Larissa on her weekend experience

Our Human Rights Weekend was definitely not what I was expecting, but I certainly had a good time nonetheless.  It was so great to not just meet South African people, but to spend the whole weekend working with them and talking to them about serious issues in their homeland.  This was the first time since being in South Africa that we really got to sit down and spend more than just a few hours talking to the people of this country outside of our internships.  Their stories had me in tears and their willingness to share and explain what had happened in their lives had me in awe.  How these rough times and situations affected the people came to notice when we had group work where we had to figure out a hypothetical situation for some countries.  There was a clear divide between the American students who had an optimistic view that said “let’s invite the new country in, we can all share” while the South Africans had a negative (or perhaps just more realistic) view that said “we can’t just invite this new country, their men will rape our women and children”.  It was a horrible reminder that unfortunately those are the types of things that are engraved into their minds to worry about. 

One woman in my group told me about the NPO she works at and explained what exactly a typical day of work involves for her.  Basically she speaks to people in the townships about recognizing ways to prevent HIV/AIDS and ways to avoid or get away from domestic abuse.  The two are horribly common in the townships.  She was quick to tell me about her past as someone in an abusive relationship and offered some insight as to why women tend to stay with the man even after they realize how unsafe it is for them.  They have no where else to go, they have no other source of money, they honestly think all men will treat them that way, they don’t want to seem weak to people that might (ridiculously) suggest they were just not treating their men well enough so they deserved what they got. 

If I’m being one hundred percent honest I did not really enjoy the workshops as much as I thought I would, but getting to talk to these people was the highlight of my weekend.  In addition to the perfect venue with flawless meals and the best stargazing spots I’ve ever found in my life!  Both nights I spent lying on a blanket with friends, getting lost in the night sky and deep thoughts.  There’s no better way in the world to have meaningful conversations about life than to be lying back by a pond, with an almost full moon and thousands of the brightest stars imaginable, with good company and the whole night ahead of you.  

Jess, Allie, Larissa, and Andrea preparing for their skit.