Cindy reflection on her time in Cape Town

Cape Town Study Abroad Group May-June 2013

back row: Eddie, Chivelle, Maeve, Zuleika, Deborah
front row: Daniella, Cindy, Leslie, Cynthia, Alyssa

Looking back at this study abroad trip I couldn’t be any happier that I was given this opportunity to stay in Cape Town for an entire month! I really do wish we had a longer stay to explore, learn, and experience more about South Africa as we and grow as individuals. Being away for a month made me open my eyes to harsh realities. It made me appreciate everyone and everything I have. I truly learned so much from the people I met in South Africa from the learners at Christel House, Ms. Evelyn, Chantel, and even some of the vendors at St. Georges mall. Everyone I met showed compassion, kindness, and love. I plan to someday go back and visit Cape Town and hopefully stay longer than a month. This experience definitely impacted all our lives in a positive way; it made me appreciate the true value of family, friends, and community. It’s hard to explain to others how much of an impact it has made because it really is something one needs to experience themself.

Jumping for joy at Maiden's Cove

Going there I wasn’t even too sure who Nelson Mandela was or what apartheid really was.  But now I’m able to say I can understand half of it, not all because 1 month was way too short to be able to take it all in. I’m glad I was able to visit Robben Island, the District 6 Museum, the townships, Sithembele Matiso High School (even if it was only for an hour), a Baptist church in Gugulethu, Signal Hill, Cape Point and many other places. Every place I visited was beautiful whether it was a museum or township; the people were always welcoming and warm. I have truly been missing the Cape Town life since I’ve been home from the scenery, (Table Mountain) the people, but more specifically my Christel House family.

I feel confident that someday I will find my way back to South Africa!

Daniella transformed by Cape Town

what I've taken from cape town...

 Cape Town has transformed me definitely for the best. I've come back to the U.S. smarter and more aware of issues in Africa, the U.S. and with myself. Being in Cape Town and seeing the way others lived made me very appreciative of the things that I was so blessed with. Usually I would complain about materialistic things, but seeing the South Africans not complain about their circumstances make me ashamed. I've learned to be more grateful for the things that I do have and it makes me want to work hard for the things that I want to accomplish in the future. City Mission Educational Services played a big part in my transformation. School was just something that had to be done, I always did the minimum. I never pushed myself to do more and actually work to my potential. I'm not saying that I have completely changed and now I will be getting straight A's all the time, but I am working towards pushing myself to doing my best. I am honestly happy that I was given this opportunity to have a free education and such good teachers willing to teach me. I think that is very important in having a successful future. So I do not plan on taking my education for granted anymore. I also have become more aware of social issues around my community and country. I recently participated in a Trayvon Martin rally because I feel it is necessary for me to show my support for a cause that I feel strongly about, and Africa has taught me that. I hope I can get more involved in other charities and foundations that fall in line with my values. When I was in Africa I didn't realize the impact that it had on me until I came home and started applying it to my everyday life, so for that I am thankful.

Leslie's activist project and growing awareness

When I say I had no idea what to do for an activist project, I mean there were so many options to choose from. I wanted to do a project for those in Cape Town but sadly our time there wasn’t enough. When I got back home I sat down and my sister texted me. At that moment I found inspiration on what to do. Although my older sister and I don’t really talk, everything she has gone through has really touched my heart. She got pregnant at a young age, dropped out of high school, was in an abusive relationship with her baby father, and for a short time she lived in a shelter home with her son until my mom took them in. Sadly now she is pregnant and can’t seem to find a job because she can’t afford a babysitter. 

It was hard for me to find something that could help woman with all their struggles but I believe I found a great project. Thanks to my time spent in Cape Town as well as the online readings, I learned a lot that I really wanted to bring to people awareness. My activist presentation that I gave at My Sister’s Place Shelter was about sexism and media. The reason why I chose media was because it plays such a big role in our everyday lives. For woman I feel like media puts women down and it is time to bring that out into the light. Along with my presentation I did a drive for the shelter. Originally I was going to do a clothing drive but it wasn’t what they really needed so I changed it into cleaning supplies drive. There weren’t many people that attended my presentation and it hurt at first and made me more nervous. I guess it made sense when the director explained the women aren’t interested unless they specifically get something out of it. It made me realize that we need to change our way of thinking when it comes to getting involved and participating. It took me a while to change my way of thinking too because the first two weeks in Cape Town when we found out about doing an activist project I was in no circumstance interested and now I am going to keep volunteering at My Sisters Place and getting involved.

------

My Sisters' Place... committed to ending homelessness and empowering women, families, and others in Greater Hartford to achieve independence and stability in their community by providing housing and supportive services.

Cynthia lessons learned in books and life

One South African book I read recently is The Bang Bang Club Snapshots From a Hidden War by Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva. This is a nonfiction book about four white photographers that choose to capture the violence that was occurring during the final years of apartheid in South Africa. The story is told from Greg Marinovich’s perspective and he tells it all without holding anything back. He writes about enjoying the benefits of being born white growing up. He also discusses how when he got to the age when he understood what was happening to the black and colored people in South Africa, he knew that he didn’t like it so his way of dealing with it was ignoring it. I believe that is the way many people including myself deal with things we do not like. Living in a house with 9 other people in Cape Town was a once in a lifetime opportunity as well as a major challenge for me. In the beginning, many things occurred that I personally did not like but chose to ignore them just to avoid confrontation. As time went on the issues would gradually progress and I would still ignore them until I had a talk with one of my mentors on the trip Carrie Graham and she told me that the more you hold things inside the worst that thing get. That is when I realized that talking about a problem and coming up with a plan to solve it is one of the best ways to deal with it. I took the advice Carrie gave me home and now I apply it to in my daily life. Just like me, Greg Marinovich got to a certain stage in his life when he realized he had to do something about the violence and that is when he decided to photograph to violence. The plan was to use the photographs to bring awareness to what was  happening but a bigger issue arises when the photographers are faced with a moral dilemma.

           

After standing still and witnessing many acts of violence, the photographers including Greg realizes that sometimes it is better to act in a situation than to just stand still and do nothing. At time when they do act and nothing happens then they begin to regret their decision and think that everything they did was a waste. I know how it feels to be in a situation where you do your best to help a situation and then nothing happens, but after this experience I believe it is always better to try than to just do nothing. I could not imagine what this world would be like if everyone never acted on something there felt was moral wrong.

The lessons Greg and Joao learn during their years of photographing the violence are the same lessons I learned during my 4 weeks in Cape Town. Some of the things this experience has taught me that you do not have to accept things just because that is the way they are now and doing something is better than doing nothing. As a young women it gets very challenging, especially when your voice is the minority in the group, but I know in the end it will work out for the common good because it always does.  

Alyssa: "Finding Me"

Finding Me

Alyssa at Moyo, Stellenbosch

For so long, I have been lost. I have waited for years to figure out who I was that at times I felt I became something I was not. I needed to see a new scene or have someone show me how to appreciate, love and remember. People are ashamed to admit their faults but without recognizing what is holding us back from being who we truly are; we will never change. Sometimes fitting in is what people are most comfortable with. I used to be like that. I never yearned to fit in but I do feel like from some of my past experiences I played a role that I was not good at acting. 

One of the most important things I learned from Cape Town is to be you.  Standing out is far more daring than fitting in. After visiting townships or caressing children with HIV, I realized how thankful I should be. I learned to love and look out for others. My eyes were finally open and I could see a new world I was once unaware of. I smiled, I cried, I laughed but most importantly, I lived. This was a new beginning and this time I wanted to make it right. 

You never realize how strong you really are until you test your abilities. Rebelling against all odds and stereotypes created specifically for categories relating to myself, was my way of being reborn. I found deep within myself that there was a soul. I was alive! From the moments in Cape Town, I wanted to make it my duty to make a difference. I knew this person inside me was there all along, I just needed a good push. Taking back memories to the states is wonderful but taking back a motive to be hero is even better. I am not my friends, nor my family or even my inspirations. I am me. I have been found and no longer do I have to play “Hide-and-Seek” with my heart.