By hfirlein
Hi blog readers! I am a senior at GW, spending the fall semester in Cape Town, South Africa with the Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE). I knew I wanted to come to Africa, and when I started looking for programs, CIEE immediately jumped out because of their curriculum flexibility (no specific class requirements) and their commitment to engagement in local communities. I narrowed down my options to Legon, Ghana, and Cape Town. The classes offered at the University of Cape Town fit better with my academic plans, and the social and economic problems associated with the aftermath of apartheid really intrigued me, so I decided on Cape Town!
It’s an absolutely gorgeous city, with a million things to do and see. But underlying the natural beauty of this vibrant city is unemployment and poverty with deep roots in the racist policies of the apartheid governments. During the apartheid era, black and colored people were forced to leave their homes and resettle in areas outside the city called townships. These places were and remain crowded and lacking in sufficient power and water. Housing ranges from small permanent homes with electricity and running water, to shacks with neither. People living in the former, often in informal settlements on land that belongs to the government, use shared bucket toilets and water spouts. Very few white people live in such communities.
The work I will be doing with CIEE will focus on township areas. Our projects will range from soup kitchens to youth enrichment to painting and beautification projects. I had hoped to start a branch of an American civics program (the YMCA’s Youth in Government program) here in Cape Town, but inaccessible high schools and my class schedule make that project a bit too ambitious for my four months in Cape Town. Instead, I will be doing as much good as I can in areas where it is needed most desperately. Stay tuned!