St. Anne's by Brendon

…One might also call it ‘Heaven-on-Earth’.

St. Anne’s has been providing services since 1997. They house women who are unable to care for their children on their own. It’s divided into two parts; a living environment for the mother and her child and a daycare for the children. Residing mothers are given 4-6months to live here. During this time, they work hand-and-hand with Social Worker’s to assist them with finding employment opportunities. The program is divided into what we would call Phases. Once a mother finds employment, she is able to move on to the next ‘Phase’. During this time, her child is still able to stay in St. Anne’s longer than the recommended 4-6months, if needs be. The hope of St. Anne’s is to keep a constant flow; having mothers come in, receive help and continue on their own with the skills to care for themselves and their children, leaving space for another family to come in and receive that same help. These mother’s here have enough insanity in their lives…they need stability; and that is what St. Anne’s services provide.

Today was our first day at our volunteer sites. Gabrielle and I were assigned to St. Anne’s and we were excited! Upon our arrival, our instructor Jan, introduced us to Mr. Martin, the Director of the Daycare portion of St. Anne’s. Martin gave us a tour of the facility and presented us with our assignments. I was assigned with the infants.

I remember entering the room shared with six cribs bordering the Mickey Mouse decorated wall and four infants; Anthony, Nicholene, Shanay and Haley, along with the Teacher; Sweetness (trust me, her name says it all!) I remember walking in and Anthony being the first baby I’d seen. His big bright eyes-so bright it was almost as if there were a hint of light-blue in them…indescribable. I picked up Anthony and held him close to me. Knowing he needed affection as he has been in St. Anne’s since April ’09 and his mother is currently on ‘Phase 2’, meaning she has found employment and is showing progress. While holding Anthony, Haley was asleep in her crib. Nicholene was sleep on the mat with Shanay who was on the floor lying awake. Eventually I received the opportunity to hold each of them, but there was something about Anthony;

As I stood there holding him close to me, I asked myself how am I making a difference by simply holding a baby?

…While I’m holding Anthony, I’m giving him the affection he needs that he may not have received before he was brought to St. Anne’s. By holding Anthony, I am giving his mother the opportunity to work with the Social Worker’s so that she can find a job to become stable and able enough to care for him. As I hold Anthony, I remember that I am holding the future of South Africa in my hands.

(A very pivotal moment it was for me; both a privilege and a reward.)

At one point, I was left all alone with the babies. I named the four of them The Ripple-Effect. It seemed when one baby cried, the next would join in until all four were crying. Ironically enough, even after Jan said we probably wouldn’t have our first diaper change (Nappies as they call them in South Africa) today, I did! Sweetness walked in on me changing Anthony and asked “Do you have baby back at home?!”, in an excited voice. I laughed and replied, “I’m so sorry, I don’t.”

Today I helped feed the babies and Shanay’s mother came in and breastfed her child. Later, Sweetness and I had a discussion about breastfeeding; her views were; it is much better to breastfeed than it is to bottle feed with milk. Her reasoning was that the breast is much healthier than the bottle. With breastfeeding, you are forced sit there with your child and connect with them. As oppose to bottle, most mothers simply give their baby the bottle and do other things. I remember Sweetness saying, with breastfeeding, it is much more intimate; you have to be in the moment…

The day was filled with much to do. One would think an infant; unable to say or do much wouldn’t require much attention, but they do! While being at St. Anne’s the workers are quickly accustomed to each infants’ needs. Whether it is; knowing when they need a nap. Knowing when they are hungry. Or, simply just knowing when they need affection. Whatever the case may be; the angels that provide services at this Safe-Haven are well equipped for whatever task at hand.

*Pictures coming soon!*

Distict 6 by Tayler Weber

District 6 was named the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town in 1867. During the earlier part of the apartheid era, District 6 was largely made up of coloured residents that included many Muslims with small numbers of Africans, Whites, and Indians living there as well. On February 11, 1966 the government declared District 6 as a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act with forced removals starting in 1968. Over 60,000 non-white residents were told by their government to evacuate their homes with barely any warning at all. Their houses were bulldozed and they were forced to relocate to the Cape Flats Township almost 25 kilometers away.

In 1994 the District 6 museum was built not only as a remembrance to the tragic events of the apartheid era but also to the rich culture the area had before removals. One of the museum’s greatest displays is of the large street map of District 6 that is located on the floor in the center of the museum. The District Six Museum Foundation welcomes former residents to come in and personally write notes indicating where their homes used to be. Some other interesting features of the District 6 museum include street signs, historical explanations of life before the forced removals, and perhaps most importantly a meeting place for former residents to come and share their stories and memories of District 6.

Our group was fortunate enough to have Linda Fortune, author of the “House on Tyne Street” give us a tour of the museum where she shared personal memories of her experiences in District 6. Linda experienced apartheid firsthand including forced removals and relocation. She also gave us a tour of a secluded beach where people used to live in caves in order to escape living on the streets.

This is our group standing on what used to be one of the main streets in District Six.

This is a display of old streets names that used to exist in District Six before apartheid destroyed the former community.

Johannesburg by Gabrielle

For our final weekend in South Africa, our group was fortunate enough to travel to Johannesburg. The city of Johannesburg played a major role in ending the apartheid and several anti-apartheid activists have lived or still live there. We arrived in Johannesburg fairly late, but found our stay to be quite comfortable. We stayed at a beautiful home that is commonly used for backpackers. I was even happier with our stay there when I found the two dogs that live at the house!

Jess with the cute dogs!

On Saturday, our first stop was Constitution Hill. While we were there, we took an extremely interesting tour of the prison grounds. At the height of apartheid, several South Africans were imprisoned for pursuing their beliefs in human rights and/or for not obliging to the inhumane and unequal rule of apartheid. This prison kept people like Winnie Mandela, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Luthuli, and Robert Sobukwe captive for years in attempt to prevent the destruction of apartheid. But, as we all know, these people were not terrorists and nor were they criminals. These people were freedom fighters and were willing to risk their lives to rebuild a South African nation that is not ruled by racial discrimination.

A photo of some of the prison cells. If you look closely, you can see that at the end of the row of cells, the door is shut. This cell is haunted and that is why the cell door is shut and locked.

After we toured the prison grounds, we visited South Africa's highest court, also known as the Constitutional Court of South Africa. There are 11 judges for each of South Africa's official languages. The waiting room outside of the court room was so beautiful. It was very modern and had beautiful light fixtures. I thought it was great to see such bright colors in such a serious and historical place. But it does make sense because South Africa is the rainbow nation! The court room also had a beautiful creation of the South African flag. For lunch, we went to a casino and a few people from our group tried out gambling.

Once we were done eating, we went to the Apartheid Museum and the Nelson Mandela Exhibit. It is extremely difficult to explain how powerful these museums were. They brought the apartheid alive through images, videos, quotations, art work, music, and personal stories. One video that moved me was a short documentary that contained real footage from riots in the late 80s. It is so hard for me to fathom the violence that people experienced and the violence that people participated in order to defend apartheid rule. This video made me very upset because I know that similar violence still exists all over the world. Later that day I was walking with Sly (one of our tour guides/the coolest guy ever!) and talking to him about apartheid. I asked him what he did when Nelson Mandela was elected and he was almost speechless. He could barely put his emotions into words and our conversation put everything I have learned into a different perspective. I don't know why, but everything he had to say really impacted me and allowed me to views things in a whole new light. Like many South Africans, Sly is a living piece of history who worked so hard to achieve equality and to take down the apartheid rule.

These sticks and the different colors represent the many characteristics Nelson Mandela represented. At the end of the exhibit, each person has the chance to make a promise to the world by choosing the characteristic/quotes they admire most about Nelson Mandela. By choosing a stick and placing it in one of the many holders, you promise that you will live up to Nelson Mandela's words. I chose a green stick and placed mine in the very last group.

Sly and I.

On Sunday, our group traveled to Soweto--a township in Johannesburg and a historical landmark. We toured Soweto on bicycles and it was so much fun! Soweto is an extremely diverse township because there are shacks, apartments, and even homes with ADT security services. We were able to see the home that Nelson Mandela once lived in and we also saw Desmond Tutu's home. A very memorable part of our bike tour happened right in front of Nelson Mandela's house involving a crashed bike, but I won't mention names!

Soweto is a historical landmark because it is known for the Soweto Uprising. On June 16th, 1976, black students began huge riots against the Bantu Education Act--an act that (among several other things) forced all black schools to use Afrikaans as a language of instruction. Because the students did not speak Afrikaans and because Bantu Education was just another way to implement apartheid/white supremacy, the youth of Soweto revolted and literally started the beginning to the end of apartheid. Several children were murdered by government officials and police officers. But their lives and sacrifices are honored in Soweto with an extremely beautiful and symbolic memorial. I am so grateful that we got to experience Soweto because I think we all took home a very valuable life lesson: we all have the power to make a change, no matter how young we are.

The picture that I am standing next to is of Hector Pieterson. Hector is the boy that is being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo (following behind Mbuyisa is his sister, Antoinette). When Mbuyisa saw that Hector (a stranger to Mbuyisa) was injured, he carried Hector away from riot in hopes that Hector's life could be saved. This photograph made Mbuyisa so famous that he fled South Africa. Apartheid rulers deemed Mbuyisa as a terrorist when he was merely attempting to save a young boy's life. No one knows where Mbuyisa is now and he may still be alive. Hector was one of the first of many children to lose their lives in the fight against apartheid. This photograph is a visual representation of the beginning to the end of apartheid.

Here's a great music video with pictures from the Soweto Uprising and very powerful lyrics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LE0c3iTfGk&feature=related

Wine Tasting by Fei

The schedule for today revolves around wineries around Stellenbosch. The day started out with our first Winery called Groot Constantia. This winery is supposedly THE oldest in SA according to our guide. The winery was in a beautiful area with a fantastic view of the mountains. We had a guided tour of both the processing floor and storage facility. We learned about the production process of both red and white wines, especially how temperature is important for white while not important for red. The red, however, takes much longer to ferment (couple of months) compared to the white. The red is much more flexible in terms of temperature and can be kept around a larger range of temperatures. She said that the grapes in the Constantia area are especially good for wine making due to the cool breeze from the Atlantic from the northwest.

We learned that the color of the wine entirely depends on the color of the grape skin. While white wine can be made from both red and white grapes, red can only be made with red grapes. The color is achieved with the "pump over" process where the wine is pumped from the top and redumped on the top through the layer of skin floating on top. This is done several times until appropriate color is achieved. We were then taken into the barrel room where French handmade oak barrels were stored. She said that the barrels are quite expensive and completely imported. The oaks can only store wine THREE times, each giving off distinct flavors and characteristics. Experienced wine makers can mix the first with the third and second with first, etc to achieve the desired the effect. We were then taken into the tasting room where five glasses were on display in front of every seat. One was a dry white, one rose, two reds, and one Port (sweet) wine. She went on to explain the lightness of the white and rose and how they are good for picnics; heaviness of the red and how they are good with red meat; and the savoriness of the port and how it is a dessert wine. Not really knowing what I was doing, I went through the motion of swirling, smelling, and tasting each wine. I liked all the wines but I especially liked how the flavor of the red and how the flavors would rush in your nostrils after you take a sip. Many of us ended up purchasing the Gouverneurs Reserve since it was the winery's stable and we rather enjoyed it.

Our next destination was Klein Constantia, which was supposedly part of Groot Constantia a long time ago. This winery was famous for the Van de Constantia, which is a sparkling white wine that Napoleon once enjoyed. We started with the typical dry white and Marlbrook red. All of these were really just leading up to the Van de Constantia. The wine was almost like sweet grape juice and I could barely taste the alcohol content. I asked the bartender why it was so sweet and he said that it is mainly because of the grapes that they produce there, which are especially sweet.

Our last winery had a fantastic view of the vineyard. Although we did not taste any wine at this place, it was hands down the best winery experience. As soon as you walk through the building, you a greeted with a fantastic view of the vineyard with crisp blue sky and cloud shrouded mountains in the distance. While most of us took a break and enjoyed the scenery from a distance, a few of us ventured into the vineyard itself. The scenery was simply stunning and we took pictures after pictures of the grapevines meeting the sky. Although a bit strenuous, the excursion was worth it in every way and we went away with THE vineyard experience we can boast about to anyone.

Robben Island by Taylor

We took a trip to Robben Island by ferryboat to tour the prison that held various political prisoners during the apartheid era. Located in Table Bay, just seven kilometers off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, Robben Island is roughly three kilometers long and two kilometers wide. Several prominent political figures in South Africa were held prisoner there, most notably former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Nelson Mandela.

The tour was comprised of a bus tour around the island to view the former leper colony, penguins, lighthouse, and stone quarry where the prisoners worked as well as a walking tour of the prison. The tour of the prison was given by a former political prisoner that was held on the island. He was able to give a firsthand account of the living conditions and especially the food since he worked in the kitchen during his time there. On this tour of the prison we were able to see the bathrooms and sleeping quarters as well as the kitchen and recreation areas. The most memorable part of the tour was viewing Nelson Mandela’s former cell, in the high security area. Although it has been repainted, the furnishings remain including a mat for sleeping, a chair, and a bucket for the restroom. The cell was incredibly small as seen below, and it is where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.

For more information: http://www.robben-island.org.za/

St. Joseph's Home for Children by Leah

Many of us (Mike, Taylor, Anita, Arianna, Fei, Kelsey, and Tayler and I) have been placed at St. Joseph’s home for children which is a home for chronically ill children. Many children are HIV positive, have had cancer, or are diabetic. We had a very warm welcome from Luis who is in charge of fundraising. He had very interesting stories for us and was very grateful to have us volunteer.

Mike, Taylor and Anita worked in the Sunflower ward which was home to infants and toddlers who were all HIV positive. I know they enjoyed their time at St. Joseph’s and learned a lot. Mike kept telling our class how much he has learned and how he fed a baby for the first time! Anita and Taylor would come home talking about their favorite kids and I know it was a very sad good-bye for them.

Arianna, Fei, and I volunteered in the Daisy ward. Daisy was home to girls who ranged anywhere from 2-10 years old. We all had a blast in this ward. Arianna and I taught them songs and dances almost every day. Their favorites were the banana song and the macerena. We even got this mean nun to do the dance with us and the kids. We went to the toy library or the park everyday until the girls went to school.

Kelsey and Tayler worked in a ward called Sweet Basil which housed boys anywhere from 2 -11 years old. I know they always came home exhausted because the boys have so much energy. I don’t think I ever saw either of them without a boy crawling on their back. Many days Sweet Basil and Daisy would play together in the toy library or at the park and it was always a fun time.

St. Joseph’s was very warm to all of us and we all created bonds with the children and each other.

Khayelitsha Township by Jeanita

Today we visited our second township, Khayelitsha. As I walked around the township I saw numerous shacks, and some would called this an impoverished area or the ghetto. However, I saw a community not simply a township, which has not forgotten the hardship of apartheid, but embraces the future. Before I continue, I deem it necessary to differentiate between a community and a township. In my opinion, a township describes an impoverished area where blacks live in shacks. However, a community is where a group of people work together to not only empower themselves, but also the next generation. Thus, I will no longer refer to Khayelitsha as a township, but rather a community.

This community has over one million residents, but one resident inspired me greatly and her name is Mama Thope. Mama Thope is an entrepreneur who turned her garage into a bed and breakfast. I had the opportunity to have lunch at Mama Thope’s bed and breakfast and the food was great. I was also impressed with the design of the garage, in which over ten flags was displayed along the walls including the United States. Mama Thope joked that she has had the United Nations in her home. However, I was more impressed with the story of why Mama Thope deemed it necessary to start a bed and breakfast. She stated that many tourists would come in vans and view Khayelitsha and take pictures, but did not understand the history of the community. The bed and breakfast not only allows tourists to learn about Khayelitsha, but gives tourists the option to stay in the community over night to provide a realistic experience of life in the community.

Mama Thope has not concealed the secrets to her success from her neighbors, but has also showed others how to start a bed and breakfast. Mama Thope is not afraid of competition from her neighbors, but rather thinks of it as empowering others to improve their economic status. I was truly inspired by her overwhelming generosity and thought to myself where would this world be if we all empowered each other. Thus, Mama Thope is more than an entrepreneur, but also an innovator and a humanitarian. I would never forget the valuable lesson I learned that day, which is to empower others.