Sharon's stroll and reflections on Table Mountain

I finally took a trip to the top of Table Mountain. It was a beautiful day, the skies were clear and the sun was warm. I decided to take a solo trip to Table because during my 3.5 months stay in South Africa, I have never gone to the top and how can I go back to the States without journeying to one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature? The cable car ride up was pretty awesome and the view was breathtakingly beautiful—I felt like I could see the whole world from the top. The ocean seemed to go one forever-- I didn’t know when the ocean ended and horizon line started.

            

While I strolled along the path, I had a chance to reflect on my time here in Cape Town and write my thoughts in my journal. This experience is indescribable. Throughout the whole week, I have been preparing myself to go home, but I am not ready to leave this beautiful country. I am going to miss taking classes at University of Cape Town, hanging out at Loch Rd, interning at Cape Town Refugee Center and even the bumpy and nauseating ride of the morning commute to work. Most importantly, I will miss the unique community and the spirit of Ubuntu of South Africa.

           

 When I graduated from High School, I remember I needed to write a quote underneath my senior picture for the yearbook. I wanted to write something profound so I picked a quote my Mohamed Gandhi, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Because I chose the quote haphazardly, it did not really mean anything to me at that time. However, now, after my study abroad experience and learning about Mohamed Gandhi and his individual role not only in South Africa but globally, the quote really resonates with me. The power of one individual is significant. As I move on in life and graduate from UConn this upcoming December, I want to dedicate my life to a career for the greater good.

Sharon's Adventures

Wylie, Sharon, Avery, & JR at the Congo Caves

 Our group trip to the Garden Route was everything I hoped it would be. It is hard to believe we only spent 2 nights and 3 days on the road because we had packed schedule, filled with caves, elephants and a very high bridge! Melissa did a wonderful job of planning one of our last weekends in South Africa; we were all really lucky to have her spearhead the trip early on in the semester.

Sharon overcoming fear of this LARGE creature

  

I loved feeding the elephants!! At first, I have to admit, I was very scared of their long trunks. But I soon realized, that they really are playful and gentle giants. Needless to say, I was mystified by these beautiful creatures.  

Sharon jumping off the Boulkans Bridge

I know everyone shared their experience bungee jumping on the Boulkans Bridge, but I’ll share mine anyway. I DID IT! I overcame my fear of heights and jumped off, with maybe a little push from the employees harnessing me up. When we arrived at the site, I was in awe of the bridge. My stomach was doing flips just viewing the site. I almost chickened out of jumping but my peers were SO supportive of me. I really could not have done it if it was not for the UConn group.

I am happy to say that the mural for the library is underway! My goal is to finish it by this Friday so that I can personally bring it to Sithembele Matiso High School in Nyanga. I am so grateful and appreciative for my friends and family members who donated to my project via my Books for Nyanga GoFundMe page.  I am excited to see the final result!

Sharon on second half of excursion

The second half of our excursion was dedicated to venturing out into Kruger National Park, known to be one of the largest game reserves in the whole continent. I have never gone on any sort of safari so I was really looking forward to the game drive. I saw giraffes, elephants, hippos, lions, and kudu!! We also saw many, many impalas, which are African antelopes and according to our guide, are known to be the McDonalds of the park due to their enormous population. 

My absolute favorite part of our wild adventure was when we saw two mighty lions lounging on the side of the road. They looked so regal and composed without a care in the world, while we were flipping out and jumping out of our seats trying to take pictures to capture the beautiful moment. I was surprised to see how close we were to the pair. At one point, the lion closest to me was staring right into my eyes—it was crazy! It was probably one of my favorite moments in South Africa so far. Being able to spot a lion was the only thing that I really wanted to see on the safari, so I am glad to say it came true.

The accommodation we stayed at during our time in Kruger was called Skukuza Rest Camps. I loved the chalets because of the unique hut styled roofs. I got really comfortable in mine because unfortunately, I got sick after our 4am morning drive, which forced me to stay in bed for the rest of the trip. However, I felt so loved by my fellow co-educators when many were checking up on me, especially my roommates (shout out to Anna and Andrea!) My spring break was phenomenal and I cannot wait for our upcoming trip to Plettenberg Bay this week, where I will perhaps overcome my fear of heights and go bungee jumping. 

Sharon's excursion experiences

I just came back from our excursion to Johannesburg and Kruger National Park and it has been so educational. The highlights of the trip for me were visiting the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum, Apartheid Museum and the Soweto Boys and Girls Club.

On Easter Sunday, we arrived at the Hector Pieterson Museum, which commemorates the Soweto student protest on June 16, 1976. The ambiance of the museum was very dark and the memorial stirred all of our hearts. The museum displayed many photographs and captions that recaptured the events leading up to June 16^th. Reading and hearing testimonies of the events was very burdensome but their stories need to be heard. After reading through statements of witnesses and protesters, I imagined myself in Soweto, partaking in the student demonstrations. Would I have chosen to risk my life for the struggle against apartheid? Bantu Education Act angered black South Africans and they refused to receive an education solely taught in Afrikaans, also known as the language of the oppressors. I realized how blessed I am to have the opportunity to freely study and receive an education in whatever subject I desire.

It was interesting because when we arrived in Johannesburg I just started reading a nonfiction written by Mark Mathabane, who grew up in Alexandra, a township we passed driving from Tambo International Airport to the hotel. As we were going to the Hector Pieterson Museum, I was reading about Mark’s experience in the Soweto Uprising and his actual account on the day of June 16, 1976. My trip to the Pieterson Museum, coupled with reading Kaffir Boy, heightened my knowledge and awareness of how courageous the Soweto students were.  

On Monday, Family Day in South Africa, we spent the whole day at the Soweto Boys & GirlsClub. It was so awesome interacting with the kids and helping out with whatever they needed assistance with. I love working with kids and my internship placement at the CTRC doesn’t give me many chances to interact with the younger generation, so I was overjoyed when I got to hangout with kids all day. I made a game board with Wylie, that we also learned how to play. 

Sharon & Wylie learn to play game on the game board they created for the children

After we accomplished the board, many of the girls wanted to play with our hair. It was so cute how the younger girls would braid our hair and then unravel their creation just to braid it all over again. Some of the girls gave me some dance lessons as well, which I am excited to practice in the comfort of my own room =). Spending the day at the Boys & Girls Club allowed me to reminisce about past missions trips I participated in with my church. For 3 weeks during the summer, we help out at a Christian primary school called Logan Hope (Love Our God and Neighbor) located in the outskirts of Philly. The students are primarily of Cambodian descendent and they live in a poverty stricken community, plagued with gang violence and drugs. Now that I think of it, there are many similarities between the two organizations working in their respective areas. During our 3 week stay, our team develops strong bonds with the students and teachers at Logan Hope and that keeps us coming back each and every summer. In the same way, I wish that I could come back to the Soweto Boys and GirlsClub frequently to develop significant relationships with the kids.

Pillars outside the Apartheid Museum:
Democracy, Equality, Reconciliation, & Diversity

The Apartheid Museum was incredible. The setup, in terms of the layout of the museum, and the exhibits were informative in a way to allow individuals with no knowledge of apartheid to fully understand South Africa’s struggle for freedom and equality. The museum was so big that we can literally spend the whole day there, but we only had until lunchtime. Luckily, we had a phenomenal tour guide to help us navigate the awaiting exciting information. My favorite exhibit in the museum was one dedicated for Nelson Mandela. I do not think I realized how pivotal and gargantuan his role was in the struggle for freedom during the apartheid, but as I spent a considerable amount of time reading about his accomplishments and watching his televised public appearances, I was amazed by his achievements and humbleness. At the entrance to his exhibition, there were many portraits of the leader in chronological order. From far away, the portraits look like photographs but in reality, they were paintings created by a very talented artist (I unfortunately forgot the name). The artist was asked to paint Mandela’s portrait while he was in 27 years of imprisonment because there was no way of knowing how Mandela was aging. It was unbelievable how the artist captured Mandela’s exact facial features just by copying the most recent photo of Mandela available at that time and manipulating the aging process with his paintbrush.

My favorite part of the exhibition was the Mandela walk, where the museum categorized many of Mandela’s profound quotes by content and a corresponding color. They included my favorite Mandela quote under the respect category, which is, “For to be free is not merely casting off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” This quote really resonates with me because I do believe that it is the duty for every human to live in a way that helps fight in the struggle for the realization of human rights everywhere. It is crazy to think that we only have less than 3 weeks left in Cape Town. I do not want to leave this beautiful country but I know I will be coming home as a changed person with a passion to help those who are oppressed.

Sharon realizing how little time she has left in Cape Town

Jung and I had a packed schedule the last couple of days before her departure for home. We went paragliding on Signal Hill and the experience and view was INCREDIBLE! Jung and I were immediately harnessed up when we got to the site and all of the sudden we started floating away into the clear blue skies with our respective pilots.

Sharon jumping of Signal Hil

To top off our relaxing flight above Signal Hill, we received two free tickets to Cirque du Soleil playing at the Grand West Casino. I loved spending time with Jung in South Africa—I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to share this adventure together.

I am also happy and excited to announce that I have finally found many projects in the making. This past weekend, I got in contact with the Korean missionary who is working in the township called Khayelitsha. The church that I have been attending while in South Africa, Cape Town Korean Church, supports this particular mission base, where they serve the people through child education and the sharing of the Gospel. I am ecstatic to be able to help out with their ministry and make a difference. Additionally, I cannot wait to start my mural for the library at Sithembele Matiso in Nyanga. As most of you know, some of my co-educators are building a library at High School and to see and hear about the process was so encouraging and it inspired me to be creative. For my contribution, I am painting a mural for the library in order to stir the minds of the learners. I am excited to take on both projects but I am realizing that it is almost time to go home and I want to stay in South Africa for longer. Thinking about leaving this country makes my heart hurt. Because I have so little time here, I want to ensure I spend my time participating in meaningful projects.

This week has also been quite eventful at my internship. The Cape Town Refugee Center is under new directorship for the previous director, who has been leading the center since 2000, is retiring. The transition to the leadership has put a lot of stress onto the employees, but I do foresee auspicious future for the center. During our weekly staff meeting, the director asked us to brainstorm a new mission and vision for the CTRC. I was really excited because this is exactly what Vernon has taught us in one of his classes this semester. As an intern, it was so awesome to be part of the discussion the new direction the center wants to go on.