Post Township Visit Reflections

In the past five days, I’ve probably experienced every emotion possible, including anger and downright disgust.  Yes, there are parts of South Africa where people do not have clean sources of water or reliable sources of electricity.  It doesn’t seem like this should exist when there are so many people living in luxury and this is the contrast that is true in South Africa (and parts of the United States for that matter).  The legalized system of apartheid ended in 1994 with the first ever democratic election in South Africa, but that doesn’t mean the remnants of history don’t still play out nearly 20 years later. 

            We went to visit Langa, a township located right outside of Cape Town and the difference between the poor and those with steady incomes was very evident, even within this community.  Our tour guide was born and raised in the township and spoke of his home with so much pride.  He currently resides in the township and sounded like he had no intention to move out anytime soon.  As we walked through the area, he spoke to everyone and the kids playing in the streets stopped and ran to him without hesitation.  In all honesty, I felt like I was in the midst of a Feed the Children commercial, as the same children showed our group the same amount of friendliness, yet they seemed to look like we would be able to provide them with something, probably money or food.
           Some people in the group talked about how cute the kids were. Last time I checked, there were poor kids (of all races) in our own backyard even, so what makes these little Black kids so “cute?” Some even remarked about how they wanted to live in the area.  Very few people will relinquish the luxuries they have to live in shacks, where they have no control over the elements, stray dogs, trash in the street, unclean water and unreliable sources of electricity.  *cue all sorts of side-eyes*
           None the less, the experience in the township was a learning experience.  I saw pride among residents, a true sense of community and family.  This also held true in the second township we visited, Soweto, located outside of Johannesburg.  Soweto is also the township in which Nelson Mandela lived in before spending nearly three decades in prison.  Everybody seems to know everybody and they represent for where they live.  I can’t say that I would want to live in either place, but that is not the point of this trip and the visit to the townships.  The point is to understand how freedom is not freedom for everyone.  Life for Blacks is better, but there is still more work to do here (and at home) in order to provide equal access to education, health care and employment for all. 

More Motherland moments coming soon!

Crystal Nance: International Traveler

So much is happening already and it’s only been 24 hours! Before getting into what took place on our first full day in Cape Town, I must backtrack and talk about the international travel experience.  My trip started early on the morning of May 13, with a shuttle ride to Phoenix at 2:30 AM.  The first flight of the trip was a 3 hour ride to Atlanta and then, there was an 8 hour plane ride from Atlanta to Amsterdam. OMG.
Talk about what felt like forever!  There are perks to flying internationally: food and entertainment.  I’ve been used to a drink and maybe some peanuts, but on the first flight, I was able to enjoy a full meal of pasta, salad, bread and a brownie.  I did some sleeping and some reading on the flight as well and got a painful reminder of just how uncomfortable flights can be for people with long legs (*makes mental note to fly first-class on the next trip*)
We had a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam, so there was enough time to eat and explore the airport.  The plane touched down there at about 6 AM local time and there weren’t many places open initially.  I got some Starbucks and I won’t think too hard about the fact that I paid $11 American dollars for a hot chocolate and bottle of water…
Anywho, I had to mentally prepare for the big one: a whole 11 hours in the air.  Surprisingly, I slept off and on for 8 hours, which made the flight much better than I expected.  It was a true relief to get off the plane and begin the adventure in South Africa.  We all have our views of what countries in Africa look like, but I promise you, the airport in Cape Town looks just like any major airport in the United States. So modern. So busy with people.
By the time we arrived in Cape Town, it was already 9 PM on Monday, but I can’t even say exhausted is the word I would use to describe how I felt.  Anxious and excited are a bit more appropriate.  Oh yeah, a little hungry too. 
Now that I know what the long flights feel like, I’m much more prepared for the trip home.  However, it is way too early to think about that! Stay tuned…more chronicles of this international journey are coming soon!