Alex realizes nothing could have prepared her for what she is seeing

When we first arrived in Cape Town I was initially stunned by how easily we could see the divide between the rich and the poor. Just after leaving the airport we were able to see this visual so clearly just from driving down the highway in our bus. On one side were slum-like dwellings while the other side boasted developed homes with proper gates and roofs. I would have thought that we would have to drive much farther to enter the townships but I was wrong. With a much higher rate of poverty, many of the residents live in these settlements.

On the day that we went on the Community Tour of a variety of townships (Langa, Gugulethu, Khayelithsa, Mitchells Plain, and Manenberg), I was not only taken aback by the number of homes and families so close together but of the number of businesses and neatly dressed children. I didn’t realize that there would be so many informal businesses such as makeshift salons/barbers. I had also underestimated the number of civilians who lived in the area. I was also very surprised at the number of horses and goats that could be seen grazing on the sides of the highway. I wonder how buying and raising animals in townships works. Do families pool their money together? They seemed completely out of place in a settlement like that. I was in such awe of the children. I could not imagine getting up every day, shining my shoes, ironing my uniform, and trekking to school while essentially living in a shack. The dedication and effort that I saw here showed me how lazy I usually am when it comes to dress and motivation. If these children who are coming out of some of the worst areas are able to push past their challenges and learn, so can we. It also shows how important people in South Africa respect and value education which I wish could be seen more in U.S school system (students/parents respect for teachers). Despite hearing about townships in the pre-departure course, nothing truly could have prepared me for this.

Odon demonstration how he creates his sand paintings

I found it so heartwarming and awe-inspiring when we stopped in Langa and we were able to see that the community center (Guga S'Themba Cultural Centre) housed so many great and productive projects. For example, there were the stately mosaics, captivating sand art, beautifully sculpted pottery as well as other artists’ work on display. For these skills, people are able to come in and learn the art or volunteer at the center. In our surprise drum lesson, I was happy to see that our instructors held a program where they taught kids from the neighborhood music and beats so as to keep them from making dangerous choices on the streets.

Surprise drumming lesson
Ashley, Taylor, Alex, Anna, Maddy, Claire, Kaitlyn, Sara, Shona, Katherine

I ended that day feeling so grateful of the stable environment I have grown up in but also extremely excited to get to work. Though I came to South Africa for a variety of reasons such as the internship, exploring and learning in a new environment, and creating lifelong connections, helping the community has always been at the top of my list. I am so excited to be able to go into local communities and help the organizations and people that are doing meaningful work for the community but need some help sustaining themselves