Soweto

A friend told me shortly before I left that when she thought of Africa all she could think of were World Vision commercials. When I first stepped into Kliptown, a section of the township of Soweto, I am reluctant to admit that I found it difficult to think of anything else. But after spending several days in Kliptown during our Soweto week, I will be the first to list off all the things the people of Soweto have that I do not.

Soweto is one of the poorest black townships in South Africa. Located outside of Johannesburg, Soweto has an incredibly rich and violent history, filled with stories of oppression, suffering brokenness, resiliency, perseverance, courage and hope.

Our week began at the Soweto Vineyard church with a Sunday morning service that contained more rhythm and enthusiasm then I think all of Canada possesses. The next two days were spent at museums and taking tours, where we learned the names, dates and historical events that shaped Soweto and South Africa. Afterwards, we would go back to the local community center where we were staying and be greeted by Brenda (everybody’s favourite candy lady) and dozens of local kids who wanted to play soccer, braid our hair or maybe just “shap shap” (say hello)

Then came our service projects. A few students, including myself, had the privilege of working with Brother Bob and his organization SKY (Soweto Kliptown Youth). During the three days I spent at SKY I was able to see and experience some pretty amazing things. We met literally hundreds of kids as well as the overworked and underpaid teachers and youth workers that gave their best every single day so that these kids might have something to eat. We saw enormous generosity when a community that is itself in need, recognized and even bigger need and sent many of the clothes that had been given to them to the earthquake victims in Haiti. We witnessed tragedy as a school and an entire community grieved the loss of a ten-year-old boy. And we saw all of this being met with incredible resiliency determination, courage and hope as the residents of Kliptown pulled together to support each other, to feed each other, to love each other, and to even teach each other (and us) gumboot dancing.

At first glance the shacks we saw in Soweto don’t appear at all dissimilar from those in the World Vision commercials, but I promise that what you see in those commercials doesn’t even come close to expressing the sense of community or interdependency Soweto has, or the vibrancy and hope we saw in those children’s smiles, or the courage and determination we sensed in those who raised them. At the end of the day I don’t know what or who those commercials are trying to portray, but it certainly isn’t the people of Soweto.

-Alex

befor and after photos of a shack that students painted

In side the Constitutional court

from a visit to a prison that held the likes of Mandela and Gandhi
many of the buildings form this prison have been torn down and the briks use to constucted the constiutional court building that stands on site of the old prison