Cederberg and Kayamandi adventures

Sorry its been a few weeks, but so much has happened I don’t know where to start!

First things first—classes. For classes I am taking drawing, Afrikaans, Xhosa, and South African History, none of which seem very hard. The languages are both so different, yet very cool. I’m not sure I’m thrilled with what the Afrikaans language stands for, or the history of how it came to be the dominant language in this country, so I’m glad I’m also taking Xhosa as well, the language of the native people. The history class is actually pretty awesome. I’ve never been a very good history buff, but it’s interesting to hear about their history from within the country. History is very objective and can be spewed and will be viewed and interpreted differently in different countries. I know the information I’m getting here is as close to first-hand as you can get. As far as drawing goes, I'm absolutely terrible, and only taking it because it is the only course UNH will accept for an art credit. 

After the 1^st week of classes, my program (AIFS) had a scheduled trip to the Cederberg Mountains. After about a 4-hour drive through the mountains, we arrived at a base camp with about 5 or 6 cabins for us. Hannah and I shared a room, and shared a house with our closest friends. That night we had a braai, and our director Mama H made the most amazing meal. There was salad galore, and sausages drenched in what she called her “special sauce.” The next day, some people got up VERY early and went for a hike. We opted to spend the day at the beach instead (Stellenbosch mountain got the best of us). Around 4 we went to the Cederberg Winery. It is one of the top 5 wineries in South Africa. We got to try about 6 different wines—all of which could have constituted as the best wine I have every tasted. Everyone purchased a few bottles from the farm and then we headed back to camp and had another braai. This time we had some sort of African Stew that was absolutely to die for. The next morning we got up early and took about a 30 minute hike to a huge pool in the rocks. There we went cliff diving into the water. There were 3 different heights, about 15 ft, 30 ft, and another closer to 40. I could get myself together well enough to jump off the 30 ft cliff, but my knees were shaking a little too much to try the 40 ft one, although a couple of my friends did it and really enjoyed it. After that we went back to camp for lunch and then packed our stuff and got ready to get home. Before we did so, we went to see some KhoiKhoi drawings. The KhoiKhoi were indigenous to South Africa way before we were around. They had left drawings all over the rocks of the Cederberg Mountains, where they lived for a brief period of time. They were known for traveling and following the herds of animals, which was their source of food. After this we got to a huge cave, which was apparently used for secret government meetings back in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Each man had signed his name to the wall. The last signing was the men who were involved with the end of Apartheid. Unfortunately, visitors to the cave since then clearly had very strong feelings towards the ending of Apartheid and threw rocks at all of the names listed on the cave wall in at attempt to deface it. After this we jumped back on the buses and headed back to Stellenbosch.

The next week was pretty quiet. We went to classes, went out for dinner and drinks a few times, nothing too special. We spent the weekend in our home turf of downtown Stellenbosch and had a great time.

Every Thursday from 2 to 5 I have volunteered at the local town-ship of Kayamandi. I have yet to write about it because it is hard to explain, as well as be able to grasp the concept without being able to see it first hand.

The town-ship of Kayamandi has been around for years and years. The townships of this country all came about due to the rapid urbanization of the cities. The less fortunate people were forced to the outskirts of town, living in shantes no bigger than my bedroom. Often times there are up to 15 or 20 people living in each one of these 1-room houses. Before signing up for volunteer hours, we got to tour the township with a tour guide named Songo. He had been a part of Kayamandi since he was a young boy growing up in these conditions. He now had set up all sorts of resources for the children of the township. He got funding for a library, and also set up a BMX program for young boys.

When touring the township for the first time, it was a HUGE eye opener. This township was only about 5 to 8 minutes away from where I am staying in Stellenbosch. Here we are living like kings, and yet 5 minutes away there are people living in absolutely poverty. What struck me the most was the excitement from the children we saw passing through the township. They looked happy and excited and were holding onto our hands, arms, shirts, basically anything they could get a hold of. Songo took us around to various parts of the township, and we ended at the school where we would be volunteering.

So every Thursday at 2 o’clock, about 20 of us meet on campus and take a bus over to the Kayamandi School. We work with about 50 or 60 7^th  grade girls and boys. For the first 45 minutes, we take the children over to the snack area, where they are given a peanut butter sandwich and some milk. It’s hard to explain these first 45 minutes. It’s sort of awkward, the children are mostly speaking in Xhosa (even though they know English), probably laughing and making fun of us. Sometimes I wonder if they even want us there, and if what we are doing is actually making a difference.

After snack we head over to the classrooms and each volunteer sits with about 3 or 4 kids. We do various lessons such as math, geography, reading and comprehension, and writing. These children were picked from their class of about 200, as the kids with the most efficiency in English, making it easier for us to do our jobs. Since about 1^st grade these children have been subjected to English in the classrooms, but it is hard to know if what they are learning is being put to use since the second they leave school and go home, the only language they hear and use is Xhosa. From watching the nervousness of the children when I ask them a question, I can pretty much assume I am the first Native- English speaking person they have ever talked to. I can understand that this must be nerve-wracking and can lead to a lot of the children being shy and choosing to say nothing at all. Things go pretty smoothly in general, but the language barrier is definitely something that can hopefully be broken down by the end of the semester.

Although being able to aid the kids in the learning of our language, the most enjoyable part of volunteering comes at the last 45 minutes we are there. Each week we play a different game. Sometimes we teach them an American game, or they teach us a South African game. This week, I played soccer with about 50 South African children, can you imagine? As big as soccer was in Waltham—imagine that multiplied by 100. Every kid knows what it is, how to play, who their favorite team is. You could see their faces light up the second we took the balls out of the bag. It is during this 45 minutes of physical activity that we really get to see their personalities come out. They are laughing and joking and having so much fun. I must say—the smiles on their faces are the most rewarding aspect of the whole thing.

So that’s pretty much all for now! There is an arts festival this weekend in Cape Town and we will be heading there in a few hours. I’m sure I’ll have lots to say next time!

Xo Jill