Community Service Day 1

Community Service Group #3: Dusk to Dawn
This Wednesday was the first day of our groups’ community service. There were three different community service groups, all dealing with different areas. The first group worked at a hip hop center called Heal the Hood. The second group worked at St. Augustine’s, which is a primary school. And the third group worked at a battered women’s shelter called Dusk to Dawn. Our group worked at the battered women’s shelter. When we arrived at the shelter, we were immediately shocked at the appearance of the home. The shelter was run by a woman named Monica. She informed us that currently there were 12 kids and 14 women living at the house. The group was very surprised at the poor living conditions in the shelter. There was a severe lack of space, food, clothing, bedding, sanitary products, and other everyday necessities. Our group decided that we definitely needed to change all of this. Our first task was to repaint as many bedrooms as we had time for, in hopes of bringing a little joy into the children’s lives. Next, our group began to clean up the backyard where the children play. We were so upset to see that there was glass and other garbage scattered throughout the yard. Our group feels very dedicated to significantly improving the shelter as much as possible. We would also like to thank Kathy Modica, Office of the President at Marist College for her great gifts for the children.





Community Service Group #2: St. Augustine’s
Today we spent time at a catholic primary school and there were mixed feelings about the experience. They broke our group up and placed each Marist student in a classroom, mainly for first graders. Many of the teachers left the room once we arrived, leaving us in control of the classroom, this was overwhelming. The teachers we observed had very strict control of the classroom, but it was lost when the teacher left. The school had strong religious undertones. All the students gave thanks before a snack, blessed people when they walked in, and sung religious songs. We were surprised by the affection the children showed to us and their curiosity about America. We were also surprised that the teachers left the classroom so quickly and when there were discipline problems the teachers hit the students hands or with a ruler to maintain order. It was an interesting experience with various opinions. It will be a hard decision to choose between St. Augustine and Dusk To Dawn for tomorrow.

Community Service Group #1: Heal the Hood
Today we started our community service project. We began by speaking with Fabian who is a part of the Heal the Hood Project organization. This Project helps teach kids self respect by the use of Hip Hop, graffiti art, poetry, and break dancing. It is a good way for the youth to stay away from drugs and better themselves. We mainly assisted Fabian by helping him put together a grant proposal that would aid Heal the Hood in obtaining money to help the organization, specifically through the use of hip hop dance to help kids stay out of trouble and off the streets. It was a very nice opportunity to help cater to the well being of urban youth through a thing like dance, to reach them and teach them a better way of living.

Robben Island and Discussion on Race Relations

Today, on this rainy African winter day, we sailed to Robben Island, an island off the coast of South Africa. Robben Island has served many different historical purposes. During the apartheid era, it served as a prison for political prisoners, housing dignitaries such as Eddie Daniels and Nelson Mandela. All of the tour guides that staff Robben Island were ex-prisoners, which gave the tour more of a personal effect. We are some of the last few visitors that will get that chance. The tour guides will eventually become too old to give us a personal tour of the place where they’ve spent so much of their time. The bus tour of the Island included visiting different areas on the Island which was utilized throughout history for different purposes, including as a military base, and for vegetation and animal life. The island is home to feral cats, rabbits, many species of birds and even penguins! While touring the prison, we learned of the crowded, cold, and harsh conditions that the prisoners lived in. Our tour guide showed us where Nelson Mandela had a fruit garden, under which he stored the manuscript for his autobiography- A Long Walk to Freedom. Our guide shared that he was in the prison because he blew up a building in Johannesburg, although no one was hurt he was still imprisoned by the apartheid government for his political activities. He also described his experience with being tortured. We all learned a lot during this tour and enjoyed hearing the guard’s personal experiences.

After we arrived back on the mainland, we traveled to The University of Cape Town (UCT) for lunch and a lecture by Claire Kelly, professor of Sociology specializing in intercultural and diversity studies. A bulk of the group had mixed feelings about her views, although she was very informative. Professor Kelly is a white South African who said some pretty controversial remarks regarding white privilege and disparities that exist in South Africa. It was interesting to hear the various opinions of Professor Kelly and our fellow students. Things that were discussed included street children, crime, education system, township life, motivation, race relations/post-apartheid, and the diverse languages of the nation. On the topic of street children, Professor Kelly mentioned that she is so use to seeing homeless children begging for money that she has developed a thicker skin to this unfortunate scene. Although we didn’t learn concrete facts, a lot of questions were raised that we can think about throughout our trip. It’s important to learn from indigenous South Africans rather than textbooks because they are experiencing the developing nation’s problems and successes.

Tomorrow we begin our community service, which will give us whole other viewpoints to learn and discuss.

Lauren May Video Blog on AIDS/HIV

Hello all, here's Lauren May commentary on AIDS/HIV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY1Hz8WMa9o

Education, AIDS/HIV, and Public Policy

With much anticipation and preparation, we knew that today was going to be emotionally draining. During the morning we walked through the township of Langa and we visited some of schools. After that, we went to the University of the Western Cape (UWC) where we visited the apartheid archives and attended a lecture on HIV and AIDS. We were also given the privilege of visiting a HIV/AIDS hospice, ran by Peter Marais and a local pastor. Following out visit to the hospice, we were invited to Mr. Marais home where his wonderful wife cooked a fantastic traditional African dinner for all of us.

At the township pre-school, we got a chance to interact with the little kids. The youngest children in the school were about 3-4 years old and they did not really understand English, yet they enjoyed giving the group high fives and thumbs-ups. The middle age group was around 5-6, and they were busy working on their drawings and practicing their coloring. The older children in the school ranged from ages 6-7. They were kept busy with the tasks of cutting out pictures, coloring in the lines and learning common phrases of English. Although the children were residents of a very poor township with high rates of unemployment and poverty, it appears that they are receiving a strong education compared to the education of wealth white schools.

While at the University of the Western Cape we spent time touring the campus. Here we visited the Apartheid Exhibit where they archived many artifacts and letters from political prisoners who were imprisoned on Robben Island during apartheid. The letters received and sent by the prisoners had to be censored and much of what had been written was crossed out by prison guards. This practice was implemented in order to control the knowledge that the political prisoners received or messages sent to members of the African National Congress (ANC), who were instrumental in the fight against apartheid. Following our visit to the archives we enjoyed a delightful lunch in ÚWC’s “The Barn”. We were able to eat a “gapsy”, which is a sub-sandwich filled with many different local items. After lunch we attended a lecture about HIV and AIDS led by James Lees. We learned a holistic approach to preventing and treating HIV and AIDS. This lecture prompted a debate among the class. We all had a different perspective on the way society should view and treat AIDS/HIV and this left us pondering what should be the best approach to dealing with such a sensitive and the world’s most important problem. The lecture and discussion was a great lead into our visit to the hospice.

We were very apprehensive about what we would find in the hospice, but the facilities really impressed us. Our group overwhelmingly felt that the Hospice staff provided a strong sense of support, community, and love for their patients. Mr. Peter Marais and Pastor Larry have set up a great way for those affected not only by AIDS, but cancer and TB, to be taken care of in a loving and caring environment.

After the AIDS hospice, Mr. Marais invited us into his home where we had an amazing dinner cooked by Mrs. Marais. We began our visit with Mr. Marais with a question and answer period where Mr. Marais discussed politics and policy. The discussion was vital to understanding some of the complexities that exist in South African society. Preceding our talk with Mr. Marais we enjoyed an evening of the musical talents of Mr. Marais, his daughter, and our fellow classmates. Today had its highs and lows, but overall was very educational and informative. The experience ended on a great note and we want to thank the Marais for welcoming us into their home.

"The Township Experience" Day 4

Today we started off our day by attending church in the Township of Langa, which is the oldest informal settlement in Cape Town, developed in the 1920’s. The church service was conducted in a traditional Catholic setting but the preist addressed the congregation in Xhosa, which is the native language spoken throughout the township. Unlike Western Catholic Church services that the group has experienced, the Langa congregation integrated song and dance into their service. There were few instruments used and the congregation created a lively atmosphere. Our group felt very involved and included in the service. We noticed that the priest spoke both in English and Xhosa, adapting the service due to our presence. The group even had the opportunity to speak to some of the regular congregation members after the service. The church acts as a major community center where it provides many with adult education, pre-school, and grade school which is very important for improving the living conditions and ones socio-economic status. Besides being a great place to pray and worship, the church’s role in this community is vital.

After the service, our group walked through Langa. We were able to view the living conditions of the residents. The group could clearly see how impoverished the area is and the less than ideal living conditions of the people. The shacks and some of the homes are dense and appear to be in crowded conditions. The houses were all very close together which made us ponder whether this contributes to some of the community’s social ills. . Throughout our walk-through, we noticed that the townspeople were extremely friendly and inviting. Despite their knowledge of our advantages, the people did not treat us with any resentment or hostility. The children of Langa welcomed the group with opened arms and asked us many questions about ourselves.

At the end of our walk, we stopped at a community center. This center was the focus of the town. Here, we saw the craftwork that people in the community created. They taught us about their practice and skill. Then we browsed a small shop in the community center where all the handmade art was sold. Many of the students purchased the artwork; such as sand paintings, handcrafted pottery, jewelry, key chains, and wood carvings. The profits of our purchases will go directly back into the community center, which in turn will contribute to developing and improving the conditions of the township.

Once we finished our shopping spree at the community center, we were able to meet with a young man who is HIV positive. We were first introduced to him at the church, and then we had the opportunity to have a short interview with him about his life and the hardships faced in his community. The sixteen-year-old boy disclosed his personal experience living in Langa and with HIV. He gave us an emotional interview that touched our hearts and made us see how much help the people in Langa need.

We continued through the township by bus and saw how the people of Langa lived. We knew that the government had been doing a lot of work in the township, but the distinction between the impoverished houses and the new ones that were being created was too great. The problem with housing all the people is so large that even with years of progress the problem won’t be solved. At the end of our drive, we stopped to see the town’s traditional healer, otherwise known as a medicine man. The traditional healer talked to our group about his practices. He explained to some of the students that there is no word for HIV/AIDS in Xhosa. This presents a huge problem for the community because when people come to the healer with AIDS, he is not able to ask the ancestors for advice, like he normally would. This is a problem because now people are not receiving the treatment or information that they need to live with the virus. The traditional belief system of the community can’t handle this health epidemic.

The students felt that this was a tremendously heart-warming day. We felt like we learned a lot about the community and other groups of people in South Africa. The devastation that we saw in the community helped us to realize that we should not take our lives back in the United States for granted. We are excited to continue learning about Langa and other similar communities around Cape Town.

Pictured Below: A Home in Langa

Pictured Below: A small food shop in Langa


Pictured Below: Langa



Traditional Healer


Langa


The children of Langa



Langa's Community Center


Langa




Steve Townsend, Marist College's Student Body President talking with a Langa resident

"Immigration" Day 4 Video Commentary from Dori Carlo

Hello all, please review the link below for Dori Carlo's commentary on Immigration.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH1F21nQy4k

"Cape of Good Hope" Cape Town-Day 3

Today started with a scenic drive of Cape Town along the Atlantic Coast line. Our first stop was Hout’s Bay, which is a quaint market place alongside a port. We had the opportunity to take pictures of the surrounding scenery, which included the backside of Table Mountain and some of the “Twelve Apostle” Mountains. At the marketplace, the vendors sold some wood masks and carvings, as well as jewelry, elaborately decorated shells, and crocodile jaws. While walking through, we found a trained sea lion that we were able to feed, pet, and sit on! However, some members of our group felt this was the exploitation of animal rights. While at the market place Professor Summers noticed that few of the vendors were actually native South Africans, but were from other parts of Africa, such as Malawi. It was explained to the group that last year in South Africa, there were numerous xenophobic attacks, or attacks against immigrants from other parts of Africa. Although the issues surrounding the attacks are complicated and large, one of the major reasons cited was that immigrants were stealing jobs from native South Africans. While we were at the market we witnessed, first hand, the loss of jobs from native South Africans to immigrants.

After Hout’s Bay, we continued on our journey towards the Cape of Good Hope, which is a part of the Table Mountain National Park. While we were driving there, we witnessed baboons along the side of the road, as well as ostriches. We then arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, and we began the long hike towards the lighthouse of the Cape. As we walked upward, we experienced the breath-taking scenery of the Cape, with its clear-blue and green water as well as clean, white sand. Many members of our group, however, were not prepared for the difficult hike towards the lighthouse; although, once we reached the top, we felt very accomplished. In front of the lighthouse, there was a post with a number of hours pointing towards the different cities of the world, including New York, London, Paris, New Delhi, and Australia, and how many kilometers in distance they were from the Cape of Good Hope.

After our visit to the Cape, our group stopped for lunch at the Two Oceans Restaurant, were we enjoyed delicious food, ranging from pasta to burgers, to steak. After we finished eating, the staff at the restaurant sang a number of South African songs for our entertainment. The first song the group sang was the South African national anthem. Some of the members of the group were very moved by the enthusiasm of the staff at the restaurant while singing to us; the warmth of the staff was something none of us had anticipated, because this hospitality is sometimes rare in the United States.

When lunch was over, our group headed towards Boulders, another part of the Table Mountain National Park. Boulder’s is a penguin sanctuary that contains the “jackass penguin”, which is named because of the donkey-like baying of the penguin. The penguins were really cute, and we even saw many baby penguins! The scenery surrounding the penguin sanctuary was also very beautiful, again, with clean, white sand, many boulders, and a pure-blue ocean.

Finally, while we were driving towards the Cape, some members of our group noticed the stark difference in economic conditions among the people in South Africa, such as the difference between the shacks of the poor, and the beautiful houses along the Atlantic coastline. Out day while joyful and fun represents the many complexities of South Africa.

Cape Town Day 3-Video Blog from Nick Mayr

Hello All! Today we have a video blog from Nick Mayr. We will post our written blog and photos recapping today's activities shortly. Please visit the below site to hear Nick's commentary. Disclaimer: The South African Constitution states that everyone should have access to basic needs such as housing, healthcare, etc. not that they are guaranteed these rights, however Nick still makes a great point about the discourse that the South African constitution insights when such strong language exist in a documents such as the constitution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qY18wqvdXw

Marist in Cape Town-Day 2-Cape Malay and more

The day started as we opened our windows to a pouring rainstorm that changed our plans but nonetheless, we were able to have an amazing and interesting day. Driving down to historical Cape Town, we saw great views of the mountains, made up of the oldest deposits on Earth. Touring Cape Town, we were able to visit the Company Garden and Parliament. The Company Garden, home to a variety of indigenous and non-indigenous plants, began with the contributions of many imperialistic settlers including the Dutch and the British. As these foreigners arrived in Cape Town, they brought plants from their native lands and took plants back to their own. By doing so, they were able to establish a garden with such great variety, now considered a monumental place of beauty, history, and remembrance.

Alongside the Company Garden, the Parliament Building sat overlooking the South African National Library. It was great to walk in such close proximity near the Parliament Building, much closer than we are allowed to in the United States. Although we did not enter the building today, we still felt the new democracy that the country prides itself on.

At the end of the Company Garden, there was a memorial erected for those affected by HIV/AIDS and another for all of the soldiers who died serving their country. Seeing these memorials made us realize the impact of HIV/AIDS and war in South Africa and even the world. Although both these issues are tragic, they still contribute to the history of the country.

Relating to history, our next destination was the Bo-Kaap area. In this area, there is a high concentration of Cape Malay people who practice the Muslim faith. Within this neighborhood, in the circumference of about a mile, there were ten mosques. This showed the survival of the Islamic faith, even through the apartheid regime. In addition to the mosques, there were many colorful houses reflecting the creativity and innovation of the residents. This district attracts many fashion photographers due to the beauty, climate, and economic efficiency. Even in this area, we saw the amazing mountain tops, notably Table Mountain, and Lion Head Mountain.

Moving forward, we visited the District Six Museum. This museum was a tribute to the people who previously lived in the neighborhood but who were forced out of their homes due to the Group Areas Act. The District Six area, a multi-racial community represented everything that the apartheid government disliked. Just imagine if you were displaced from your home and not given adequate reasons or resources to start a new life. In the museum, there were many artifacts depicting the stories of many of those exiled. Among the 42 sites which were removed, District Six was a direct result of apartheid policy. To this day, you still see the remnants of the apartheid regime through the overwhelming white population.

We ended the tour at the waterfront of Cape Town. There were a plethora of stores and restaurants. We saw many cultural vendors and high end stores—very similar to the United States. We completed our night at Ferrymans, a restaurant, bar, and grill that had a great selection of seafood. As we progress on our journey, we are confident that we will build on our experiences. We completed today and look forward to tomorrow.

Downtown Cape Town



AIDS Quit in St. Georges Church


Table Mountain


The group- Prof. Summers however, + Magdlene at the Company Gardens



Picture of the Cape Malay Quarters


Public Art in Cape Malay Quarters



Picture of the District 6 Museum


Cape Town


Picture of Trees in the Company Garden

Video Blog-Cape Town Day 2

Hello all, watch Victoria Banks' video blog on day 2 in Cape Town, South Africa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGhLMQFgtwg

Cape Town, South Africa Day 1 Video Blog

A video blog from Marist in Cape Town-Day 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GitCUdqk5aA

The Marist contingent arrives in Cape Town

Hello all, the Marist group has arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. After a long day of traveling the group has taken a tour of Kloof and Long Streets. These neighborhoods represent the cultural and entertainment districts of Cape Town. What can be found in these neighborhoods are high brow art, fashion, culture, and places for social engagement and interaction The Marist contingent is very excited about our South Africa adventure and we look forward to blogging about South Africa's cultural, political, and social position in the global society among other topical issues that may arise while we travel the Country. Please tune in daily to read about our ventures.

Marist Students and their Professors Travel to South Africa

Today, Wednesday May 27, a contingent of Marist students and their faculty members will depart for Cape Town, South Africa. Upon arrival students and their faculty will meet with Professor Toni Sylvester, Assistant Professor of Community Psychology, University of the Western Cape to decompress after their long journey from the United States. Professor Sylvester will provide an overview of South Africa.

Spring 2009 Class is preparing for South Africa

Hello all, the Marist spring 2009 contingent has met several times this semester in preparation for their visit to South Africa in May. The class consist of 16 students, 1 Teaching Assistant, and 1 Professor. The students and several guest lecturers have discussed a variety of issues related to South Africa's culture, history, politics, and policies. Topics covered this semester vary from AIDS/HIV, gender, housing, economic change, neo-liberal policies, education, economic recovery, xenophobia, and immigration. The students are excited, engaged, and expecting an enriching experience while in South Africa.