We are free because . . .

Molweni (Xhosa for 'hello all'),

Three weeks have now come and gone since I arrived in Cape Town.  And what a captivating whirlwind it's been.  I find myself sitting here in Cross-Cultural Solution's now very quiet Cape Town home base (there are only three volunteers, myself included, who remain here this week) reflecting on what's transpired since my arrival.  My last posting failed to mention much of what I've done in my free time, and there's been a lot packed into these last several weeks.  So, let me start with a thumbnail sketch of those events . . .

I've gone 'shark cage diving' off Gansbaai and I got to watch a great white shark swim several yards in front of me, and then watched another one swim below me.  (True, I got seasick for the first time in my life while on the shark cage diving trip, but it was well worth it.)  I've gotten up close to resting African penguins (who as adorable as you might imagine), seen southern right whales lounging off the coast, watched seals wave at the CCS group from Hout Bay, visited the southwestern most point on the African continent at Cape of Good Hope, and seen some of truly breathtaking coastline and countryside.  I've traveled up to some Western Cape vineyards in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, where I found a new favorite wine (Simonsig's Redhill Pinotage), got fairly close to a cheetah (kitty!! kitty! kitty!), ate some fantastic food and saw more stunning landscape.  I've gone out to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner from 1964 to 1982, and interacted with South Africans (not to mention Zimbabweans and Congolese) from a myriad of backgrounds.  And so much more. 

So, tonight, after the start of my fourth week at the Scalabrini Centre, I sit here reflecting on everything that has transpired.  Most of you reading this are probably aware of the enormous problems that South Africa faces -- one of the biggest gaps between wealthy and poor on the planet, an unemployment rate in excess of 25% (but keep in mind that's NOTHING compared with some of the other nations in the region who have unemployment rates in excess of 50%!), a high crime rate, and a still staggeringly high HIV+ rate, to name just a few.  And this in a country which only emerged from the Apartheid era less than 20 years ago, holding its first universal elections in which all citizens could vote in April 1994!  Nothing that I've posted here is meant to gloss over this stark reality; it is as much a part of South Africa today as is the graciousness, beauty and warmness that I've described in other posts.  And my experience here is that much more difficult to describe to you all as a result.

Everyone who visits Robben Island is shown around the former Maximum Security Prison, where male political prisoners of color (using South African terms, black and coloured political prisoners) were held under the Apartheid government, has a former political prisoner as a tour guide.  When our group was at the end of the tour, our tour guide told us his story as to how he wound up imprisoned on Robben Island.  He was one of the men arrested following the 1976 Soweto uprising, where black students protested against an Apartheid-era law which forced all black schools in South Africa to use Afrikaans and English (neither of which are the "mother tongue" of black students) in course instructions, and he spent five years on Robben Island as a result.

After telling his story, our guide was asked if he was bitter about what had happened to him.  His response will be one of those moments that likely will be etched in my mind for the rest of my days.  "No, I'm not bitter.  What we did was part of a larger struggle . . .," was what he said before he had to raise his fist to his mouth as he began to get a bit choked up.  "What we did was part of a bigger purpose . . .," was all he got out when he then tried to continue.  "We are free because . . ." is all he was able to say before he motioned us out of the room.

The freedoms here in South Africa are not taken for granted.  No adult South African, be they black, white or coloured, is unaffected by what happened under Apartheid.  And it's something that many South Africans are willing to talk about if you're open to listening.  Add this to the work I've been doing at the Scalabrini Centre, and it makes me more than just a little ashamed of what I (like many Americans) take for granted.

We are free because . . .

We are free because . . .

We are free because . . .