Where the world meets

Day 3 – October 5th, 2009 – Khayelitsha Township Visit

 

            Today my trip to the Khayelitsha township didn’t leave until 13:30 so I got to sleep in. I had been so exhausted from the last two days that I needed to just sleep in. I woke up at 11:00 and went to lunch with Kristin. After lunch, I showered and got my bag ready for the trip. We left promptly at 13:30 and had to drive about 20 minutes to Khayelitsha. I sat with Jane on the bus and found out that she did SAS in 2004! On the way, our tour guide gave us a briefing of the township and its history. The townships have existed since the 1800s when the Africans were blamed for the spread of the Bubonic plague. They were forced to the outskirts of Cape Town to avoid spreading the disease further, although it was never proved if it was true they were the cause. Khayelitsha is the youngest and biggest township in Cape Town. Someone asked how the people in the townships feel about tourists coming in like we were. Our tour guide said the local guides have helped to change their attitudes about tourists by creating more interaction between the tourists and the people. The people are more willing to show the tourists their homes because they want the tourists to gain a better understanding of the way they live. The people in the townships are also more welcoming because they know the tourists will donate to them as well as just visiting. Unemployment is a huge problem in the townships due to a tremendous illiteracy rate and lack of education. There is no punishment for not going to school and a high dropout rate is prevalent. Many young girls dropout of school due to pregnancy or having to “mother” their younger siblings. Crime is another major problem in the townships because so many teenagers are not in school and form gangs. The streets of the townships are one of the most dangerous places to be at night in Cape Town. Alcohol is a regularly abused substance because it is so cheap which also contributes to the crime rate.

            As we entered the townships, all you could see for miles were small shanty homes made of tin pieces. Each shack was so small and usually housed about eight people which is insane! I couldn’t believe how many tin shacks there actually was. It was extremely hard to wrap my head around the way these people were living. Our guide said there was no plumping or running water so toilets were in the form of buckets. Illegal and unsafe electricity wires ran along the rooftops of the shacks because there was no proper electricity in place. We passed a few schools with children in uniforms but it was obvious that the students were only a small portion of the children in the townships. It’s hard to put into words what some of the shacks looked like. There were many hair salons as we drove through the township; many were made out of dumpsters. The building structure of the townships was just unbelievable. Before the trip I pictured in my head what I was expecting to see but actually being in the township and seeing it in real life was very difficult. I realized we have nothing to complain about when we have a leak in the roof or the front door is creaking. Many of these shacks don’t even have doors. It’s incredible that these people could even survive by living in homes like this. I’ve definitely learned how much I have to appreciate in my life!

            Our first stop was the Khayletisha Craft Market, which was a community center type building filled with tables of crafts. There was an African band playing some super cool instruments on the stage as we entered. We spent a while in the craft market purchasing items that were handcrafted by the townspeople. Everything was beautiful and fairly priced so I got a few things to bring home. It was obvious how much the townspeople appreciated our presence and that our purchases would go a long way for them. I was happy to help in the least bit. We had to get back on the bus to head to our next stop which was difficult because a group of school kids had gathered around us and wanted their pictures taken. I just wanted some time to enjoy the people but we had a schedule to keep. I was kind of irritated when we got on the bus because one of the girls said she was mad we couldn’t bargain. I thought to myself, how can you be upset you couldn’t bargain when all the money that you just gave to those people is going directly to put food on their families’ table or to send their child to school. It’s discouraging when people don’t know when to be a little bit unselfish and can’t sacrifice saving a few bucks to help someone else.

            Our next stop was the Philani Nutritional Center in another part of the township. The purpose of the center is to work with HIV positive women and children. There are 16 centers in either Cape Town or South Africa to give women assistance. The centers provide education for mothers in the community about nutrition for their children. At the center the women learn skills regarding craft making, printing, and weaving. There is also a clinic on site and a children’s place which is similar to a day care center. The center focuses on HIV protection education and also gives the women who are HIV positive a chance to obtain an income to support themselves and their families. When we arrived to Philani, we walked through the court yard to the boutique where most of the crafts are sold. We were able to see the weaving room where the women were set up at their stations. Their work was beautiful. Most of them were creating rugs with different designs and pictures on them. Upstairs was the weaving loom station. I had never seen a loom in action before and watching the women use their feet and toes to make it work at such a fast pace was mesmerizing. We saw the printing shop downstairs where the women painted different designs and then printed them onto bags, aprons, and stationary. There was so much talent and it was very inspiring to meet the women! We got some time in the boutique but I had already spent the rest of my money in the craft market. There were so many great pieces that I wanted to bring home!! On our way back to the bus I walked next to one of the women on her way to another part of the center. I told her she was very talented at what she does and thanked her for allowing us to visit the center. She was very sweet! There was a huge group of kids that had gathered outside of our bus before we left. We got some time to play with them which was great! In every country we have visited, all the children have been so excited to see us and always want to be around us. I love their spirit and how excited they always are despite their living conditions. Megan had brought some bubbles and was blowing them which was a huge hit with the kids! When we were leaving the Center we had a little problem. There was a wire running across the rooftops over the street and our bus was too tall to fit under it. After a little problem solving, we made it through!

            Our next stop was Vicky’s B&B: South Africa’s Smallest Hotel. The hotel is pretty much a house with six rooms for guests, right in the middle of the township. Vicky started the bed and breakfast so tourists could get a better understanding and experience of the townships other than looking out a bus window. The rooms were really nice; some were doubles and others were singles. There was a common living area upstairs and downstairs with couches and various artifacts. There was also a balcony to overlook the townships. It was a very wonderful and sad experience in one. I was still having a hard time realizing the extent of the standard of living in the area. We didn’t get to meet Vicky while we were there but her daughter showed us around and was so welcoming into their home. There were more kids surrounding the bus as we left Vicky’s and we got to play with them for a while!

            Our last stop of the day was another bed and breakfast, Kopanong B&B, for the same purpose of bringing tourists into the townships to gain a better understanding of the way they live. The slogan of the bed and breakfast is “where the world meets” because it is right in the center of the eastern and western worlds. We were given coffee, tea, and a special ginger juice which was really good. We also had cookies, lemon tarts, and a fried dough type dessert as we listened to the woman who owned the bed and breakfast discusses how the business functions. She uses teenagers who have either dropped out of school or have not had the chance to continue their education as tour guides of the townships for the visitors. The bed and breakfast also houses conferences for people coming into South Africa who are looking to help the townships. Many people have come to Khayelitsha to help the people in the township which is the main reason for the bed and breakfast. When we left the bed and breakfast we were given a tour of the township on the way back to the bus. We, of course, had a huge group of kids following us which was great! So many of them were holding hands with people in the group and were just fascinated by us. One little girl was very shy and kept walking by me. I asked what her name was and how old she was to get her to open up a little. I couldn’t pronounce her name but she was seven years old. She was so sweet and after I talked to her for a little bit she suddenly grabbed my hand and we just walked silently with each other. It was a very humbling experience and I’m so happy I met her. Before we boarded the bus I got a picture with her! On the way back to the ship I didn’t know what to do with my thoughts because I was still so awe struck at everything I just saw. It was difficult to understand the vast differences between the two sides of Cape Town. It was obvious that segregation was still so prevalent despite the end of apartheid. It was saddening because I will never understand why segregation has existed and still does. Every human is the same, despite the color of their skin. No one is better than someone else because of the way they look and it’s disheartening when you see firsthand, the effects of segregation. Hopefully, one day we can help South Africa to reassemble the connection between its people so everyone will once be equal.

            When we got back to the ship I stopped at Katie’s room to talk about our days. She went to Operation Hunger which I would be doing on the last day. We finally got around to go out to dinner. We met Julia upstairs and decided to stick to the Waterfront for dinner. Katie, Julia, and I found Meloncillo’s, which was an Italian restaurant on the upstairs level of the mall/restaurant area. It overlooked the entire Waterfront so we had a great view. Our waiter was named Quiet and was from Zimbabwe. He was such a sweetheart and took good care of us. We had two bottles of wine he recommended that was delicious! The wine was a 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon called Asara. We had some great food and great conversation and then headed back to the ship for some rest. Traveling is much more tiring than I thought it would be!!