Karen's feeling welcomed and inspired

Karen on Signal Hill

I definitely came to Cape Town with some pre-assumptions. I knew large scale poverty existed, but I did not realize to what extent.  Driving to the house from the airport on the first day had me absolutely in shock. I've never seen informal housing before. Despite how little each community has, it amazes me how welcoming people can be to a group of white privileged women. I cannot explain the vibes, that were felt when we went to the Baptist church. The community in that church were not only welcoming, but they made us feel like we were important and loved.

In addition, the food here has been great! People are super accommodating to the vegan diet which is nice. I'm happy I get to experience this trip with 16 other amazing co-educators. I've learned a lot from many of the women on this trip. They have made this experience so enjoyable so far! I can't wait to see how everybody's internships go. I think many of us have a similar goal of helping others. I couldn't imagine a better community on earth to donate my time and energy to. To say that I am excited to work at City Mission Educational Services would not be enough. I want to make a difference, I want to make students feel comfortable. I want to learn about what they need and then go and make that available to them.

So far, I have been more inspired to provide my resources and time than ever before.

Prior to arrival, I expected to have beautiful weather, meet beautiful people, and see beautiful views. All of those expectations have been fulfilled. What I didn't expect was the generosity from strangers, the warm welcome from local communities, and the patience others have with me as I learn the customs/culture. I did not expect to learn so much Xhosa in such a short period of time! My goal before the trip ends is to be able to have a basic conversation with a stranger in Xhosa.

Other initial thoughts I have about this new country is how my level of security/awareness is heightened. I definitely notice myself being more aware of my surroundings. I'm so used to the USA where generosity means somebody wants something in return. It's refreshing to know that that is not always the case here. People genuinely want to help (most of the time), and continue to thank you, even if you have nothing to offer them. Seeing children on Long Street at night, asking for money was something I did not expect, and was something challenging for me to accept. Apartheid has done so much damage to humankind. My goal is to help fix part of that. Whether it's one person, or one family; I want to impact somebody in a positive way.