Community Service Day 2

Today's blog was written by Cara, Brittany, and Lauren


Our morning began with a visit to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa! It resembles the United States democratic system of two houses of separate representatives but has differences in how the delegates are chosen and what their power is, it is easy to forget that in this country, democracy is still young at less than twenty years since the end of Apartheid.

Afterwards, we split up into our individual groups to return to our various community service projects.

Brittany returned back to the school which was even more exciting as she was able to assess the students’ needs and bring supplies as well as little extras like Vuvuzelas (a long trumpet-like plastic horn that have become popular in stadium games and are quite the popular favor), soccer balls, and books. The children seemed to be captivated by tales so they were thrilled to welcome any stories from Disney favorites to simply talking about life in the United States. When acted out with hand motions, animal noises, and body-moving rhythms they were making vital text-to-life connections that helped them reach the three major goals designated by the education department for grade R (equivalent to Kindergarten in the US): literacy, numeracy and life skills. The teachers eagerly welcomed a break and combine classes of students to share the attention of their American guests. At the end of the day after referring to us as “teacher” or “auntie” they disappointedly headed home with their families, friends, or taxi drivers and they described their excitement for seeing us again. What a sad day it will be when we have to say goodbye –when we will not be coming back.

As a change of scenery Cara volunteered at the Dusk till Dawn battered women’s shelter. As previously mentioned, it is a safe-haven for women and children who have suffered from domestic abuse and are looking to make a new start. Though our group has made significant progress over the five years, there is still much work to be done. It is apparent that after spending a couple hours picking up glass and tidying up the yard we moved our efforts inside. The rest of the day was spent sorting through dusty, mildew, rat-chewed books and clothing donations that were to be re-distributed to the community. Aside from the manual labor of cleaning the play yard and moving bookcases, shelves and boxes upon boxes of old blankets, we were able to bond with the children. They were excited to see their American friends again, even though we could not understand their Afrikaans, and they were happy to receive any kind of affection.

No matter how little or how much the youth of a nation values (or are told to value) education, the term “library book” fails to inspire grade school students. Books spark interest only if the pages are short, letters are big, and pictures are prevalent. Amile Jansen made fire where there once was only cinders and ash. Rejecting the traditional form of education, he realizes the best way to communicate with kids from the Cape Flats and similar areas is to speak their language. He found that hip hop, dance, and rap, blast messages louder than any slew of library books. With an emphasis on “building national pride” he and his two groups -HEAL THE HOOD, and his rap troop –BLACK NOISE, not only compel but further demand that blacks (especially youth) re-evaluate their identity. The messages blaring from Heal the Hood’s metaphorical speakers pump positive waves over the negative drabble that some (especially those from higher classes) call news. Knowing one’s self from skin to within is a necessary step to truly healing the hood. The passion and ingenuity of a meal and his comrades continues to inspire their community country and a few mere students who are lucky to drop by.

We met some friends from Australia who had just finished making their way around England and together we celebrated Professor Summers’ birthday with some more fantastic food, great company and of course, cake.