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Kristin

My favorite experience, in retrospect, of the entire week was definitely the township service day and the tour. It gave me a very good insight to understanding poverty in South Africa and it got us away from the touristy parts. I felt like by going to the townships I was able to get a genuine understanding of the lives of most of the South African people. At the townships, a lot of people seemed welcoming to us. I really enjoyed getting to know the people of South Africa.

 

Leni

My favorite experience this whole week was definitely the township service learning project in Red Hill. Being able to teach and interact with the children there has shown me that no matter what type of living situation you are born into, all children are the same. They all play, fight, and learn the same way. Even though the Red Hill school didn’t have the same resources that most schools have in the states, like running water, toilets, and proper coursework, the teachers there did what they could with what little they had and all of the children seemed happy. The children there seemed happier, to me, than kids in the states. This shows me that most people in the US take what they have for granted.

 

Jackson

My favorite part of the trip were two instances. My first favorite activity was the Gumboot dancing. I think this activity was great to start out with because it got me warmed up to the African culture. It was also interesting to me that the miners would use Gumboot dancing to stay positive during harsh working conditions. My other standout activity was at Gold’s restaurant. Here, we were able to play along with the performers on stage. Also, the way they did the food was amazing, bringing dishes out one at a time so we were able to try one of everything on the menu.

 

Nick

My favorite part of the trip was all of the sightseeing and wildlife viewing that we got to do. I really enjoy nature, so being able to see new sights and African plants and animals was really cool.

 

Justin

I had many expectations and all of them were met on this trip. I was really impacted with this experience. The people that I have met and hearing their stories gave me further understanding of the oppression that they have experienced in their lifetime. I was very inspired with their persistence and willingness to keep fighting on!

I love the stories of activism and those individuals who made a bigger impact in their community no matter how big or small. It didn’t matter if they were facing major issues. They learned to be resilient and to keep fighting on. It empowered me because not matter how small or big I can always do something to make a difference in my community and going to South Africa just proves that.

Another aspect that I loved going on this trip was learning about other people who also contributed to the ending of Apartheid. When we talk about Apartheid we only remember Nelson Mandela, but there were others who made a difference and contributed to the movement. What was fascinating was that many of these individuals are still alive today and it’s almost hard to believe that this happened a few decades ago.

What I will take home is spending time with the locals in the Townships and going over for dinner to learn how to make traditional foods. Hearing their stories are some that I will keep with me and always remember. Meeting with some of the local residents had the biggest impact on me.