On to the next leg of the Journey; Cape Town!

Table Top Mountain

V&A Pier

So day two of Cape Town can be checked off as Success!  My time in Soweto ended on a high note with treating the kids to hot dogs and spending as much time as possible with them before I left.  I can’t even begin to describe the amount of love that I found at Tsogang Sechaba, Poppy holds a very dear place in my heart; I will miss her amazing stories about standing up for herself in a time where women and Africans were not allowed to even fight for their rights.  Tony is also a role model of what we should all strive for in our lives, following your passion and contributing to the betterment of society. As trying as my finals days were at Tsogang Sechaba, being able to pay my respects to the families of the wonderful people I met who had passed on helped me to get closure and to appreciate the fact that I’m still here and living life to the fullest. I look forward to being able to apply all of the lessons I learned and the stories that were shared with me to the courses I will be taking with Professor Moja.

Back on the water!

As far as Cape Town, I was taken back by the fact that I was a bit culture shocked when first arriving; Soweto, was a completely different world and it is mind boggling to me that it is only two hours away from CT (flying) yet, they are as different as night and day. Cape town is picturesque and ideal with its beautiful mountains; peaks coming through the clouds and the reflection of sailboats on the water...it’s perfect.  Though, you still sense the presence of segregation to a certain extent and it’s the most interesting thing to observe how far South Africa has come since the end of Apartheid, yet it has a very long way to go.  I’m still trying to understand not only the history of South Africa, but the issues that the country is dealing with at the moment, Immigration and the devastating effects that the lack of government involvement has had on education has sparked my interest. I think it will be my research project while here in SA.  I am beyond thrilled to start learning from Professor Moja; I don’t think I’ve felt this much glee over a class in a long time!

 

J&H group dinner :)

So far, I am enjoying my mini vacation until my classes begin on Tuesday.  I have visited the V&A Waterfront which has a mini “London eye” tons of delicious restaurants with fresh seafood and tasty bakeries! It reminds me very much of Barca, the mountains, the ocean, the palm trees all come together to make something truly magical. I spent my first day exploring the area and treating myself to a mini-shopping spree; I am completely justified due to needing clothes urgently since I definitely under packed! The night before last we all went out to dinner to this Victorian-esque restaurant/bar called Jekyll & Hyde. We feasted on “tapas”, Tequila beer and some delicious South African Red Wine. Everyone so far is enthusiastic about the program, very outgoing and looking forward to some awesome adventures! I relish in the fact that I still get opportunities to make new friends at NYU, considering I pretty much know everyone in my own program so this is all extremely refreshing!  Everyone always ask me if I miss my friends/family and I do but at the same time, taking what I learned in Soweto and pairing it with what I know will be a significant experience here in Cape Town and Pretoria;I know I made the right choice. Sometimes you don’t get to choose the changes that come about in your life; they are sudden, sometimes jarring.Then those opportunities come along where you do have a say in taking on an experience that will change you, mold you and strengthen you and that is exactly what this has been. Time is flying by way too quickly so  I’m trying to live in the moment as much as I can!

Play me that Chemical Romance/ The Fray/ One Republic violin

I'm not sure why the past two days have been such a struggle for me; I don't feel homesick, gotten used to the food and I’ve been pretty productive at work yet that emo title could completely be applied to me right now. I’m thinking it has something to do with the readings I have started doing for my classes in July including Kaffir Boy; The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa by Mark Mathabane.  Every single time I start reading this book, I become completely engrossed in it; learning about the struggle against Apartheid while living in Soweto, South Africa, has been an experience I know not many get to experience. I’m so grateful for Poppy, Tony and Seth for sharing their stories with me.  While reading Kaffir Boy, the author very vividly depicts the life and death situations he faced as a child, the terror he lived through, the complete loss of faith in humanity and at times himself. I really didn’t want to keep reading this book but I knew I had to. I'm glad I did, I was inspired by this young man's 'American Dream' it brought new meaning to the phrase for me.

I don’t normally consider finishing a novel a victory by any means, considering I genuinely love to read! I think that what made this a victory was the fact that just a few miles down the road from where I'm currently staying, there are ghettos like the ones depicted in Kaffir boy; sure they aren’t raided by police on a daily basis and people aren't being indiscriminately killed by the authorities however, the hunger, the sadness, the lack of electricity and poor sanitary conditions are all still there. Do you really have a choice of where to live when you are unemployed due to not being a SA citizen, tending to child who although was born in SA is refused a CSG (child support grant) by the government which is contingent upon a parents nationality? I wasn’t aware that that so many of the people who lived in these shacks were mostly immigrants escaping war and even harsher conditions than the ones they lived in now.

 It seems no matter where I go my research is driven by immigration (Deja vu Spain) and the terrible consequences of it when governments refuse to establish proper procures and guidelines for the changing dynamics in their country. Maybe my frustration stems from that fact that I don’t know much about South African laws and politics besides the little knowledge I have acquired in the past week and half. It seems that what I did learn back in the United States doesn't align with what SA citizens have to say. Also, I’m learning through fieldwork, these kids who aren’t being awarded the 290 Rand (approx. $30) a month they rightfully deserve and much more in my opinion, are my kids. I play with them, I work for them, I’m able to put names and faces to the statistics I read about in the papers and other pieces of literature.  I look forward to being able to apply all of these experiences to the academic work I will be doing in Cape Town and Pretoria in July; I want to make it all mean something already...

One of the things I miss most is the sunset setting on the NYC skyline and the many times I took for granted how privileged I was to live in a city my kids idealize.  I also miss the sound of the rain, as I would fall asleep under the coziest blanket in my parent’s home in Florida. Those are two of my favorite memories from my home. It’s a different story here; when I go to sleep at night, instead of seeing stars I see smog and that smog comes from the fires that are being lit in the ghettos of Soweto where electricity consists of a wire on the ground throughout the compound. It's winter here, so these fires just remind me that at least they found firewood for the night. 

* Be a dreamer, be an achiever, and be yourself.

         This week has been a test of patience, endurance and faith. I hate feeling helpless, and I needed to snap out of it so I called my Mom, a very wise woman, who also told me to snap out of it and added on that I should do what I set out here to do; which was to help out by offering my skills and expertise and to just be what the kids needed me to be. Today, the kids needed me to be play ball with them( don't laugh those who know my sneakers are for gym use only) and I did. We started off as a group of 5 and before I knew it I had almost 30 kids ganging up on me, chasing me around a soccer field and telling me afterwards what a great time they had because they got to see me that day. 

It’s funny how being there for them was exactly what I needed for myself.  I understand what people mean when they say 'it’s why I do what I love.'  It isn’t easy and that’s something Tony says to me on a daily basis. This work while still facing the daily struggles of life is not easy but for some reason it’s easier almost instinctual to choose this path than any other. I’m as ambitious as they come but I strongly believe that there is a fine line between greed and ambition and the latter is what propels me to one day be the best at what I do and the former is what I think happens when we lose sight of the idealist in ourselves and in our responsibility to give back to the world if we are in a position to do so. 

First week in Soweto

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My home for the month of June

My 16 hour journey to South Africa wasn’t one of those horrid flying experiences you hear about all the time; the TSA lines were actually quite short, no crying babies on the fight or obnoxious strangers attempting to make small talk so that they can end up sleeping on your shoulder. Still, I had a sense of fear of the unknown and it had taken a whole day of flying for me to accept  the fact that I was leaving my NYU bubble and that it was about time I got out of it! Arriving in South Africa, I just had a feeling of calm as soon as I passed through customs and was welcomed so warmly by passport control ( no sarcasm surprise surprise, they were extremely friendly)!  I looked around for Tony, the founder of Tsogang Sechaba who so graciously offered to host me in her home. Seeing her for the first time, I just knew she was one of those people whose presence is always be known in a  room; tall, strong and fierce, she was sporting a South African World cup outfit and we instantly clicked when we met.  She brought along Poppy, her right hand here at Tsogang Sechaba, Poppy is the strong silent type until you meet her and realize she is just a big softie whose voice is calming and presence reassuring.  She is one of those people who can keep her cool under pressure and I soon realized that is why she makes such a great team with Tony. 

Poppy doing her dance and being thankful for being able to provide these single moms with clothing for their newborns.  "God is good "-Poppy

On our hour drive to Soweto from Joburg, Tony asked me everything and anything;  as soon as she  found out that I was an only child, had lived abroad before and was a Taurus she had an African name picked out for me, 'Lerato" which means loved. She said it was something she just knew about me and that was why I was sent here to help her and the kids. She said she could sense that many people were waiting for me back home and that no matter where I was,  I was confident with my decisions and  the journeys I took  because I knew I had people in my life who genuinely loved me. –Who says things like that 5 minutes into meeting someone? Tony does. I have learned a lot about Tony this past week but I think that's a another post all on its own.

Our amazing cooks preparing food for the kids

 The rest of my week consisted of  early mornings and  joining the staff of 40 social workers, caregivers,  cooks, volunteers and office staff in prayer and song ( I can’t sing to save my life but I do make sure at least to clap on beat). Tony addresses the staff and updates them on any news or areas of focus for the day and then we say a short prayer and start the day.  I wouldn't characterize myself as a religious individual however, I highly respect the people I work with for their  faith, it is  what keeps them doing the courageous and often times trying and heart wrenching work they do. I didn't expect this to be a spiritual journey but I get the feeling it might be one as well. 

 I pretty much followed Poppy around like a lost puppy  for the first two days then the jet lag wore off and I came into my own. Every day I seem to be learning something different about what it takes to sustain an NGO here in South Africa where it seems the country would be in complete chaos without them. The most important is that titles at a grass root level NGO are just for paper purposes; everyone becomes interchangeable depending on what job needs to get done. Egos must be put aside in order for things to get done and they really are here. Poppy is a social worker and works with the Department of Social Development however, if a cook doesn’t show up to work she will pick up an apron and get to work. Each day they feed over 1000 children. They disburse their staff and have a few cooks go to different schools but at least 200 students come to the center everyday to eat because often times it is their only meal of the day.

Officially part of Tsogang Sechaba

I think that one of the best  aspects of this job is that not only do I get to see all of this firsthand but I'm actually able me contribute ideas of my own and implement them! It’s exciting yet terrifying at the same time because each project I work on directly affects these children; grant proposals, social media updating, funding opportunities...it all becomes more urgent when you see these kids on a daily basis. There's so much to be done, the work is endless. Speaking of the kids, they amaze me with their strength, spirit and spunk! I disappointed them immensely when I told them Beyonce wasn’t my personal friend or in my contacts list or Justin Beiber "the beibs." We’ve come to an agreement that they will teach me Zulu, Zutu and the 9 other official languages of South Africa with the exception of English of course in exchange for me teaching them Spanish and a few dance moves, guess which one I probably won't follow through on...

It weighed about 10 pounds but that didn't stop her!

It was a chilly day but we were all so happy to be a part of it

Today seemed like the right time to start this blog considering it is Youth day in Africa. In Soweto, SA  the people are focused on honoring the victims of  the Soweto Uprising of 1976;  a student led protest under the time of Apartheid.  It turned gruesomely violent when the police got involved and killed over 300 children.  Yesterday, a local radio station came and hosted an event for the children where they performed dance routines, learned about the importance of this day and also received goody bags to take home, they were beyond ecstatic!

Goody bags!

 Tomorrow is an extension of today’s holiday and Tony is going to take me to visit  The Mandela family home museum where he lived with his wife and children before being imprisoned for standing against Apartheid. There is so much history here and though it doesn't conjure up feelings of happiness, it is important to know it in order to understand why  things are they way they are now. I look forward to hearing Tony's stories as well, considering she met Mandela and was part of the protests. Her words are more powerful than anything I could ever read from a book.

 I seem to learn something new every hour of the day here and it’s an overwhelming, sobering and humbling  experience. Every person has a story and as long as they want to share it with me, I want to hear it.  I’m realizing how important it is to be like Tony says a visionary and to dream big. It’s idealism with a dose of reality and they come together to create something truly wonderful and it’s so great that I get to see it in action.