A Day in the Townships

Apparently traveling gives me insomnia. One would assume that after only a few hours of sleep and a full day of emotional exhaustion you'd be able to fall asleep relatively quickly. Not the case.

My day today began quite early. We first learned from our guide today, Mama Ivy, about traditional African culture. She told us of rituals performed among clans, such as when a baby is born an animal is slaughtered and given the skin until they outgrow it. Divorce is not an option and if you and your hubby can't get along, his mother sits him down to talk to him, if that doesn't work, then his father sits him down, still no relenting, the in laws get involved, and if no resolution can be had, they separate.

She also told us about traditional African foods, for example, a smiley ( head of a sheep boiled and scrubbed), I actually saw these in the flesh during the township tour, chicken feet, chicken intestines, and some type of worm. In other news, I ate a burger for dinner.

After our brief cultural immersion, we went on a tour of the townships. Townships were created during apartheid, with the promise by the government to eventually provide housing for those living there. Today, over a million people still reside there, most with no running water, plumbing, heat, electricity, and jobs. I do not have any photos of townships, as I did not feel it was appropriate to photograph extreme poverty as if it were a tourist attraction.

South Africa is still a heavily divided country. There are three groups that live here, as referred to by South Africans 1. Blacks 2. Colored 3. White. Blacks are those of African descent, they speak mostly Xhosa. Colored are those of mixed race, or those originating from other countries, whom speak mainly Afrikaans, a language heavily influenced by the Dutch. Whites are the wealth, they speak either Afrikaans or English.

The townships are not integrated. Blacks and colored people ( I feel so inappropriate saying "colored") still live separately. My volunteer placement is in a black township primary school, where they speak Xhosa but also English. My fellow volunteer is placed in a colored township primary school, where they speak Afrikaans and also English as well.

We took a moment to stop at a few memorials in the townships. One being the Trojan Horse Massacre. In 1984, South African authorities dressed as transportation workers and drove through the township. During this time of political unrest, many people would throw stones at these trucks coming through, but this truck was ready to ambush. With 13 South African police officers, equipped with semi automatic weapons, they were hiding in the truck. They opened fire on the people, killing three children. All of them were acquitted of criminal charges in 1989.

We also visited a day care in the township. It made me realize that we take so much for granted. These children were so happy to see us, they sang for us, and were so excited when playtime came, just to play with a plastic cup and some old wooden blocks. 

As this day comes to an end, I am met with nervousness and excitement for tomorrow. I start my work assignment at Injongo Primary School. 

I'll leave you with this photo, of this amazing mountain that I can see from my backyard.

-Lauren