finally feels like africa.

1/22/10

Today we went to visit 4 of the sites that we could possibly volunteer at this semester. All of the sites were located within townships right around Cape Town and simply driving to them was a lesson in itself. I knew a little about the townships but had no idea how large (or numerous) they were. It’s incredible. I can’t really describe how I felt driving by miles and miles of temporary (turned permanent) housing. These people survive in shacks constructed of whatever makeshift scraps available. When we drove through the townships you could see into the peoples houses, which they had surprisingly accommodated into actual homes with painted walls, decorations and furniture. Most of the roads were paved too, which were a reminder of how the townships have become permanent. I couldn’t even imagine living there my entire life but for most residents the township becomes you’re only world and your lucky if you ever get out of the community. I learned a lot about the school systems too, the teachers are usually underpaid and disrespected as well as unqualified to teach. Driving through we mostly saw children running around or wandering. The only adults we saw were those selling things in small shops or markets but for the most part it was only children. I didn’t understand how South Africa, which is supposed to be a first world nation, could have such a high rate of crime, domestic violence and rape (the highest of each in the world) along with extremely high percentages of TB and HIV/AIDS, but driving the townships made it very obvious. These are the places were all of those things are present because when you lack basic necessities, you’ll do anything to survive, and basic pleasures that we take for granted in America become something worth risking your life (or conducting a crime) for. It just insane.

The organizations that we saw today mostly did work to help children in the area. There as an orphanage that took in people of all ages and race, and took care of them; teaching life and survival skills so that once these individual are prepared they can re-enter the world. The orphanage looked a lot better off than most of the townships we saw and I could easily understand how when someone entered they wouldn’t want to leave. We also went to a center for people with HIV. Having HIV in South Africa is taboo, people don’t understand how its spread and most believe that it is contagious. As a result those infected are completely ostracized. This place offered English classes and cared for children with HIV, giving them somewhere to go where they wouldn’t be frowned upon. The other two organizations we visited were schools for children in the townships. I have no idea which place I want to volunteer at because they all sound pretty amazing. I also have the opportunity to volunteer at a refugee camp, which is a safe haven for Somali, Congolese and other African internationals that aren’t welcome in Cape Town because of xenophobia.

I picked South Africa because it’s supposed to be the most westernized country on the continent (not including northern Africa) and I wanted to feel safe abroad-assuming I could later experience areas of extreme poverty when I volunteered with the peace corp. I was so incredibly wrong about the economic background of this country and although I’m living in a tourist destination the realities of millions of people living in dire poverty is only miles away. I think I’m going to learn at lot this semester but I’ll probably leave Cape Town more confused and frustrated than I was when I arrived just a few days ago.