to hold onto.  The appreciation of family and friends in the townships was so deeply rooted, and I remember seeing a similar appreciation when I studied abroad in a poor town in Costa Rica during high school.  During my time in South Africa, I did not have a cell phone or constant internet access, and I never wore a watch.  I lived in the moment every day I was in South Africa, thinking only about where I was at the time, what I was doing, and truly enjoying every adventure I was experiencing.  I hope this view on life is something I can maintain now that I am back in the States.


Overall, I would like to thank everyone who played a role in my experience in South Africa.  Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for sponsoring the trip, mom and dad for organizing all the logistics/allowing me to go, Professor Abegaz for leading us through such a thought-provoking adventure and teaching us about poverty and inequality, the seven of you who took the journey with me, SHAWCO for providing the infrastructure and community engagement opportunities, and William and Mary for the opportunity to study in South Africa and gain a new perspective on my education.  Also, thank you to everyone who has been reading my blog throughout this journey.


Can't wait to return to Africa!

New Digs and a Baboon Attack

Now that our trip is in its last week, we have been spending every single day to the absolute fullest.  Last week we went to an Ethiopian restaurant with our professor, who happens to be a native Ethiopian!  It was such an experience—if you haven’t had Ethiopian food before, let me explain:  Everyone sits in low chairs at a small, round table.  The table is covered with a spongy, crepe-like bread and on top of the bread are the specific types of “stews” that you order. At my table, we split a fish stew and two vegetarian stews.  After the waiter washes your hands with water from a ceremonial gourde, you rip the spongy bread and (with your hands) grab the stew and put it in your mouth.  We accompanied our meal with classic Ethiopian “honey wine” which our professor explained is the mead that was consumed in biblical times. 

Later in the week, we were privileged to take a walking tour of a section in Khayelitcha.  Although in the past we had been working with children and adults in the SHAWCO centers, we hadn’t fully seen the streets of the township without looking through the window of our bus.  Local residents gave us a tour of their neighborhood in the township, and soon enough our group of eight Americans was joined by about 20 little kids who wanted to follow along.  We walked to a lookout point with a view of the entire township, and it was very interesting to see the different socioeconomic levels of the neighborhoods within Khayelitcha.  After the tour, we ate dinner at a home in the township that belongs to one of the SHAWCO volunteers. 

As a part of our curriculum for the SHAWCO Community Engagement course, we took an academic excursion to Streetwire: an art gallery and factory that employs impoverished people from the Cape Town community, giving them a stable income and job experience.  Streetwire specializes in bead and wire art, and after the tour of the factory, one of the employees taught us how to make a beaded flower keychain.  It was interesting to see a grassroots community effort to create and maintain jobs in the city, since unemployment is such a huge problem in South Africa. 

On Wednesday evening, the eight of us and our professor went to the local movie theater to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!  We purchased tickets in advance (they were only three dollars) and waited in line for the movie.  We were able to see it two days before it came out in the United States, which was probably the most satisfying part J

The next day, our group moved from the dorms at University of Cape Town to a hostel in Observatory, a trendy little community about ten minutes from UCT.  We were so excited as we drove up to the hostel and passed countless ethnic restaurants, hole-in-the-wall shops, and small cafes.  Living in the hostel is a very different experience than living in the dorms.  First of all, instead of each having our own rooms like we did at UCT, the six of us girls share a single room with three bunk beds.  The limited space has been hard to deal with, since we all have huge suitcases and there aren’t enough closets in the room. Second, it’s tough to crack down on the studying when we aren’t in an academic environment.  We have a final exam in a few days, so we have been attempting to do our reading and studying in the lobby of the hostel and in our bunk beds which is pretty much impossible considering there are always a ton of people around.  Third, the food is absolutely AMAZING.  They cater all the meals from a local café that uses only fresh, organic ingredients.  It is so much healthier and more delicious than the food we have been subjected to at the UCT dining hall!  Lastly, the hostel is right in a community with enjoyable nightlife, whereas we previously took cabs each night into town.  It has been very safe and extremely convenient, and hopefully we will be taking advantage of the location of the hostel in our last days in Cape Town.

Our Friday morning lecture was cancelled at the last minute, so the eight of us decided to take a little trip to the Aquarium at the Waterfront.  We called our driver, Denver, and used our UCT I.D.s to get a great discount on tickets for the aquarium.  The aquarium had so many exotic, beautiful fish that I had never seen before, having lived on the other side of the world for 20 years.  Some of the fish were as big as people, and they even had a tank filled with sharks.  It was pretty incredible to think that days ago, we were shark cage diving with these creatures and here they were behind thick glass.  Additionally, the aquarium had a special exhibit of penguins and frogs, which was really cool.  The museum was extremely interactive, so we were able to pick up starfish and sponges and use special touch-screens on the walls to learn more about the animals.  After the aquarium, we walked to a local craft markets and looked at unique African art and jewelry.  It was so tempting to buy everything, but I knew we would be visiting an even bigger market on Mandela Day later in the weekend.

Later in the day, we experienced our final afternoon with the kids from the township.  SHAWCO planned a huge event at a local campground, so we enjoyed the traditional Braai BBQ, played games like volleyball and jump rope, and took a nature walk through the forest.  It was a beautiful day and everyone enjoyed our last few hours together.  During lunch, we were all sitting around eating when we hear shrieks.  Spinning around, I see a wild baboon grabbing one of the volunteer’s lunches.  Baboons around this area are aggressive and dangerous, so everyone jumped into the buses for safety.  Luckily, no one was hurt, but we (the Americans) had quite a good laugh at the whole experience of a baboon attack during our picnic in Africa.  When we had to say goodbye, everyone was teary-eyed and there were endless hugs.  My three students thanked me so much for all my help with their mathematics and English, and it was very sad to leave them.  I can only home that they continue to study and eventually go to college and move out of the township, but I guess I will never truly know. 

Only a few days left! 

Shark Cage Diving, Table Mountain, and More!

We have fallen into quite the rhythm here in Cape Town, and it is beginning to feel like home.  Every weekday morning after breakfast we attend a lecture from 9-11.  The lectures switch between William and Mary lectures taught by Prof. Abegaz to SHAWCO lectures from visiting professors.  After lecture we have a bit of time to check emails, eat lunch, and do a bit of reading before we head off to the township for volunteering from 1:30-5:30.  We return to campus for dinner and then catch a cab to yoga at 7.  The people at the yoga studio know us now, which is great!  After yoga we do a bit more reading and studying before heading out to a club or bar. 

Last week our group took an educational excursion to District 6—an area of Cape Town that was completely torn apart as blacks were deported from the area and forced to move into townships.  We visited the museum and then took a bus tour around the area.  It was particularly moving to me because it reminded me a lot of what happened to the Jews in Europe during the Holocaust.  The deportations forced families to leave their homes, their belongings, and oftentimes split up members of the same family based on racial lines. 

Teaching the kids in Khayelitsha has been an incredible experience.  I feel so connected to them—especially the three kids I have been tutoring for the past week and a half.  One of the activities we did was a dance routine competition.  My group won the competition, with a remix of dances to Wavin’ Flag, Single Ladies, Waka Waka, Lady Gaga, and their traditional song, Sho Sholoza.  We also led a structured debate with the kids, making them argue for or against a curfew for children in the township.  I was especially proud of my student, Apiwue, who argued that a curfew for children in the township would be beneficial because it would keep children safe and parents at ease. We started the math unit yesterday, so I have had to brush up on my fractions and exponents so I could properly teach the children.  Even though they are 14 and 15 years old, they do math at a 2^nd grade level, which speaks to the inadequacy of the education system in South Africa. 

This past weekend was ridiculously fun!  The eight of us started early Saturday morning with an all-day shark cage diving excursion.  The shark cage diving company picked us up on campus and drove us the two hours to Gansbaai.  It was a beautiful drive, and we were able to see a lot of the natural terrain of the Western Cape.  The sprawling hills were filled with boulders, trees, and vegetation…it almost looked like something you would expect to see in Ireland rather than in Africa.  Once we arrived at the bay, they fed us breakfast and we took a 20-minute boat ride out into the bay.  We spent four hours on the water, taking turns shark cage diving, eating lunch, and watching the sharks from the boat.  They gave us wet suits and goggles and we jumped into the water and down into the cage, where only a few bars separated us from the HUGE Great White Sharks.  I had no idea that South Africa was the shark capital of the world, but there were so many—every few minutes another shark would come toward the cage with its mouth open, hoping to catch the bait that was hanging nearby.  It was a terrifyingly exhilarating experience seeing the sharks so close up.  After we returned to the shore, they fed us dinner and showed us the video that was filmed of our experience before driving us back to campus.  It was quite an adventure of a day.

On Sunday, we attended a service at a colored church in Manenburg, one of the relatively less-impoverished townships.  Even though three out of the eight of us are Jewish, it was still very interesting to go to the community gathering, see the passion for religion that these people had, and meet more native South Africans.  The people of the church were very welcoming to us, saying “God Bless America!” and “God Bless Barack Obama!” and having us each stand up and introduce ourselves to the congregation.  The music was upbeat and everyone was on their feet dancing to songs about God.  The preacher was loud and energetic, getting people to stand up and say “Hallelujah!”  It was pretty incredible—so different than any Jewish service I have been to!

After church, my friend Hannah and I separated from the group to go to the Holocaust Museum at the Jewish Community Center in Cape Town.  It is a beautiful facility, with a synagogue, library, café, gift shop, Holocaust museum, and a Jewish Museum. The Holocaust museum was small, but there was an interesting tidbit about the Jews of South Africa, which I found new and different.  I hope to return to the Jewish Community Center and check out the other museum.  Hopefully we will have time.

As the sun began to set, we met up with the rest of our William and Mary friends and our professor and took a cable car up to the top of Table Mountain—one of the most iconic parts of Cape Town.  Exploring the top of Table Mountain at sunset was an unreal experience, and to a certain extent, it brought our entire trip full circle.  I remember leaving the airport three weeks ago and the first thing I saw was Table Mountain towering over the city.  It was intimidating and huge, just like the experience that lay ahead of me.  Three weeks later, I looked down on the city from Table Mountain with a feeling of comfort and realization that I have come to know the city. The views from the mountain were incredible, with clear skies we could make out all parts of the city—the townships, the soccer stadium, the university, and the wealthier, gated communities.  We even looked down upon Lion’s Head—the mountain we climbed at the beginning of the trip.

One week left, and still so much to do.  I know it will be the best one yet.

Halfway Through

First off, I would like to apologize for the tardiness of this post. We have been so busy every day that we rarely have time to check email much less compose a detailed blog post! So here goes nothing…

After a week of working with the adults in Khayelitsha and teaching them basic computer skills and how to make resumes, we had our final day together. One of the most special moments was when the South Africans we were working with broke out into song.  They all knew the soulful, harmonious lyrics of “Sho Sholoza,” a song of South African pride.  It was absolutely beautiful, and after a rendition of the song that included dancing, we said our tearful goodbyes.  The men and women had written us lovely thank-you notes, and some W&M students teared up as we hugged our friends for the last time. 

Another highlight of the past week was our trip to Robben Island, an island off the shore of the Western Cape where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 16 years.  We took a ferry to the island and a bus tour around the grounds, learning about the history of the island and its role in the struggles of South Africa’s long, dynamic political history. After the bus tour, a former prisoner gave us a walking tour of the prison itself, and we were able to walk through the cells and bunk areas.  Seeing Nelson Mandela’s solitary confinement cell was particularly powerful.

We had a free day on Sunday, so after lots of debate we decided to go cheetah petting and wine tasting in the beautiful vineyards of Stellenbosch.  We hired a driver to take us there for the day, and we started with wine and cheese tasting at Fairview Vineyards (which happened to be founded in 1693!).  I tried six different wines—two reds, two whites, and two dessert wines.  Our server explained how wine was made, how to properly taste it, and what made certain wines more expensive than others.  He gave us a brief tour of the winery, and we finished the session with a buffet of cheeses—all freshly made on the vineyard!  The entire session cost about US $4…which was such a steal.  Next, we drove to Spier, which is a famous resort in Stellenbosch.  After another wine tasting, some of the W&M students paid to pet cheetahs in Spier’s animal reservation.  We continued to a delicious little café in the nearby town and drove back to the University of Cape Town.  It was probably the most enjoyable day so far!

This week the eight of us started the second part of the SHAWCO program—teaching thirteen to fourteen-year-old kids math and English skills.  I was very nervous about this part of the community engagement program because I am typically horrible with kids and not very patient when it comes to teaching.  Each tutor was assigned three kids to work with for the next two weeks.  I am working with a thirteen year-old-boy, a thirteen-year-old girl, and a fourteen-year old boy who all live in Khayelitsha.  The first day of teaching, we went over basic grammar, did a word search, and practiced antonyms and synonyms.  It went surprisingly well! I could tell they were excited to interact with Americans and very willing to learn.  The second day at the school, we played lots of ice breaker games, such as an egg and spoon race, name games, and a game called “fruit salad.”  The kids absolutely loved it, and all the tutors were so happy afterwards. We always feel so accomplished after a day of work with the South Africans and each bus-ride back to UCT is full of chatter about our students’ progress.

Spending the 4^th of July in a foreign country is always quite the adventure.  I remember celebrating Independence Day in Costa Rica years back, scavenging for American-style food, singing patriotic songs, and feeling a strong connection with all the Americans present in the faraway country.  July 4^th in South Africa was very similar.  After a wonderful dinner at a burger joint on Long Street with our professor, the eight of us wandered out into the rowdy party scene with one goal: to find Americans.  We finally stumbled upon Dubliners, an Irish pub where people dressed in red, white, and blue were screaming the lyrics to “Sweet Home Alabama.”  We knew we were in the right place. The rest of the night was fabulous, with lots of singing, dancing and laughing.

This past evening, five of us went to a local Yoga studio for a hot Vinyassa Flow Yoga session.  It took place in a very warm room, and the facilities were gorgeous.  We all felt so relaxed, detoxed, and fit afterwards and ended up purchasing a ten-day pass for the rest of our time here.  We look forward to doing more yoga throughout the rest of the trip. 

The second week in South Africa was wonderful.  I can’t believe we only have two weeks left.