Langa Township

Today is our last day at Deo-Gratia. We first went over the logistics for the remaining weeks in South Africa while eating yet another breakfast made by Elise. It is going to be sad leaving all of the girls. We have already grown so close and have created lifelong friendships. The good thing is that we meet back with the group every weekend to do more traveling and spending time with each other. There will definitely be an equal balance of host family time and group time.

After leaving Deo-Gratia, we headed for Langa Township. Langa is a black township, one of the poorest townships in Cape Town. I had an uncomfortable feeling entering the township because we were going on a walking tour of the area, while the villagers were there. I just thought it was degrading for us Americans to enter their township and "feel sorry" for their way of life and sort of invading their township. However, we are actually helping their economy by taking the tour of the village. While walking throughout the township, it was like walking in a huge garbage can. Recycling would be considered a foreign term and there was trash everywhere. The people do not have access to electricity, simply because they have no money. Children were walking around barefoot and followed us around. They were the happiest children I have ever seen and it brought tears to my eyes knowing that they lived in such an impovershed area. I could not fathom growing up in an environment such as this and couldn't believe how people are actually allowed to live like this. We walked into a hostel where a bedroom the size of my own housed 3 families. We reached the preschool which was fenced in by barbed wire. When we got in there, the children sang and danced for us. We saw many children walk into the public library that was there, which was such a great feeling.

It won't do just to describe what I saw today. Being in the township helped me realize that although there is so much poverty, HIV/AIDs, and drug and alcohol problems, deep down, there is hope. There is hope that with all of the people visiting this township, they are inspired to help these communities. I have already talked with another girl in my group and discussed ideas of what we can do, how do we educate our students in America to learn about these townships and spread wealth throughout. I have been inspired to one day, after much training in the US, to teach about environmental safety and protection, sanitation, HIV/AIDs for these people. They are in dire need of help and they do not have the resources themselves to get out of this situation. If there is anyone who has any suggestions or would somehow want to help out with this situation. The more I can gather, the more we can do to help these people in need.