I
never expected to come to Cape Town and not experience homesickness, but I’ve
been lucky so far. Even going away to UConn for the first time was such a
shock, so I’m surprised to see that being in a different hemisphere from my
family isn’t such a big deal after two long weeks. Hopefully, even after our
event-filled orientation ends I will still be enjoying Cape Town and all it has
to offer despite being away from the people I love.
Visiting
all the internships this week was a good way to see what organizations and
clinics around Cape Town are doing to help relieve social justice problems,
health problems, and poverty. Seeing patients in clinics and hearing stories of
violence that happen in the townships on a daily basis left me with a sense of
the reality that most Capetonians live through. Here I am visiting the most
beautiful places on earth and the citizens of this city don’t have the
resources, free time, or ability to visit half of them. It’s unfathomable, like
living an hour away from New York City, but never actually experiencing the
grandness of it all. I was especially interested by Mandla Majola’s speech from
Treatment Action Campaign. The stories he told about rape and violence could be
stories from a horror film. It’s so hard to believe that these actions were
committed by human beings and how it all connects with the themes of apartheid,
poverty, and disease. It makes it so hard to decipher what area should first be
addressed to reduce the prevalence of the cycle. I’m starting to realize just
how complicated it is to approach the problems of poverty and social injustice.
The fact that this society was built on a system that was designed to put these
problems on the majority makes it even harder to think of how to reverse it or
move forward.
We
also got to visit my internship, the Gender Equity Unit at the University ofthe Western Cape. I am excited to start, but I am not really sure what my
internship entails. I know the focuses of the internship include women’s
rights, gender rights, LGBTQ rights, gender based violence, and sexual abuse,
but not what I will be doing exactly. I think it may include planning events
and fundraising for certain events that the organization holds. Mary Hames also
mentioned something about food security, which I would like to get involved
with because I think I am switching my major to nutrition. It’s cool that an
organization focusing on gender also brings in food security. Mary seemed like
a very strong, and confident woman. I can’t wait to know her better and learn
from her. Vernon mentioned she’s a radical feminist, so I really want to hear
her opinions and join her if she attends any rallies or conferences during my
time here. One thing I really like about my internship is that I will be able
to talk to people my own age most of the time since it’s on a college campus. I
want to know how similar and different our experiences will be regarding safety
on campus from sexual abuse and acceptance of different genders and
sexualities. I think this will be a rewarding experience and will better inform
me on issues I sometimes don’t even realize exist.
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