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| Charity with Education Officer Joe Schaffers at the District 6 Museum |
I’ve been trying to challenge myself to interact
with Capetonians at every chance that I get. In my opinion, the best part of
this program is how it allows you to network with the community through your internships
and other activities that are scheduled throughout the program. This is what
will truly make my experience meaningful and impactful in a way that no other
program would have been able to. And, although we’ve had many important and
transformative experiences during orientation, for example, we visited the
District 6 Museum which archives the history and personal experiences of
thousands of classified "Coloured" individuals whom were forcibly removed from their homes
during the ugliness of apartheid and seeing Mandela’s cell at Robben Island
where he was held prisoner for 18 years (although he was imprisoned for 27
years in total), my most memorable experience thus far has been a conversation
I had with community organizer Sizwe Mxobo.
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| Community Organizer Sizwe Mxobo during his recent TedTalk |
I met Sizwe when we went to a jazz club restaurant
last week. Prior to our arriving in Cape Town as a part of our pre-departure
course we were shown Sizwe’s Ted Talk: “Why Do We Have to Move Out”. Our
conversation began with us discussing the work that he had covered in the Ted
Talk, what he was currently working on and the work that I had been doing in my
own community back home as an organizer and activist. I brought up to him my
thoughts regarding doing sustainable social justice work and consistently feeling
like I was not doing enough. It never seemed like the events that I helped
coordinate advanced the conversation regarding the issue it was focused on far
enough. I expressed dealing with these feelings of frustration and asked him
how he as an activist dealt with similar feelings and roadblocks. The advice I
received from him was simple and yet is still resonating with me. He reminded
me how important it is to never dismiss the work that you are doing. Any social
justice work is big work and is making a difference so you should celebrate
your accomplishments. The beginning is the hardest part. From each event and
accomplishment, you should then develop the mindset to think, how can I make
this event bigger? How can I maximize the impact that I desire to make within
my community? This is good, but how can I grow this seed that I have planted in
this moment. His advice came right on time, as I’ve been contemplating the
impact I’d like to leave in Cape Town through my internship and activist
project. We are only here for a short moment. Cape Town and the non-profits we
are working at will exist long after we have returned home. How can I make the
most of my time and feel like I am doing enough for this community that has
welcomed me so warmly? How can I take the skills that I will learn here and
apply them to their fullest extent upon my return home? I will try to keep
Sizwe’s advice in mind as I begin my internship next week. The work that we
will be doing, no matter how big or small, is a stepping stone to something greater.
So let’s begin and watch our work grow.
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