Ryan settles into his internship as he continues to enjoy CPT

Maria, Ryan, Dan, Kelsey

Where to begin? This past week was incredible! I got to try some of Cape Town’s famous fish n chips at Kalk Bay, hike up and down Table Mountain, and complete my first week of internship. The first day at Tafelsig Clinic was such an incredible experience and each day so far has gotten better and better. Arriving on Monday was both nerve-racking and exciting. Initially, I was extremely nervous to begin working there due to the poverty and crime in certain areas of Mitchell’s Plain. I was nervous from the previous visit of the clinic when our group went on a tour of everyone’s internship. Many people then stared at us as we walked through the front doors and into a waiting room full of hundreds of people who had facial expressions of confusion and curiosity. As Amaraliz and I walked through the waiting area on Monday morning, we were met with the same scene. That day I had the pleasure of shadowing the adult side of the clinic and got to interact with patients one on one. After the first day, I had a whole new perspective on so many things. I first was surprised at how many people have the same common chronic conditions as in the United States such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and varicose veins. The most surprising thing that I noted was how polite and patient everyone is. I know that a lot of Americans (me included) get impatient when waiting for an hour in a hospital or doctor’s office. In comparison, many people in Tafelsig spend the whole day waiting to be seen for only ten minutes! There is way too much to talk about beside the first day but overall, this first week of internship was a real eye-opening experience.

Besides internship, continuing exploration of Cape Town and the surrounding area has been fantastic! On Friday I returned to Muizenberg in the morning expecting to surf for the day, however when we got there the conditions were terrible and the shark flags went up so we decided to explore some more stops on the train. After two stations, we got off at Kalk Bay and ate the most delicious fish n chips that I have ever had at a local restaurant called “Kalky’s” and then took a scenic walk along the coast to Fish Hoek to take a train back to Rondebosch. On Saturday morning, many of us hiked up Table Mountain taking the Skeleton Gorge trail from Kirstenbosch Gardens. It was one of the most exhausting and exciting things I have ever done but the experience and the views along the way were unforgettable. After reaching the top in three and a half hours, feelings of relief and accomplishment rushed throughout our group as we all drew in the beauty of the distant scenery. After walking across the rocky plateau for an hour towards the cable car, I had decided that I was going to follow through with my plans of hiking down. To my surprise, the two hour walk down through the Platteklip Gorge was much harder than the way up but the challenge left me wanting more. The next task is to hike Devil’s Peak which is adjacent to Table Mountain which I hope to accomplish very soon. I am sure that the views and the adventure will all be worth the challenge. 

Ryan with Lion's Head, Signal Hill & Table Bay in background

Maria on Privilege and Taking Education for Granted

Maria

When I was late to high school, it was usually because I was tired or lazy, and I could walk to school in about 5 to 10 minutes.  Now, as a teacher at Thandokhulu High School, I see my students battle their eyelids to try to stay awake even though many of them wake up at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning just to get to school by 8:00am, and for many of them on an empty stomach.  I have been present for a lecture from a teacher at the school here where she told the learners (South Africans call all students "learners") that they had to work hard, pay attention, and always do their best to show that they appreciate how lucky they are to even have an education.  Education is so valued by the learners here, and maybe because it has to be.  For some students it could ultimately mean the difference between life and death when considering the danger of where they live in the townships and the limited opportunities they have to get out of them.  Some classrooms are a step up from storage units, writing utensils are not always readily available, they didn't always have desks and chairs like they have now, and the only toilet there that I've used does not have a toilet seat.  They are trying to raise money for a library, but they also do not have books for every student or internet access.  With this lack of resources, I've heard that research projects are a challenge and sometimes students have to pay for travel to and use of internet cafes just to get their assignments done.  Over the course of the last month I got so accustomed to seeing bars over all windows and doors on houses and stores, but it still took me by surprise to see the same bars in a school.  Even though the facilities and resources are not optimal when compared to certain American schools, it's still a heartwarming and lovely environment, which didn't happen by chance.  The staff and students alike worked hard to make it that way, and it is truly inspiring.

     
Thandokhulu High School used to be located in the township called Khayelitsha and had to share their facilities with their primary school for half of the day, which was very hectic and crowded.  High School is now held in previously unused buildings in Mowbray, and there is a distinct awareness that it is a poor township school that just so happens to be located in a generally white suburb area.  It costs 550 South African Rand to attend the school each year, which is about 70 US dollars, but not all of the students' families can afford all four years, even on a payment plan.  Only five educators are funded by the government, but there are about 50 teachers and they still need so many more.  My 11th and 12th grade classes range from about 40 to 50 students, while smaller classes would improve individual attention, grading, and specialized lesson plans.  The students travel from their homes in townships like Langa, Gugulethu, Nyanga, and Khayelitsha on their own every morning.  Students have to travel a long way to get to school, but parents see Thandokhulu High School as a safe-haven for their children.  Many schools that are actually in the townships are not doing well, and other schools around Thandokhulu are too elite or expensive, so this school is the best option for many families who can find a way to afford the tuition and transportation.  

     
Looking at the huge difference between my educational resources growing up and those of a student here with the lack of funding, programs, staff, transportation, amenities, facilities, and resources, I can't believe that I was an active participant in a community that didn't even care to notice how incredibly fortunate we were (and still are).  I am admittedly ashamed of this, and I wish I could've known about what I'm seeing now back then.

MIchael living beyond hopes and expectations

Michael

This trip has been pretty amazing for a lot of reasons. Right now I can't really stop thinking about how this trip has given me the ability to experience things I have always wanted to do but never thought were real possibilities. I generally do to well of a job of managing my expectations and writing off things that I would like to do as impractical for one reason or another.

For one, I have always thought it would awesome to be a journalist, but I thought it was so awesome that it was impractical because it is one of those professions that everyone wants. I saw it as akin to every other girl in high school wanting to be a marine biologists or National Geographic photographer. When people told me that is what they wanted to be when they grew up I was like well yeah who wouldn't but you're also not 12 and need to get in touch with reality, and that is what I told myself when I thought I wanted to write for a living.

Now, thanks to Vernon and Marita, I am doing something I never thought would be a reality. I am writing at Cape Town's daily newspaper, The Cape Argus. I am six days into my internship their and have gotten to go out on stories, make calls, conduct interviews, research, be a part of the newsroom, and this past week two stories I wrote were in the paper. Oh yeah, seeing my name, “staff reporter,” and then a story I wrote in a major city's newspaper was such a trip, I still have not wrapped my head it.

I also never pictured myself going to an “exotic” country. The beaches and mountains that I have been to in the past month are prettier than anything I ever thought I would see in person. Growing up I never went on cruises or anything like that. I used to see pictures of friends on white sand beaches, was jealous, and thought about how awesome it would be to be there; I never thought I would be in that position.

I like to think of myself as a realist, which makes it a little strange when things that I prevented myself from hoping for, expecting, or even believed as a possibility actually take place. 

Theresa: raising challenging questions, seeking life changing answers

I’ve been struggling with this blog entry for days now. Every time I start I get overwhelmed with the idea that I really never will be able to effectively share my experiences here and how they are shaping the ways I think, feel and relate to the world around me.  We started our internships this week; I’m fortunate to be working at the Western Cape Network of Violence Against Women or WCNOVAW if you prefer long acronyms.  “The Network is a collective of organizations and individuals across the Western Cape, committed to working together against Violence Against Women.” In short the Network is an umbrella organization providing much needed macro services to the Western Cape.

Anyone who knows me, or who has creeped on my Facebook, will know that one of my passions is ending violence, especially ending violence against women.  I am beyond honored to have the opportunity to work with the Network and so excited for the experiences that will be afforded to me as I find my niche within the organization.

Everyday I take the minibus taxi (a crowded, rackety van) to work, where I sit as the white spot among a sea of warm and rich colors. I’m painfully aware of the fact that I’m the only white person on this public transportation, painfully aware because I look out the windows as the other white people whiz by me in their BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes and Audis.  The disparity in wealth distribution is unnerving and harrowing, considering over 60% of South African’s rely on these “tin can commuter carriers.” Meaning that each day an average of 14 million South Africans take a Minibus taxi, and I’m proud to be among the ranks.

In class, one of our instructors Vernon asked if our expectations before coming to ZA matched our experience thus far.  I clumsily and potentially ethnocentrically replied, “I didn’t expect to see things so polished.”  I didn’t expect to be sitting in classrooms as nice as the ones at UConn, living in a beautiful Dutch colonial house with a pool, and frequenting some of the most posh restaurants I’ve ever been to in my life.  As the words tumbled out of my mouth, I realized their inaccuracy in describing what I truly was feeling. I know and have had to tell many people that much of Cape Town (home of the first heart transplant) is very developed and “modern”, despite the media depicting Africa as one, homogonous “country” of huts and poverty and lions and violence.  With this being said, Cape Town like all cities across the world has its extreme poverty, settled into the townships. I guess what I was truly trying to say to Vernon was that; I didn’t expect my life to be so polished. That I, thought our living situation would a median between living in Rondebosch (aka West Chester county) and the townships (Harlem-esque x100).  When I’m in a minibus taxi though, I feel like I’ve found a little bit of a balance. Somehow I’ve been so blessed that I get to experience the best of the wealth and the poverty.

What I mean by that is that I don’t want to romanticize the poverty and lived experiences of so many people across the world. Even though I am able get a tiny taste of the poverty, I’m experiencing the best of it because I get to leave and be considered a “compassionate and adventurous person” for venturing out of our little bubble. Living day to day not knowing where your next meal is coming from, walking miles without shoes, not being able to treat a simple infection, not having the essential and basic lifeline clean water, none of these things are desirable for human existence yet I’m seeking them out to help smother some of my white, privileged guilt.  Seeing the poverty makes me want to crawl out of my skin, turn myself inside out and just bleed for all the people who have not been afforded the simple, most basic amenities of life that I take for granted every single day. I once read, that some of us are born on third base thinking we hit a triple.  I was born on third base, hell I was born with my team ahead by hundreds of runs, not caring if what we were doing was trampling the other team into the ground…

I’m ready to call for the mercy rule, to stop the game and make everyone see what is going on, give up everything and play for the other team. I’m ready to give up some of my comfort so someone else won’t be so uncomfortable (euphemisms), which calls into question now what? How do we even start to even out the playing field? What is my role and what can I do to make the biggest impact? How do I find equilibrium between appreciation and guilt and responsibility?  Which brings me to the point I’ve been trying to make, albeit rather slowly.

My initial instincts when confronted with such poverty is to dive right in. Pull a Christopher McCandless give up all my worldly possessions, own one outfit, one pair of shoes and jump into the trenches, working one on one, feeding starving mouths, bandaging wounds, comforting those dealing with life’s greatest losses, doing the important micro work that is so desperately needed… This fantasy is quickly interrupted when I remember that because of my privilege I have been given the unique and valuable experience of an education, actually a college education.  With the piece of paper I will be handed in May 2013, I somehow have a passport to people listening to me, giving me undue respect and listening to my voice among the masses just because I’ve received a formal education.  Now this is a privilege as well, this passport will allow me entrance into many places such as business, politics, Foreign Service that billions around the world have been barred from. So now what? Maybe my life would be better served playing the game, seemingly playing for my team but trying to change the rules and getting my teammates to first notice and then give up some of their hits and runs.

Ultimately, I’m being faced with the best problem there is to have, do I help at the micro or macro level (Mother Teresa vs Hillary Clinton). Do I give up my physical comfort and do micro work or do I give up my personal comfort (being a government official seems dreadful at this point in my life) and do macro level work. I also recognize that really this is the most extreme way to think about it, somehow (I hope…) I will find the median, being able to make my impact however it need be, give up my comfort, appreciate the fluidity my life will have and stop worrying about the best problem there is to have. Working at the Network will give me more exposure to macro level work; my job at home gives me exposure to micro level work… I’ll figure it out, and find a balance. I’m so fucking lucky that my biggest worry is my life direction instead of a hollow wrenching ache through my body because I haven’t eaten in days. 

Theresa: standing on firm ground as she balances the micro and macro needs of the world

Sam on people, stories, and new friends

Ryan, Nellie, Brandi, MK, Amariliz, Sam, & Dan on Table Mountain

Cape Town continues to amaze me every day that I am here. Everything from the beautiful sites to see, all the learning that I have already been doing and the amazing people I have been spending my time with. I think all the people both that I came with from UConn and the people I have met so far here have made the experience even more amazing.

Over the past week I’ve met a lot of new people at Christel House who have made my internship. Everyone there is so friendly and willing to help me figure out where to go and the teachers have helped to learn the ways of the school a little. They’ve also been really nice about letting all of us bounce around the different classrooms so we can each experience different grade levels. I have been enjoying my time there and really appreciate the teacher’s help. However I think that the students there have been just as if not more important because they have taught me about their own lives in the townships, and they have been slowly teaching me a little Xhosa and Afrikaans. Most of them have a long commute to school but they put in full effort and seem to enjoy being there. I love them all so much already!

I have also met random people at other places who are so willing to share their stories and help out any way they can. I love when we are all sitting on the beach or walking around and the people who are selling anything they can come over and talk to us. Even though I don’t end up buying anything most of the time, but I like asking where they are from and why they’re in Cape Town and I have had some great conversations with these people. Some of them are only here for a few months, some came to get out a bad situation back home and are now trying to make money in order to better their lives. Everyone has their own story and I love hearing about them.

Lastly, there are also the 20 other UConn students that I am sharing this adventure with.  I truly think that everyone here is an amazing person in their own ways. We get to share all of this with each other and I couldn’t imagine being here with anyone else. Today we hiked up Table Mountain, along with our new friend MK who was also close with last year’s group. I am definitely not the strongest hiker or as experienced with it as some of the others in the group, but everyone was very conscious of each other and kept a pace that everyone could handle. At the really tough parts that I was struggling with, everyone was so encouraging and it really helped me to make it to the top. There was also one point where we had to go down a really steep rock which really freaked me out and I had so much help and no one got angry when I needed a little extra time. The same went for breaks. Whenever someone needed a break everyone would stop to wait and not be pushing us all to continue on before every person was ready. I think that hiking was definitely a bonding experience for a lot of us and I am so happy we got to do that together.  We also stopped at a reservoir with beachy white sand and red water. It was one of the coolest sights I’ve seen. And then the views from the top were so incredible and it made me even happier that I made it all the way up. Nellie and I took the cable car down together which I also loved because the hike down is always the worst part!

Overall it was another amazing day in Cape Town and I feel so lucky to have all of these people with me and I love that I get to continue to make new friends throughout this trip

Alex, Rebecca, Sam, Brittany, Nicole, Nellie, Theresa, Brandi, and Kimmi at the beach

Rina: looking for the unseen

Rina & Kristin

Something we've been discussing in Marita's class about a reading assignment titled "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," by Peggy McIntosh.  The article compares sexism and the ways in which men benefit from being the dominant group, to racism and how white people also benefit.  What was interesting is that many men are unwilling to admit that they are in fact privileged, and in doing so, they are protecting their privilege from being lessened.  Similarly, whites are taught not to notice their privilege, perhaps in order to keep these unseen benefits.  Some of the benefits McIntosh listed were as follows:

• I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me (because I am white)
• When I am told about our national heritage or about  "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is
• I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race. 
• I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children's magazines featuring people of my race. 
• I can choose blemish cover or bandages in flesh color and have them more or less match my skin.
• I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to "the person in charge," I will be facing a person of my race.

Many white people never stop to think about things like this, and many deny these privileges just to avoid being seen as racist.  Peggy McIntosh advocates that whites must give up these benefits in order to create equality, as well as men giving up some of their privileges so women can also have equal rights.

When we discussed these issues as a group, many people admitted that they were also blind to see these benefits, and for the first time, they were feeling what it was like to be the minority, here in Cape Town.  For many students, it was the first time they were consciously aware of their skin color.  This was amazing to me, because I recognize that I am "brown," and how it affects almost every aspect of my life.    

The article frustrated me very much because I am Indian, and not a part of the dominant group.  I felt cheated, even though I am just as much an American as every other person in our group.  Talking about it, and my frustration with Amariliz, who is Ecuadorian, and also non-white, we realized we are at an advantage because of our disadvantages.  The fact that we are both in minority groups, we are able to appreciate the few opportunities provided exclusively for minorities, for example scholarships.  Our disadvantages teach us lessons, that many non-whites may not have learned; compare a white child's upbringing to a non-white child's upbringing. 

At our community meeting later in the week, Ben, our resident assistant, reinforced the ideas of unseen privilege in regards to being a study abroad student.  We realize that we're very fortunate to be able to come here, study at UCT, and intern among various NGOs, but what are some of the benefits that we cannot see? This is something I will be keeping in the back of my mind, and looking for, as I experience these next three months here in Cape Town.

Rebecca on the challenges of communal living

Rebecca & Kimmi

Loch Road, South Africa: Where the seventeen of the twenty-one students writing this blog currently reside.  That’s a lot of people in one house sharing kitchens, bathrooms, and common living areas.  I have decided that one of the biggest challenges on this study abroad program is communal living.  Most of us have never lived in a house with this many students our age, and at times it can really be a challenge.   There are two kitchens in the house, and so far one of the major challenges we have all faced is the issue of dirty dishes: Who does them? How often? And Who empties the drying rack? In the house there are three differing opinions in response to these questions: One is that everyone takes care of their own dishes IMMEDIATELY after they are used, Two is that it is acceptable to leave your dishes in the sink and wash them at a later date, and then the last group consists of those who do not care when the dishes are done.  Other kitchen issues have included the cleanliness of countertops, refrigerator space, and who should be using which of the two kitchens.  In a house of seventeen people, these trivial issues all of a sudden become the catalysts for heated debates.  At one of our house meetings, (we have house meetings once a week that are facilitated by our two wonderful Resident Assistants) conversations centering around the kitchen were lasting an absurd amount of time.   While we were all concerned about the kitchen, people ten minutes away from us don’t even have kitchens. 

Kitchen rules are not the only issue we have to deal with due to communal living, but it is one that for me highlights how fortunate I am.  I am living in another country, in a house much larger than any I have ever lived in, with an amazing group of peers, when so many people in South Africa are living in informal housing structures with no running water or appliances.  The fact that we all even have the opportunity to argue over kitchen space and cleanliness highlights the many amenities we have available to us. 

Another trial of communal living is being sensitive to the needs of others.  When we live at home with a family, we know the rules, and we know we always be forgiven for a fauz pas in our household behavior.  Here, we are living with students that we have only known for a few months, and we all have to set the rules together.  I know that personally I value my sleep, so I don’t like noise late at night.  I could either have thought about it for months and let the issue become larger, or spoken up for myself which is what I did.  Being respectful and conscious of all the other house mates can be really difficult especially when there are opposing living styles.  My teacher Marita made a very good point today which was that communal living can be the most difficult part of the trip because it usually is not one of the challenges that students expect to face when coming to South Africa.  Many people in the house are very strong-minded (which I’m not saying is good or bad) leading to many arguments over trivial issues such as clean dishes.  One of the prime questions I have to constantly be asking myself is, “Is this issue important enough for me to argue over it?”  Most of the time the answer to that question is no.  I think I, and many other people in the house, need to ask ourselves this question more often. 

I hope that those of you who read this blog aren’t bored by my choice of a topic for this blog post. To me sometimes the everyday issues we face in our lives are important to reflect upon.  I’ve never had to live with this many people before and I think it is leading to me being more flexible in my everyday life.  

Nicole feeling everything but guilt

Nicole reflecting on how she feels

Today in class we were asked to reflect on our experiences so far in Cape Town. We were told to think about our expectations and compare them to what we have actually witnessed. As I look back, I realize my expectations were many of the things I witnessed here at the surface. I knew there would both be poverty and beauty. I knew I would feel sad about the way people lived and also grateful for the way I lived. I knew I would feel out of my element. I thought about all of these things as separate, like I would experience them at different times. However, as I reflect on the way I feel now, I realized that I have the ability to feel all of these things at once, something I did not plan for. I also realized that many of these things that exist at the surface have so deeper roots than I even thought possible.

Coming into Cape Town I knew there were areas that were facing extreme poverty. When people asked me why I wanted to go to Africa, one of the major reasons was so that I could help. What I did not plan for, is witnessing a crisis that dates back hundreds of years ago. I see people on the streets and realize that they are there because of a system created to keep people politically and socially isolated, otherwise known as Apartheid. I witnessed people living in houses comparable to the size of my bedroom or smaller, because other governments used race as a way to solve their problems. In the early twentieth century, when the Dutch and English could not agree on the ways to govern Cape Town, they decided that together they could both have power if there were people below them to have power over. This started a very long period of people being moved from their homes and taking away their land. That way, they couldn’t work and couldn’t own their own money. When Apartheid was over, they were able to reconstruct the government, but not the economic aspect of Apartheid. This makes me so incredibly angry. Before I came, I thought it was so easy to donate or volunteer at a shelter and bring people happiness. But I realize now how much really goes in to determining the quality of life people will lead. It is frustrating to see such a large problem and so many people in need of help. But I know the knowledge I am gaining is what leads to problems being fixed.

While today I witnessed a man eat out of a garbage can, I also got to attend class at one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen. I got to climb the stairs to middle campus and look behind me and see the beautiful city of Cape Town and the colorful houses and the shining blue water. I looked the opposite way and saw Table Mountain, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and my heart feels like it is going to burst. I have never witnessed such natural beauty. Tomorrow I am going to Muizenberg beach, where the ocean stretches for miles and Table Mountain is once in view. I get to sink my toes in white sand and get to surf at one of the best beaches to learn to surf in the world.  Everywhere I walk there is a mountain. While the scenery is beautiful, so are the people. Many of the people I talk to care about how I am, and take the time to ask how my day is. Literally every person I encounter in the hallway of my internship at Vera School says hello to me. People I have just met remind me to be safe and care about my well-being. This is beyond any experience I have ever been through.

But then I walk home from school and come across three or four people who ask for money. I cannot grasp this. I cannot gaze into the horizon and then look someone in the eyes when I know they need money. I cannot fathom that the peacefulness I feel when I look at Table Mountain can happen in the same place where I witness the worst poverty I have ever seen. It just does not make sense. When I sit on the beach, I wonder if those who are unemployed or living in less than ideal conditions get to have the experiences I am having in their own city.

This overwhelming feeling of emotion is something I am not used to. I believed I could be happy and I believed I could be sad, but I have never experienced both emotions so intensely at the same time. So when I think back on my expectation, I never imagined they would blend together into this confused emotion I feel sometimes. Maybe I could call it guilt, but I don’t want to. Guilt implies that I am feeling sorry, but that is not the way I feel. I feel blessed, and I also feel inspired to give everyone the peacefulness I feel when I look at Table Mountain. I know this is not an easy task at hand, but if I could even help one person feel better about their situation, I would be doing something instead of sitting around feeling sorry that I have things that others don’t. This feeling I have never felt before is making me want to do things I have never done before, and I have never been more passionate about working and going out into the community and helping in ways that I know I can. I love children, so I am really determined to have an activist project in the townships with children after school. It may not be everything, but it is something and while I have mixed emotions I am grateful that my eyes have been opened. When I was talking to someone the other day from Cape Town, she described herself as living in a bubble and not really knowing anything about the townships, and said she wished she did. I could relate to feeling in a bubble; before this experience I was really not aware of the world around me. Sure, I volunteered as a Big Sister and at a homeless shelter, but I don’t get to see these peoples’ lives first hand. So as I sit here, staring at the mountain outside my house and feeling the emotions I feel, I realize my bubble has been popped for the better.

realizing her bubble has been popped---in a good way!

Nellie fields questions as she settles into her internship

Meika, Theresa, Alex, Nellie, Maria, Brandi, Kristen, Nicole, Sam

I can’t believe that our first week at our internship is done & gone! Although the days are long, and we wake up even more exhausted than when we went to bed, the days have flown by. I’m having a great time working with the 5^th graders, they have so much enthusiasm and are still in that malleable stage where they are completely open to new concepts and quick learners. I initially came to Christel House to work with the art teacher, and it doesn’t look like that will pan out, but I’ve really found my niche with the 5^th grade, today their math teacher Ms. Bonni made sure that I knew that any time the inspiration to teach something, or try something new, just let her know and she’ll help me make it happen!

After three days, I still don’t quite understand Christel House’s rhythm. What I’m used to is a daily schedule almost out of 1984, periods that end at times like 11:23, and TVs all over the school that read out how many minutes have passed and are left in the period*, at Christel House their beat is syncopated and frankly rather unpredictable. They’ve had Life Skills (otherwise known as track practice) every morning on the big field, which already put them a few periods behind, and then after that the schedule was changed via email three times. I’m fine with being spontaneous, especially the first few weeks, so the constantly shifting schedule doesn’t bother me so much as it confuses me. The kids are great though with answering all of my questions, and will repeat the schedule for the revised after-lunch classes as many times as it takes me to comprehend and remember it. The students are bursting with questions, which I have conveniently put into a pie-chart.

*Don’t believe me? https://tv.stapleshigh.net/tv.php?location=shs  

Meika very grateful to be working at Black Sash

Meika & Alex

I have just finished my first week as an intern at the Black Sash.  After being in Cape Town for over two weeks, it was great to finally get started.  I feel like I have already learned a lot, and gotten a good feel for the organization and how it works. 

I learned about several projects that I will be working on, one of which is distributing information at a local Refugee Center about the rights of refugees and the process for applying for refugee status.  This week I had to read up about South African law regarding refugees and asylum seekers.  Though I’ve learned about the special issues of refugees in my human rights classes I think seeing it applied in real life will be a totally new experience. 

Another project involves researching the social and economic causes related to maternal health and infant mortality in a small township in Cape Town.  I am especially looking forward to this project.  On Tuesday I got a chance to speak with a woman named Lizzie who told me about the specific challenges that her community is facing related to women and childbirth.  She spoke about a local clinic that was too small and ill equipped to serve the needs of the population.  I could tell she was truly passionate about these issues, and speaking with her made the problems seem all the more real to me. 

I feel very grateful to be given the opportunity to work at an organization that is so in tune with the real human rights issues of the people.  I am so excited to get back to the Black Sash next week and to start working on both of these projects!  More updates to come. 

Kristin feeling more at home everyday

So, today was the second day of my internship and I am exhausted! Yesterday was a very long day, most of us were up and out of the house by 715, experienced the first day of our interships, came back to the house and had a short break if any at all, and then had class with Marita until around 930pm (after enjoying a scrumptious dinner made by her! I think everyone appreciated it very much).

The first two days of my internship have been good so far. I was nervous going in for the first time, I wasn't sure what exactly I would be doing except spending time with the kids. I'm interning at Maitland Cottage Hospital which is a pediatric orthopedic hospital specifically for underprivileged families. Patients there are usually admitted due to physical deformities they were born with or because of an injury (many kids get hit by cars because they drive crazy here!). The children could be of any age, the youngest there right now is around 16 months and the oldest is 17 years. There are two wards, one for boys and one for girls, and these first two days I have spent my time in the girls ward so maybe tomorrow I'll visit the other. These kids are from areas all around South Africa, so, many of them are away from their families for weeks or months at a time. That alone can be very stressful and emotional on the kids, nevermind the physical pain they may be suffering from injuries, surgeries, or disorders they may have. I'm not sure yet if I really want to follow the nurses around, I see a lot of what they do by just watching them since the room the children are in is one large area. I like talking and playing with the kids. They LOVE playing with my hair. Also, I had a pretty bad burn on my face so when the kids asked about it I had to explain it was a sunburn; many of them were unaware that skin could burn from the sun, or in my case, turn a red color.  That was a little surprising to me at first but I realized that if I had dark skin (classified black or coloured as most, if not all, of the children are at the hospital) then it would be likely that I hadn't seen what a sunburn looks like on someone with light skin.

Besides talking with the children at the hospital, I have also had a few chances to speak with the nurses. Many of them are classified black or coloured and live in townships. They ask me questions about America, thinking that many people there are rich - one woman even jokingly said she was going to come to America to find herself a rich husband! One thing I have noticed, along with my co-educators that I live with, is how people here are not afraid to talk about the racism they still see here.  They recognize the different colors of people and see as well as speak out about how some are still more privileged than others. This seems somewhat refreshing to me, at least that the racism is talked about, because in America, it seems like people are afraid to talk about it or even to recognize the privileges of one race over another. Either people are afraid of offending someone or people tend to think that ignoring the issue will make it eventually fade away. It would be nice if the latter were true, but it most definitely is not and these issues should not be ignored, although they go unseen by most people from the "dominant race", day in and day out. During our class last night, we discussed how racism is still incredibly real in the US; socially, institutionally, and structurally. I hope that some day it can be talked about more openly and even in public schools. I think many public schools don't do a very good job of teaching about the social history and current events of the US especially speaking of race, gender, sexuality, but that 's another topic.

Anyway, one thing I love about being here, and it is so simple but I really love it, is how people call you sister or auntie. People around your age or a little older will call you sister, just random people you talk to where ever you are. And small children will yell "Auntie, Auntie" when I walk through the ward. I think it makes me feel welcomed and even loved which is a nice feeling, especially since I'm in a foreign country away from many of the people who love me most. I am definitely feeling more at home and comfortable living here day by day.