It has now been over two weeks living in Cape Town,
and I find myself feeling decreasingly distracted by homesickness or longing
for friends and family who are thousands of miles away. The orientation period
has been a whirlwind of exciting events, including dining out at a variety of
restaurants, seeing a musical and jazz performances, exploring green vineyards,
visiting impactful historical sites, and finding the best views of the area
from hilltops. While all of these activities have made me feel very lucky to be
here as something of a tourist in Cape Town, I know the important lessons,
self-discovery and growth, and finding out what it is that I have to give to
the communities here will be done in less comfortable situations.
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| Erica & Katherine |
I’ve only had a taste of the semester to come –
Monday was my first day at my internship placement with Erica P. We entered a
small part of Khayelitsha, taken under the wing of a community leader there,
and began to understand the prevalence of sexual assault and the challenges
that women face. While we sometimes had some difficulty understanding each
other in English, and I barely know a few Xhosa phrases so far, I treasure the
stories of the individuals I have met and look forward to seeing their world so
that we can combat violence and injustice together.
I can also happily report that the UConn Huskies
living together in one house have already become a family – we care about and
watch the backs of one another in ways that warm my heart. While we don’t
always agree, everyone is always open-minded and respectful. We have all
already faced challenges upon leaving home and beginning a new lifestyle here,
but I believe that the support of friends and classmates have made the
transition smooth. I like to think that this band of intelligent and
compassionate women can leave a positive mark on this part of the world. I hope
we can prove to be worthy of the respect and welcome that has been given to us
by South Africans of all walks of life.
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