Golden Hearts in Dark Africa
ALL and ALL we are just the Same…
On a Wednesday morning I woke up very excited for my ‘first to be experience’ outing to the informal settlement/ township of Kayelitsha. I readied myself to meet people that are, in my society, stereotyped as the ‘others’…
My expectations were quite negative or maybe I am just a cynic and sceptic about the idea of a bus full of students on their way to a place where the ‘others’ might hate us. Everything felt more or less ordinary and safe, even though if it was not, I didn’t care, because that was not the point. We went to observe the community and how the people, each with their different stories, operate everyday to make a living and get food on the table.
Boy-oh-boy they have strong people and strong communities that function well with one another – all to create a better future. And still to leave the phrase, “create a better future” out, they live well together and look out for each other. Which is much more than most of us can say who live in large blocks of flats and only know a handful of people, and greet 10 more at most… pfff.
M’zolis, Gugultu, welcomed us with ice-cold beers and nice food (“lekker braai vleis”). We had an excellent inspiration speech by a local businessman (Luvuyo Rani) who owns Internet cafés and a training centre for Khayelitsha locals. He was amazing and quite humorous. I had an incredible conversation with our bus driver from the Eastern Cape. He told me very helpful guidelines to make money in very simple and sensible ways. He was a very cool old man.
Lastly, we got to visit a children’s home: Baphumelele (pronounced: bah-poo-meh-LAY-lay), a Xhosa word meaning “progress”) Orphanage. I have never experienced and seen so many sparkling eyes of happiness as we shared our time with the little ones. It was sad to leave and see how their cravings for attention and people to care, were not satisfied…
When I arrived at my flat in Cape Town I still had not found the ‘others’, I realised there is they don’t exist. We are all just the same.
How extremely terrible and miserable must it be to work and slave your whole life for a wealthy corporation and when you appear old you only got money to show for it; no strong relationships or changes made that are priceless.
