Josh highlights of the last week

It’s crazy to think that we already are on our 5^th week here in South Africa.  They said time would fly, but come on this is too fast!!!  Well apart from simply acknowledging that I absolutely love it here, I figured I would highlight a couple experiences I’ve had in the last week or so!

This past week I started training with the UCT soccer club, which has been an absolute blast!  Soccer here is different, it’s less physical than back home even though the guys here in my opinion are more athletic.  I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the guys on differences between the US and South Africa and it’s been a unique opportunity to feel connected to UCT while I’m here.  Although I’ll miss most of the season (it doesn’t really get going until the end of March), the coach was receptive to having me tryout.  And after tryouts yesterday, I was given a callback to come play with the team on Friday, so that was exciting.

This past weekend my fellow comrades on the study abroad trip and I had the opportunity to attend a Human Rights Training Weekend hosted by Africa Unite along with 30 other Africans from South Africa and throughout the continent.  The conference was enjoyable, but I wanted to focus on a conversation I had with one of the African students named Andy on the bus ride home.

Andy is from Botswana.  In our discussion, Andy described how most of Botswana is controlled by the government – there is little private business, and the government controls most industries, education, etc.  Andy wants to work for the UN one day and become the 2^nd Secretary General from Africa.  He has great passion and enthusiasm.  Much of our discussion centered on what his role should be back home in order to enact change in regards to human rights?  Should he become apart of a corrupt government system and try to change it?  Should he become a member of the opposing party who is more concerned with overthrowing the existing government than actually creating anything different or positive?  Or should he remain outside of the system and try to educate the youth on human rights issues?  Although he may not have reached a final conclusion about the right path after our discussion, we did touch quite significantly on how power and the idea of being “power hungry” can infiltrate institutions and individuals who start off with good intentions.  How to protect from this common theme is a question that remains.  But it is through exchange of information and deep/life conversations that I feel we learn much as individuals and are challenged to continually learn more and push our own boundaries.  I wish Andy all the best and look forward to staying connected with a man who has a bright future ahead of him.