Elise gained a greater appreciation for the impact of a school

For a while at my internship things were pretty slow. The school I was working in before had finished the course and for the most part I stayed in the office. Finally last week it picked up again and I got to work at another school called Kensington High. I loved it!

My previous experience at Lotus River High School was wonderful but also a huge challenge. The area has an issue with gangsters and just weeks before the school I started the school was in a crisis as a result of neighborhood violence. My days teaching the financial literacy course there were both fulfilling and stressful. I’ve never had any aspiration to go into education, so I found it a challenge to step into a classroom and get through the material. Often times, it came down to whether I could scream over them loud enough for the few who wanted to learn to hear me. Don’t get me wrong, my days at Lotus were some of my best. There were many students that I grew a soft spot for and got to talk to a lot, as well as many who engaged with me during the lessons. But for the most part the kids were very undisciplined, loud, and distracted. What made the experience worthwhile was the group of students in each class that clearly wanted to learn and was curious to get to know me. I definitely gained an appreciation for the impact of a school—good or bad—on the lives of people.

Visiting Kensington after this experience was incredible. In no way am I implying this school is wonderful. It faces many of the same issues as Lotus River, and the community certainly struggles with economic and domestic issues. However, the students are much better behaved and many showed such an interest in learning. My first day there was one class who told me I was better than the other seasoned Operation Hope volunteer who usually teaches them, another clapped for me at the end. I was so humbled by that, especially considering that I never thought I’d make a good educator. I sincerely doubt that many of those kids opened bank accounts or started making budgets but I get the sense that I at least exposed these ideas to students who were receptive to it and may do something with the knowledge in the future. I am so grateful for the opportunity to interact with South African students and get a taste of what their world is like. 

Wylie's final day at TAC

My last work day at TAC was on a beautiful, breezy, sunny, autumnal day in Khayelitsha.  We had a “regular” workday, except with goodbyes and cake to celebrate our time there.  It was amazing to think about all the people we had come to know— the TAC leaders, administration, volunteers, and members.  So many people came in to the office over our months of working there, and it felt overwhelming to say goodbye to everyone.  It was particularly hard to say goodbye to Abdul, our doorman, who was perhaps one of the most incredibly kind, humble, and inspiring people at our workplace.  I miss speaking French with him, learning Congolese words, and talking about his engineering exams each morning when he greeted us.

After saying goodbye to the office, I went to my final BM branch meeting.  It was held in the same place as prior weeks, and I loved having the opportunity to say goodbye to the BM community.  Afterwards, my three closest BM coworkers gave me a final tour through the section, showing me where their families and friends lived, and where they lived.  I was invited into their homes and introduced to their parents, siblings, and children.  It was an incredible honor, and something I will never forget.  The sun was setting over Khayelitsha as they walked me to get a minibus—seeing Table Mountain in the distance was incredible.  It was a difficult goodbye, but I felt exceedingly thankful for all of my experiences in the township.     

My minibus ride to the Site C rank was long and quiet, and I spent the time thinking about Khayelitsha, TAC, and leaving.  I had so many emotions to wrestle with— sadness, thankfulness, love, anxiety.  I kept thinking about these things as I arrived in Site C and got into a minibus for Mowbray, and sat waiting for it to fill up.  After a while, I was distracted by a young woman with two young sons who got into the minibus—I realized that I needed to pull one of her toddlers onto my lap to make room for other passengers.  It was perfect: here I was, musing on all of my experiences in Khayelitsha, sad to leave, getting sentimental, and I had a final opportunity to do something that epitomized what I loved about this place.  It was my responsibility as a person, as a “Sisi,” to hold him on my lap.  This sense of community oneness is so special— strangers are expected to, and want to, help others with living.  The boy fell asleep in my lap on the way to Gugulethu, and I shared a smile with his mother.   

For Melissa this is not "goodbye" it's just "see you later"

It's crazy how fast time flies. Weeks ago I was making a "to-see" list and telling myself that there was so much time left and now I've seen and  done almost everything I've wanted to do and the time is winding down.  This weekend was the first of many "lasts" that I'll be experiencing in the near future and I'm caught between sadness and excitement. On the one hand, I've done so many awesome, life changing things and definitely feel accomplished. It’s exciting to know that I can go back to school and share these incredible experiences and continue to advocate for the things I am passionate about. On the other hand I can't bare to leave behind the incredible sunset or the smiling faces of my learners. Cape Town is beautiful. It's magical in a way. When you're feeling down it only takes a glimpse at the mountain or a peek at the sun to remember how lucky you are. Those colors are electrifying! They paint the sky with messages of hope and love and remind me each day how unique and extraordinary my time in Cape Town has been. 

I am heartbroken to leave City Mission Educational Services (CMES). No matter how angry the learners make me when they don't listen they have taught me about resilience and compassion. It'd be lying to say that they didn't inspire me. Each day they teach me something new. I've learned to have patience, to appreciate listening, and most of all to smile more. Their smiles light up a room and I can't believe that I'm going to have to leave that behind when I come home. CMES has been crazy, frustrating and chaotic but it's also been incredible, through provoking, fun, loving, and just right. I have seen the power of a smile and when I smile now I'll be thinking of them!

It's times like these when I am sure that the power of education is something bigger than even I can understand. I know that education opens doors and I can only hope that if my learners took one thing from this relationship it's that they need to stay in school and never lose the drive for learning. They are all great kids! They all can  have amazing opportunities if they dream big. One of my students reminded me today that if you set your mind to something you'll achieve it. That's so true. I have seen the power of determination and I know that it is a force that cannot be contested.  I know this isn't going to be my last time in a classroom. Education is too important.

In between the stress and confusion, I know that City Mission Educational Services was the right place for me.I am smiling now recalling the times of chaos and also the times of love and compassion. Here, I was challenged and appreciated. I loved each moment in the classroom and each outing with the staff reminded me I have a family here. I always know I'll have a place to stay and someone to give me a hug when I come back to South Africa. Today confirmed two things for me: education is the most important privilege I have ever had AND I will definitely be coming back to South Africa one day. 

This journey has been incredible.I know that I will always be thankful for this opportunity. I will never forget the people who changed my life and when I return home I will take these lessons to heart and work always toward making a difference. Therefore, Cape Town, I know for sure, this is not "goodbye" it's just "see you later".

Lindsay, Vara, Erica, Aimee, & Melissa jumping for joy

Ainsley has learned so much by teaching

writing about my time interning at Thandokhulu. I find that my days and weeks vary a lot so it can be hard to find a theme or point I want to make about the school but as my time there is coming to a close I find that I’ve had a lot to say this whole time. At Thandokhulu, and teaching in general I’m finding, it can be very sink or swim. Most days I go in without a real idea of what my day will look like. There are constant shifts in my schedule as teachers ask me to substitute or stay in the office to grade. And like most jobs I have bad days when I don’t feel the teachers need me or my students respect me but I also have good days. But I didn’t want this blog post to be about the bad days. I wanted to show how much trust I feel from the teachers when they send me to take over their grade 12 classes. Or how amazing is feels when my class does well on their exams.

 

Ainsley with two of the learners from Thandokhulu High School

I don’t know what type of school I will work in one day or even if I will choose to stay with teaching but my learners at Thandokhulu have welcomed me and accepted me more than I could have ever expected. They are constantly showing me how hard they are willing to work to achieve their goals; mainly by working against the system that makes it easier for them to fail. I am so in awe and honored to have been able to work with these learners and see what they are capable of because it’s so clear how much they can really do when given the opportunity. Thandokhulu as a school works just as hard to provide an education to students who are so willing to work for it. The teachers and staff are so committed to these learners and have to take on roles like parents or social workers along with already being teachers.

I have learned so much about teaching and my own teaching style as a part of Thandokhulu. I have learned to be fair and remember where my learners come from. I’ve learned to never over look a class based on their reputation because they will surprise you. But more than any of that I’ve learned about Thandokhulu and it’s perseverance, it’s respect and it’s refusal to accept anything mediocre. So thank you Thandokhulu, you have all my love.

Lindsay on lessons learned when being a teacher

I have yet to write a blog post about my internship placement and seeing as I spend three days out of every week there I think it is about time I write a little something about my time at Christel House. Since at Christel House I have been working with Nasar Harris a Life Science and Math Lit teacher to grades 10-12. Because I have very little to no interest in teaching math I usually use that time to look through science textbooks and understand what teaching science in South Africa is like and also visit the social work office which is just down the hall and where my good friend Erica works with 3 other amazing women.

During my time in the classroom I have taken a passive role, answering questions when they need answering and helping kids outside of the classroom but mostly I am observing. I have taught a few lessons to test the waters and my teacher offered helpful criticism afterwards. I have greatly enjoyed my time that I’ve spent with the students and I’ve found that the time I enjoy the most is during intervals and before and after school when the learners come up and ask me any and all questions. Questions ranging from, ‘Are you married?’ to ‘What kind of town did you grow up in?’ to ‘Do you believe in God?’.

Its through these conversations and interactions that I think I’ve learned most about the culture of South Africa. Religion and culture is something that interests me a lot and in particular the role they play in a child’s education. For instance, in the matric (of 12^th grade) class right now we are starting the evolution unit, which is one I have been anxiously waiting for to see how a religious student body takes on this controversial topic. For me I have learned about evolution so many times it hardly sounds like a debatable theory to me and just sounds like science, history, and facts. One of the most thought provoking moments I have had at the school happened this past week when we started the unit. My teacher asked who believes in God and doesn’t believe in evolution and to my surprise the brightest girl in the class raised her hand. I totally and completely believe that you can both believe in God and science and specifically evolution which is why I was so surprised by her outright rejection of this, as it seems to me, very well proven theory. She responded wanting to know why she should disregard what she knows is right and believes in completely for a theory that was created by a human, which we know are flawed and she ended her statement in God is perfect. So though she copied down the bullet points that were on the board I don’t think there was any change in her incredibly set mindset. I have no doubt that she will be able to ace a test without believing in the material, but it has just been interesting in seeing the difference between how I learned evolution versus how it is learned here.

I’ve had very interesting conversations about culture, which I have always found very enlightening. These two grade 10 boys are always more than happy to talk to Erica and I and it usually ends up being about cultural matters. They were more than happy to talk to us about the ceremony that boys going through to become men. For those reading this blog that are unfamiliar with the Xhosa traditions of entering manhood this is what Asanda and Siyathamanda (Siya for short) have to say about it. "For 3-4 weeks you are sent to the bush to survive. The first week you are given no water or food, the second week you are given water and limited food, and by the third week your family is able to visit you and bring you things that you need. The whole process is culminated in the final ceremony that is being circumcised. After becoming a man, you must talk differently, address other men and boys differently, dress differently, and act differently". Asanda is skeptical about the whole process and isn’t sure if he wants to partake in it, to which Siya responded ‘It’s our culture man, you have to’ .

So many lessons to learn and just not enough time! As my final week at Christel House is quickly arriving I can’t believe how lucky I have been to get to know these kids and also how crazy it is that I will probably never see some of them again. I’m sort of dreading Wednesday because that will be my last day at Christel House. I don’t want to say goodbye to the kids and adults that I’ve bonded with, but at the same time I’m ready to apply what I have learned at my internship back home.

Aimee enjoying her final days in Cape Town

Aimee climbing to one of her most memorable experiences

One of my most memorable experiences yet was hiking Table Mountain. We were soooo lucky that the weather was nice because most days lately have been chilly and rainy. We started at Skeleton’s Gorge in Kirstenbosch Gardens. The climb was steep but it was so beautiful. We hiked up ladders, up waterfalls and rivers, and saw gorgeous views of Cape Town along the way. It was a great bonding experience and the group of us spelled out UCONN at the top of the mountain. I am so glad I got to hike one of the 7 natural wonders of the world- it had been at the top of my list for weeks!

Aimee on top of Table Mountain

The time to return home to Connecticut is drawing closer and closer and I can sense myself feeling anxious about returning home. The feeling is so bittersweet. I have been trying to make the last few weeks meaningful now that I know this experience actually is going to end. I need to keep a positive spirit and spend time with the people I have met here. The weather during the week of April 14^th was not very pleasant. It was rainy and cold and the news about the Boston Marathon dampened some moods as well. I appreciated being able to talk about the events happening at home during Marita’s class on Tuesday. We have to be sure not to associate entire groups of people to this one crime. It is hard being away from family during times like these but we were all going through it together and we supported one another. We watched a video in class called I AM about problems with the world today and how we should live our lives. All you need is love and relationships. My time in Cape Town has helped to reinforce that belief that I try to hold so close to my heart. Your heart is so powerful and can take you to great places in life. Co-workers at my internship have been so loving and open during my time here. I honestly don’t know how they do it. They have treated us like a part of their family.

In Vernon’s last class this week we had a speaker talk to us about traditional healing and medicine. He studies public health and how to combine traditional medicine with western medicine. It was very interesting to learn about the benefits of public health and why people value it in their culture. In Vincent’s last class we reviewed material for our exam. Some of the topics we have to study are the Anglo-Boer War and what led up to the apartheid, the four pillars of struggle, South Africa Bill of Rights, the Trust and Reconciliation Commission, and Gear vs RDP economic programs. After Vincent’s last class on Thursday I ate at the Royal Eatery (delicious burgers) and shopped for my last souvenirs at St. George’s mall.

I enjoyed my last full weekend in Cape Town and was able to do a few last minute things. On Friday I went out to lunch at The Kitchen where Michelle Obama ate before! The servers and cooks told us hoe friendly and wonderful she was. The Kitchen is in an area called Woodstock and is not famous or wealthy by any means. She was strategic in picking where to eat and what restaurant should get good business. The food was amazing and the quaint kitchen is a hidden gem. On Saturday I went to an arts talent show in Nyanga that some UConn students planned for their activist project. The kids were so talented and they enjoyed displaying their dancing, singing and acting talents.

Saturday night we had a braai with the neighbors. We invited the whole UConn group and other friends we made here. It was such a fun night of eating meat, dancing, chatting and enjoying each other’s company. Sunday after going to church I squeezed one last beach day in! It was beautiful weather at Muizenburg and we even bought some of the best falafel for lunch. For the evening some of us went to Camps Bay to enjoy the breath-taking sunset and eat seafood at the Codfather. I think it was the most expensive meal I have had here yet. Now that the last full weekend had come to an end, I am preparing myself for my last week and hoping that goodbyes won’t be too hard. I am going to soak up Cape Town and enjoy my last few days here as best as I can. 

Aimee, Erica & Andrea