Rachele enjoying each moment while still having so much to look forward to

FireFighters Soccer Club at practice

On Thursday I joined some of the girls to their activist project with the Khaylitsha Firefighters. The Firefighters is a youth soccer program. At practice I had a great time hanging out with the kids and playing soccer, but on my way home I was happy to get to see another side of Khaylitsha. During orientation when we drove through Khaylitsha we had a lot of moments of pity for the people living in Khaylitsha and think only really saw it as a sad place. Taking the mini bus through the township I feel like I got to see Khaylitsha as any other neighborhood. People were taking their nighttime strolls with their families, getting home from work; it was nice to notice the people that lived there rather than the shacks.

This week I got to do my second pool dive! After my first scuba diving class I had felt unsure if diving was for me. I found it very claustrophobic being underwater because of how much more effort it took to breathe through a regulator. But, after my second dive, I can’t wait to get back in the water. When I get back from Jo Burg I can dive in the big ocean tank and I am so excited for that!

This week in Marita’s class we watched a video called I Am. This video is very thought provoking in asking the simple question of why some of us have so much while others have nothing? I really made me wonder when and why did people start becoming so individualized, why isn’t the world a community where we lookout for each other. I think something I really took from this movie was to live a minimalistic life style as much as I can. I want to do this by changing my shopping habits. I would rather have less clothes, but send more on them knowing that they came from a company that does exploit people and labor. The video also spoke about the connection between every living thing and I think that that is something I really see in life and believe in. It is one of the reason’s I am so passionate about climate change, my ideal world is one where we as a species can better connect to the rest of life on the planet.

Next week we head to Jo Burg! I am excited to learn more about the history of South Africa and also compare this other part of the country to Cape Town.