Janiel's inspiring day

In one day, we visited two very iconic places—The Hector Pieterson Museum, and then Nelson Mandela’s house. Too much blood has been shed in Soweto. 1976 was ONLY 37 years ago. The streets are still stained with blood of Hector, his schoolmates, and so many more people from the township of Soweto. After the museum, I know I wasn’t the only one thinking about how these children stood up for such a great thing. And I wondered how I would’ve been if I were put in a position such as Hector or the other children. After leaving the museum, I felt guilty about being so oblivious back when I was that young. At the time I had no care in the world. And obviously that was a choice. But to think that there are children who stand up and fight against all odds is remarkable. One of the most interesting quotes from the museum was from Mbuyisa’s mother. She said, “Mbuyisa is or was my son. But he is not a hero. In my culture, picking up Hector was not an act of heroism. It was his job as a brother. If he left him on the ground and somebody saw him jumping over Hector, he would never be able to live here again.” In comparison, in our culture, Mbuysia would be considered a hero, and he would be praised greatly. In the face of all this disaster, Mbuyisa knew it was duty to pick Hector up after he’d been shot. I’ve been trying to find the positive in every situation while being in South Africa. After leaving the museum, I realized that although the uprisings were tragic, and many children, including Hector lost their lives, Ubuntu hoever was not shot and killed.

Immediately after the Hector Pieterson museum, we traveled to Mandela’s house. This is where he called home before and after being sent away to Robben Island. Before arriving at the house, I had imagined it to still look more like the original, but over the years, the house was transformed into a museum with pictures and facts about Mandela and his family. Not to say that being there wasn’t a remarkable and chilling experience, because it surely was. Being able to walk through the tiny house and take in all the history that unfolded there is unforgettable. However, I do wish the house still had some of its historical distinctions—for example, bullet holes in the walls.

This day was certainly inspiring. The township of Soweto has so many incredible people, both young and old. During the time of Hector Pieterson and Nelson Mandela being sent away, the community focused on spreading good for all races. It made me think about all the people who refuse to spread equality. Some how after this day, I was a tad bit more relieved because it’s clear that the world isn’t filled with bad people. There are those who fight and even die for the liberty of all.