LearnServe South Africa 2018, Day 8: Connected to Each Other

Tuesday, July 3 – Getting up at 6:30 in the morning is never a good start for me. Last night we were in our home stays with our Mamas. I had the opportunity to connect with my Mama and her family. I was staying with MaMa Nkwaukha, a caring and loving person with a special affinity for family. After I had breakfast MaMa Nkwaukha and her grandson walked me over to the central location where I was supposed to meet the others. We were there for about 30 mins until they told us that we had to leave to go to our first visit to R-Labs. My group at first was thinking what was R-Labs and why were we going and what was the importance of it. Marc who is our Co-Trip Leader talked to us briefly about what R-Labs is, how they are a non-profit organization that helps create social entrepreneurship and also helps to improve understanding of technology.

At first I didn’t want to go at all because I thought it was going to be boring lectures. As I walked into the doors of R-Labs they started to clap and cheer us in. Walking in I felt welcomed into a community that didn’t know me but welcomed me in as one of their own, and I felt super happy. They had coffee and donuts for us to eat, and they also wanted us to socialize with the R-Labs staff. I was very shy at first, but I tried my best in order to socialize with them. Then after we gathered in a circle and we had to rate on how we felt about the day. It was getting close to my turn. Inside I felt like an 8 because I was tired and I wanted to sleep in, but when it came to me I said a 10 because I felt the connection and vibe from everyone in the room.

After that we were asked to give 5 minute interviews, one from the USA and one from South Africa. I was kind of afraid of talking due to the fact that I didn’t know what to say, but later I started a conversation with them, and it was not as bad as I thought. After we had our interviews with people, we were given a presentation on the organization and what they do in order to change people’s lives for the better. They talked about how they first got started in a computer lab with about 8 people focusing on development of technology and how to use technology. I also learned that R- Labs is a social revolution that helps train and develop people in various communities throughout Cape Town.

I was interested in the fact that R-labs is very similar to LearnServe because they also use human centered design. What they do is the first 3 steps, which are empathize with the person, define the problem, and ideate on how to face that problem. For the ideating phase they use a sandbox where you can create your own solution. We were able to share that solution with the other group and get feedback to see what went well or if there was anything that could be improved on or changed.

R-labs has created different programs as they have expanded their outreach to different communities and the people in those communities. The mission of R-labs is to touch the lives of 2 billion people through design, technology, and advancement. I think that they are willing and able to make change in their communities and also reach out to other places around the world. I know this is possible because their team members have started the human centered design process with themselves. I and the rest of my group were shown a video of Susan who is an R- Labs employee. She talked about her journey and how she changed her life. She has 2 kids, and previously there was gang activity all through her home and childhood. She had a low level of education, and her brothers were part of a gang. She told herself that this was not the life she wanted and that she wanted to make a change, and so she did. Her sharing with us told me to never give up on what you’re trying to accomplish no matter your situation. I realize this is important in everyday life.

That day really changed my perspective on a lot of things. Even though we are thousand of miles away we are somehow connected to each other. It doesn’t matter where you come from – if you have the ability to make change into someone’s community you can have a huge impact on someone’s life forever, and you may not even know it. The history of South Africa is very similar to the United States. We are a community of people that share a common identity as Black Americans and South Africans of color – we are all the same but we come from different perspectives.

Frank R., Capital City Public Charter School

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