Jillian had a awesome homestay experience

This past weekend was the home stay at Ocean View which was an awesome experience. I was very nervous beforehand because I didn’t know what to expect or the circumstances I’d be living in. Right when I walked into their house I was greeted with open arms and my nerves fell away. On the first night we went ballroom dancing with some of the kids of the community which was a great way to start the weekend. It was really fun to interact with the kids and do something completely new to me. The second day was spent at a daycare doing activities with the children. They were all so adorable and excited to be with us, but it made me think about what they go home to at the end of the day. It was hard to spend a day with the kids just to leave them to their lives after. I also thought about the fact that my host family was considered well off because they have a toilet and shower. The community is filled with poverty but at the same time, there are kids constantly running around and playing together and you can see how close the community is. I loved talking to my host family and learning about their lives and how much Ocean View has grown as a community. It was really eye-opening to see a different part of Cape Town and I definitely have a broader perspective.