5/19 to 5/21 - The First Week

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.