6/11/09

 

 

We had a nice free day today to relax and do whatever we wanted- we slept in, went to the beach, and then back to Guguletu to see the progress on Priscilla’s house. If I haven’t mentioned Priscilla yet, I will tell her story. Priscilla is a middle-aged woman (about 50??) who is raising her own grandchildren and out of the goodness of her heart, she has an informal orphanage set up in her house. Her house is small- a living room, very small kitchen ( Smaller than Nicki’s office at TLC for those of you from TLC who are reading!!), one bathroom ( with no warm water may I add), and two small bedrooms. Priscsilla has 11? Children in total, and receives no money from the government to raise these children. Priscilla scrapes up money to feed, cloth, and give these children a home to live in. A majority of the children are orphans because their parents and relatives have passed away from HIV/AIDS. The group of students from the U of M that came to South Africa were so inspired by Priscilla’s story that they raised over $8,000 to be used towards fixing her home and providing better space for these children. Christen and a few of us students went to visit Edwin and see the progress on Priscilla’s house. Driving back into Guguletu was almost surreal. I will admit, I wasn’t all that looking forward to driving back into Guguletu because of what it entailed. Once we got to Priscilla’s home, I was again greeted by smiles, hugs, and eager children glaring up at me and for a moment in that time, my heart hurt. My heart ached with empathy for these children (even though they weren’t in any pain), but for what their lives are like. However, their smiles were contagious. Another moment I will never forget because it was that moment I knew that I would be back in South Africa one day.

 

Tonight we are having an authentic South African “Braii” ( spelling). The interstudy faculty, Ouma and NJ, are coming, too. A braii is basically a barbeque to celebrate something, and we are celebrating our last days in Cape Town. I have mixed feelings..I am excited to go home to see my family, friends, and have comforts again. I am also sad because this has been one of the best experiences of my life. I am going to miss South Africa’s beauty- the beauty of not only the physical landscapes (mountains, ocean, animals,), but the people of Guguletu and their beautiful personalities- they are incredibly unique. It is truly bittersweet.

 

 

6/12/09

 

I still find it surreal that I have been living in a different area of the world for 3 weeks. Not many people can say they picked up their belongings and headed to a different country across the world to study, even if studying abroad has emerged because of globalization. And not only did I get to study, but I got to study something I am passionate about. I would not trade anything in the world for this experience. This experience has taught me that being pushed out of my comfort zone is important. This experience has taught me that an important tool for learning is being able to listen to others, learn from their stories, and incorporate into what you already know. This experience has given me the opportunity to become friends with 10 leaders who are determined to follow their passions and make a difference. This experience has given me the chance to see the world in a different light (and that isn’t always easy when I am at home). Mostly, this experience has helped me reflect upon my own personal leadership and how I can not only further my leadership skills, but improve them as well. I have learned and truly believe that we exist because of our relationships and communities, better known as the concept of Ubuntu ( Yes, this is cliché, but I’ll say it anyways!!).