I cannot believe that I have been here in Cape Town
for 5 weeks already! Time has been flying by, and I know that the next two and
a half months will as well, so I have been trying to pack as many adventures
into my days as possible. This weekend consisted of thrift shopping, a soccer
game (in the same stadium where the 2010 World Cup was played!) and outdoor
adventures. I finally got the chance to go hiking for the first time here. It
was deathly hot but reaching the peak of Lion’s Head was so worth it: the views
of Table Mountain looming over the city and the vast ocean stretching out
before me were breathtaking. I also learned to surf at Muzienberg Beach, which
was hard but such a blast and I hope that I have the chance to go again. I may
be hooked on a new sport.
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| Sarah I, Taylor, Maddy, Kaitlyn, Rachele, & Laura T |
In addition, on Friday Ashley, Kaitlyn, Shona and I
went into Khayelitsha to Mams’ place, where Erica and Katherine have their
internships. We will be doing our
activist project there, and I am so excited to help Mams out. There are so many
things to be done there that it is slightly overwhelming, but also great
because I know my fellow co-educators and I will be able to make a big impact
and really help her and the crèche (preschool). Seeing how excited Bongi was at the soccer
game also made me want to work with him and the Khayelitsha Fire Fighters, his
youth soccer club. Several of my
co-educators are working with him for their activist project and I hope to be
able to jump in with them on several occasions.
My internship is still fairly slow, as my
organization closes down in December, and since it is the beginning of the year
it is still trying to get back into the swing of things. In addition, the City
has delayed responding to SJC’s court cases, which means that SJC is limited in
the amount of work it can do. However, this week I was finally assigned a
couple projects that I am excited to start working on. This week at my
internship showed me some of the challenges that small NGOs face, especially
ones based in poor areas such as Khayelitsha. On Wednesday the internet
completely shut down at my internship, so very little work could be done. Even
though my organization is in a brand new, nice office building, it still faces
many difficulties, such as spotty internet and a lack of basic supplies such as
enough desks or chairs or paper for the printer. These experiences have made me
realize how fortunate we are in the US, at least where I have worked, to not
have to worry about these basuc things that can so severely limit the
effectiveness of an organization.
On another note, my family is coming this weekend! I
am so excited to show my mom and aunt around Cape Town and for them to see this
amazing country that I have fallen in love with. I am so lucky that they are
able to come and that I get to share this wonderful experience with them.
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