Tekowa experiencing a wealth of emotions

Teki at Moyo

My name is Tekowa and I'm a junior studying Political Science and Human Rights. While I'm in Cape Town, South Africa I will be interning at Surplus People Project. This is an organization that addresses food security, sustainability, and land rights through agricultural reform. This is definitely an interesting time to jump into this organization given the recent farmer strikes (farmers are currently being paid R69 a day and asking for R150 a day - to put that into perspective $1 = about R8) 

I've been passionate about defending human rights for quite a long time now as I was raised in a household with a strong emphasis on human rights, compassion, and empathy. I feel that I have a very strong sense of purpose and this program is exactly what i need to be doing right now. 

As I'm looking back on orientation, its very difficult to put words to what we've been experiencing but I'll do my best to describe the things that I felt were really powerful.

Tekowa feeling small in a good way

The first couple of days we did lots of touristy things- and absorbed a lot of the natural beauty. Cape Town is definitely one of the most striking places in the world. I would often have to take a moment to just take everything in. Being surrounded by beautiful ocean and mountains made me feel small- but in a good way, it helped me gain a little perspective. (Sooyong Park once said something to the effect that in the cities man walks around thinking he is god, but in nature you don't think that, you don't feel that. You understand where you stand in the order of things.)

I was relieved when we started going to museums and learning about the history of South Africa because I felt in the first couple of days that there was no balance. Its wonderful to see all the beautiful and pristine areas of Cape Town but it doesn't do justice to the city (and the country). Its so important to see the other side of the story, a history of struggle and oppression, as well as resiliency and strength.

The District 6 Museum was one of the first really emotional experiences. I've been to South Africa a few times before and knew the history of District 6 but to be in the museum and read poems and testimonies about how the forced removal affected peoples lives was really tough. A lot of people talked about how Table Mountain was a source of strength for them during apartheid so after reading that, the natural beauty surrounding us was much more profound. Also, our tour guide was one of the people who was forcibly removed, so to hear the history of District 6 from him was incredibly powerful. The whole time I was there I felt a lot of confusion and was struggling with the fact that time and time again we as human beings are so cruel and cold to each other and the only way to treat others like that is to dehumanize them. Once you truly realize that we all bleed red, we all want happiness  love, security, and dignity - how can you hurt others? It reminded me of a Buddhist saying: "If you see yourself in others, who can you harm?"

The next place I had a really hard time at was Robben Island. Again, I had been there before but it had a different impact on me now then when I was 10. Given the different experiences that have led me to this point, I really was and am viewing South Africa through new eyes. What really struck me at Robben Island was that our tour guide was 18 when he was arrested (for a nonviolent crime). When we left I texted my mom and said- can you imagine if I had been in jail for 2 years now? He was fighting for all the things I believe in, and because of his courage I am enjoying certain privileges  I felt that I could have easily been born in a different time and place and that would've been me. Later on we asked him why he decided to come back and work in the place of his oppression and we were told that he couldn't find work anywhere else. That was incredibly sobering. It was painful for me to be there so I couldn't even imagine the emotional and psychological affect it was having on him. It was rough to see that a man with such courage was just tossed aside by society.

When we went to the Slave Lodge, the thing that struck me was the section of the museum that displayed the history of weaponry, and again i think the best word to describe what i felt was confusion. It really hit me, how much time and effort we have put into finding newer and more efficient ways to kill each other  Its absurd and ironic that humans feel that we are the most advanced species and yet we are the only species that needlessly kills each other. 

I know my thoughts are a little all over the place right now but that is just because we have really experienced a wealth of emotions since we've arrived. As I try to process what I'm going through I will do my best to translate that into words, but for now I think that's all. Thanks for reading!