On Tuesday I visited the Youngsfield refugee camp, which is located at a military base in Wynberg. I was so excited to be able to jump into fieldwork immediately after starting my internship! A group of six of us went, half of whom had been visiting the camp regularly and had established close relationships with the refugees there. I was shocked by the camp conditions--the people were living in tents in the middle of a field. They had no food or medicine and limited sanitary facilities. The living conditions provided a stark contrast to the attitudes of the refugees. Although they were losing faith in the South African government, they still were extremely grateful that we came to talk to them. They greeted us with smiles and demonstrated that they appreciated our involvement at the camp. Some of the refugees expressed a desire to return to their home countries. They have grown more and more frustrated with the South African government, which claimed it would protect them from xenophobic attacks but hasn’t fulfilled its promise.
On Wednesday I visited Bonnytoun, a detention center for boys. Entering Bonnytoun was an extremely uncomfortable experience. I had never visited a prison or detention center previously, and I had no idea how to react to my surroundings. When we began our workshop on equality and women’s rights with the older boys, I became more at ease. I was surprised to learn that none of the boys had ever heard the term “sexism.” To me, this really speaks to the extent of patriarchy and gender inequality in South Africa. I was really touched that several of the boys spoke openly about their desire to better their lives. Although they had made mistakes (most had committed violent crimes), they expressed a sincere desire to change. This experience truly made me feel that I am making a difference and helping people.
We had a seminar at work on Thursday, during which Theo discussed the political climate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since we are working with so many refugees here at the office through a partnership with the UN, it is imperative that everyone understands the refugees’ backgrounds.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
5/18/09 - The Internship
I had my orientation and a half-day at work today. Since the orientation was scheduled to start between 9 and 10 in the morning, I got to sleep a bit later than I will on normal workdays. I met Jason (different Jason than the one I live with), who taught me about the trains and took me to the Projects Abroad main office. There, I met Alyssa, who is the desk officer for Projects Abroad in Cape Town. I was thrilled when she let me use Skype to call my parents. I had tried to call them the night before using my calling card, but I had not been able to get the card to work.
I soon heard that Sarah, the other new volunteer who flew in on my flight, was very sick and would not make it to orientation today. This reminded me that I’m so lucky to be healthy! (Knock on wood!) Since Alyssa had to go visit Sarah, she introduced me to Lucinda, the Volunteer Coordinator. Lucinda conducted my orientation and told me a bit about her life. She also told me about a trip she was planning to climb Table Mountain and sleep at the top…I told her I’m definitely in! During my orientation, I saw Cavendish Mall and had lunch at a great restaurant with fresh juices--I was so happy to have a glass of OJ!!!
The Human Rights Office Manager, Theodore Kamwimbi, has an incredible background in human rights law. He is extremely passionate about his work. I know I can learn a lot from him. Today, even though I was only at the office for a few hours, I had the opportunity to sit in on meetings for 2 people who came into the office. Both cases involved unfair treatment of refugees. I also got to meet several of the other volunteers at the office.
Dinner at the Martins was fabulous tonight! Mrs. Martin prepared me a special vegetarian meal that I enjoyed immensely. Over dinner, the conversation was very interesting. Mrs. Martin told the story of her family moving into their current home. In apartheid times, only whites inhabited the neighborhood. The Martins were the first colored family to move in, and they faced discrimination from some of their neighbors. As I walked back from work today, I noticed tremendous racial diversity in the area. It made me so happy to see how quickly some types of change are taking place!
I soon heard that Sarah, the other new volunteer who flew in on my flight, was very sick and would not make it to orientation today. This reminded me that I’m so lucky to be healthy! (Knock on wood!) Since Alyssa had to go visit Sarah, she introduced me to Lucinda, the Volunteer Coordinator. Lucinda conducted my orientation and told me a bit about her life. She also told me about a trip she was planning to climb Table Mountain and sleep at the top…I told her I’m definitely in! During my orientation, I saw Cavendish Mall and had lunch at a great restaurant with fresh juices--I was so happy to have a glass of OJ!!!
The Human Rights Office Manager, Theodore Kamwimbi, has an incredible background in human rights law. He is extremely passionate about his work. I know I can learn a lot from him. Today, even though I was only at the office for a few hours, I had the opportunity to sit in on meetings for 2 people who came into the office. Both cases involved unfair treatment of refugees. I also got to meet several of the other volunteers at the office.
Dinner at the Martins was fabulous tonight! Mrs. Martin prepared me a special vegetarian meal that I enjoyed immensely. Over dinner, the conversation was very interesting. Mrs. Martin told the story of her family moving into their current home. In apartheid times, only whites inhabited the neighborhood. The Martins were the first colored family to move in, and they faced discrimination from some of their neighbors. As I walked back from work today, I noticed tremendous racial diversity in the area. It made me so happy to see how quickly some types of change are taking place!
5/17 - The Lion's Head
Today I woke up early to go to the Internet café, only to find that it was closed. (Yes, this is one example of why I’m always late posting!) I felt especially bad since Angelo woke up specifically to drive me there. When I got back, the Martins went over the house rules with me, which seem very reasonable and should not be a problem to follow. My talk with Mrs. Martin reminded me that my home-stay family makes a huge effort to make sure everyone’s needs are met. I am really lucky to have so many people looking out for me!
Before I left, I made plans with Christoph to climb Table Mountain, the highest mountain in the area. The picture below shows part of the mountain. Everyone warned me that the view be terrible since it was a foggy day (as you can see) and advised us to wait for another day. I remained excited about the hike anyway!
I grew less excited about the trip as it became more and more complicated to meet up with the others. Originally, Christoph was supposed to meet me at the train station by the Martin home. Jason walked to the station with me since he was headed to the movies. Since I do not have a cell phone yet, Christoph called Jason to let me know that he was running late and would meet me at the Newlands station instead. Due to an unfortunate mix up, I got off the train just as Christoph got on. As a result, I had to spend the next 1 hour and 20 minutes waiting for the next train. (They run infrequently on the weekends.) Since I didn’t have a phone, I had no idea how to get in touch with everyone…
Fortunately for me, I met Clara, a young South African woman, at the Newlands station. We spent over 30 minutes chatting about the different cities and cultures within South Africa. Since Clara had lived in and visited the others, she offered me a native’s perspective. She had also visited New York City when she was the age I am now, so we discussed international travel and the US. Clara was nice enough to let me borrow her phone to call Alinka, whose number I got from Jason. I eventually made it to Cape Town and met up with the others.
We ultimately decided to climb Lion’s Head, a nearby mountain, instead of Table.
This was wise choice since Lion’s Head wasn’t foggy at all and was a significantly shorter climb! Nevertheless, several people had trouble with the climb. This was mostly because all of us expected the hike to be a clearly defined trail and a few people carried big bags that weren’t suitable for a more rugged hike. After the first 30 minutes of hiking, we realized that our gradual hike turned into a steep slope. As we neared the top, the trail literally turned into a rock climbing experience--complete with handles, ladders and chains.
Some of the gang became scared, but everyone made it to the top! Due to choosing Lion’s Head, we finished just before it got dark and we had a clear view from the top. The hike/climb was totally worth it!!!
By the time we got back down the mountain, it was too late to go home for dinner. We had all worked up quite an appetite…for carbs!!! We went to an Italian restaurant on Kloof Street in the city. The food tasted amazing--especially after a workout! Below is the whole group (except for me…someone had to take the picture!), which includes (from left to right) Michael, Alison, Alinka, Sarah, Christoph, and Andy.
Even though I ended up sore and with cuts on my feet, I wouldn’t have traded this day for anything. And to think I almost gave up at the Newlands station and headed home!
Before I left, I made plans with Christoph to climb Table Mountain, the highest mountain in the area. The picture below shows part of the mountain. Everyone warned me that the view be terrible since it was a foggy day (as you can see) and advised us to wait for another day. I remained excited about the hike anyway!
I grew less excited about the trip as it became more and more complicated to meet up with the others. Originally, Christoph was supposed to meet me at the train station by the Martin home. Jason walked to the station with me since he was headed to the movies. Since I do not have a cell phone yet, Christoph called Jason to let me know that he was running late and would meet me at the Newlands station instead. Due to an unfortunate mix up, I got off the train just as Christoph got on. As a result, I had to spend the next 1 hour and 20 minutes waiting for the next train. (They run infrequently on the weekends.) Since I didn’t have a phone, I had no idea how to get in touch with everyone…
Fortunately for me, I met Clara, a young South African woman, at the Newlands station. We spent over 30 minutes chatting about the different cities and cultures within South Africa. Since Clara had lived in and visited the others, she offered me a native’s perspective. She had also visited New York City when she was the age I am now, so we discussed international travel and the US. Clara was nice enough to let me borrow her phone to call Alinka, whose number I got from Jason. I eventually made it to Cape Town and met up with the others.
We ultimately decided to climb Lion’s Head, a nearby mountain, instead of Table.
This was wise choice since Lion’s Head wasn’t foggy at all and was a significantly shorter climb! Nevertheless, several people had trouble with the climb. This was mostly because all of us expected the hike to be a clearly defined trail and a few people carried big bags that weren’t suitable for a more rugged hike. After the first 30 minutes of hiking, we realized that our gradual hike turned into a steep slope. As we neared the top, the trail literally turned into a rock climbing experience--complete with handles, ladders and chains.
Some of the gang became scared, but everyone made it to the top! Due to choosing Lion’s Head, we finished just before it got dark and we had a clear view from the top. The hike/climb was totally worth it!!!
By the time we got back down the mountain, it was too late to go home for dinner. We had all worked up quite an appetite…for carbs!!! We went to an Italian restaurant on Kloof Street in the city. The food tasted amazing--especially after a workout! Below is the whole group (except for me…someone had to take the picture!), which includes (from left to right) Michael, Alison, Alinka, Sarah, Christoph, and Andy.
Even though I ended up sore and with cuts on my feet, I wouldn’t have traded this day for anything. And to think I almost gave up at the Newlands station and headed home!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
5/16/09 - The Arrival
Today I arrived in Cape Town at about 4:30 pm after nearly 20 hours of flying and a day and a half total spent travelling. When the plane landed, the flight attendant announced over the plane intercom that the weather was “quite horrible actually.” I found as I looked out the window and as I travelled to my home-stay an hour later that she was objectively correct. It was raining off and on (mostly on), and the winds were travelling at 20-40 mph over the course of the evening. Nevertheless, I felt a profound sense of joy that I was finally in South Africa!
Even though I packed with the knowledge that I would be spending my 2 months there during the rainy, winter season, I still clung to the illusion that there would be warmth and sunlight due to the stereotypes that I had heard over the years. I discovered just how foolish some of my clothing choices were (including 3 pairs of shorts and my thickest jacket being my black North Face) as I felt the rain begin to pour just as I reached my home-stay and the winds howling within 15 seconds of stepping outside that night.
When the Martins got home (they had gone out thinking I was arriving 3 days later due to an office mix up), they quickly welcomed me to the home and showed me my room, which I will be sharing with another girl when she arrives in about a week. Mrs. Martin immediately told me about how important it is that I be open with her about my likes, dislikes, and preferences. I immediately got the sense that she cares about me as an individual. She expressed a sincere interest in making the home as comfortable as possible for all of us volunteers. Speaking of the other volunteers, I soon met the 4 boys who were staying with the Martins as well. This includes Mark (who also works in the Human Rights Office), Christophe (the German who speaks impeccable English), and Jason (the Canadian who happens to be a die-hard Duke fan--perhaps more so than I am!!!). My first conversation with Jason went as follows…
Jason: Hi, I’m Jason. It’s nice to meet you. Where are you from?
Snayha: The US [he nods]…North Carolina specifically.
Jason: Do you support Duke or North Carolina?
Snayha: [convinced I was about to make an enemy right off the bat…let’s face it--there are more UNC fans than Duke fans] Well…I kind of have to support Duke since I go there.
Jason: YES!!! [add as much emphasis as possible here to recreate the moment] I’m a Duke fan as well…[goes on about basketball games and new recruits]
…It’s nice to have a little taste of home when you are on the other side of the world!
The TV in my room was the final indication that technology (and technological expertise) was far more widespread in the Martin home than I had anticipated. In addition to modern appliances, the Martin’s son, Angelo, is a technology wiz. Especially given my prior knowledge that the Martins do not have Internet access in their home, I was unprepared for Angelo to know WAY more about computers than I will ever know. He is even working on setting up a secure Internet connection.
That night I hopped in a taxi with Jason and Christophe. They had already made plans to meet up with some of the other volunteers. Despite several changes in plans and turning around in the taxi, everything finally got worked out, and I met Andrea, Angie, Allison, Donna, and Ilinca…not too bad for my first day in Cape Town!
Even though I packed with the knowledge that I would be spending my 2 months there during the rainy, winter season, I still clung to the illusion that there would be warmth and sunlight due to the stereotypes that I had heard over the years. I discovered just how foolish some of my clothing choices were (including 3 pairs of shorts and my thickest jacket being my black North Face) as I felt the rain begin to pour just as I reached my home-stay and the winds howling within 15 seconds of stepping outside that night.
When the Martins got home (they had gone out thinking I was arriving 3 days later due to an office mix up), they quickly welcomed me to the home and showed me my room, which I will be sharing with another girl when she arrives in about a week. Mrs. Martin immediately told me about how important it is that I be open with her about my likes, dislikes, and preferences. I immediately got the sense that she cares about me as an individual. She expressed a sincere interest in making the home as comfortable as possible for all of us volunteers. Speaking of the other volunteers, I soon met the 4 boys who were staying with the Martins as well. This includes Mark (who also works in the Human Rights Office), Christophe (the German who speaks impeccable English), and Jason (the Canadian who happens to be a die-hard Duke fan--perhaps more so than I am!!!). My first conversation with Jason went as follows…
Jason: Hi, I’m Jason. It’s nice to meet you. Where are you from?
Snayha: The US [he nods]…North Carolina specifically.
Jason: Do you support Duke or North Carolina?
Snayha: [convinced I was about to make an enemy right off the bat…let’s face it--there are more UNC fans than Duke fans] Well…I kind of have to support Duke since I go there.
Jason: YES!!! [add as much emphasis as possible here to recreate the moment] I’m a Duke fan as well…[goes on about basketball games and new recruits]
…It’s nice to have a little taste of home when you are on the other side of the world!
The TV in my room was the final indication that technology (and technological expertise) was far more widespread in the Martin home than I had anticipated. In addition to modern appliances, the Martin’s son, Angelo, is a technology wiz. Especially given my prior knowledge that the Martins do not have Internet access in their home, I was unprepared for Angelo to know WAY more about computers than I will ever know. He is even working on setting up a secure Internet connection.
That night I hopped in a taxi with Jason and Christophe. They had already made plans to meet up with some of the other volunteers. Despite several changes in plans and turning around in the taxi, everything finally got worked out, and I met Andrea, Angie, Allison, Donna, and Ilinca…not too bad for my first day in Cape Town!
Intro to the Globetrotter!
Hello Everyone!
Thanks so much for checking out my blog. I will be using the Globetrotter to blog about my summer in Cape Town, South Africa (May 16-July 13) and my fall semester in Valparaiso, Chile (August 25-December 7). Since my Internet access is limited, I may not be able to update as regularly as I like. Just check back later, and hopefully I will have been able to add more! Feel free to respond to my posts and/or email me at any time! Thanks again for following!
Thanks so much for checking out my blog. I will be using the Globetrotter to blog about my summer in Cape Town, South Africa (May 16-July 13) and my fall semester in Valparaiso, Chile (August 25-December 7). Since my Internet access is limited, I may not be able to update as regularly as I like. Just check back later, and hopefully I will have been able to add more! Feel free to respond to my posts and/or email me at any time! Thanks again for following!
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