All Good Things Come to an End...

July 29^th - August 7^th 

We began our week off by going to visit the beautiful city of Stellenbosch. One the way we passed a number of beautiful vineyards. When we arrived to the city, I noticed how beautiful it was! It was all antiques, most of the buildings there are in its original form and the city was just full of history and art. We took a tour of the University there and the campus was absolutely gorgeous. It’s hard to believe that such a beautiful city is such a big college town because it seems that the town is just so quiet and calm.

After the tour, we went to a wonderful wine vineyard and had lunch. I was very nervous because I did not know what anything was on the menu but after the food arrived, it was the best meal I have had since being in Cape Town! And it was cheap! We got an appetizer, a steak and potato and salad dinner, plus dessert for fourteen American dollars! You cannot beat that.

Later in the week, we went to a natural park which we took a small tour and learned about the Khoe and San people, who are the oldest known people to inhabit the Earth. We learned a little about their tradition and culture and it is just amazing how smart and innovative these people were. It really saddened me to hear that when the Europeans came in, they started killing off these people; literally hunting them down like animals and putting them up on display. It was a sad sad time and shows why only so few of them still live today. And some of the ones who are still living today, still live in their primitive, nomadic ways. That was a great experience.

Today was also the first day that we got to visit a beach! The weather was great, there were no clouds, the water was clear and it was just a good time. Even though we were only out there for about 15 minutes, it seemed like an hour and we were all like little kids out there playing in the water and sand. I really wish we could have gone back.

We got to go to the South African Parliament. I must say that I was not excited about this trip at all because government and politics completely bores me! But when we got there it was interesting to learn about the history of their government and how even the government was separated by race during the Apartheid and to see where it all takes place. We even got to sit in on a conference about trade and got a shout out!lol It actually shined a whole new light on government for me and I realized that this is something that I really should get more involved in and learn more about when I returned. Because our tour guide knew more about our governmental system than I did and that was pretty sad.

The last few days for me were all kind of blurred together. We had free days and work days and they all seemed to run together. On these days I did work, a lot of chilling and talking with the girls and shopping for my final souvenirs. When I wasn’t doing any of those things, I was just thinking and reflecting on this trip and just trying to take it all in. everything that we had gone through and accomplished, place it with its proper emotion. Trying to figure out what my next moves will be when I return and new ways that I can contribute to my own community. It is very cliché to say that something was an eye-opening experience and changed my view on life but that is exactly what it was. It’s occurred to me more than ever before now to just keep life simple, not to let small things stress me and get me bothered. And most of all that our younger generation has to be up to speed and motivated when it comes to education. They are the future and they/we will be the ones running this country and being the doctors and raising their own children. And if they are not educated then the who population could easily be destroyed.

I will leave you all with this quote- “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be: You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” 

I felt the need to say this one because I was fearful of leaving the country to go to Africa but I did. I was afraid to try new things while I was here but I did. I took advantage of everything that I did here and I hope I touched at least one child there just for them to see my excitement and my enthusiasm and how motivated I was to help them. Hopefully it inspired them to do the same and feel that they could expand their education as well and forget about any fears that may come their way.

Lions, Tigers, and Bears! (Not really)

July 22- July 28

Mzoliiiiiiiis!! We got some of the absolute best barbeque from Mzolis, a little restaurant in Gugulethu. If you know me, you know that I am very picky when it comes to the foods that I put in my mouth and I was really afraid to try this. For one it was in a township, so I was expecting it to be a little side of the road thing that they have on the side of the road where they cook smiley (sheep head). However, it was a pleasant surprise to get there and see that it was in an actual building that had a giant tent outside and it was very nice. I was also a little concerned because Godfrey told us that they were going to just pile all the meat up and bring it all out on the table. He said it would consist of beef, lamb, sausage, and some other stuff that I did not know the name of. So he brought it all out and it all looked so delicious and edible so I just dug in and it all was good and I did not care what type of meat I was eating. It all was delicious and did not make me sick so I was really satisfied about that.
            

 

The next day we went to a primary school in Langa as well as that afternoon we went to the US Consulate.  After visiting the school, everyone came out with their interesting stories about how they had so much fun in their classrooms, but I was kind of bombed out because my teacher did not let us interact with our class at all. She just told us to sit there while she continued on with her lecture. She was not fascinated in the least bit that we were there. Which didn’t really bother me any, but I could just tell that some of the students looked really interested like they had some things they wanted to say.

At the Consulate, I was really at first trying to figure out what we were doing there because the lady was giving a lecture to South African students and the things they needed to know before traveling and going to school in America. But after she was done we were there kind of like a panel to answer any questions that some of them may have had about life and college life or anything else they may want to know about and that was kind of cool to be there to give them advice because it would have been nice for me to have had someone to give me a few answers before I arrived here. One girl found me on Facebook already and asked me a question and I was so glad to be able to help.

We went to the Cape of Good Hope and it was really beautiful just like everything else is in this city!

 

We got to do a short tour and sit in on a class at the University of Cape Town, and I have to say that I was so glad to be there and see something familiar. Students, a campus, books, anything! It was just a good vibe and I loved being there! I loved how everyone was so integrated and it wasn’t segregated at all like the actual city is and that was a great thing to watch. That is a school that I would actually consider for myself to attend because I loved it so much.

Safari dayyyy! Even though I was overly excited about this, it actually turned out to be kind of a disappointment. We did get to see a lot of animals, but it seems like we were just at an extra large zoo because all of the animals had been imported there and weren’t in their natural habitat and some of the animals were even gated off from the other animals. Then it was freezing cold! The bus had no windows and it was windy… not a good combination! But beside all the bad, we got to see hippos, zebras, lions, rhinos, ostriches, and more. We also came into close contact with some of them and I was so afraid that the lions were going to attack us. They said that the lions had lost their fear because so many people come through there and sometimes they come up to the truck and bite the tires and things like that. One more great thing was that we had an AWESOME breakfast at that resort! ( they had made the reserve into a resort as well so you know the safari couldn’t have been real) . It was the breakfast that Ive had since I been here.

 

                                                

 

 

 

The safari was a 2 hour drive away from where we lived and on the way I saw some beautiful mountains with waterfalls flowing through them and it was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen since I’ve been here! Overall, the week was great! And I’m a little bit closer to coming home, which I miss so much!

Birthday Girl!!

July 14^th- July 20^th

It’s my Birthday!! And I am all smiles! All the girls and I went out to dinner and out to party a little bit and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was also nice being able to connect with the girls in a setting outside of class. Everyone was relaxed and fun and laughing and I love the new relationships that we were building. I was kind of sad to not be able to be with my family and friends on my birthday, but I had to think… who gets to spend their twenty first birthday in a different country and be surrounded with great people to share new experiences? Not many! So I am thankful for this, I loved how everyone go involved in making my day very special and they bought me a cake and sang for me. It was just a great day.

We started something else new this week that I really enjoy. We alternate cooking dinner each night and we sit at the table together as a family and eat. We talk, laugh, share stories, make jokes, and it just brings us all a little closer. Not to mention it has helped us save money. It’s funny because we all were so critical about our food and just thought it was so bad and wasn’t going to turn out right but so far I haven’t had a bad dish yet. It all has been so delicious!

During this week we also went to a market and I learned about my love for bargaining with the vendors! It was a fun and great new experience. In America the prices are just set and either you pay it or you don’t, so this was a nice change.

Even though it did not seem this way in the beginning, there was another great thing that happened this week. We were supposed to go to an orphanage in Langa to do some work but the lady over it was so mean to us and yelled and said she did not want us to be there, so we left ended up in the township of Gugulethu to a daycare that was in desperate need of help. Shout out to Godfrey for thinking on his toes for a plan B! I was so grateful to end up in Gugulethu, for one because it was nice to get into a new township and look at the differences in those, but most of all because there was a lot of work and help needed at that day care and our help was thankfully embraced in comparison to that last lady.

The daycare was in so much need of simple things and Mama Lulama had a number of things she stated were priority needs. So instead of doing an actual project, we felt that it would be more helpful for us to just provide her with some of the things she needed. But we also did a book shelf and education corner for them because they had nothing in there to aid in the children’s education. Going back to that house with all the supplies we had gathered had to be one of the best days of my life! Mama Lulama hugged and embraced everyone as they walked in and told us she loved us and how thankful she was because she never thought she would get help from anyone. Later in the day she told us why she started the daycare and the reason was because in her town when the parents would go to work, they would lock the children in their homes and while they were gone the thugs would break in and rape the children and abuse them and she knew that she had to do something. That story was so touching to me, she started crying and all of us started crying but we were fine soon after that. After a while she began to sing and dance and praise God and you could really feel the spirit moving in that little kitchen and I was so thankful that I was there in that moment doing a little something to make her life a little bit better.

Thurdsay July, 18^th was Nelson Mandela day and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We went to the Prestwich Primary School and went in the classrooms and just talked and had discussion with the children. They were very nice children. When I walked into the classroom they started cheering and clapping and telling me how beautiful I was. They had so many questions for me regarding the United States and it was just great to see how interested they were in the country. I was in there to help with work but they were not thinking about that work or their teacher while I was in that classroom. They taught me how to speak a little bit of their Xhosa language and I just loved the atmosphere in that room and I was so sad to leave.

Going to the Nonceba house was another one of those extremely heartfelt moments that I experienced while being here. The house is a counseling and housing center in the township of Kyliesha for children who have been raped, they also do counseling for the mothers of the children. So many times while I was at that place I had to fight so hard to keep back my tears. We were told that years back, when HIV was becoming prevalent around the township, there was a terrible myth going around that the virus could be cured by having sex with a virgin. So in turn, the number of rapes of young children sky rocketed; they were even raping babies and toddlers. And sadly to hear, most of these rapes were done by someone who was really close to the child or who they may even lived in the same house with. While we were there we got to meet some of the children. They were on the playground having a great time and laughing and hanging out and it was really sad to even try to think about what some of these children have gone through, that’s when it became too hard to fight back the tears and they just came flowing down.

While we were at the center, we also learned about a young lady named Ashley. She was sixteen when she had gone to Kyliesha and from the time she left there she knew she had to do something to help these children, she decided to make a documentary. The documentary was about the rapes that were going on in that township and a lady who was providing a safety home for some of the victims. Ashley died when she was 19 in a car accident and that counseling center was made in honor of her and what all she stood for and wanted to do. I have a cd of the documentary and it was given to me to pass on and spread the word and that is exactly what I plan to do.

Later that afternoon, we went to Robben Island. This is where Nelson Mandela spent most of his time in prison. Out of 27 years, he was there for 18. It was a really great experience, and the fact that they had ex prisoners doing the tour of the prison made me want to listen and pay attention that much more. Being on the island was made me feel some kind of way thinking that they kept people there and called them terrorists just because they wanted and fought for equality for their country and their people.  This prison itself didn’t really have a large affect on me because it was clean and looked nicely kept so I really couldn’t get the full effect, but just being there and getting to see it first hand was an honor. The island itself was beautiful! The scenery was to die for and since they were in prison, at least they had something to smile about being in such a beautiful place.

  

Mandela's cell

 

 

 

Hello South Africa!

July 9^th- July 13^th

Upon arrival into Cape Town: exhausted, excited, anxious, intrigued, and wide eyed are most of the feelings that flooded my body. Driving through the city on the way to our hostel, I noticed that the town was nothing like I expected, and a pleasant surprise it was. It was beautiful, the night lights glowing, mountains in the background, the ocean a little further in my sight, I couldn’t help but think “man my friends would not believe this!” because they all thought I was going to some under developed country with sub standard living, in a village or something. However, even though there was the gorgeous city when we first entered, as we continued to drive, we rode past and got a glimpse of a township. All I saw was a large area cluttered with little houses made of wood and metal, they were barely standing, and looked like they would fall over if a rough breeze came through. Then I heard our tour guide, Godfrey, say, “that is where we will be doing some of our work later this week” and then I knew this trip would be one to remember.

 

It was so great to get out and see the city. We got to see all of the diverse people which was a big shocker! I think I saw more white people and other races at first than I did black people. We went to the Water Front mall which was great!! They had Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Levis, a Mac make- up store, and so many more well known stores, which was not what I expected. Also, on the way to the store, I saw a Mazarati store, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and all the nice cars that people want in the United States.

 

Also, on the same day, which was the 10^th of July, we climbed Lion’s Head Mountain. Even though it was the smallest of all the mountains, it was still quite the challenge! It was the first mountain I actually ever hiked so I was very pleased to make it up to the top! We got to watch the sunset on the ocean and it was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen!

 

The next day, we started on our very first project at the Nomonde Kindergarten in the township of Langa. There, our projects were to build a vegetable garden and to create a book shelf for the children.  Beginning the vegetable garden had a very rocky start. That was due to a combination of faulty planning, people not really knowing how to build anything at all or even how to plant vegetables or what season the vegetables grown in, no one really knew each other so the atmosphere was kind of awkward, and we kind of felt rushed. After a lot of hard work and a few extra runs to the hardware store, and a little frustration, we were finally on the roll and had an idea of what we were doing. I was pleased that my group was the first group to actually get our box constructed and all put together, but that is because our group was consisted of a lot of stronger people who had more of an idea of how to take charge and get things done. Especially me, I love building and putting together anything so this project was right up my alley. And I like the way it brought us all a little closer together and we learned how to work with one another.

 

The next day at the Nomande School, we finished up the garden and it moved so much more smoothly. The other groups went back and finished their boxes and my group and I went to nursery to get the vegetables. We got lettuce, cabbage, greens, carrots, peas, celery, and even a peach tree! When we returned, we put the mulch and soil into the boxes and began planting! It was so much team work going on that I loved it. Even Mama Lumka, the head of the preschool, was getting involved and she had never been involved in anything we were doing before that day! We got all the seedlings and the tree planted and there was such a feeling of accomplishment and joy radiating over everyone! The teachers at the school were happy and laughing and clapping taking pictures and it was one of the best feelings in my life to watch them react that way to what we had done for them.

That same day when we finished the garden we actually got to walk around and tour the township, which one of the best parts of the trip. We got to see one of the booming businesses of a lady who sells “smiley” which is smoked sheep head. Some people even tasted it and bought one.  We got to go into one of the “shacks” which was actually a local pub where the lady made the beer right there, we went to a community hostel and in a very small room there were three beds and we were told that three families lived in that one room, and sixteen families shared one kitchen and one bathroom. It was very hard to sit and watch without getting emotional. The most hurtful thing for me to watch had to be was how unsanitary the outside was. Its trash everywhere, people use the restroom wherever they feel, and some of the children walked around with no shoes on. I just wish I could help everyone. That level of poverty is just unlivable and the government just doesn’t do much at all to help those people and their living conditions. But even with that being said, you would never think that those people just radiate happiness, especially the children, they may not be in the best situation but it’s obvious that that do not let that stop them from continuing on and surviving through the hard times.

This week we also did our service for Mandela Day! We went to a primary school and repainted there walls. It was a small service but it was fun and everyone was involved and was glad to be there to do what we could to celebrate a great day.