Africa Day at Oval North

May 25 was Africa Day, which commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity, joined by 30 out of 32 independent African states. 

Oval North, a high school in Mitchell’s Plain (a designated colored township, built as they forced District 6 residents out of the city in the 1960s and 70s) celebrated Africa Day with a morning assembly to celebrate Africa’s freedom and future.   After visiting the courts with their school nurse/counselor/wellness program coordinator/etc. last week, I was invited to attend this event with the volunteer who was placed there.  There was a lot of excitement in the school since the “learners” (what they call students) were permitted to wear “something that represented Africa” instead of their school uniforms.  Further, it was the volunteer’s last day there so she had a lot of good byes to be said and there was always a buzz when she’d walk through the hallways (she was the first American volunteer to help at the school so she was immediately elevated to celebrity status as soon as she stepped through the gate).  As we cruised through the hallways people asked her to take pictures with them and over the course of the morning we both acquired enough clothing and jewelry and tribal face paintings to look like native Africans.

The assembly started 3 hours after school started but certainly no one had done any studying that morning despite exams starting next Monday; instead we heard the band practicing, saw learners painting each other faces, and others making posters to decorate for and celebrate Africa Day.  The assembly started with the student-led school band energizing the audience and the “honored guests” (speakers and other outside guests like myself) were escorted in by girls dressed in tribal wear.  The entire assembly was arranged by students and a new teacher in the school who has certainly taken the lead on school improvement and empowerment activities. 

The astonishing emcee was a popular student who always had the crowd cheering and laughing.  Honestly, his intercessions were really among the most inspiring, impactful pieces of the event.   He would reiterate the most important points that the speakers said in case students weren’t paying attention to the important messages about history, freedom, education, the future, and HIV/AIDS.  The speakers were well planned, however, and included a gentleman from South Africa History Online who talked about the origins of Africa Day and how education is the future; a woman from University of the Western Cape who spoke about a leadership and dialogue program they have at the school and shared her HIV status to make a point that the learners should make good choices; and our very own volunteer who gave one of the more inspiring talks of the morning about how excellent their school is (it really is advanced…it’s specialized to business and engineering students) and encouraged the youth to stay in school so they could achieve great things (tear).  As the emcee commentated, other schools would bring in help to plan and present an assembly of this caliber, but Oval North had everything it needed to make an incredible event—their lively band played popular songs and had the learners up and dancing or at least rocking in their place while a clearly exhilarated principal tried to maintain order by keeping the youth seated, their choir (by far the most popular) sang traditional African songs with dancing and solos that really got the crowd going, and a drill squad that marched and drummed a salute to Africans and their departing volunteer (an “honorary African”).

Inspired by the students at Oval North, I asked to arrange an afternoon placement there.  After discussions with CCS and Oval North staff, I learned of a couple of issues affecting students and heard concern from the principal that those students would not complete their education, resulting in a bleak future for them and their children.  Last week, I developed a proposal for a 6-week group session to carry out with a group of these learners.  I’m looking forward to sharing more about how this progresses though many of the details of the program will be kept confidential to protect those involved.  Please feel free to contact me directly for more details about this program.

***P.S. Click here for the best deals in Cape Town***

So my mother raised me to be frugal and we’ve always prided ourselves on finding the best things to on vacation at little or no cost.  So, here’s my list so far of no to low cost attractions in Cape Town.

#7 The Labia

There are two art circuit theaters called The Labia here in Cape Town.  There are some strange films but, you’ll also find some mainstream movies there that are considered “art-y.”  You won’t find the “Lorax” or “Avengers” films here but others like “Young Adult” or “Shame” (current as of this blog post) play regularly and it will only cost you R35 to see a movie there compared to R80 at the big theatres.  Plus popcorn is only R10 and a Coke in a glass bottle for R12.  For under R60, you can have an entire movie-going experience at an old-fashioned theatre.

#6 Nelson Mandela Gateway

Commonly known as the Gateway to the ferry to Robben Island, this beautiful building is also a museum with interesting exhibits of its own.  While waiting for the people to come back from the Robben Island Tour (which you should probably splurge for, too), you can look around the museum which currently has an exhibit about a Jewish, communist couple that was involved in the resistance and the husband became a political prisoner while the wife and children faced many challenges and exile themselves.  The exhibit seems to be rotating but there will surely be something interesting there at any given time.

Nearby you’ll find Nobel Square which houses bronze statues of the 4 South African Nobel Peace Prize Winners and many quotes written in multiple languages recognizing their work and contributions to peace.  Also, the giant Coca-Cola Man is a very interesting Waterfront attraction.

#5 Hiking the Mountains

There’s plenty of hiking to do in Table Mountain National Park.

Table Mountain: 1.5-3 hours up the rocky, stair-like pass to the flat top overlooking the city and beach.   NOT free to go down the Cable Car but it’s a nice ride since it spins you around so everyone in the car can see all angles of the view.  FREE to hike down but I would have been too nervous to run down like some of the brave, fit people out there and “hiking” down would require a lot of sitting and sliding.

Lions Head: 45 minutes-2 hours up the steep, well maintained path that turns into skinny, rocky trails where you have to hug the cliff and even use chains and handlebars to reach the very, very top.  Completely free up and down and there’s a convenient sign on the drive there that says whether it’s safe to climb or not.

Devil’s Peak: It’s on my list. All I know so far is that it’s free and that the trail goes past a reserve that houses some zebras.

The 12 Apostles: I don't know yet if you can climb these but wouldn’t it be awesome to say that you hiked the Devil’s Peak then the 12 Apostles in 12 weeks?

#4 Old Biscuit Mill (or one of the many other lovely farmer’s markets or organic festivals)

Pesto Princess Queen size tub of Basil Pesto for R45 ($5.60 while the USD is strong) and a full freshly-baked that morning baguette served from a old trailer for R15 (less than $2).  Don’t get me wrong. Old Biscuit Mill has its scene and the gourmet sandwiches can be decently pricey.  However, if you buy smart, you can have breakfast (baguette with basil pesto), lunch (baguette with basil pesto), snacks (baguette with basil pesto), and just add some shredded cheese to have a well-rounded dinner (gourmet pesto grilled cheese on baguette).  Yes, that was my meal schedule last Saturday…and I still have plenty of pesto left over to spice up some other meals (macaroni and cheese with pesto…grilled fake chicken patty sandwich with cheese and pesto…curried vegetables with pesto?...well I’m not sure about that one.) 

#3 Green Point to Camps Bay boardwalk

This tour is completely free and wonderful in so many ways (See Blog Post 6).  To recap…

First, Cape Town is such a dog friendly city, there’s no shortage of dogs to play with along the way.  In my quasi-experimental study, 100% of the respondents enjoyed talking about their dogs. Tip: Just ask someone about their dog and you and the dog can enjoy some bonding time while the owner goes off about their furry family member.

Second, if coming from the Waterfront, you’ll encounter a breaker wall that sometimes sends waves crashing over the barrier and onto the sidewalk much to the delight of children at heart or dismay of tourists with cameras.  Basically, a “Waterpark at the Waterfront” that doesn't cost you $35/ticket.

Third, everywhere from the City through the Southern Suburbs all the way down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope is part of the national park system.  Along the boardwalk, you’ll find some beaches which would probably be nice in the summer and even a place where you can walk down to the rocks right in the ocean by the breaker wall.  Enjoy the rocks near the staircase (careful, they might be slippery or covered in teeny-tiny baby snails) but you probably shouldn’t venture out to the larger ones…one local woman passed on the warning that people have been killed there when the larger waves come in.

Fourth, playgrounds are so creative here in Cape Town…along this path you’ll encounter some standard playgrounds but also a field of horse statues with horns in their mouths and…other ends…that connect the horses to each other so playground attendees can enjoy conversations across the field from one another…Where else can you literally say that the words your friend must be talking from a horse’s a**?!

Tip: Combine #4 with #3 and you’ve got yourself a great day! 

Tip tip: The boardwalk from the Waterfront to Camps Bay is an estimated 10K…perfect run or what?

#2 Penguin Park at Simon’s Town

As you’ll see in Lonely Planet, they do charge a good chunk of Rand to enter the museum or penguin beach but those are totally unnecessary.  There’s also a well-maintained National Park boardwalk that walks you right through penguin nesting grounds and down to a rocky overlook where the penguins like to hang out and bask in the sun.  Exploring a little further, there’s a tight squeeze trail that heads out to Boulder Beach where you can watch individual penguins enjoying the peace and quiet or swimming in the shallow waters near the edge.  Here you’ll also encounter Simon’s Town-ians strolling down from their beachfront mansions to walk their dogs. 

Certainly, Sea World can’t match a wild penguin show and natural breeding grounds for $50/ticket.

You could even try to ride the train there for free but…WARNING…if they ask for your ticket and you don’t have one they’ll take you into a little room, intimidate you, then demand that you pay for your ticket.  Really, it’s probably better to just buy the USD1.50 ticket…first class, that is.

#1 Top attraction and surprise of the year…..

[insert image of soft-serve cone]

R2.95 cones at McDonald’s!***

Seriously, this takes the cake…for a person who visits McDonald’s only once a year for a minty Shamrock Shake and an occasional Sweet Tea, I’ve been there at least 3 times since I discovered this amazing deal about a week and a half ago.  R2.95 was a mere 42 cents when we found out about the deal and now only 36 cents since the Rand has taken a plunge in anticipation of upcoming Greek elections. Fortunately, there’s no McDonald’s in Rondebosch so my ice cream cone diet is restricted to trips downtown when I can convince the others to stop at McDonald’s with me (believe me…not a hard thing to do).

***NOTE: I would not otherwise condone the consumption of McDonald’s products or support of their factory farming mega-dynasty.  Please only support the soft-serve

Well, I hope this helps some other frugal travelers find their way in Cape Town.  Overall, the cabs are cheap in comparison to Ann Arbor; the food at the fancier restaurants is comparable in cost to a standard meal at Macaroni Grill though they don’t fill you up on that delicious bread before your meal arrives like most Americans look forward to…some will provide modest appetizers; renting a car might be the cheaper way to go but watch “Jerusalema” and you’ll surely think twice; and you certainly don’t need to pay R80 to ride that Ferris wheel at the Waterfront to see the best views in town.

Seeking North Face Sponsorship

Like an ad for North Face, several other volunteers and I hiked and climbed (literally) to the top of Lion’s Head this week in a mere 45 minutes (guide sites suggest that it should take 2-3 hours).  It was quite a workout and made us feel like important rock climbers when we had to hang onto the chains and handles drilled into the side of the mountain (not as difficult as it sounds).  The view from the top was well worth it…unlike Table Mountain where you only get a 180 degree view of the city and beach, the top of Lion’s Head affords a beautiful view in any direction.  To the North, we could see the “Waterfront” and the World Cup Stadium. To the East, most of the city including Bo Kaap, City Bowl, and the highways that lead out to the suburbs and townships.  To the South, we could see Table Mountain (which didn’t look so high from where we were) and the 12 Apostles following it right along the coastline toward Hout Bay.  And, to the West, we had a complete view of the coastline from the Sea Point neighborhood through Camps Bay (the Laguna Beach of Cape Town, if you will).  Also at this angle we could see the paragliders as they flew off the side of Lion’s Head out over the water before landing in soccer fields or on the beach.

Tomorrow, I’m headed off to an Africa Day celebration at the placement site of one of the other volunteers (a high school).  Last week, I went with her and the coordinator she works with (the school nurse, counselor, gardener, and Peace Club leader) to visit a local court.  The “auntie” (an endearing term that South Africans use to address older women…sisi would be for someone my age) we went with works with a non-profit that supports victims of domestic violence in the court system.  She wanted to show the volunteer and I the “real Cape Town” so she showed us around the court system and we got to talk to a social worker who manages the Witness Waiting Room.  Anyway, this experience turned into an invitation to attend this special day at the high school where the students will celebrate their African heritage and honor their first international volunteer by singing her…the Star Spangled Banner.  This afternoon we listened to the South African national anthem at least 20 times hoping that we could learn it before tomorrow.  So far all I can remember is “Nkosi sikelel iAfrika…” It’s a really nice national anthem that has verses in Zulu, Sutu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, and maybe even a couple others; it was a protest song during Apartheid.

Well, we’re losing 4 more volunteers this week but have 14 coming in!  It’s going to be sad to lose some people that I’ve gotten to know in the past 4 weeks but I’m really looking forward to attending the orientation sessions with the new and getting to know them, too!

The Power of Experience

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.

Penguins, Afrikaglish, and an awesome internship!

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve left an update here.  Headed into my third week, I’m starting to get into a routine.   We (the volunteers) all get up at 7 for breakfast then everyone else heads off to placement and I head into the house lounge to sit at a little white desk overlooking the backyard and start on my work for the day.  In the afternoons on the weekdays we have cultural and learning activities, which are always enjoyable.  On Fridays and weekends, we have to arrange our own fun and the other volunteers and I have seen some excellent tourist sites and entertained ourselves at home.

The internship:

The tasks that the CCS staff needs me to do are exactly in line with my interests and are great experience for me.  Over the next 12 weeks, I’m focusing on three main things: reviewing and strengthening the volunteer impact evaluation tools, helping develop volunteer development workshops, and helping to develop a partner program evaluation and development workshop.  So far, I’ve already: helped to develop, implement, and revise a volunteer placement workshop; laid out an evaluation plan and logic model to help organize the existing evaluation tools (like surveys, feedback meetings, etc); started inputting data from Volunteer Personal Growth reflection forms; and started to visit the partner programs where the current volunteers are working.  The two staff members I work with are amazing and share similar interests in volunteer impact.  Also, they are experienced and respected social workers, leading an excellent CCS site.  After the first couple weeks, I have the option to do extra hours in the afternoons with CCS or add on an extra placement site so I’m thinking about what I’d like to do.  There are a couple of placements that interest me…one is working with high school youth on a school environment improvement program that includes clean-ups, life skills, and other groups…the other is with a refugee resource center that offers a wide array of services for refugees (www.scalabrini.org.za).

Cultural & Learning Activities:

This week we visited Bo Kaap and the Slave Lodge.  Bo Kaap is the colorful area of town that was originally home to freed slaves.  Cape Town was part of the Indian Ocean slave trade so slaves here were largely from Madagascar, Malaysia, and other East African and Asian countries rather than West Africans taken in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade for the U.S.

We also had an African drumming session where we learned some rhythms on Djembe drums.

We’ve had a couple of presentations at home base, one about HIV/AIDS and another about refugees and diversity in South Africa.

AND! We had our first language lesson on Tuesday—I’m going to study Xhosa for the first 4 weeks.   While the words are hard to remember, they are easy to pronounce once you learn the simple rules of the language.  There are some subtle differences in sound between “t” and “th”, “b” and “bh”, etc.  We haven’t started to learn the clicks yet but that will be an exciting part of the language…taken from the Khoi San language, clicks are always the hardest part for non-natives to learn…even the word Xhosa is pronounced with a nice little click at the beginning…I still can’t do it.

Free time:

This week, the group and I explored Simon’s Town, the Waterfront, Camps Bay, Haut Bay, the Old Biscuit Mill, and a couple of the markets in the Cape Bowl District.  Lots of nice scenery around…some zebras and seals right here in town.  The trip to Simon’s Town was exciting because we got to see lots of wild penguins up close and personal.  Yesterday, we saw a soccer game in the World Cup Stadium!  It looked much bigger on TV but the vuvuzelas are much louder up close and personal.   I’ve also had a bit of time to run…there’s a nice park a few blocks away but I also look forward to exploring the University of Cape Town campus which is just across the railroad tracks from us.

Photos are heeeeeere! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10101628305923693.3226108.2260930&type=3

Side notes:

Food is never as you’d expect here…we tried a nice Mexican restaurant in Haut Bay this week…my beans in my enchilada tasted like refried baked beans (they were sweet) and the other volunteers who ordered beef in their burritos or enchiladas literally got beef stew in a tortilla shell.  Tried to buy some tortilla chips at the store since I am starting to go through withdraw from my staple foods of beans and corn tortillas…they don't even sell them!  Luckily, we finally found some decent ranch dressing…it doesn't nearly stack up but it’s nice to have on the salads instead of the staple “sweet chili” sauce that pops up in every meal here.

Also starting to discover South African television…they have the equivalent of soap operas here that are pretty similar to telenovelas…the cool thing about them is that they’re in both Afrikaans and English…Afrikaglish?...so they keep you on your toes.

Still trying to find some good live music…no luck yet surprisingly.  Cape Town is known for its jazz and hip hop but I also want to see some other local types of music.

My favorite part of Cape Town so far is how diverse it is everywhere you go.  Inequalities are certainly present and obvious but, moreso than I’ve ever experienced in the U.S. or other countries, people are really integrated in all of the areas I’ve visited.  People interchangeably communicate in English and other languages like Xhosa or Afrikaans or any other language.  I’m starting to be able to point out the American girls but, other than that, it’s pretty challenging to know where people are from since there are so many tourists, expats, and refugees from all over Africa and the world.

P.S. Did you know that the U.S. is the only English-speaking country that says “z” the way we do (“zee”)…everyone else says it “zed.”  Learned that today!

Climbing Table Mountain for International Workers' Day

Yesterday we celebrated International Workers Day by climbing (literally) to the top of Table Mountain.  We met a guard at the entrance to the hiking trail who insisted that we purchase more water from him at a $3.50/L…turns out he was right.  The climb was easy for the first half hour…then just as we started to get tired…it became a cliff…literally stairs where I had to put my knee up to my chest and use my hands to climb.  It was a tough climb but well worth it, especially once we got to the top!  A view of all of Cape Town.  I would share some pictures but I pay per MB for the Internet here and anything but email is pretty costly.

Other things to note are my poor sense of direction here. I normally pride myself on being able to master a map in a couple of days and always know where I am…so far, I have a general sense but I probably couldn’t tell you which way is North unless the sun is out…especially when we go into the townships.

Also, I’d like to note how remarkably few stray dogs I’ve seen.  Though unneutered, many are kept in fenced in yards and are not roaming the street…I wonder if that makes the difference from the hoards of stray dogs I’ve noted in Latin American countries.  Mama Ivy, our tour guide, said that many people keep dogs as pets.  I’ve also heard rumors that they might need to eat dogs and cats but that’s yet unconfirmed.  Among other things, they keep in their yards—cows, goats, and sheep. 

First Day of Placement and more Orientation

Today was my first day of placement! I got to see where the other volunteers are working then sit in on a CCS office meeting.  Riding in the van with T (the placement coordinator), during the staff meeting, and in a one-on-one meeting with Luann (the director), I started to get an idea of what CCS South Africa already does and wants to do with regards to evaluation.

I continue to be inspired by CCS’s mission and vision.  It is empowering to listen to how they talk about their partnerships as true partnerships, how respect for the volunteer and the community are equivalent, and how they are continually evaluating themselves to ensure that they are working with and supporting sustainable organizations that already have projects.  My first task as an intern is to read about CCS, their own evaluation, and other evaluation about international volunteers

The staff recognizes that international volunteerism is under a critical eye here in South Africa at the moment as, after a history of colonial and paternalistic relationships with other countries, people wonder what the motivations of volunteers are and question the impact.  I will get to explore this a lot more this summer for my placement since CCS shares an interest in understanding where the organization falls in the spectrum of responsible and ethical volunteering.

My own goals for the summer include those of learning about existing international volunteer programs, building evaluation skills, interacting with other volunteers to see how their attitudes change through shorter versus longer term placements, and discovering how the staff at CCS view having a volunteer coming in.  Other things I’d like to do are to sit in on a social work or development class or two at the University of Cape Town, visit the Projects Abroad or other international volunteer agency offices, and attend a session of Parliament.

Going back to the past few days…

Monday was a township tour where I started to learn about what Cape Town is like for a majority of the local population.  The townships are areas outside of the city with anything from humble houses to makeshift shacks where most of the coloured and black populations were forced to live during Apartheid and still live today. The tour started with a PowerPoint lecture by Mama Ivy, a Xhosa (pronounced with a click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4RdHNJIh9s) woman who grew up in the Cape Town townships and was here to share her culture and traditions.  She explained how people go to traditional healers and doctors and still perform rituals, despite having also picked up Christianity. 

When we started to drive around through the townships, I felt uncomfortable being in a group of tourists going to gawk at people and the way they live.  For some reason, though, I found myself wanting to take pictures to share with people I know so they, too, can get an idea of just how some people live.  Speaking of the way they live, though, I was actually not surprised by the “shanties.”  If anything, I was surprised by the quality of the outside appearance—many having glass windows and being made of cement with nice looking roofs and murals.  It was interesting how the buildings, nicer houses, and shacks were intermixed.  Apparently, the nicer homes are government provided housing where they cleared the shacks and replaced them with small, standard, cement buildings that they sell to the residents over the course of several years.  The residents then make additions and make the homes their own.  It’s amazing what a little jumpstart can do to someone’s housing situation.  During the tour, we also learned a lot about the history of the hostels made for migrant workers and how they’ve since been converted into single family rooms.  Coca-Cola and other companies still have hostels in the townships for their workers and families to live in.

During the tour, we visited a college that had a large display detailing the history of apartheid and what has happened since.  We saw the sites of a couple of iconic murders including those of the Gugulethu Seven (http://www.capetown.dj/Regions/CapeFlats/Gugulethu/GugulethuSeven.html) and three boys killed in Athleton in the “Trojan Horse” massacre (http://www.hrmc.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=30).  After the Gugulethu Seven were shot, gangs feared white people and a Fulbright Scholar and political activist, Amy Beihl, was killed when accompanying some friends home to the townships. (http://www.amybiehl.co.za/?page_id=6)

Despite having access to people who have experienced Apartheid first hand and their stated willingness to share details about the history of their country with us, when I asked questions about South Africa’s involvement in WWII and about the government structure during Apartheid, I was met with resistance or silence.  Fortunately, I have 12 weeks to piece together a long, detailed history.   I will use the many books lying around Home Base, discussions with staff and other volunteers, and we’ve already started devouring the CCS DVD collection.  I look forward to drawing comparisons to what I already know about Guatemala’s similarly rocky history and continued peace-building process. (Check these out: http://www.skinthemovie.net/site/ should have read this before I left but nothing will quite pique interest in history like seeing the outcomes of it first hand...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa).

The past few days, I’ve been wondering to what extent Apartheid is really over and, coincidentally, that’s a hot topic currently in South Africa since Friday was Freedom Day (commemorating the day in 1993 that ALL people in South Africa were allowed to vote in the first truly democratic election and Nelson Mandela was elected as leader of a new, FREE South Africa).  In Monday’s newspaper, there were two relevant articles.  One by Desmond Tutu that reflected on the past 18 years (http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2012/04/29/each-one-of-us-must-help-the-miracle-happen) and another by Jeremy Cronin, a leader in the Communist Party and member of Parliament, that discussed how maybe the end of Apartheid meant the end of racial inequality but it was quickly replaced by an increasingly capitalistic system that led to severe economic inequality (http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2012/04/29/how-history-haunts-us).  We learned today that South Africa was rated last year with the highest Gini coefficient, which represents the wealth disparities between the richest and poorest in the country, beating out Brazil. (http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2012/01/23/thousands-of-tax-cheats-in-sars-sights) Because of the significant wealth disparities, blacks largely remain in the townships and fear white people because they are so unfamiliar.  One thing that I appreciate CCS is how they help to break down racial fear by sending volunteers into the townships where many children would otherwise be fearful of touching a white person.

That was a lot of detail so I’m just going to end this post with a quote from the article by Desmond Tutu and create another post to talk about how the group and I spent May Day (International Workers Day).

“It starts within us, with the recognition that we don not live in a vacuum.  Each one of us is a constituent part of a greater organism; our community, our country, our continent, our world. […] If we are to improve our performance, we must improve our teamwork, which begins with our own understanding that we are members of one team.  Our hopes and aspirations are tied up not just in ourselves and our own material wellbeing, but also in each other.  For the organism to prosper requires healthy cells.” Desmond Tutu