I don’t want to think about going
home right now. Not that I don’t miss the US, my friends and family… but I am
starting to feel so comfortable here that I can’t imagine living somewhere
else. Be it the woman selling flowers on the corner, the men who bead on the
street, or the homeless people outside of Molo who always greet me so politely
on my way in to work, or simply waking up to the view of Table Mountain… these
people and places have become something that I look forward to seeing everyday.
Some of my coworkers ask me, “don’t
you ever get homesick?” I often respond with a no. I don’t think I am homesick
because I am constantly surrounded by people that make me feel so at home. I am
so thrilled that my parents will be coming to visit in April so they can see
what this experience really means to me.
On another note, I was back at
Parliament this week (very exciting as always). Teenagers from various
townships that are associated with Molo Songololo were invited to share their
opinion on the Sexual Offences Amendment Act, which at the moment criminalizes
teenagers who engage in consensual sex. It was so much fun working with the
kids and hearing their own opinions. They are so eager to represent a voice for
the many young people in South Africa… these kids never fail to inspire me.
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| Patrick & Onna with young people at MoloSongolo |
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| Outside of Parliament |
Also, things are getting started for
my activist project! My co-educator Emily & I decided to work with an
orphanage located in the township of Mitchell’s Plain called Elonwabeni. We
decided to rasie money to make a garden and teach the young people the methods
& benefits of gardening. Also, we’re continuing a project that last years
group started in creating a teenage hangout room. We are planning on getting
string lights, pillows, and canvases for the young people to let their
creativity go wild. I cannot wait to meet these children!
To read more about it or to donate to our activist project
click here: www.gofundme.com/uconnatelonwabeni
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