Kaitlyn finds early mornings no problem as she's always ready to take on each new day

Yesterday marked the end of our two week orientation which overwhelmed me at first, but turned out to be so incredibly useful. It allowed us time to acclimate to this amazing city we get to call home for three more months. I felt slightly more at ease after our public transportation exercise, eager to learn more about the history of South Africa after our first class with Vincent, and I’m really hoping to pick up enough words/phrases in both Afrikaans and Xhosa so that I am able to carry on basic conversations during my time here. Yesterday was such a perfect ending to orientation - a few hours spent in Bo-Kaap exploring and taking pictures and an evening concert at Kirstenbosch. 

Today was my first day at Maitland Cottage! Waking up at 4:45am for a 6:30am start wasn’t nearly as awful as I expected it to be. It was actually so peaceful getting ready and out of the house while everyone else was still sleeping. I also got my exercise in, seeing as Alex and I walked a total of 6.8 miles today!!! The busiest time of day at the Cottage is from 6:30-9am which also turned out to be the most overwhelming part of today. The nurses were so incredibly kind and willing to answer any questions we had, but I felt like they thought we knew more than we actually did. I recognize that’s part of the learning experience though, and that sometimes jumping right into situations is the most beneficial way to expand existing and acquire new information. We spent the second half of the morning in the playroom area, distributing toys to the children in the wards and playing with a few individual children outside. It was so powerful seeing how happy the children were when toy time came along. The girls’ ward had song time too, and they were filled with such joy and laughter while singing. I learned that the people that work in the playroom are actually volunteers and they come in solely to make a difference in the children’s lives. I find myself noticing people who perform acts of kindness purely out of the goodness of their heart so much more than I do at home and it’s so refreshing. I already cannot even imagine how the children at Maitland Cottage feel, but picturing their lives there without play time breaks my heart. Those people volunteer their time on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I’m curious to see how Tuesdays (and the other days of the week) play out. The language barrier also presented more of a challenge than I expected it to. Communicating with children who speak very little to no English made me feel so helpless at times; I know there are other ways to connect with them besides verbal communication, but it’s so hard to watch them speak full sentences to me without even knowing that I can’t communicate back in their language. Regardless, I am already beginning to form bonds with some of the children there and I feel so lucky to be there keeping them company, hopefully making their day a tiny bit better. The staff members are welcoming and open and I’m excited to have conversations with them about their lives. It’s just as important to me to create relationships with the adults as it is to do so with the children. I already learned so much today, so I can’t even imagine how much I will have learned by the end of the semester! I’m looking forward to all the challenging, rewarding, and humbling moments that I will experience while there. 

On the phone with my sister today, she asked how much I loved it here. I gave her my answer, which included how instantly my mood has been lifted and how much happier I am in general. She responded with something along the lines of how when she was here she always felt eager to wake up and start her day, even with little sleep. I connected to that instantly and couldn’t describe my feelings any better. No matter how early I have (or choose) to wake up (which ranges anywhere from 4:30 to 8am), I am wholeheartedly ready to take on the present day and absorb all that Cape Town and my co-educators have to offer! 

Erica expecting her passion for social justice to grow

Sunrise from Signal Hill

Today marks the final day of orientation. It’ll definitely be an adjustment going from sightseeing and eating out almost everyday to doing schoolwork and cooking for ourselves, but I’m looking forward to my internship and settling into a routine. Tonight we went to an outdoor Concert at Kirstenbosch Gardens to wrap up orientation. I couldn’t think of a better way to end orientation than to listen to live music while enjoying the scenery and nature around us. 

Erica believes her passion
for social justice will grow

Now that orientation is over, I can confidently say that I’m ready to further explore Cape Town and learn more about this city. From our conversational isiXhosa class, to the public transportation exercise, and the numerous historical sites we’ve been to, I think I’m well rehearsed on the basics of Cape Town and I can’t wait to keep learning. It’s still mind-blowing to think that I’ll be here for three and a half months, and I’m very curious to see the impact this semester will have on me. I can only imagine that my passion for social justice will grow deeper during my time here.

Tomorrow I start my internship at Prevention in Action in Kuyasa, Khayelitsha. I’m excited and curious as to what my internship will be like. Prevention in Action has very little funding so I know my time there will be different from any other work experience I’ve had before, which is part of the reason why I chose this particular internship. I’m very passionate about sexual violence prevention, so I’m excited to be working hands-on in the community with victim survivors and activists alike. I hope that I can make a positive contribution to the organization and local community, and I have a feeling that my time at Prevention in Action will solidify my commitment to fighting gender-based violence.

During the next three and a half months I hope to challenge myself, keep up with my journal (easier said than done), seek a variety of experiences, and learn as much as I can.

Claire has fallen in love with Cape Town

As orientation is coming to an end, I find myself reflecting on the past 2 weeks and on my goals for the next 13 weeks. I truly believe that this program is one of the best for a couple of reasons. The first reason being that Cape Town is the most beautiful place I have ever seen and I am so fortunate that I was chosen to be able to study here. I mean, really, who ever thought that they would be able to study on the continent of Africa? The second reason being that this 2 weeks of orientation exposed us to and prepared us for everything we will be experiencing in Cape Town. I don’t know of many other programs that take the time to expose the students to the culture and the highlights of the city.

The past 2 weeks have been incredible and I finally feel ready to start doing things on my own and experiencing daily life as a Capetonian. I (sort of) know my way around, I figured out public transportation (hopefully), and I am ready to dive feet first into my internship and activist project. In the next 13 weeks, I hope to be changed by the moments I experience at Christel House, the conversations I have with locals and by my fellow co-educators as well. I want to help make a difference, while also learning about myself and reaching out of my comfort zone.

On a separate note, my co-educators and I will be going on the Garden Route next weekend. I have heard so much about it from previous students and I can’t wait to see more of the beauty that this country holds. I am already blown away and we haven’t even explored half as much as we will in the upcoming months.

Cape Town, thank you for welcoming me into your city, I have already fallen in love!!

Claire, Kaitlyn, Sara, Karen, & Maddy at Cape Point

Ashley eager to begin her internship at IJR

As week 2 of living in South Africa comes to a close, I find myself getting anxious (in a good way) about starting my internship. 

Before applying to this program I didn't think that there would be any internship for me to do. I guess that's because I didn't really know much about apartheid or South African history. I'm happy to say that this program has offered me more than I could ever ask for...and my internship has yet to begin. 

My first day as an intern at the Institute forJustice and Reconciliation will be on Monday, Jan. 30th. The goal of this organization is to help create a "fair, democratic and inclusive societies in Africa." I'm excited that I was placed at IJR because as someone who is a double major in Public Policy and Human Rights with a WGSS minor, this internship is a dream come true. I will be working with the IJR team to help figure out how to solve social issues that exist in the area. 

I already met the IJR team and everyone seems to be working on projects that strike my interest. For instance, there are team members who focus on a wide variety of injustices such as gender inequality all the way to agricultural issues. 

Throughout my studies I have found that I am most excited to learn about welfare policies, wealth/income inequality, educational policies, and housing policies. These topics fall under the socioeconomic spectrum and cover something else I'm passionate about...the intersection of race, class, and gender. 

As I stated in my previous blog post, I have learned that there are many similarities between the U.S. and South Africa. One of those similarities being housing policies. At home, people of color and women were heavily impacted by President Roosevelt's New Deal. Under the New Deal the Federal Housing Administration was created...the FHA practiced something similar to the zoning that happened here in South Africa. In America, we know this zoning as Redlining; where the government literally drew red lines on maps of where people of color were allowed to live. Here in South Africa apartheid pushed people of color and black folks miles away from their communities leaving them in areas that were lacking resources such as access to education, jobs, reliable transportation, grocery stores, and more. 

Where resources are low, it's hard to imagine how families can prosper. The lack of resources lead to issues in wealth and income inequality. White people took over the land that black people and people of color thrived in thus taking over well-paying jobs and homes which allowed them to accumulate wealth and larger incomes over time. 

Something else that I find strikingly similar is the education system. Here in South Africa there are programs set up for impoverished children. Schools such as the Christel House were created primarily for underprivileged children. These schools take pride in knowing that they are taking the children in the worst possible situations. Out of over 500 applicants per year only 60 are admitted. While I think it's amazing that the schools are helping these children, I wonder what happens to the children who are not accepted. Much like the schools in South Africa, America has charter schools that help the less fortunate children. For example, there are Head Start programs that cater to low-income children. There is a lottery system that chooses a small percentage of hundreds of applicants to attend the schools. The children who attend these schools have a much better chance at getting an education that guarantees college and a job. As for the children who do not get accepted, they either receive an education that won't get them far or they won't receive one at all. So, what happens? These children are thrusted into the cycle of poverty with few chances to get out...

I'm hoping that my time at IJR will allow me to focus on these issues. I believe that these are the issues that keep poverty alive. Poorly made policies along with stereotypes that blame individuals rather than the institutions that perpetuate poverty need to be dismantled here in South Africa, and back home in America.