On Thursday we departed from UCT and headed to Ocean View near
the boarder of the Western Cape. We were all exhausted from a long week
of internships and class but I was bubbling over with excitement and also
anticipation. We were going to spend a weekend in Ocean View with host families
and learn about one community's way of life. Ocean View is a township for
classified coloured citizens who were relocated from various "white
only" areas during the apartheid years. Although the apartheid years are
over, this community is linked by their past experiences and because of this a
wonderful community has flourished. I was curious and also a bit worried. We
were assured that we would be well fed, cared for, and welcomed more than we
could have ever hoped for. So as our bus circled around Table Mountain going
higher and higher I just couldn't wait until we actually got there.
When we arrived we got out first taste of Ocean View living by
walking through the township to the home where we would be having a community
dinner. The entire time before we arrived, we had been told that community and
family are huge parts of life in Cape Town and especially many of the
townships. With this in mind, I found it fitting that our first experience was
a wonderful community meal. This was only after we carried our bags for maybe
twenty minutes. I viewed this as initiation almost. Many people in Ocean View
do not have cars and often have to carry heavy bags to work or to neighbors
regardless of the weather or weight. So with our backpacks we walked through
the township drawing attention to ourselves as we spoke loudly and pointed out
things that excited us. This feeling felt different because often times we've
come into a community and seen what there is to see but this time we were
staying. I was happy to finally have an opportunity to interact with people in
their home environments instead of just observe. It felt like this was the way
I should be learning about Cape Town life and I was ready for the full
experience. I was really tired from the day but after a while my exhaustion
turned into appreciation for the food and even better, the company. Our meal
was amazing and I am sure that I had not been that full since before we left
for Cape Town since everything was so good I just kept eating it!
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| Inside our host home |
After dinner we all went our separate ways to our host homes.
Savitri and I were the first two to be dropped off. We were staying with Aunti
Reeni in her home. In many communities, it is customary to call people who are
older than you Aunti and Uncle. At first is was a little bit weird and even in
some situations people encouraged us to address them by their first name only
but many of us continued to call people aunti and uncle to show respect. Being
a guest in someone's community can be a challenge because often times there are
cultural things that you might not be aware of and it takes some time to
understand how things work. Aunti Reeni is a Muslim woman who practices
the Islamic religion. When we arrived she was praying her last set of prayers for
the day so we had to wait outside for just a few minutes. When we started
talking to Aunti Reeni more we learned that she is very dedicated to her
religion and she prays five times a day and is very committed to the rules and
traditions of Islam. We also learned that Aunti Reeni was relocated to
Ocean View when she was a young girl from Simon's Town during the apartheid. She
told us that her grandfather's home was sold for a small price and then
they moved out of the now designated white only area to Ocean View. She has
never been married and has lived on her own since she was old enough to buy her
own house at age twenty-five. Hearing her speak made me a bit sad because she
has had many difficulties but it was nice to be talked to in an honest manner
even though we'd only know each other for a short time.
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Aunti Reeni and Me
|
When we got to Aunti Reeni's home, I quickly realized it was a
full house for such a small space. The home has a kitchen and living room in
the front, a single bedroom, a bathroom, and a storage room. Aunti Reeni is not
married and she mostly lives alone but she is allowing her cousin's children to
live with her for now while they find work. So her small home is now home to
three women and also a baby. I realized that many people in this township give
whatever they can to their family and friend and often times they do not expect
anything in return. The girls that stay with Aunti Reeni do not pay rent but
instead when they are home they help around the house and share in that
responsibility. Together they care for the two month old baby and they live peacefully
together. Nobody in the house works so their life is not always easy. Although
Aunti Reeni had a really good job, she gave up her work after her mother passed
away in 2000. Aunti Reeni was really close with her mother because she was an
only child. In apartheid yeas, Aunti Reeni's light skin gave her many
privileges that her mother did not have. Even so, she was so intent on not
leaving her mother's side that she would never partake in walking on the
white beaches or anything like that. After her mother's death, she explained to
us that she didn't feel the same motivation as she had previously felt and
spent more time alone not working therefore, she has spent the last twelve
years living on a declining balance. She explained to us that before that time,
she was able to purchase a house in full and also afford lavish holiday trips
to resorts and tourist destinations. Now she lives a more careful lifestyle.
She is not able to buy the luxuries that she once purchased and the charity
that she used to give to her friends and family has not been reciprocated to
her now that she needs it. Aunti Reeni explained to us that she was always an
independent woman and that was something she was quite proud of she said she
would never ask for a loan she couldn't repay and she also knew that because of
her faith in God she would have everything she needed even if she didn't have
ever luxury she was used to. Seeing her pride was really inspirational to me.
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At the community concert
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On Friday, the best day in my opinion, we went out and did
service in the Ocean View community. A smaller group of us had the
privilege to work with the students in the Open Door after school program to
prepare a concert for the community while others went to creche, which is like
daycare, to work with the kids. We met at the coordinator's house and had just
a few hours to get organized. We had to come together quickly to plan
performances and perfect musical numbers. This required a lot of listening and
teamwork but it was also really fun. After two hours we had a song ready to go
and somehow, I had a solo that I was anxiously preparing for the opening act.
We sang "Lean on Me" and "Man in the Mirror" and also
helped the kids practice the acts they had been working on before we arrived.
After a couple of hours we headed to the Methodist church and met all the kids.
They were so enthusiastic and ready to show us what they had been practicing.
The practice was fun but a little bit stressful. We had a lot to get done and
not much time. The kids were excited but they were also a bit shy so it took a
lot to get them to perform and also to remember what they were supposed to do.
One challenge was that there was no music for the kids to practice with so the
Chantel, the coordinator, was singing the songs for each group. I was impressed
by the kids' determination and that not having music did not get them down at
all. They were working and singing and dancing anyway. Once we did an initial
run through, we split up into groups to practice the parts. I liked this part
the best because I got to work with the girls to make up a dance. We needed to
make up a new dance because the old dance did not include everyone and since
not everyone was included the dance was cut from the program. We decided to
work together and learn a new dance with everyone. With about twenty minutes to
work, we started creating the animal dance for the performance. We didn't have
any music so we just learned the counts and later that night I was able to play
the music for them right before they went on stage to perform. The girl's
animal dance was awesome and so cute. They were a hit even though they only
practiced for a short while. The environment was filled with excitement but
also a bit of tension. The best part of the entire afternoon was when we were
not practicing at all. We all gathered around a small round table and started
singing pop songs and banging out beats on the table. You could barely hear
talking because it was so loud but the energy was so positive. In the
background the kids were doing handstands, tricks, and dance moves mostly to
show off but also to have fun! They were excited by our long hair and also our
cameras so we all had fun making crazy hair styles and taking photos. I liked
this best because we could all just have a good time and it was an agenda free,
fun spirited time which I feel like we haven't had so much of since we've been
here. Everything has been amazing but the best experiences for me have been the
unplanned instances of spontaneity that just prove everything will work out
somehow.
After a short break, we were ready for the concert. The kids
showed up in their clean clothes and some even brought props for their numbers.
They looked so cute and they were smiling. I knew that they were ready to show
everyone how much their hard work had paid off. I was excited for them because
I've been in their shoes. Bursting at the seems with so many emotions, wanting
nothing to go wrong and feeling preemptively proud but mostly just
accomplished. There was a lot of scrambling at first but once we got
everything ready to go it was so much fun! As I mentioned earlier, I got looped
into a solo for the opening number "Man in the Mirror" and while I
was anxiously practicing for that solo I was awarded a singing partner.
Chadlley, a fourteen year old boy, was kind enough to sing the part with me
only after a little practice. I can't explain what it was but even after a
short interaction I appreciated that relationship most of all the people I'd
met so far. While we were singing he was glowing. It was as if being a part of
this made him so happy and afterward we hugged each other and for whatever
reason it felt like we had been good friends for a long time. Chadlley is the
kind of kid that I know is going to make it. His enthusiasm really lit up the
entire room for me and no matter our age difference we were equal. The
concert continued with dance numbers from community members and the kids and
everyone had a great time! While I was sitting in the audience, I felt
swallowed up by this community. It could have been the worst performance ever
but everyone was supporting each other, clapping along and showing just how
much they cared. In some ways this overwhelming sense of community made me miss
being home because I was thinking of all the times I've felt proud of someone's
accomplishments and wanted to stand up and say "you mean the world to
me" but at the
same time I was just so happy.
When we arrived home from the concert, Aunti Reeni had company.
It was a woman and her husband and their grandchild who were her close friends
from when she first moved to Ocean View. Many years ago they lived above her in
their flat (apartment) in the township. They became good friends then and
their friendship is still strong today. They were also Muslim and I was happy
to find that I could relate to a lot of their values regarding marriage and
other things having to do with religion even though our religions are
different. One thing I learned is that sometimes religion may be a
barrier, it is also something that ties us all together. Although we did not
believe the exact same things we could agree that our belief in God and
our rituals were significant and important in out lives. We spoke about
everything from apartheid to religion to education and also places to
visit. I really liked listening to her passion as she told us about
finding Islam and embracing the religion she loves so much. The day before,
Aunti Reeni shared with us about her experience with Haaj, the journey to Mecca
in Saudi Arabia, and how it helped her to rediscover herself and her happiness.
I was really motivated by how connected these women are in the midst of a very
Christian culture and that no matter what gets in the way they stay true to
their beliefs. One interesting thing is that they suggested the Muslims were in
the middle of apartheid. They were oppressed because of the color of their skin
but their religion teaches that all people are equal and for that reason they
felt that if they believed then they could continue living happy lives and that
the challenges would get easier. I learned that many people do not
support affirmative action and that in some ways it is continuing the history
of segregation in South Africa by giving people jobs based on their race. I
wondered why I felt differently about this situation in South Africa than I did
back home. What I realized is that I do not feel that affirmative action in
South Africa encourages diversity the same way I expect it does in America. I
feel that instead it’s an apology to those who are still suffering from the
oppressive acts of this young history. The impacts of this affirmative action
are prohibitive to many people; although blacks are able to get jobs and earn
higher incomes the classified coloureds are unable to earn their own money
because for every three blacks employed only one cloured person is given a job
in the same field. I am constantly surprised at how deep the repercussions of
apartheid years truly are. I also learned that even though so many people did
not support apartheid, some people voted for the National Party in the first
election because they felt that white people knew how to run the country best.
This was partially because they felt that the African National Party's ideas
were so radical that they were skeptical that it would work. I was thankful
that I am taking a class on South African history and politics because I was
able to actively participate in the conversation and ask questions. I learned a
lot from this conversation and one thing that I was surprised about was that
throughout the conversation they kept saying things like "I'm not
really racist, but…" and also "when we say "white" we're
not referring to you". I was wondering if they were saying that because
they were trying to justify everything that they were saying or if they felt
uncomfortable. It reminded me that your opinions are valid no matter what they
are and I was sad when they felt that they needed to make excuses for or
justify what they were saying. Their history runs so deep that they cannot be
faulted for their opinions because this is how people grew up. I don't
necessarily agree with many people's views regarding race here but I definitely
understand why they said what they said. Her friend was quite the
chatterbox, according to the husband, and because of that this was one of the
most informative conversations I've had yet since being in Cape Town. I
wouldn't say that the conversation was entirely factual but I was glad to learn
about their opinions. The conversation was really lively and I was appreciative
for the opportunity to listen and learn.
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| South African Monopoly |
On Saturday we just relaxed and enjoyed our time with our host
family. At night, we played Monopoly. At first the board looked just like the
one we were used to. We were shocked when we realized that it was actually the
South African version. The "boardwalk" was "Clifton" which
is right by the water in a wealthy area. Instead of railroads the board had
airports. Also the board was in Afrikaans and English. It was a fun challenge
to see how many places we could recognize. Look and see how many places you can
recognize! I really liked playing a familiar game but it was also something
that was really unfamiliar at the same time. Near the end, Savitri was
losing and nearing bankruptcy so Aunti Reeni started to give her discounts and
charity. She said that if you have a lot you should always give charity and if
you have a little you should give what you can. The game bounced between no
mercy and playfulness until it was midnight and we went to bed. When we woke up
we were rested and soon fed to our fill with roti (a traditional sort of fried
dough/wrap) and fruit. Soon it was time to go and I was just thinking how
amazing it was to have had this opportunity. Many people do not get the chance
to see a different country and often when they do they live in comfortable,
familiar environments. This was real and while I was enjoying my experience I
kept just thinking how fortunate I am and while my situation in this homestay
is temporary this is someone's life and I respect the townships way more after
staying in one for even just a few days.
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| Melissa in Ocean View |
Just before we arrived in Ocean View a woman said to me
"it's interesting that you Americans come all the way across the world to
visit these townships and I've lived here my whole life and I won't cross over
there even to go to the dentist". While visiting Ocean View I
learned the value of community. I started to see how many people extend their
families to friends and neighbors and that true family in South Africa is
really special. I realized how big of a role faith plays in many people lives
and I learned that supporting each other and expecting nothing in return is so
important in life. After this weekend, I feel like I want to go back to to the
woman I met and say that yes I've seen violence and drug abuse and been looked
at because I am white and it is a bit scary but I've seen happiness, support,
motivation, encouragement, empowerment, religion, music, and love too and
that's why I went "over there".
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