Anna on the power of one

Anna walking through the library her vision and hard work helped to build.

Last night, most of the pool house was piled on my bed looking through the 3,500 pictures I have taken since being in Cape Town, reminiscing over the past four months. My camera has easily become my most valuable possession. Through it, I have been able to capture times and memories on film that others may capture through their journals. The past four months have been dream like, so much so, that I'm afraid when we step off the plane and say goodbye that they won't actually seem real, because, how can they be? We laughed and joked about even how physically different we all looked, hair longer, making most of us look older. When we leave here, this entire experience will simply be a memory. I'd like to think that we have left our mark on Cape Town, but more accurately, Cape Town has left its mark on us. One of the biggest landmarks of passing time for me, has been the library. When looking through the pictures it was the first time that I really looked at the two states of the room side by side. What it was on our first day at Sithembele Matiso and what it looks like now and all of the steps that we had to take, obstacles that we have overcome and hours we spent working to make the room what is now. We finally finished on Friday, and were able to bring in local book donations that we received.  As this project progressed, at times even I questioned whether or not it would actually come to fruition, would it work out, or were we making Joseph and the school false promises that we wouldn't be able to keep.  Somehow as everything seems to in this magical place, everything did. We just heard from UPS that they have completed the process of the donation of shipment and 1.5 tons of books will be headed in Nyanga's direction in the next few days. It's hard to dispute that someone or something whether it be karma, luck, or fate, is on our side. We covered the walls in inspirational quotes, as you walk in the door, the first thing that you see are the words of Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible, until it is done.” Very fitting. The walls are covered with the words of Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Dr. Seuss and others. Patrick painted a beautiful tribute to the victims of the Newtown shooting and Sharon a mural of Table mountain. Each person who contributed to this project made a world of a difference. I don't mean just Allie, Patrick, Sharon, Liz, and Kelsey, but every person who donated, told a friend, or offered words of support. The completion of the library would not have been possible without every single contribution, proving first hand evidence of, the power of one. 

The group at Sithembele Matiso High Library under mural painted by Sharon.

Avery's final day

On the last full day in Cape Town, I was a wreck. All around me was still unexplored beauty- a cityscape with stores un-shopped, a bay left un-laid out on, a mountain left un-revisited. I woke up and realizing the predicament of time running out began to cry. I needed to do something with the day that would somehow wrap up everything- tie up this trip with a beautiful bow so that I could get on the plane and look over my shoulder with peaceful content rather than heart strangled anguish in leaving. So, without too much thought involved I followed Patrick, Anna, Allie, Kelsey and Sharon to Nyanga to go officially open the Library that they have taken all semester to build.

Maria, Avery, Lindsay, Wylie, & Kelsey share in the joy of the dedication
of the library at Sithembele Matiso High in Nyanga

 When we arrived it was with the expectation that the walls would be painted, and the shelves would be built but empty, as the shipment of donated books from the USA supposedly wouldn’t arrive until after we had left. What the group found as the doors were pushed open was a library stocked with books- a donation from the Cape Town Library. Anna’s tears of joy permeated my very soul. It was like living in an episode of Extreme Make-Over Home Edition. The group of people who helped to build this beautiful place was all teary eyed and running their hands along the mystical spines of books that appeared in their library. I couldn’t help but weep. In life, we have many opportunities to empathize with someone’s pain- but the moments where we may experience another persons pure joy are much rarer- more sacred, and particularly poignant.

Joseph (the inspiration for the library project with other grade 8-12 learners

The school children from grades 8-12 began to filter into the library for the opening ceremony. The principal came to give an opening speech where he declared his initial skepticism of the project. He explained how it is often that touring groups of students may come through the area- point their fingers at an old standing issue, and then leave never getting their hands dirty in actually solving the problem. He commended then Anna, Patrick and Allie’s group for plunging their hands deep into paint and pulling out a library for the underfunded school. Truly their work is more than just a gift to the community, more than an investment in the future of those students- it is an inspiration to us all.

Kelsey, Patrick, Anna, Liz, and Allie receive thanks for all their hard work.

 Patrick said during the end of the ceremony, “having the idea isn’t hard, the work is hard.” If everyone could in their lifetime focus in on just one social issue- focus on it, hold it dear to their hearts and then go one step further just to think of a valid way to attempt to dispel that issue from the earth- I believe we would find that many more people would then be inclined to act on their ideas. Isn’t that the scariest step after all? That very first one- that one where in taking it you assign your name to a cause, you take up the responsibility because you have now paid attention to it- you are now accountable for working to make a change under this new enlightenment. Damn straight that’s scary-which is why many people allow these wonderful ideas to come into mind and then never fully seek out a way to make their musings take shape. I hope that this sort of story serves as an inspiration to those who come across it. I know that within our group we have each taken up the struggle of something, we are leaving this trip knowing that individually we each have a cause, and that as a group we can call upon any one within us to help make a change. 

Sharon, Anna, KelseyMs Maloka (teacher) Patrick, Allie, and Liz in the beautiful library.
They imagined it and then worked hard to make their dream a reality!

Tekowa sharing talents building confidence

AFRICA ACTS OUT

For this program we all have to do an “activist project.” For my activist project, along with Brianna, Avery, Vara, Janeil, Jerard, Lindsay, and Larissa, I worked with kids from Nyanga, a black township outside of Cape Town. Together we created an afterschool program where, based on our own interests and skills, we worked with the kids on acting, music, and dance. I was in the music group with Brianna and Lindsay. We worked with the kids every Friday leading up to our concluding talent showcase called “Africa Acts Out” (in partnership with Africa Unite). Africa Acts Out was this past Saturday and it was amazing!! It was so awesome to see how many people came from our group as well as the community. What made it really special for me was how special it was for the kids. For the day these kids got have the spotlight shined on them, support from the community, showcase their talents (and these kids are really talented!), and just feel special. It was just really awesome to see these kids do their thing on stage and just be their amazing selves. Africa Acts out was a bit bitter sweet though. It was really hard to say goodbye to the kids and know that we’re probably never going to see them again but what I hope they take away from the program is an added confidence in themselves and their abilities. 

Africa Acts Out with: Brianna, Vara, Tekowa, Lindsay, Janiel, Jerard, Avery, Larissa
together with talented kids from the after school program in Nyanga.

Janiel's realization of township life

Our talent show was Saturday, April 20^th, and I can happily say it was on a whole very successful. I’m so proud of each and every child that did a performance, even if they weren’t apart of our Africa Acts Out after school program. There is so much hidden talent within the community of Nyanga. Our talent show was held at a local community center in Nyanga, which meant just about everyone who lived near by knew about it. As a result of this, throughout the day, more and more people wanted to showcase their talents on stage. Our vision in the beginning was to have the children we had been working with, show off what they’d been learning and anything extra they wanted to present. However, after a while, the community overtook our stage, and we almost lost control of the show.

From the looks of things after a while, the performers that kept on coming in, looked as if they weren’t willing to leave anytime soon. I think I can speak for all my partners when I say that we were all feeling very frustrated and confused with the situation… especially when all the performances were being done in Xhosa. At this time, I was trying to juggle the food management in the back, and getting the show to end on a good note. A couple people from Africa Unite came out and donated over a hundred hotdogs and buns for the kids. So after ending the show, we had to distribute the food to the children that came out for the show, and any others that were in the audience. We had buckets filled with fruit, chicken wings, and cake all donated from Woolworths thanks to Vara. She really did an amazing job on getting food for after the show. While helping in the back, I was speaking to someone from the community about my frustration about how the show was going, and I will never forget how she replied to me. She said “my dear, welcome to township life.” Then I realized that although our talent show was basically taken over, the people on stage were just excited to have an opportunity like this to showcase their talents. This chance doesn’t come by very often. Then I felt slightly guilty for my impatience. I made assumptions that they could simply have another talent show. After her saying this to me, I took a step back and actually watched. Although some performances were more graphic than others, they all had a message and a story to be told. In the end that was the part I loved the most.

After the end of the show, I realized how much I appreciated the people I was working with—my co-educators:

Teki

• Teki: she has such a calm aura that her kids definitely worked off of.
• Lindsay: I know in the beginning she was having a very difficult time with the language barrier between her and her kids. I loved watching her break through that through singing. She taught the kids a beautiful song, which brought me to tears as they sang it in English and Xhosa.
• Vara: I thank her so much for doing majority of the behind the scenes work. If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have had food for the children. Her persistence is admirable.
•  Jerard: he is so amazing with the kids. Although creative writing didn’t work out as planned, I could tell he enjoyed himself with theatre and improv. No matter how much he tries to pretend he’s not a kid’s person, I know he loves them all.
• Larissa: such a graceful young lady, even when she’s not doing ballet. I love how she comes alive around children.
• Brianna: her spirit is remarkable; she glows whenever she’s performing. She is such an amazing person, and I know the kids could see that. I’m glad she found her love for music once again.
• Avery: I have no doubt that one day she shall be a world leader. The passion she pours into her work is so inspiring. It’s clear that she has grown so much and it’s clear that she will only progress up.

I enjoyed so much working with everyone on this project. I loved coming together at the end our days to showcase what ever we had done that day. I know that because of us, the children we worked with are smiling a little brighter. Nyanga will forever be in our hearts.

Avery's activist project . . .and beyond

After numerous meetings with Zoe from Africa Unite, after hour-long commuting to Nynaga every Friday, after being greeted by swarms of kids on some days and greeted only by stragglers and the few who could make it to practice on others- somehow we managed to pull off a spectacular talent show.

Even as I say spectacular I have to smile because it was far from what I had planned As it unfolded I could only watch, attempt to make last minute interferences backstage, and sweat as I looked on at my kids dancing, singing and acting for their community. The community also came up and did their pieces- traditional dance, hip hop dance, and a few skits that perhaps should have been censored for such an event but went unchecked and drew forth a powerful performance on stage.  Putting on this show was a lot like trying to heave a ton of bricks up to a third story window- there were plenty of challenges, luckily the rope I was using was long, and many hands helped to heave until it became what it was- simply spectacular.

As proud as I am though, I must admit that I had some issues seeing how this project had actually helped to make any contribution at all. It seemed like a drop in the ocean, a feel good for me, a tourist on a trip trying to get some good pictures. I am still slightly guilt ridden- because of the shortage of time that they actually had to learn what we had to teach, for the language barrier that I could do little to leap over myself and had to rely on their translations, and for the unsustainability of the project. My main concern was who would continue this when we left? Who will make it their initiative to provide a dynamic afterschool program for these kids that empowers them to explore their own creativity and talents rather than stand on the corner sliding down a slippery slope into gang life and drugs.

These are still my concerns- my worry grows for them because I don’t have those answers- I have run out of time to consider them while still in Africa but to be sure their faces are fresh in my mind and those issues burning in my brain. Some thing needs to be done. I plan on going home and starting a new club at UConn that will work with one of the surrounding schools that is struggling to win the competition with gangs. The new intiative that I have decided on is sustainable mentoring- Morgan has added that it might be valuable to have an underlying cause for anti-bullying and rape victim blaming. UConn students will be trained with the first half of the semester on how to be a proper mentor and in the subsequent semesters we will be actually using that to train high school students how to be mentors to the younger grades. Essentially, it’s a mentor-to-a-mentor program.  ( I like the ring of that) I cannot personally really relate to exactly what kids in the middle school are going through with the peer pressure aspect and new forms of harassment that have infiltrated our schools. I can however train someone from the same community who the younger student may already be looking up to, to be the saving generation, to set an example for the younger student and perhaps be the reason why that student chooses an alternative route than seeking protection from gang life or salvation from a joint.

Looking back at Africa Acts Out, I wrote the following in my essay to Marita and honestly cannot find any better way to rewrite it.

These dang kids have broken me down in so many ways I can’t describe it even to myself but I will try to for the benefit of this paper- and maybe in years to come I will have a better idea of what exactly they’ve done to this heart of mine. I think they have stolen it. Taken it in their little hands and kept it as a pet. My mind wanders to them in my free time, my hands fiddle toward my computer to look up more activities to give to them, and always- every time I think of them I feel riddled with guilt that I haven’t lived up to an expectation. This must be what it feels like to be a parent- a sweaty and nervous relationship and sense of urgency to teach everything you know as their childhood clock ticks faster, yet also letting their young minds explore for themselves. After finishing a practice and while you are sitting on the bus back home a heavy feeling settles on your shoulders no matter how great practice was and suggests in your ears that you let someone down, that somehow you blew it. And then, you come back next week for practice again and you stand in front of them with all the energy that you’ve got. They run to hug your legs, and they smile just when they see your face bobbing up the street. Somehow all the anxiety that you felt the whole week dissolves and you feel like you are their person, that thing that they have been waiting to see all day. I can’t describe how special that makes me feel. I am honored to be someone’s person.

Avery introduces the program

These kids need someone to expect them to be more. Many of them come to practice every week in the same clothing that they had on a week before, and even more of them come with empty stomachs. So, yes- I want them to be there so that we can get them snack. I want them to be there so they can feel accepted and build a community with other students who have an interest in productive expressions rather than be out on corners starting the initiation process to gang life. Yes, I love them. I have found that loving someone is among the most enjoyable hardships of life and the struggles that we have worked with this semester- from lack of communication, unsure transportation methods, and all of the chairs being stolen from the site we practice-have done nothing to break down this experience, on the contrary they have given it the particular slow-cooked and zesty flavor that I will always associate fondly with South Africa.

Once you have turned your attention to a problem how can you ever disregard it again? I believe that the entire purpose of this trip has not been for us to come in and change South Africa- rather to observe ourselves within it and realize what can be done with that.  I think what we were supposed to take away from this activist project was not that we effected some great change- rather that it has changed us, perhaps forever. I now see that with some determination and energy you can raise projects from where there were previously none. That with a team of fellow devoted individuals you can broaden horizons of many while also impressing yourself with the extent of talents you didn’t know you had.

It is with deepest pleasure and honor that I welcomed an audience on Saturday afternoon to the first ever Africa Acts Out Showcase Extravaganza. I hoped that they enjoyed the show as much as I had enjoyed putting it all together. I am so proud of all the contributions that everyone in the group has made to make this the success that it has been. We may be an insane group of mentors, but I strongly believe that behind every big event is a decent helping of insanity and a whole lot of hope.

Brianna, Vara, Tekowa, Lindsay, Janiel, Jerard, Avery & Larissa

My sincere thanks to

Larissa for being an awesome dance instructor and inspiring her students with the perfect combination of poise and a vivacious attitude, for caring so deeply about their well being as well as their enjoyment, for being my right wing woman throughout the planning process, and above all her sincere desire to inspire her own passion for dance in the young girls.

Jerard for being so good natured about the decision to cut creative writing but nonetheless his creative addition to the acting portion and his strong patience for my nerve-wracked anxiety both during show time and in the hours before when it felt like the world around me was unsupported.  Thank you for being my support.

Jerard and Avery with their improv group

Brianna for using her voice to exhilarate the students, her rapping skills to inspire them, her love of Nikki Manaj to show them what a powerful female was capable of- and her heart, for loving those kids with every bit of it.

Brianna with her young vocalists

Tekowa for her unfailing nerve in the face of great stress and composure in tense situations that I admire deeply and need to learn from- as well as her many contributions to the show by MCing and preparing the kids for the songs they wanted to sing.

Vara, for her true desire to help, her rational personality in the face of confrontation, and a true resolve to work with Woolworths and secure the food donations without which we could not have hoped to feed the influx of hungry bellies that pushed their way in from the Township yesterday. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for her work.

Lindsay for her beautiful smile that infected crowds of children, her ability to take any task and happily accomplish it no matter how I dumped it on her yesterday, and for her contribution to song with accapella- the gift that god has given her was rewrapped for many children. 

Janiel for her vibrant and beautiful personality that could leave a room in tears from laughter, for her contributions to the Dance group and her graceful appearance on stage, as well as her deep desire to do good in this world and an intensity brought to every situation where she is presented that opportunity to do so. 

Brianna, Vara, Tekowa, Lindsay, Janiel, Jerard, Avery, and Larissa
with some of Nyanga's amazingly talent youngsters

(a story about the event are online at http://africauniteblog.wordpress.com/)