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!
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