Last week was the final week of Cultural & Learning
Activities with CCS and also the last week for one of our group members.
We visited the District 6 Museum and got first hand accounts
from our very own driver who was born and married there. His schoolmate was a co-founder of the museum
which had some very cool features including most of the original street signs
from the area before it was demolished to become a “whites only” area and all
of the black and coloured residents were forcibly moved to separate
townships. There is also a bench, marked
“Europeans Only” that anyone can now occupy without issue. Both of the now
68-year-old schoolboys talked about how lively and accepting the area was when
they were growing up until the forced removals began in the 1960s.
We also went to a famous restaurant in Guguleto called
Mzoli’s where all of the internationally renowned chefs visit when they come to
Cape Town then to a community center to see local artists perform traditional
African dances. We also had a visitor to
Home Base named Themba who told a musical story about the reconciliation process. He explained the role of the Truth and
Reconciliation committee in overcoming the hurt and anger leftover from the
bitter Apartheid era and how his organization finds ways to bring music and art
to the healing process.
Over the weekend, the other volunteers and I spent a day
walking the boardwalk on the waterfront.
We thoroughly enjoyed the free “waterpark attractions” when the waves
would crash against the break wall sending a downpour of water onto the
sidewalk. We also stopped at every
playground and dog park along the way to play on the seesaws and pet other
people’s dogs.
These past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about how amazing the
power of experience can be. Through the experiences and encounters I’ve
already had here in South Africa, I have a newly piqued interest in:
·
The impact of short term volunteering on childhood
development. I’m concerned
about/interested in the lasting results of volunteers forming relationships
with children then disappearing over time.
The goal is to have steady care for the children and volunteers can
provide that but, in many cases, they are different people every few weeks.
·
Having learned so much about the history
already, I’m really interested in the reconciliation process and the
power of forgiveness. I should have
already been interested in this since it’s so connected to what I already know
about Guatemala but there’s much more out there to learn and I’m excited to get
started! I’m hoping to get into courses
in the School of Public Policy about Reconciliation and Peace building for my
last semester the fall! I should be well prepared!
·
Africa in general—honestly, before I
came, I wasn’t very interested or willing to learn more about the continent,
it’s geography, history, cultures, current political and social situations,
etc. I think I was overwhelmed by the
massive amounts of information there is to know and learn.
·
I’ve always been interested in the role of religious
institutions/missionaries in development and have a renewed interest after
some discussions with the group.
·
I was interested in immigration but never really
thought about refugees. After our
meeting with Scalabrini Refugee Centre, I realized the hardships that refugees
face integrating into a new society after escaping serious hardships in their
countries of origin. Immigrants in
general can be a link to learning about another culture and country.
·
I’m finally developing an interest in HIV/AIDS. Despite learning about it and being presented
with many opportunities to learn about and care about it, I just never really
understood the significance of the virus and disease. Being in the country with the highest
infection rate, I realize how it can so seriously affect families and
communities. I hope to take advantage of
a mini-course in the fall on this topic.
There are probably many more that I can’t think of now but I
certainly look forward to exploring these topics more thoroughly.
