Molo! (“hello” in Xhosa – one of the 11 official languages in South Africa)

Greetings from the land of bright sunshine and blue skies! After almost 2 weeks, I am officially finished with both the CIEE and UCT orientations! Luckily, we have gotten to do so many fun things when not listening to repetitive speeches about academic policies and safety – my favorites of this week being a huge African Drum Circle for all of the UCT study abroad students, another Braii (BBQ) with free food (again my hopes of a cheeseburger were crushed), and a trip to visit possible volunteer opportunities (more about this later). Most people here think the fun truly begins at night – there never fails to be another house party or excursion to a bar or club – I’m always up for anything, day or night. The highlight of my nightlife this week was a trip to a club called Hemisphere, which is at the top of the ABSA (major South African bank) skyscraper downtown (amazing views, of course) – it is a very exclusive club, but luckily one of our SOLmates (orientation leaders) had a connection to the manager and we managed to get in for 30 rand ($4) – I cannot imagine what it would have cost in NYC! Needless to say, I am pretty exhausted after staying out past 2am every night and waking up every morning for orientation – still no complaints. Everyone seems to be taking advantage of the lower drinking age and the dirt-cheap alcohol that is available at the grocery stores. Drinking wine has become commonplace at my house after dinner. This certainly feels like a wonderful vacation!

While my experiences have been amazing so far, I know I have been sheltered in the CIEE and UCT “bubble” of fun and games for the majority of my trip so far. With highly comfortable living arrangements, a picturesque campus, and an endless supply of beautiful scenery, it is very easy to ignore the realities of this country. This week I had the opportunity to visit the various volunteering centers, in which most, if not all of us will choose to do our community service. As this excursion was not mandatory, many people opted to go to the beach instead, but I knew that it would give me a much better look outside of my bubble – and it certainly did just that, as it was an emotionally draining day. CIEE does a wonderful job of bringing in a handful of organizations through which we can volunteer during the week – I cannot wait to start! On Thursday, we visited the children’s ward of TB hospital, the Leap Math and Science School, an adult refugee center, and a religious support center. On Wednesday, I also visited the low-income colored community of Kensington, through which SHAWCO, a UCT organization (the second largest student-run NGO in Africa!), operates. Seeing so many people and places in need of help makes you want to do anything and everything – unfortunately time does not permit. Many of my friends will be volunteering at the TB hospital where dozens of adorable children ages 1-8 leapt into our arms as we walked through the gates to visit – they are no longer contagious, but must stay at the ward without their families from 3 months to a year. Personally, I want to volunteer at the Leap School, a recently started high school specializing in math and science, two subject areas that are in dire need of improvement in low-income schools in South Africa. I originally thought that I would prefer to volunteer in places where I could play with and comfort younger children, but after visiting each place, I am convinced that my time will be the most beneficial in an educational environment, especially after having been so fortunate to have received such a wonderful education myself. However, it is really hard to know where one’s time will be best used in helping a society in so much need.

All of the volunteer places that we visited on Thursday were located in or around the townships and low-income communities. While I had seen a glimpse of the townships on my way from the airport the first day here, I did not realize the extensiveness of them – we were surrounded by townships on the sides of the highway everywhere we drove (we were out for a good 3 hours) – just miles and miles, thousands and thousands of corrugated tin roofs and decaying cardboard and wood walls, making up houses the size of a small closet, smashed together into dusty, treeless areas. I couldn’t help but just stare out of the window – a mix of emotions built up inside: I felt helpless, I felt confused, I felt mad to have been born into such a privileged life, yet happy that I had, I felt such a strong desire to want to change what I saw, but frustrated that I couldn’t think of a possible solution. At home, I feel sorry and embarrassed to say that I often take what I have for granted even when I see our country’s own problems of poverty – but I know that my eyes will truly be opened to some of the harsh, and unnecessary realities of this world.