Sara W's video of her time

Sara at Bo Kaap

I finally got a chance to finish my video of the best semester abroad in Cape Town.  You can check out highlights of my three and a half months in South Africa at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HC07IZtCpA

Sara's final thoughts on the Cape Town she has come to know and love

My experience in Cape Town has been one of a kind and I wouldn’t take it back for anything in the world. Something I have noticed about Cape Town is that I experienced the happiest of emotions in the same day as the saddest of emotions. I felt on top of the world while standing on top Table Mountain, but then heartbroken the same night while seeing children beg on the streets.

In Cape Town, I was mugged. I witnessed my close friends in a street fight, I have witnessed hundreds of people begging around me and also to me, I have seen a woman passed out on the street with no one helping simply because she was black and homeless, I left a club minutes before a shooting, I have had clothes, food and my camera stolen. I have been grabbed and pulled in clubs by older men, gawked at countless times on the street.

BUT, I have bungee jumped off the world’s highest bungee jump bridge, gotten just feet away from wild giraffes, elephants, buffalo, monkeys, wart hogs, hyena, zebra, wilda beast, camels, penguins... I have protested against Trump half way across the world in a fight for love and world peace, I have seen how far two minutes of love to a single child can go…. I have partied in penthouses overlooking the city, in mansions and apartments overlooking the ocean, I have felt like the most loved person in the world because the children at the Boys and Girls Club make you feel so special and important. I have felt pure happiness when I saw rain clouds and from dancing in the hail. I felt pure bliss while watching the sunset from the top of Lion’s Head Mountain. I have been to the most amazing beaches, gone swimming in the Indian Ocean, swimming next to surfers and wild seals. I have had pool access to a roof overlooking the whole city. I have gotten attached to children in the foster care system, I have felt fortunate to go to such a beautiful university that was just a short walk from my house. I have provided children with pb&j sandwiches for the first time in their life and heard them say they would have dreams about them, I had free entry and bottle service on the 31st floor of a club, I have hiked Table Mountain and Lion’s Head at least 10 times, crawled through caves to end up on the other side of a mountain, gone to a weekend long music festival on the beach and also Ultra in the Cape Town stadium, I have seen the Lumineers, I have made friends from all over the world, I have had the privilege of working with a local soccer team called the Firefighters and helping them fundraise for their first ever tournament, I have visited the 2010 World Cup Final Stadium, visited Nelson Mandela’s prison cell and also seen the conditions of where Ghandi went to prison, went to National Parks and Gardens, learned to surf, visited multiple wineries, had the most fun and welcoming church experience of my life, seen street performers, live music, I have helped tutor young men for the SATs who are being recruited to the State to play soccer, spent hundreds supporting local communities without regretting a single penny(or a single Rand;)), and I have spent countless time trying to make people feel like they are important no matter what there background may be. I learned South Africa’s history and why all of the workers are black while customers are white for a majority of the time and why black people live in shacks across the highway from wealthy white people living in mansions that could house dozens of people. I have shared memories with people who I now consider my best friends. I have felt on top of the world, inspired so much that it felt like I can change the world, I have become a part of countless families and felt love that I didn’t know was possible. I have had my eyes opened to the fact that I have already done so much in my life that other people will never even get to see a fraction of what I have seen. I want everyone to feel the emotions and love I have felt in Cape Town because I am sure that our world would be a beautiful place if they did. I have become a part of a new city, which made me feel like the luckiest person in the entire world each and every day without fail.

Now when someone says that Cape Town is dangerous, you shouldn’t go there; does Cape Town seem like a bad place to you?

Yes, I understand I was involved in a few bad situations in Cape Town. No. they didn’t have nearly the same impact that all of the amazing things I have had the privilege of being a part of have. Next time someone says South Africa is dangerous, think about what you would do if you lived in a metal shack and had to take care of your siblings as young as the age of 5. If your community was heavily intoxicated with street and gang violence, would you steal a camera while trying to support your family and making a living as an Uber driver? Driving for two weeks to make an equivalent to $400 for a cut of $30? Would you stand up for your friend if someone was being racist against him/her? Would you beg for money if your parents forced you to at a young age and grow up thinking this was the only way to live?

To all of these questions, whether you do think you would or not, the real point is that the people of Cape Town need love… And don’t we all?

There were so many ups in Cape Town and I would not have experienced any of it without this amazing opportunity to study in Cape Town. I know I will return to Cape Town one day, whether it be next winter break or 5 years from now. Even though some of the things I experienced were scary, I wouldn’t be the person I am now without seeing or experiencing these things.

Cape Town holds a piece of my heart and I am looking forward to going back as soon as possible. I am so grateful I have learned so much about myself, others, and life itself in the most amazing city in the world. To start creating change we need to bring everyone together so they can realize how similar we all are no matter where we come from or what the color of our skin may be. I never thought I could feel so much love and inspiration in a time span of 4 months, but Cape Town proved me wrong.

Sara W reflecting on the future while enjoying the present

Through doing all of the readings and just experiencing life here in South Africa, I have constantly been wondering what I want to do after I graduate. I honestly do not see myself fitting into any categories of any jobs I have heard of. I love people and I love so many things that I can’t imagine picking one specific thing to live the rest of my life doing. I want to find something that will suit all of the different passions I have and spend the rest of my life doing that. I want to impact others in positive ways and create positive social change, but I cannot see myself doing that by working for a single NGO or any single company for that matter. I don’t know if I just haven’t come across it yet, but I want to spend my life doing what I love rather than working for a paycheck. I want to help the people who feels all that they can do is work a minimum wage paying job and just live life day by day with no sense of self or purpose. I see so many people in my life that just seem bored or depressed without a passion. What kind of a life is that and how do we motivate these types of people?

Other than thinking about the future, this past week in Cape Town was a lot of fun. Last weekend, we hosted the first Firefighter soccer tournament at Mandela Park. It was a great success and meeting so many great people made all of our work worth it. This past week was also Rav’s birthday and we went to Blouberg to watch the sunset before celebrating on Long Street. The next day, we went to Muizenberg for a relaxing day at the beach. Then, a couple days ago we moved out of our house in Rondebosch and into a nice hotel not too far away. We get free breakfast which is a major plus! Some of us went to Old Biscuit Mill after settling in yesterday to get some last minute souvenirs and gifts for people who are back at home. Today, we went to Mzoli’s- a fun braii place in a township called Gugulethu. I’m starting to get sad that we have such a short time left here in Cape Town and I’m trying to make the most out of every day.

Sunset at Bloubergstrand with Devil's Peak, Table Mountain, and Lion's Head in background

Sara W taking time to consider lessons learned

After Jo’burg, we went to Kruger National Park. After all of the heartache that was felt from the historical sites in Jo’burg, this was much needed. We saw so many animals and I went on a total of 3 safari rides; 1 sunrise and 2 sunsets. I saw 3 different types of monkeys, wilda beasts, zebras, lions, cheetahs!!!!, buffalos, impalla, wart hogs, giraffes, owls, eagles, other really neat birds, hippos, antelopes, hyenas, kudos, a crocodile, and baboons. It was awesome not having wifi for this weekend. It was a nice break from reality and it allowed me to think a lot more about things I might not have thought of if I had wifi to use.   

One idea that has become more and more prevalent to me through our time here is how wealth and opportunity go hand in hand. For example, I wouldn't be fortunate enough to be on this study abroad experience if I had grown up in a township in South Africa. Although that sounds obvious, it is truly what shapes our lives and what opportunities are available to us as we grow older. This is also the same as at home and all around the world. It seems that the biggest indicator of success between people who care more about changing the world (ie Berney Sanders) vs people who care more about themselves (Trump... Zumba) is money. People buy there way to the top so they can be superior to others. This is difficult because it is not just these big, famous figures where this is prevalent but I also see it with students at UConn. For instance, the people on this trip who want to change the world and have jobs that make an impact (i.e. at an NGO) will make far less money compared to say a wealthy boy who is in a fraternity, voted for trump and is studying business.

It is for these reasons that the wealth gap grows more and more. Although I am aware of these things I still do not know what to do about it. But I am confident that with all of the people who do care we can work together to figure it out to make the world a better place for everyone to live in. If we look up to people who were poor and still made a huge difference, it can help to motivate us. For example, obviously Nelson Mandela. While we were learning about him I tried to read about his upbringing and see how he was able to make such an impact. Although he wasn’t wealthy, he still influenced the world. These are the people we need to look to in order to stay motivated.

Sara feels fortunate she was able to visit all of the historical sites that she did

The trip to Johannesburg was a great way to put visual evidence behind what we have been learning throughout this semester. Not only have I learned what is relevant to the courses we are taking, but also for life in general. 

Regarding issues of race, class, and gender in Jo’burg there was a lot which was relevant to our courses. First, I noticed that there were not a lot of people who would necessarily be classified as “coloured” in Jo’burg, but there were a lot of people who would be classified as black. There were also more wealthy black people in Jo’burg than I see in Cape Town. Also, it was still prevalent that all of the workers were people of color while it wasn't mostly white customers. This was prevalent in the museums we went to, when we went out to eat and also at Nelson Mandela Square. Not only that, but all of the people living in townships and working on the street were also people of color. This also shows the relation between people who are of color and those who are not in Johannesburg.

For gender, it still seems that similar to Cape Town it is the men who are working and out while you see way fewer women out. Another observation I made was how women are way less forceful when selling things. Lastly, about gender, one of the women that worked at Kruger told us about African tradition of Lobola. This is where the man has to buy things or pay the parents of the woman he wants to marry. I found this problematic, but I don’t think I am able to judge the tradition because it is not my culture. I just think that the act might further implications that women are weaker than men. It is just hard seeing that in every culture I have been introduced to, this seems to be the pattern. Women can sit back and relax while it is the men who are responsible for working and providing for them. I am hoping there are cultures that do not follow this pattern that I am not aware of yet!

           

On another note, the various historical sites and museums we visited absolutely expanded my knowledge about the history and politics of South Africa. We went to the Apartheid Museum, the Sharpeville Memorial, the shooting of Hector Piuterson, the Nelson Mandela home, and Constitutional Hill. Through the various tours, whether they were guided or self-guided, I felt a lot of empathy and heartache for the people who lived during apartheid and those who continue to suffer from it.

The most powerful thing I saw over our week in Johannesburg was a play created by five young South Africans. It was performed outside of the Sharpeville Exhibition Center. The young adults incorporated song, dance, and acting without using any props to put together their play. In this case, the performance was used to portray their experiences as black people in South Africa. They were able to show the amount of pain people went through in apartheid and also still continue to go through today. I personally think the best way the performers were able to convey events during apartheid and post-apartheid was through acting. Because of how powerful their acting, singing, and dancing was, the play brought tears to my eyes. I know I did not feel even a sliver of the pain that they must feel, but I did feel empathy for them as they were performing. Through the whole act, I could not imagine what it must be like living in a world as heartbreaking as theirs. The play definitely made me feel more than if I were just listening to facts. I believe acting helps people to cope with events in their life and also make others more aware of their experiences.

           

Going to the Boys and Girls Club in Soweto was my favorite part of our time spent in Joburg. I loved being surrounded by all of the kids smiling faces and playing with them. We danced, played, cleaned, and sang. The funder stopped by too at one point, who is actually the CEO of Tupperware! So we were fortunate enough to meet him and his wife. Overall, it was a great day.

           

During our free time, some of us decided to watch the movie “Get Out.” It was a horror movie about a white woman who dates a black man. The woman brings her boyfriend to her house to meet her white parents who have black servants. It showed different themes of race in the US and made it easier to understand how black people may feel being alone in white communities. They feel as if they must mask themselves and pretend to be someone who they aren’t, which destroys them on the inside. I’m glad I watched this movie and I have been recommending it to others since. It is also good to watch because the producer was a black male who should get more promotion.

           

Overall, Joburg was a great trip and I feel fortunate we were able to visit all of the historical sites that we did.

Sara W experiencing Cape Town adventures locals could never afford

As I finished writing the list of things I did this week, I realized that these activities in no way summed up my week or the thoughts and feeling I had during it. I decided to format my post differently this week to make it more valuable.

At my internship on Monday when my supervisor asked what I did this weekend I told her how I went shark cage diving and sand boarding. As I said these things I felt guilty because I knew that she who has lived here her whole life, has probably never been able to afford these activities. She explained to me exactly this and how none of the locals are able to afford most of the activities that bring tourists to South Africa. She said she does the Cable Cart to get to the top of Table Mountain only twice a year- on her birthday and her husband’s birthday. This is because on your birthday you get to go on for free. Although I love all of the tourist-y activities I have done here in Cape Town, in makes me feel guilty that so few of the locals have experienced even a fraction of what I have been fortunate enough to do.  

Besides these activities I did over the weekend, I also had an interesting encounter with a man named Ismail. He was painting on top of Signal Hill and I asked him about his work. He explained how he grew up during Apartheid and helped with the beginning to the end of the time period. He drew a painting with the colors brown, black, and white, symbolizing the racial classifications of the people during Apartheid. He wanted to show that you need different colors to make something work. He used this explanation for why we need everyone to work together in society. It was interesting meeting this man and hearing his story. I love meeting new people here in Cape Town.

After this encounter, our parasailing was canceled because of the way the wind was blowing. The man who was going to take us felt bad and brought us to a small, cozy restaurant called Jimmy’s. There he bought us food and milkshakes. Meeting people like this on a daily basis continues to blow my mind. There is so much love here in Cape Town and everyone seems to think of others and put others before themselves. I love this mindset and hope to bring it back to the States.

Through writing about this past week, I realize that there are so many experiences I have had that have made these past months like none else. I am so happy with everything I have learned on this trip and am excited to keep learning more. It makes me sad to think that this experience is more than half over!