On behalf of Sebastian Insfran, who for some reason cannot acccess the blog :)

The importance of “in situ” learning!

I cannot even describe how valuable I am feeling this trip has been so far for me. I met new peers that I can say now are part of my “South African” family; I am witnessing spectacular landscapes with beautiful mountains and vineyards on one side and the magnificent Atlantic Ocean beaches on the other; and I am learning more about this incredible country every new minute I spend on this trip.
What I believe is the most importance feature of this South African Program is the opportunity of actually feeling with all our senses each one of the lessons learned in the lectures that we are having during our stay. We could definitely have each one of those lectures back in DC, but that would have not been the same. By being in person in South Africa, I am actually observing and partially experiencing much of the challenges and the opportunities that the country, and Cape Town, as one of its most important cities, are facing in the Post-Apartheid period. For instance, I would able to perceive the reminiscences of Apartheid by observing the division of Cape Town in townships and luxury neighborhoods, and the clear differences in the cultural and economic livelihoods of white, coloured and black populations. Moreover, on the one hand I could observe how Black Economic Empowerment works in the “Thandy” agricultural cooperative, and on the other hand, how many political and cultural challenges restrict the work of NGOs in their fight against HIV/AIDS. Finally, I was capable to talk with locals and perceive their restrictive hope about a country that they know have serious obstacles to surpass in the immediate future, but have many reasons to hope for better perspectives given its unsurpassable position in the African continent.
That is the magic of what I call the real “in situ” learning!

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Robben Island

Robben Island is about 12km from the mainland; it is where Nelson Mandela and other Black liberation leaders were held as political prisoners.  We saw the house where Robert Sobukwe was held for six years before he went mad.  The stories were poignant and inspiring, and a testament to the perseverance of the human spirit. 

I was particularly touched by Sobukwe’s story, a freedom fighter who later broke away from Mandela and the ANC, to form the PAC (Pan-African Congress).  He was held as a “visitor” of the government on Robben Island in a fenced-in house, where he was not allowed to ever leave the fenced area.  He was kept under guard and not allowed to speak to anyone.  His guards were switched every few months as part of an elaborate plan to prevent him from making friends. 

Sobukwe played a significant role in the liberation movement, yet he is barely remembered today.  He was kept on Robben Island during the same time that Mandela and other significant ANC leaders were there.  I was most moved by the story told by our tour guide: every day Sobukwe would watch as Mandela and the other ANC leaders made their way from their prison cells to the lime quarry to work. He was not allowed to call out to them, but he would stand by the doorway of his house and grab a handful of dirt, then let the earth sift through his fingers.  This gesture was meant to communicate that “We are the sons of Africa and we will fight til the end. La Lucha continua.”

The island is a silent witness to the many horrors and deaths that occurred during the years of Black oppression and apartheid.  Yet, it was also witness to some of the most amazing acts of human resilience.  The smallest university in the world was established in a small cave in the lime quarry where the ANC leaders labored.  The ANC leaders found ingenious ways to disseminate information and communicate with other political prisoners.  Eventually they were able to develop a sophisticated underground education system in the prison.  Their teachings were said to have even reached far beyond the island’s shores to other parts of the African continent.

The walking tour of the prison was given by a former political prisoner who was held for conspiracy against the South African government and for recruiting for the ANC.  He spoke of his experience in the famous prison and how he survived.  One can’t help but believe that right will always prevail and to feel inspired by the incredible strength displayed by the liberation heroes of South Africa.

Molo Mama!!!

Last Thursday we had the amazing opportunity to meet Mama Sheila, the proud owner of a Lelapa Restaurant in the Langa township. The story of how she started her business and the journey that it entailed was extremely admirable and inspiring. During the apartheid years, Mama Sheila worked as a maid in a white home. One day as she was cleaning she picked up a restaurant receipt from the previous evening's meal. The total on that restaurant receipt for two wine and cheese was more than her monthly income. From that moment, she decided that something had to change. She started attending night classes, saving, buying and selling second hand clothing, and even taking trips to Bangkok to buy clothing for her consignment business. Once she was able to save enough money to start her restaurant, she started it on the side of the house she lived in and through the years has expanded into a larger dining area. Currently, her restaurants employs 8 women, a band of usually 4 musicians, and at least 2 men as street security. In a country where poverty is rampant and the unemployment rate is around 40%, there's a need for people like Mama Sheila, who are not only improving their own quality of life, but also bringing others along on the ride. 

The Reality of SA's Townships

(I can't seem to upload photos- but some to come!)

Our lectures and personal research about South Africa's extreme poverty and unemployment rates couldn't prepare us for what we were to experience at Langa- a township just outside Cape Town. When we arrived in Langa we were met by "Sugar," a 30-year old native of Langa. Sugar gave us a guided tour of the township, making note not only of the community skills development projects but also inside information on life in the township; we learned about education, the local youth health clinic, crime and poverty.

Throughout the entire tour, and even into the shanty section of Langa, we were accompanied by little boys and girls eager for a photo or a hand to hold. In particular, the children were amazed by Arma's iPad and flocked to him in groups. Earlier in the week we had learned that there is no welfare system for the poor; however, there is a welfare-like system for families with small children. I couldn't help but think that this social system might be a factor in the surprising number of children we met and saw throughout Langa. 

As we finished of tour of Langa, we were met by our Romer Tour guides, who came bearing oranges. The image of our tourguides giving out oranges to the children is a sight I'll never forget; the way the children jumped, pushed and shouted for a single orange served as a reminder of the destitute conditions they live in and the simple goods that I must never take for granted. Our tour of Langa encouraged me to think critically about job creation in South Africa and hope for a life outside the shanty towns for the children of Langa.

Table Mountain = home

(L to R: Top of 12 Apostles during sunset, sunset views, City
views of Cape Town Stadium, & gorgeous blue skies)

It has been almost a week since I took a cable car up to Table Mountain and I must say that is my favorite thing (besides meeting/getting to know my other classmates) that I have done in Cape Town.  Table Mountain is the anchor of city and also serves as our backdrop as we stay in the City Bowl/Gardens suburbs.  The views from the top of the mountain were breathtaking – we could see Camps Bay, Robben Island, and even the Cape Town Stadium (site of the 2010 FIFA World Cup), along with Signal Hill and Lion’s Head (two other mountains worth hiking/seeing).

(L to R: Lion's Head, Flora on mountain, View
 as we leave the top, & Dassie begging for food.  

The cable car costs about 195 Rand (approximately $23 US) for both ways. For healthy hikers, you can always buy a one-way ticket, but since my classmates and I were running from class, we rode up and down the mountain.  It was worth the cab ride from campus to the lower cableway station on Tafelberg Road. A few of my classmates and I walked around on the top of the mountain and were able to see some wildlife (Dassies – which look like rodents, but according to my guidebook are the closest living relatives to elephants) and 1400 species of flora that Table Mountain is known for. Then we stayed until sunset and rode the last cable car down of the day to watch as the sky got dark and saw the city begin to glitter from below. It was an excellent way to get the pulse of the city that we have called home for the past week.

Info:

Address: Table Mountain (Nature Reserve), Cape Town, South Africa

Website: http://tablemountain.net/

Information line:+27 (0)21 424 8181

Where are your bags?

I guess I'll start our blog with our very first SA adventure.
There's nothing like getting off a plane after a 14 hour flight and standing by a carousel for about an hour only to realize that no one's bags made it across the ocean. In a zombie like daze the six of us made our way to the South African Airlines desk to file a claim. If you’ve ever had to stand in a queue to file a baggage claim –  and I use the term "queue" – you know what happened.
After an eternal wait one of us finally made it to the front of the line. As Katia made her way to the counter she was greeted by a smiley attendant who proceeded to ask: "Where are your bags?"...the cartoon below pretty much summarizes our experience at the counter. Thankfully our bags made their way from JFK to Cape Town.