As I continue to have amazing
experiences here in Cape Town, I struggle to come to terms with the fact that I
will be leaving in about a month now. Is
it crazy that I am already mentally planning to come back one day? I have found myself getting more and more
attached to the entirety of Cape Town- to the children I work with at both Eros
and in Nyanga, to the feeling of ubuntu I find throughout the places we’ve
been, and to the friendships that are growing within our own UConn in Cape Town
community.
The children I’ve met on this
trip have had such a strong effect on me, I look forward to seeing them every
week and I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like to not have that
anymore. Whenever you work with kids
there is an emotional attachment that you can always expect, but I really feel
so indescribably attached to these kids, I think part of me is scared to leave
them because I am so unsure of what their futures hold for them. My students at Eros for example, many of them
do not have the mental capacity to continue in a school and will be placed into
a ‘play facility’ without any curriculum within the next few years. Where does that leave their future? And my dancers in Nyanga, with the highest
crime rate in all of South Africa how can I know these kids will be safe?
The crime rates may be high, and
sure, bad things do happen, but it warms my heart to see that the good people
in this country still hold themselves with such accountability and they go
above and beyond to form the best sense of community possible. We have been welcomed with open arms into the
homes of so many wonderful people who didn’t owe us anything, and we are
continuously reminded to keep in touch and visit families we’ve met before we
leave. It’s hard to explain what exactly
it is that gives off this ubuntu vibe, but I feel it. I feel it everywhere we go and in almost
everyone we meet. People genuinely want
to help us and to get to know us and to welcome us in to their country. This weekend for example, I left my wallet on
a minibus. People have been telling us
since day one to not take the minibus and that there are bad people on the
minibus, but we use them daily and never had a problem. Not only have I personally not had a problem
on the minibus, but also I’ve had good experiences. The driver found my wallet, called me, and
met up with me to hand back my wallet complete with everything I left in
it.
It’s a totally unique experience
to live with twenty other people who are going through the same new and
exciting things you’re going through in a country you’ve never been to! It gives you a special kind of bond, knowing
that you have people literally right around the corner who can relate to seeing
the things you’re seeing, and who can relate to the bombardment of emotions ranging
from extreme sadness to complete euphoria on a daily basis. Going through the townships and seeing
firsthand how people live here, understanding that although apartheid is
legally over there is still discrimination throughout this country, building a
sense of responsibility to do more for ones community- these are things that
make me extra thankful to have such amazing people by my side on this
trip.
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