Jerard hopeful despite the challenging dualities of life

3 months have come to an all too rapid and abrupt end. During this time I’ve done everything from wrestling with elephants to putting on a talent show. As I sit here reflecting on everything we’ve accomplished as a group I can’t help but feel a sense of pride as well as a bit of sorrow. When we first arrived we were all struck by how beautiful South Africa is, and I remember being immediately struck by the pockets of poverty amidst the beauty. That is what this trip has been for me, a combination of ugliness amidst beauty. During orientation we were taken to all of the gorgeous views Cape Town had to offer. At the same time we were shown the townships that sprawled across sections of the city.

After being properly situated and released into the wild so to speak, I developed friendships with many of the locals. Once again even the people demonstrated the duality between beauty and ugliness. I met some of the most physically and spiritually beautiful people of my life. The people were able to wax poetic about community, love, forgiveness, courage, you name it. They forced me to reflect on things that I had never even considered in my entire life. Those same people could say equally terrible things. One of my coworkers for instance talked about how the country was moving towards a better place and how happy she was her kids were being given the opportunities she was never afforded. Immediately after this she, a coloured woman, began to talk about how terrible the blacks are in this country. She warned me against trusting them because they were dangerous and base creatures. It just went to show me that some prejudices die hard.

The people that came with me on this trip even began to demonstrate this duality. We would have these profound discussions about life and race, and turn around and make assumptions about one another and people we’d met. Or we would come to the realization that there was no point in sweating the small stuff and that everyone should show compassion to one another, right before we started bickering and treating one another poorly. Overall this group has grown and done some truly inspiring things. I think everyone has honestly developed a greater consciousness about how our actions can affect others.

All of this ugliness and beauty has given me something I might have lost along the way, and that’s hope. Being in South Africa has given me a hope for the future of our planet and our species. I see now that no matter what terrible thing is going on there is always something good to be found. My peers and the history of South Africa have taught me that if just one person stands up then they can make the world a better place. Our activist projects have shown me that everyone wants to be happy and do the right thing. All it takes is the opportunity. So as I fly home I feel a great sense of sorrow at leaving a place that has given me so much, but I know that the beauty of it all is that I’m going home to another beautiful place that is yearning to learn the lessons South Africa has taught me. To all of my co-educators, to the people of South Africa and to everyone waiting at home I cannot express how much I appreciate every last one of you, and words cannot describe how much I love everyone.

Jerard confronting the reality of going home

Today as I got my suitcase down from the closet it hit me like a semi-truck; I go home in just a few short days. My time here has been wonderful and I wouldn’t change it for the world, but I can’t help but wonder what home will be like. As much as I wish I had the power of time control I know that things in America kept going without me there. My friends had parties, fights, and survived without me. I’m sure just as I’ve changed over these last couple of months so have they. I sometimes find myself wondering if I’ll still be able enjoy the same people and things as I once did. On top of all of that I I’m going to be a senior next year. That means that it will soon be time to be an adult and take on a lot more responsibility. The last few months have taught me how to make a budget, work a job, and balance school work, but I know that it is going to be difficult figuring out my life’s path while still assimilating back into American society. After being here I have developed a greater self-consciousness as well as an unrestlessness about many of the issues that plague the world. I hope that when I get home I don’t lose the values I’ve developed here and stay active in helping others. Things will be different and difficult, but not nearly as difficult as many of the lives I encountered during my time here. I will also have an amazing support group in the friends I’ve made, both in the program and outside of it. Together I know we will all continue to grow and improve as we strive for our life goals. 

Anna, Jerard, and Aimee

Jerard reflects on current events and lessons of the past

I would like to start this post by acknowledging the recent loss of life that occurred in Boston this week. My positive thoughts and well wishes go out to those who lost someone or something during the recent attack at the Boston Marathon. This horrible assault on the innocent was an act of anger meant to inspire fear. Regardless of the ethnicity, gender, age, nationality or religious affiliation of the perpetrator, this was inexcusable. It is events like this that show the character of a person and a nation, and it is events like this one by which a country is judged. Some people have responded with fear, some with anger, but some have responded with love.

In class this week we looked at some of the responses people have had as well as the possible motivations behind attacks like these. Out of anger, fear, and love we came to the conclusion that this is what should be our country’s response to catastrophes like this one. It is only after being given time to reflect on our discussion and these events that I am able to draw the connection between these three responses and South Africa. All three responses to a transgression can be seen throughout the history of South Africa. During the apartheid era, anger could be seen in the military attacks against the apartheid government by the militant branch of the African National Congress (ANC). These attacks were not the ultimate cause of whites agreeing to share governmental power with Blacks and Coloureds. In fact the ANC soon came to realize that directing their anger towards violent means would only leave the country in shambles. On the other hand the effects of fear could be seen by the whites that were the opposition. They were fearful that if they gave Blacks a say they would create reverse discrimination. Ultimately they, like the ANC, realized that the alternative to giving Blacks and Coloureds equal standing in society was a ravaged and destroyed country. As a result, instead of the Blacks and Coloureds creating an unequal society in their favor, they decided to forgive the past transgressions of the Whites on the condition that individuals that did wrongs admitted their wrongs. The Country chose love so unconditionally that in its preamble it states that it will work to, “Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.” This isn’t the only reference to unity, but to me it is the one that most shows both sides willingness to come together as a nation. Since the creation of this document South Africa’s race relations have improved. I believe that every person and country everywhere should take a page from South Africa’s book. Love even those that wrong you, because the alternative is mutual destruction brought on by fear and anger. This is easier said than done, but if two groups that only knew fear and anger prior this can do it then so can anyone.

Jerard growing understanding through friendships and fun

After all of the together time spent visiting Johannesburg a majority of our program decided that it would be great to have our own excursion to Plettenberg Bay the following weekend. Plett is one of the big tourist locations here in the Western Cape Province. It was an exciting expedition filled with adventure and bonding experiences around every corner. The first big event planned for us was a 6 hour bus ride from the University of Cape Town to Plettenberg. Instead of being a long and dull affair, everyone managed to stay entertained by exchanging funny stories and playing fun games. The time flew by and before we knew it we had arrived at the hostel we would be staying at for the night. This place was like no other hostel I’d seen before and was more akin to a luscious condo you would find at a resort. Needless to say the trip started off on a good note. The high continued as we went spelunking in caves, went on to pet elephants, and have various high flying adventures that included zip-lining, sky diving, and bungee jumping.

 Although these activities were all very fun the most important thing taken from the trip was a better understanding of my experience in South Africa. We had individual and group conversations that I’m not very sure I will have once I return to the United States. The trip to Plett made me realize that I’ve learned more about these people I’ve only known for 4 months than I know about some of my friends I’ve known for years. I feel that this is because of the amount we’ve all grown as people. We’ve become more open to ideas different from our own and just more accepting of one another in general. The catalyst for this has been the fact that we are going through something that no one at home will understand; we’ve faced fears together, seen both thrilling and sad things, and have been forced to cohabitate with people we most likely never would have met otherwise. Plettenberg will always be a major defining weekend in my trip to South Africa because of everything it represents.

Jerard on stronger relations and a wealth of knowlege

It was hailed as the New York of South Africa; a place where the thieves would steal the shoes off your feet if you didn’t pay close enough attention. With descriptions like these from Capetonians, everyone in our group expected Johannesburg to be a bustling metropolis with colorful characters around every corner. For our spring break we took an excursion to what we believed to be an infamous city and found that the stories of Jo’burg were vastly exaggerated. The largest city in South Africa was not quite what we would call bustling and didn’t have the dangerous feel we were anticipating. Despite all of this, Johannesburg managed to live up to its reputation as the “place of gold,” but in a less obvious way. The gold we found did not come in the form of a precious metal, but instead came in the form of stronger relationships and a wealth of knowledge.

Jerard reflecting on the value of education

Throughout the excursion we were exposed to a series of apartheid museums that dealt with various aspects of the struggle. The first one, the Hector Peterson museum, had the most profound effect on many members of our group. This museum gave a glimpse into the pain caused by the Soweto Uprising, which was a series of high school led protests against the mandatory teaching of Afrikaans in all Soweto schools. Soweto was a black area and for most residents Afrikaans was not their first language. This meant that classes that had previously performed admirably suddenly witnessed a dramatic drop off in their performance. The institution of this policy was seen as a way to keep blacks subservient to whites and prevent blacks from getting a quality education. The actual uprising occurred after officers opened fire on some of the children as they fled. This museum had such a strong impact on people because it was remembering the massacre of high school children. All of us are not that far removed from our high school days. We remember what it was like to be a high school student, but we could not even begin to fathom what it would be like to die for your education. These kids were more aware of political and social issues than some adults are today. It made me and others realize everything we take for granted about our lives as relatively care free college students. That museum was something that I believe every high school and college student around the world should experience. I believe that if that happened a higher value would be placed on education in every society and no one would take that privilege for granted.