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Welcome to Our Blog

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG

As anyone who has participated in UConn's Education Abroad in Cape Town will tell you, there are no words to adequately explain the depth of the experiences, no narratives to sufficiently describe the hospitality of the people, and no pictures to begin to capture the exquisite scenery. Therefore this blog is only intended to provide an unfolding story of the those co-educators who are traveling together as companions on this amazing journey.

As Resident Director of this program since 2008 it is once again my privilege and honor to accompany another group of remarkable students to this place I have come to know and love.

In peace, with hope,
Marita McComiskey, PhD

(marita4peace@gmail.com)

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Megan H impressed, inspired and eager to begin her internship at Right2Know

Now, we have nearly reached the end of orientation. We have seen both sides of Cape Town; the staggeringly beautiful, and the harsh poverty. Being exposed to both these sides have made me realize how many contradictions there are in this city.

The community tours had a huge impact on me. Driving in our huge tour bus, we looked on to Langa, Manenberg, Khayelitsha, and Mitchell’s Plane. We saw miles and miles of informal housing, metal roofs, and kids in streets. Residents of the townships waved to us with extreme excitement on their face, and I felt so undeserving of their excitement and welcoming, coming from a place of such privilege and comfortable living. Having already learned about so many amazing people who had come from the townships, I became astounded how they could persevere in this environment. The community centers we visited, however, were places of inspiration somewhere where so much devastation and oppression was felt.


In Langa, we visited a community center in which they promoted artists and fostered business skills so residents in the township could become financially independent and stable. We learned how they created intricate pottery, and trained people in Langa how to make the pottery themselves. We then met a sand painter who creates beautiful paintings out of different colored sands. He came to Cape Town with only R50, but by selling 4 pieces of art was able to sustain himself and become the successful man he is today. He mused over the fact that he has a house, family, and a car; things that are often taken for granted in my home country. We then learned how to play African drums, which was one of my favorite parts of orientation. This center was truly awe-inspiring, and further challenged notions of what causes or maintains poverty, as believed in the US.
Eric, Megan, Collette, Josh, & Charity enjoy their drumming lesson at Guga S'Thebe Arts & Cultural Centre in Langa
Another community center that really impacted me was the Manenberg People’s Center. There, we met a class of 30 students who came to the center every Friday in order to deter them from gangsterism in their township. The kids were astounding; someone asked them what they wanted to do when they grew up, and one boy answered with a prepared list of “businessman, choreographer, architect and navy man.” Luigi, our tour guide of sorts in the center, told us how they also provided food to hundreds of people a day, and helped students with applying to college and jobs. I really hope to be able to work with them during my stay in Cape Town.


These experiences have made me very anxious to begin my internship with Right2Know. The organization seems amazing and powerful, and I can not wait to learn from them, and provide whatever assistance I can with helping the people we met during our orientation.

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