Before applying to this program I didn't think that
there would be any internship for me to do. I guess that's because I didn't
really know much about apartheid or South African history. I'm happy to say
that this program has offered me more than I could ever ask for...and my
internship has yet to begin.
I already met the IJR team and everyone seems to be
working on projects that strike my interest. For instance, there are team
members who focus on a wide variety of injustices such as gender inequality all
the way to agricultural issues.
Throughout my studies I have found that I am most
excited to learn about welfare policies, wealth/income inequality, educational
policies, and housing policies. These topics fall under the socioeconomic
spectrum and cover something else I'm passionate about...the intersection of
race, class, and gender.
As I stated in my previous blog post, I have learned
that there are many similarities between the U.S. and South Africa. One of
those similarities being housing policies. At home, people of color and women
were heavily impacted by President Roosevelt's New Deal. Under the New Deal the
Federal Housing Administration was created...the FHA practiced something
similar to the zoning that happened here in South Africa. In America, we know
this zoning as Redlining; where the government literally drew red lines on maps
of where people of color were allowed to live. Here in South Africa apartheid
pushed people of color and black folks miles away from their communities
leaving them in areas that were lacking resources such as access to education,
jobs, reliable transportation, grocery stores, and more.
Where resources are low, it's hard to imagine how
families can prosper. The lack of resources lead to issues in wealth and income
inequality. White people took over the land that black people and people of
color thrived in thus taking over well-paying jobs and homes which allowed them
to accumulate wealth and larger incomes over time.
Something else that I find strikingly similar is the
education system. Here in South Africa there are programs set up for
impoverished children. Schools such as the Christel House were created
primarily for underprivileged children. These schools take pride in knowing
that they are taking the children in the worst possible situations. Out of over
500 applicants per year only 60 are admitted. While I think it's amazing that
the schools are helping these children, I wonder what happens to the children
who are not accepted. Much like the schools in South Africa, America has charter
schools that help the less fortunate children. For example, there are Head
Start programs that cater to low-income children. There is a lottery system
that chooses a small percentage of hundreds of applicants to attend the
schools. The children who attend these schools have a much better chance at
getting an education that guarantees college and a job. As for the children who
do not get accepted, they either receive an education that won't get them far
or they won't receive one at all. So, what happens? These children are thrusted
into the cycle of poverty with few chances to get out...
I'm hoping that my time at IJR will allow me to focus
on these issues. I believe that these are the issues that keep poverty alive.
Poorly made policies along with stereotypes that blame individuals rather than
the institutions that perpetuate poverty need to be dismantled here in South
Africa, and back home in America.
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