Monday, June 2

Monday, June 2:

Today we spent the entire day in the township of Gugulethu. In the morning we had three lectures from three different, extremely active leaders within post-Apartheid South Africa. The first lecturer was Edwin, a leader within the J. L. Zwane community center. He’s the one who coordinated the home stay assignments and other logistical aspects of the stays. He talked about our places of origin – the places we call home. He asked what makes home, home, and what kind of connection whether it be positive or negative is present and how does it affect your life. He had a tumultuous upbringing because his mixed white mother had married a Xosa Jamaican man. All of his sisters are very fair skinned, while he and his brothers have darker complexions. He told of the oppression him and his family dealt with their entire life – especially during the years of Apartheid. Edwin developed a hatred for white people over the years because of this. When we asked why he was present among us today, lecturing to us in hopes that WE, white students from America, can begin to understand the issues in South Africa. He transformed when his first son was born. He didn’t want to pass on the eyes that his father had passed onto him. He knew that in order to make change passing on hatred to another generation would do anything but good. Edwin’s lecture was amazing because he spoke so candidly about his genuine experiences as a black man living a life of oppression because of his “white” DNA.

Dr. Reverand Spiwo Xapile, the Reverand of the J. L. Zwane community center and who said the service yesterday, spoke after Edwin. His lecture became the center of a debate after the morning session. During Spiwo’s lecture, he mentioned that he as a black man doesn’t have a place in this world. This comment struck a chord with everyone in the room. None of us was in the position at the time to confront this extremely educated black Reverend’s comment. After, we talked about whether we agreed or not with his statement – the talk became heated and it was the first honest and meaningful conversation we had as a class. I feel like Reverend said this to give the point that this is the black man’s challenge. Saying that the black man doesn’t have a place in this world is a validation to themselves that a change is needed. But then again, who am I to say what he meant. Neither I can comment on the life of a black man nor can a black man give an account of what my life may be like as a white man.

The conversation went on.

Another surprising comment that Rev. Spiwo said was that the reason people in the townships don’t leave the townships is because they are afraid of success. The fear of success is the biggest obstacle. It sounds so twisted to me. He mentioned that once someone in the township because successful someone else may become jealous, thus putting yourself at risk. The culture holds that this person will become bewitched. I wanted to ask Spiwo if people in the townships our age have ambitions to continue to go to school – do they have a desire to become educated and leave the townships? And how much of their decision is based on the cultural fear of success or is it based on just the shear lack of resources?

After the speakers we went downstairs to the music room where Siyaya, a group of 9 gave a musical performance. They were awesome. The group is headed to the States next month and is touring all over giving performances. They’ll actually be in Minneapolis in early July. The group mainly sings and gives small skit performances educating young people about HIV/AIDS and STI’s.

We then had lunch which was prepared by 4 women from the township who volunteer to cook meals for the sick. The meal rivaled Thanksgiving dinner in my family. The consensus among the group that this meal was by far the best we’ve had since being in South Africa. If this is any testament to how we’ll be eating in the next three days I won’t be complaining!

After lunch, a man from the community center gave us a tour of Gugulethu. This township is home to over 340,000 people. We saw everything from a mediocre 3 bedroom house to a corrugated shack no bigger than a walk-in closet. We tourned a shack which housed a 17 year old girl named Nolio who is taking care of her younger brother. Their mother died a couple years ago and she’s been taking care of the family ever since. There aren’t many other words I can say about visiting Nolio. It’s an experience that can go without comment until one sees it for themselves.

The tour was an eye-opening experience to what we’ll be living in for the next 3 nights. I came back from the tour feeling completely inadequate and almost foolish for trying to understand what the people of Gugulethu are living like.

The next 3 days I’ll be living in a township. Most of you will never have the opportunity to experience what I’m about to experience.