Reflecting Upon Reflections

Each week, our group comes together for a “reflection session” in which we discuss powerful moments that have occurred throughout the week. We begin by talking about appreciations and observations, and then proceed with hopes and concerns. Last night, however, we focused on thinking about what aspects of our DukeEngage experience have impacted us most, and how they have shaped who we are. Lastly, we considered what lasting implications they will have for our futures back at Duke and beyond.

As I sat reflecting, I struggled to find words to portray what components of DukeEngage have changed me. There are many things that I have learned here, such as how learning can come in the most unexpected ways and places, the importance of taking initiatives, the benefits of immersing oneself in new experiences, and the virtues of being confident. But these things I suppose I had learned before, but through DukeEngage I was able to solidify their significance. But still, I knew there was something more that I was failing to depict. Then, I realized that was just it—the act of reflection, of taking every experience as something academic and intellectual, is what DukeEngage has taught me most. I now understand the worth of thinking deeply about various aspects of life that I encounter on a day-to-day basis—about societal implications, about race and class, about history and how everyone has a story to share, etc. In the past, I oftentimes succumbed to the temptation of thinking only superficially about certain things, or accepting them as normal. Prior to my arrival in South Africa, I viewed DukeEngage as a service trip, not as an academic trip. In that way, I have been surprised at how much I have learned: both factual knowledge and intangible lessons.

Coming in to DukeEngage, I foolishly expected that I would be impacting others more than they would be impacting me. But now, I have realized that I come away from the program taking far more than I expected.

The Beauty of Unintentional Learning

At Mhudi Vineyard outside of Stellenbosch

This past weekend, the group took a trip out to Stellenbosch, an area renowned as the home to South Africa’s many vineyards. We visited a black-owned vineyard called Mhudi.The owners gave us a presentation in which they discussed, among other things, some problems plaguing their company. A current obstacle against which they are battling is the perception that their wine is of a lower quality simply because the vineyard is owned by black South Africans. But after our wine sampling, none of us doubted the quality of their wine.

Later, we were served a traditional South African lunch, complete with Kudu sausage, lamb chops, and many local vegetables that are not found in the U.S. While we dined on a beautiful veranda overlooking the mountains, a band entertained us with many songs on marimbas.

Yesterday, the group climbed Lion’s Head, a mountain in Cape Town. From the summit, we watched the sun set over the city of Cape Town. The view was amazing; the city of Cape Town, Table Mountain, and the ocean were all visible. Climbing down in the dark was slightly treacherous, but fortunately there were no major falls or injuries.

I have come to really appreciate the additional excursions that our group takes on the weekends, and during the week. They are an invaluable asset to our program, and the trips augment our academic experience greatly. Prior to arriving in South Africa for DukeEngage, I assumed that the trip would be almost solely service-based. And while that is a huge component of our program, I have been surprised and appreciative of the plethora of academic experiences we have gained. From meeting with community leaders to reading South African newspaper articles, I have learned so much. But I have also found that, even when an activity may be ostensibly unrelated to academics, the experience somehow still manages to help me grow intellectually. And to me, that unintentional type of learning is the best kind.

Black Sash: An Inspiring Internship Experience

Women of the Black Sash participating in their signature mode of silent protest

When I applied to DukeEngage, and was then accepted, I had no idea where I would be working. I had seen placement options listed on the group profile online, but I was unsure as to which would suit my interests best. A few weeks after I was accepted, Karlyn e-mailed me and said that Black Sash had requested to work with me. So, I complied—excited, but still uncertain if that would be better for me than the other sites.

Now, after working at Black Sash for almost a month, there is no doubt that I am in the right place. The work that I do for them aligns exactly with my skills and interests, and is precisely what I hoped to do in Cape Town. I have gotten to write press releases, grammatically and linguistically edit reports that will be used for health care reform, help organize events, and, best of all, to conduct interviews of original Sash members. This interview project that Will and I are working on is intended to honor the contributions made by the original Sash members to the organization, and to record their stories. We have been interviewing women individually, recording the entire discussion. We then type up a transcription of the interview and write biographies of each woman that will be uploaded to the Black Sash website. The transcriptions and audio will be archived at the University of Cape Town. Listening to the stories these women have is fascinating; they are some of the most inspiring and courageous people one could ever meet. Typically, Will and I go to their houses to conduct the interviews. So far, they have all lived in beautiful areas of town, so it’s been nice to see more of Cape Town and the surrounding suburbs. Today, the woman we interviewed had baked us homemade muffins that were delicious. So, it’s been a great way to really get into the community and explore.

On Friday, Will and I went to a tea with the oldest Black Sash members. Everyone in the room was over 80! They meet on the last Friday of every month to discuss current politics and enjoy time together. They took a keen interest to us, and in our project. We were with them for 2 ½ hours and easily could’ve stayed longer. We were able to ask them a lot of questions, and the responses were great because they were all eager to share their stories.

Next week, Will and I were to interview a woman named Lettie Malindi, one of the few black women in the Sash during the early days. However, we learned today that she died over the weekend. That really added a new sense of urgency to the work Will and I are doing. One of the women we interviewed had Alzheimer’s, another had Polio, and many others are very ill and in constant pain.

I am so grateful to Black Sash for providing me with such a wonderful internship experience, I really could not have asked for more!

Impressions

Overlooking Simonstown

Working at Black Sash, an organization which for much of its existence had a membership base of all women, has inevitably pushed me to consider gender issues. Recently, Will and I have been interviewing original members of the Sash about their experiences with the group, and I have found their persistence and courage to be very inspiring. These discussions have provided me with an additional lens through which to view South Africa and the world, as I contemplate with awe the gravity of their actions during apartheid. So, it was through this process of thinking that I come to reflect on an incident from last weekend.

On Saturday, the group took a trip out to Simonstown to visit Peter Story and his wife, Elizabeth. Peter was a minister who was very outspoken against apartheid while it was occurring, and believes strongly in bringing politics to the pulpit. We met in Peter’s church, where he sat at the front of the room, facing the rest of us who sat in the pews. While he answered questions from the students and told us about his life, his wife sat in the back, a spectator like the rest of us. Occasionally, though, she would chime in to correct a statement her husband had made, or to add in a couple of sentences of commentary on events Peter forgot to mention. But, quickly, she would be cut off, returning to her silence. After the talk was completed, we all went out to lunch together at a restaurant on the beach. I sat near Elizabeth, and as I talked to her, I realized that she, too, was an active figure during apartheid. She had stories of her own to share, but it seemed to me that she was not given the opportunity to do so because the focus was often placed upon her husband. While her husband was undoubtedly a paramount figure during the apartheid era, I began to feel increasingly disconcerted by the fact that Elizabeth’s story was seemingly cast aside, taking a back seat to Peter’s. I’m not sure whether that was the fault of our group, of her husband, or of societal norms. But, it left me feeling slightly uncomfortable, confused, and unsettled. I felt that she should have been merited her own conversation, rather than being reduced to interjecting randomly during her husband’s story.

Was this something that happened to her often? And to other women? I certainly don’t think that one would typically see a wife being the focal point of conversation, with her husband sitting in the background. And that troubled me, again prompting me to consider how gender roles still plague society.

Overlooking Cape Point

Last week, on Wednesday, the majority of us had the day off from work because it was a national holiday, Children’s Day. Children's Day is designed to commemorate the memory of the youth who partook in the Soweto Uprising of 1976. We took advantage of the free time to do some travelling around the Cape Town area. Will, Samera, Chaele, Brandon, and I went to Kalk Bay, about a 45 minute train ride outside of the city. Will and I had met a UCT student on the jammie shuttle on the way home from work, and he had recommended that we go to Kalk Bay and eat at a particularly good restaurant there, Olympia Café.

Kalk Bay itself was stunning, with picturesque beaches and local charm. Olympia Café was mostly seafood which I could not enjoy, but the bread was absolutely phenomenal. Many of us agreed it was the best bread we’ve ever eaten. And it wasn’t even warm, so that’s saying something.

On Saturday, the group went to Simonstown to meet with Peter Story, a minister who was very outspoken against apartheid while it was occurring. We met with him at his church, and then all went out to lunch together at a restaurant on the beach. Again, the scenery was absolutely stunning. But, the best part of the day was when we went to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope in the afternoon. I know I’ve been raving about the beauty of Cape Town and the surrounding areas, but this place really was outstanding. Honestly, it is the most beautiful place to which I have ever been. Words cannot even describe it!

We had a hired van driving us all day, so we really got to explore the countryside. On the way home we took the scenic route, which was a winding road that took us all along the gorgeous coastline. Overall, it really was an absolutely spectacular day full of breathtaking views; I was overcome by the beauty of my surroundings. It again made me feel so incredibly blessed and grateful to be here—I’ve had so many moving experiences academically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. And to think that my time in Cape Town is only halfway done!

Watching the South Africa v. Mexico match in a bar on Long Street

On Friday, work was canceled because the World Cup matches began that day, with the first game being South Africa vs. Mexico in Johannesburg. Will, Michelle (who is doing an independent project in Hauts Bay), and I went to the FIFA Fan Park in downtown Cape Town to check out the excitement. We got there five hours before the match, and we were told by a FIFA official that if we left the park for lunch, we would have no problem re-entering in a few hours. Well, that turned out to be bad advice, because after eating at Eastern Food Bazaar, the Fan Park was closed, having already reached capacity. So, instead, we went to a bar on Long Street to watch the match. It was packed with people sporting their Bafana Bafana gear and blowing vuvuzelas. South Africa tied Mexico 1-1, which was exciting because SA was expected to lose.

On Saturday, we went to Old Biscuit Mill, a gourmet farmers market about a 45-minute walk from our B&B. It was incredible! The food was great and there was so much selection. Vendors were set up selling cupcakes, waffles, smoothies, coffee, cookies, cheeses, etc. I ended up getting a frozen hot chocolate and a falafel pita which was excellent. It was very touristy—almost all of the people there (vendors and customers) were white foreigners. I even saw two players from the Serbian soccer team there.

Sunday we went to the V&A Waterfront, an affluent shopping mall in Cape Town right by the harbor. We went to the aquarium and got to see penguins and a shark feeding. I was getting déjà vu while I was there; I think I must have been in the past with the fam. Later, the whole group watched the Germany v. Australia game in Bill’s room. It was a beating by Germany, poor Australia. But tonight is the Italy v. Paraguay game which the majority of our group is going to, I can’t wait! Hopefully we don’t become icicles; the weather is not at its best today.

Work today was awesome!! First, I proofread a long document that is going to be released by Black Sash to the government, suggesting changes for national health care reform. I was able to contribute a lot through the editing process, which made me feel useful. I also learned a lot about the state of South African healthcare and what’s wrong with it. Who would’ve thought I could be so interested in anything health related?

Later, I wrote a press release that is going to be sent to newspapers around South Africa and posted on the Black Sash website. My boss wrote half and I wrote the other half, and then we joined the two. It was really satisfying to finally do some writing; that’s what I’ve been hoping to do all along. He really liked my work so hopefully I’ll get to keep writing!

The weather today was more typical of a Cape Town winter day—rainy and chilly, but definitely bearable. Will and I tried an alternate mode of transportation today since clearly the taxi system did not work last time.

For dinner, we had food catered to the B&B, as we do every Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesdays, we bring in a dinner guest as well. Usually, they are prominent members from the Cape Town community that Bill knows through his various connections. Tonight our guest was a professor from the University of Cape Town who’s an expert on colored history in South Africa.

Okay well I’m off to read my book and do some “homework” work…adios!