Today was impactful for me as well as others. We got a chance to see extreme poverty in a township called Kliptown, and reflect on ways we can face the problems and challenges in ways that will help economically, environmentally, domestically, intellectually, and mentally, but not take away jobs from the people who live in the impoverished neighborhoods.
Today started with a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. We talked about where we were going to spend our time for the day and what to look for throughout the day. The main theme we looked for in Kliptown was “social entrepreneurship of Kliptown Youth Program (KYP)”. KYP reminds me of recreation centers in DC because . . . We were to look for how the organization used the four modes of social change: awareness, direct service, fundraising, and policy change.
We traveled about 30 minutes to Kliptown in Soweto (which is short for South West Township). The Kliptown Township is home to 45,000 people. The residents build their own homes out of scrap metal and other materials provided by the government or organizations. There are problems in this community, such as teen pregnancy, unemployment, domestic violence, and classroom inequalities. Also, upon arrival, the paved roads became dirt roads covered with trash, almost so much so that I often realized that we were walking on piles of trash. A group from City Year greeted us with Tulani, the leader of KYP, and he gave us a tour of the community.
Walking through the community was a lot to take in. Seeing the extreme amount of pollution and looking at the homes of the people brought very negative feelings that I cannot explain in the true melting pot of feelings that I had. We walked across a bridge over the train tracks that really separated Kliptown from the more tourist-friendly part of Soweto. Tulani then explained to us how the education system of South Africa has been extremely unfair to those who do not speak Afrikaans, a language derived from the Dutch. Africa has 11 official languages, Isizulu, Sotho, Tswanee, Xhosa, Ndeble, Northern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Venda, English, and Afrikaans. Tulani explained to us that each subject in school is taught in the respective languages of the tribes, but the exam to move on to university is in Afrikaans and the language has been poorly taught in black schools. The exam gives the unfair advantage to Afrikaaners, who can easily understand their own language, while giving the students from the tribes a hard time trying to answer what they couldn’t understand. Tulani’s answer to this problem is to give the exam in English, which is used way more than Afrikaans and easier to teach, leveling the field for all students. He also suggested that the students have an option of which language they want to take the exam in: “If this can be done, I will finally say that the educational system will be fair.”
On the other side of the bridge, there were monuments for us to explore. There was a cylinder shaped, walk-in monument that listed and explained the 7 pillars that represent the South African Constitution: Democracy, Equality, Diversity, Respect, Freedom Responsibility and Reconciliation. Then, the same rules were outside engraved on actual pillars that held statues on top of them that symbolized the same values listed. What was apparent to me was that these pillars were explicitly listed and explained yet not enforced by the government. Those values, to me, promised equality. But it was obvious that what we were seeing was not the equal distribution of rights, wealth, or labor.
We then had a session with the members of KYP to talk about the problems they are facing and brainstormed solutions. We all discovered that some of our problems were similar, such as drug and alcohol abuse, lack of initiative and readiness to learn, and disputes between teachers and students, which can also lead to violence between students and teachers in the classroom. While there were similarities, my peers and I also realized how our problems were on a completely different level from those who attended schools around South Africa. One of the problems that we had talked about was the problems in school around the theme of food. My friends and I said that the lunch food did not taste too good, but a major problem that was said by one of the children of KYP was that in many cases, food was often unavailable or unaffordable. This helped me realize how privileged I was and to appreciate the food that I had instead of complaining. The cultural exchange between the LearnServe cohort and the KYP kids and staff was truly humbling.
We were then treated to a performance of gumboot dancing, which is a type of stepping where dancers sang, stomped, and hit their tall rubber boots. The dance originated as a way Black miners used to communicate with each other when they did not speak the same language. Gumboot dancing was entertaining and the performers even taught me a bit of their routine.
My biggest takeaway from visiting Kliptown was when we visited the house of one of the families in the community. Similar to our communities in the U.S, it is frowned upon to wear a hat or hood inside of the home. This is punishable by fine in the township where people can be fined up to 6,000 Rand (around $464). When we walked into the home, we greeted the elder of the home, a woman who was born and raised in Kliptown. She could barely speak the English language and she has never been outside of her community. There was not much room in the home and the smell of oil was overwhelming. The television that she was watching was out of date and there was no sound. The electricity was illegal and there were fire hazards everywhere. She inherited the house from her mother and she also shares the same house with four other people. After seeing the arrangement of the home and having the conversation with the elder of the household, I felt enlightened by the ideas that were shared with us about life in poverty and the struggles of unemployment.
To conclude, my day was pretty amazing and eye-opening. I was able to see a different world in which I was humbled by. I was able to dispel stereotypes, and get a first-hand perspective of not only poverty, but I was able to see hope as well.
Louis W., Eastern High School