Day in the Townships

Our Cape Town township tours began yesterday morning with the tour of Imizano Yethu which was extremely powerful for all of us. We were able to walk through the majority of the townships, and experience first hand the poverty there. But we were also able to witness the hope that the people had, there were new schools being built to inspire children. As well as preschools and business schools being supported by communty members. We were also able to visit a communty run after-school center, as well as a leadership workshop being run for teens in the township. We were also shown the community center, which offers so much support for the township and with such little funding. While walking through the shanty homes and shacks, we also witnessed the resiliency and strength of the people of Imizano Yethu.

We started off our day by going to church at Langa Baptist Church, in the Langa township. It was a really cool experience for all of us. We got to see the impact religion and spirituality has on that community, and how much their faith means to them. Which was really impactful for everyone to witness. 

After mass we toured the Langa township. At this township we toured the Langa community center, where they offer after school activities for children as well as programs for the unemployed. It was really meaningful for all of us to see the strength of the community in Langa. We also got to participate in a traditional drum lesson and saw their pottery workshop!! After the community center we toured some of the old hostels in Langa, that was really powerful for us to see the level of poverty that was present and still is. We toured the home of a traditional healer, and were so privileged to meet her and be invited into her home. 

After touring Langa we toured the township of Gugulethu. This was probably one of the most impactful experiences we have had on the trip. We started off the tour by seeing the memorial to the Gugulethu Seven. The Gugulethu Seven were seven freedom fighters who were brutally murdered by police in the anti-apartheid movement. This memorial is extremely forceful and we were all affected by it. After that memorial we visited the grave site for Amy Biehl. Amy Biehl was an Amercan Fulbright scholar who was working in South Africa for a summer during Apartheid. Amy was driving her friends back to Gugulethu when her car was caught up in a violent mob and she was tragically murdered by the mob because she was white. This was an extremely powerful and emotional stop for all of us, Amy was a college student like us and she was trying to help end Apartheid but ended up becoming a victim of it. What is most remarkable about her story is that after her death, her parents came back to Gugulethu and started a community foundation in Amy's name to help children. One thing that made these two memorials so powerful was that both these murders happened on the same road in the township. After seeing these two memorials we participated in the traditional community event of drinking Mchumbuti, a traditional beer. We were all so honored that we were so welcomed into their community, and allowed to participate in their traditions. After this we went to orphanage in the township. I think it's safe to say this visit to the orphanage was one of the most impactful things we have done so far. We spent the afternoon playing with all of the children there and laughing with them. The children were some of the happiest we had ever seen, and yet they had so little. When we got there they were literally using a plastic bag full of sand as a soccer ball. We have never seen such poverty, and yet we also had never seen such joy. We were also in awe of the fact that although many of the younger children could not speak English, we were still all able to laugh and play together. Saying goodbye to those children was extremely emotional and difficult, so many of us were asked to return and see them again. And I know that we all will try our hardest to, and untill then cherish those kids in our hearts.