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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)

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Charity impressed by how Molo authentically follows its mission statement


Today was the first day at our internships. I’m interning at Molo Songololo which is a non-profit organization that focuses on children’s rights with a particular emphasis on child sex trafficking. The morning commute to my internship proved more challenging than the transportation exercise that we did last week suggested. Morning traffic in Cape Town is atrocious. Every minibus taxi that was going in the direction we needed was full and passed right by us. I was so worried that I’d be late and wouldn’t make it on time that I went back to the house and ordered an Uber. I just couldn’t bear the thought of being late on the first day! Luckily, I made it right on time! I’ll admit I felt like the new kid on the first day of school when I walked in. The morning was off to a slow start and I spent the day reading up on the literature regarding child pornography, child sex trafficking, sexual abuse and assault and other related topics as well as research that Molo has conducted independently. I also perused through some of Molo’s own publications regarding their vision and accomplishments, legislation they have worked to get passed through Parliament and old children’s newsletters that used to be distributed in all of the schools during apartheid. I was re-introduced to the staff and given an overview of what projects are on the docket for Molo and I can honestly say that this office STAYS BUSY. They are truly committed to their cause of being advocates for the children of South Africa in every way: from arts campaigns, projects on HIV/AIDS awareness, Youth Empowerment programs for young men and women, to passing legislation for an Ombudsperson (a government position that would focus on ensuring children’s rights are being upheld in the country) etc. At every step of the way for each of their programs they are always making sure that they are collecting information from a focus group of children to see how they can make the programs better and to ensure that the programs that are being created are of use to the population that we are trying to help. Everything is for the kids and by the kids and I’ve never seen an organization operate so authentically on their mission statement. As I begin to learn more about each of the projects, they will allow me to choose which project I wish to be involved in. I look forward to really diving into the work! One of my favorite moments from my first day was how I was able to introduce blueberries to my co-workers as many of them have not had them before. I asked them to recommend a fruit that I may not have ever had and one of my colleagues suggested a grendela (which I later found out is a passionfruit) and then offered to bring me one the next day!  It’s a small example, but already we are teaching one another different things and offering new experiences. I’m excited for the road ahead. J

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