We shall build and brighten this nation

“We shall build and brighten this nation” - Quote from a Khayelitsa Daycare Center

What a profound day. The last two days have focused on seeing the beauty of Cape Town and the surrounding areas, but it is impossible to ignore what exists just outside of Cape Town in the Cape Flats. Today was our township tour into Langa (the oldest African township) and Khayelitsa (the largest township). Every day on the way to UWC we pass the Cape Flats and can see all the shanty towns from the freeway, but there was something so powerful, so heartbreaking, and in a way, so inspiring to visit these places and see them in person, and not through a bus window.

Our first stop was in Langa where we first visited a tenement building where 60 black men lived during the Apartheid. Today it isn’t much better…there were 16 people living in a 6x8 room. The families each rent a twin-size bed from the government for 20 rand/month (about $2.50). When we walked into the bedroom, the most surprising thing was seeing that there were people in there. On one bed, for a family of seven, almost the entire bed was covered with stacks of clothes and all the possessions the family owned. I never expected to walk in and see two older women sitting on their beds - all of their family’s possessions in just one tiny area. The girl who lived in this apartment told us that she had been living there all her life (she was 22), and each and every night the children had to set up make shift beds in the living area (which was a room about 12x12) which included one sink basin and a small refrigerator that all the families had to share. I walked out of there in complete shock…I have never seen poverty like this, nor realized that South Africa could still be this way years after the end of the Apartheid. Outside of the tenement building, there were children dancing around and singing and just being so…happy. They were more than happy to have pictures taken of them, and loved looking to see what they looked like immediately after taking the picture. On the way out of Langa our guide pointed out the areas where many people are still living in corrugated tin shacks with no running water or toilets. The heart breaking thing was seeing small children carrying buckets of water on their heads and the toilets which are still operated by a bucket system. Truly heartbreaking….

The next stop was to Khayelitsa, which was the largest township in Cape Town. Khayelitsa means “our new home“ which was of course established during the Apartheid when blacks were forced out of “white areas“ due laws passed. In the 2001 census, there were almost two million people living in Khayelitsa. 2 million people…with a 61% unemployment rate. Khayelitsa has only 5 community clinics for 2 million people. There is no hospital, despite the desperate need for one. Our guide told us that people begin lining up at 4am for treatment.

While in Khayelitsa we stopped off and six places where people in the community were reaching out and helping to create a grassroots effort to improve the conditions in the townships. Our first stop was at Vicki’s B&B in the township. What a wonderful woman! A few years ago she decided to open her house to the tourists to get a true township experience by spending the night there. When she started, she only had the capacity to hold two people , but has since expended her business with a second floor and four more rooms. Vicki takes the profits to reach out to the community by providing gifts for the kids in the town to make their Christmases a little brighter. A typical gift for a township child at Christmas is a pen, colored paper, or a pack of crayons. Such small things that American children take for granted is a luxury and a rarity in the Flats. Sounds like a great idea for a Dakota Stugo Community Service project…. She also stressed about how the community enjoyed visits from tourists; we help support them, but more importantly, it is our duty to spread the word about Cape Town and the townships. The focus shouldn’t just be on “hey, look at all that poverty,” but rather, look for the glimmers of hope within the despair. And yes, there is plenty of hope.

Next we visited a woman named Beauty who runs a sewing school for girls in Khayelitsa. She also shared her story of being HIV positive solely because of her husband. Her story nearly brought me to tears. The saddest thing, I think, was when she said that so many people infected with HIV/AIDS do not admit to having it or seek treatment because they are viewed as someone with low morals. In Beauty’s case, it was not her fault that the terrible thing happened to her. Thankfully, she has been taking the cocktail of drugs which is provided for no cost from the government, and has been doing well since her diagnosis over two years ago.

Our next stop was a Daycare Center with the cutest group of students ever. Parents in the township can pay 50 rand/week (about 6.50) to have their children in school. The school provides instruction as well as two meals a day for these children. They raced up to us and all wanted to “high five” and hold our hands and get their pictures taken. Just like in Langa, the kids were so happy and even performed some songs for us. The one that was especially troubling was a nursery rhyme about how “It is my body, and I have the right to say no!” Students as young as 3 are taught this song because of the rampant sexual assault present. Just so, so sad. One of the quotes on the wall in the school was “We Shall Build and Brighten This Nation.” Hope still exists…

As we traveled to the other side of Khayelitsa we visited a woman named Rosie who runs a Community Kitchen where she feeds the children in the neighborhood to ensure that none of them go hungry. She has recently lost her government funding, and exists solely because of outside contributions from tourists and the like. She refuses to turn anyone away. Most give what they can…and in some cases it’s as little as 5c rand (less than a penny) for a meal of beans and cornmeal. She was like the pied piper - the children just flocked to her and I couldn’t help but notice that when she spoke to us, she always had her hands on the children to quiet them, calm them, and show her love for them. It was here that I had my most profound moment in the township. I asked the kids if I could take a picture with them..and it was then that I was completely covered in the kids climbing all over me. All smiles, they just loved the attention. It was a moment that I know I’ll never forget in my life. As we walked away from Rosie’s and back to our bus, the children continued to follow us and latched on to our hands. Pulling away they waved and jumped up and down. Kids will be kids no matter where in the world…

As we finally left the townships and headed back to Cape Town I was just full of so many emotions…seeing the drastic contrast between third world and first world is truly devastating. A half hour from the flats you’ll find Camps Bay, home to multi-million dollar homes… Cross the railroad tracks and you’re back into the poverty. Needless to say, it was a very difficult, heavy day. I will never EVER forget that experience, and I know that it is one that will undoubtedly shape me for the rest of my life. I feel like there is just so much more I need to do…to give back…

This will be my last blog for a few days. We leave tomorrow morning, bright and early, for our trek to Arniston. A small fishing village on the Indian coast. Before there, we will be visiting Cape Argulas which is the point where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet (I foresee more scream laughing in the near future!). Wednesday we’re off to Tsitsikamma - a park on the Indian Ocean. After that, we’ll be in Grahamstown for the National Arts Festival. It is the second largest Arts festival in the WORLD. We’ll be there for three days, so I should be able to get some blogging in then. Time to hit the road tomorrow and see what the rest of South Africa and Botswana have to offer…

So on that note…Peace and HOPE!