I found excursion to be both informative and fun. I was
particularly impressed by the Hector Pieterson Museum, which gave me an
insider’s perspective on the Soweto uprising, an event which I had previously
known very little about. I was especially struck by the recollections of
Hector’s older sister, who was with him when he was killed in the protest.
Reading her memories of that day and how she felt seeing her thirteen-year-old
brother killed on the street made me think of my own brother, who is also
thirteen, and how traumatizing that experience must have been. I found this
part of the museum to be extremely powerful and I had a hard time containing my
emotion. I also was inspired by how the schoolchildren in Soweto took matters
into their own hands and organized the uprising among themselves, with little
to no adult input. It made me wonder if kids today would be so motivated and
courageous enough to take a stand on an issue like that. I know in middle
school there were plenty of kids in my class who talked about fighting the
system for various reasons, but no one ever did anything substantial. It makes
me wonder if “social media activism” might be taking the place of traditional
methods of protest and organization. However, it is possible that if kids today
were exposed to the same injustices as the Soweto schoolchildren they might be
equally outraged and willing to take action. I also found it interesting how
different the Hector Pieterson Museum was from the Sharpeville Exhibition Centre. I was surprised that the Sharpeville memorial seemed like it had been
forgotten by the world and was only being maintained by a few devoted community
members. It was strange that such a significant historical site would be so
neglected by tourists and South Africans alike. However, the personal stories
we heard at the Sharpeville memorial and the dedication of the people working
there made the experience meaningful for us.
The time we spent at the Soweto Boys and Girls Club was a
lot of fun, and gave a human face to the city of Johannesburg. Dani and I were
instructed by several of the girls in some elaborate song and dance routines,
and they also taught us some clapping games. We exchanged skills when they
taught us to cha-cha and we taught them to waltz, which they had never done
before and were really excited about. It almost made me feel like I was back
doing ballroom dance in Ocean View! I’m always amazed at how trusting kids are
and how quickly they’ll be your friends. I wish adults were as open and
friendly as kids are- I feel like it would be a much simpler world. I also
really liked the programs that the Boys and Girls club had for the kids, like
the homework program that some of them participate in. It made me want to get
involved with a Boys and Girls Club back home, or some kind of similar
organization.
Finally, our time in Kruger National Park was amazing- I had
to pinch myself because I couldn’t believe that it was really happening!
Thinking back, I never would have imagined that at the age of nineteen I would
be in Africa getting up close with lions and elephants. It was so cool to be
surrounded by untouched natural landscape, watching the sun rise and set and
seeing all the different animals living their lives in the wild. I felt so
lucky to have the opportunity to be there, especially since so many people who
live here in South Africa aren’t able to visit Kruger.
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| Caitlin (in green) and crew on Game Drive at Kruger National Park |
Overall I really enjoyed excursion, although it was nice to
come home and see Table Mountain again! I’m really glad I was able to see a
different part of South Africa and experience more of the country while
learning about its history and having a good time.
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