Brandi, stepping outside another comfort zone

Amanda's Khayelitsha Reading Group with UConn students
(Brandi --standing back row, far right)

Stepping outside of your comfort zone is one of the hardest things to do. Whether it is navigating around a new city all by yourself, or just living with seventeen other new people---challenge is hard. The past few weeks of being in Cape Town is definitely all about challenge. Challenging yourself mentally, emotionally and physically is something we all must do at some points in our lives. If we are comfortable, we are never growing. And being in Cape Town has definitely provided me with that challenge.

           

Yesterday a group of fifteen women from our program got on a bus and headed to Khayelitsha. Khayelitsha is a black township located in an area in Cape Town. We were all so excited to go there because we were meeting our ‘little sisters’ whom we will be mentoring for the rest of our time here. We will be friends to the kids and hopefully help build their confidence for later on in life.

           

Coming into Khayelitsha was tough. I saw shacks on top of shacks, and people everyone. There were dogs in the street and goats wandering the roads. The sight itself was sad and upsetting, but I saw a beauty and depth to the scenes; something I never would have noticed before. It wasn’t scary at all because I know this is a different aspect to Cape Town that not everyone gets to experience. I was outside of my comfort zone, but not in a way where I was uncomfortable. It was very hard for me to see so many people in need, and have no way to help them right then and there. But then I needed to remind myself that where we were going and what we were about to do was helping in and of itself.

           

When we got to the building in the middle of the township, we met up with Amanda, a young woman about our age, who runs a book club for children in Khayelitsha. Our purpose of being there was to meet a group of girls that we would all become big sisters too. When we first got there, we all introduced ourselves. There were about 9 students, all around the age of fourteen. When they were introducing themselves, there was one girl who was so shy. She would not look at any of us, and looked terrified to speak. When she did speak, it was in a super quiet voice with her hands over her mouth. For some reason right then in there, I knew I wanted to be paired with her.

           

We then played a game where we had to line up in order of our birthdays without speaking. The students were on one side and we were on another side and we would be randomly paired up based on our birthdays. We then paired off from that, and low and behold I ended up with the girl! I was really happy because I know it will be a challenge to get her to open up, and I am so excited to get to know her.

           

Meeting my little sister made me realize how much I don’t want to grow up, but then again maybe it’s not about giving up and growing up. It’s about channeling it into different actions that are important to us at our specific age. And not only living for ourselves but living for others as well.