We are back from Guguletu, the township were we had our home-stays Tuesday-Thursday nights. In sets of two, we all went with different families that live in homes in the townships. Trisha and I stayed with Zukile, an his girlfriend Loretta. During the day we spent time as a class listening to various lectures, going on "field trips" to different places to do different things, and then in the evening we all had dinner together - students, host-parents, and other family and community members. It as an amazing experience and there was a lot of emotions thrown around, and overall I am really glad we went there. We experienced something new every day (which I will elaborate on in a later blog), and we got to meet some amazing people. The one thing I noticed about everyone I have met in the township is a sense of welcoming and kindness. Our host families always greeted us with hugs and it is custom for people in the culture to greet every single person in the room as well as say goodbye to them individually. It was a nice thing to experience because it was welcoming and made us all feel right at home - in fact, we would call it home while we were there. Each evening meal was also accompanied by 25+ people dancing in one living room and laughing constantly. Our nights at home were always warm and comfortable. Actually, the bed Trisha and I had at our host-parents' house was warmer and softer than the beds we have in Cape Town!
During the day we heard speakers, visited a church that is currently housing the refugees from Zimbabwe, visited some homes in the townships, made lunch and donated toys to Pracilla, a women caring for eleven children (not all of them hers; she took in some orphans as well), and performed service project at the school for disabled children. This whole week was filled with activity and new experiences. I also caught a cold, but it's not holding me back. I'm going to get some sleep and absorb all of this week and update you on the details soon!
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