Kiya's commitment to make a better world

This is my last blog post and the last one I will be writing while in Cape Town, South Africa. I am having mixed feelings about going home. I truly do miss my family and friends and just being in a familiar place but now I see Cape Town as another home which I am now having difficulty leaving. Of course I enjoyed the classes I`ve taken and my internship but I am proud of how I now see the world around me. I am going to enjoy the various restaurants I have grown accustomed to while here and the many adventures on the mini-bus taxi. I went to the city for the last time and it hit me that this was my last time walking the streets of Cape Town for at least a few years. I began thinking about the first time I went into town alone and how it took me an hour to get to the mini-bus taxi rank from a location 5 mins away. I remembered calling Vernon for directions and when I didn`t find it, I called Ben in hopes of him helping me as well. Good times lol. I came to the realization that I`ve done everything I wanted to do while here and I am leaving on a positive note.  I`ve learned a few things about myself and the people surrounding me and am taking back experiences that I will remember for a life time.

In addition to my final thoughts, I am also very proud of the work me and my activist project group did in the room at Elonwabeni. After about 2 months of planning, painting, fundraising, shopping, and organizing we finally completed the room and provided the teenagers at the centre with a space of their own. A few days ago I was frustrated and was feeling overwhelmed with the lack of support for our project. It made me reevaluate why I volunteer and decide to help people to begin with.  In the end, I realized that as long as I give my all then I am satisfied with my performance no matter what spectators may have to say. This project has opened doors for other projects in the future. I`ve recently read about the importance of shelters who cater to women and children. Most of these women are abused by their significant other and their only opinion is to go to a shelter. The problem lies with the resources and spaces shelters are able to provide because of lack of funding. This is at least the case in the Western Cape and in result women and their children end up on the streets where they are vulnerable to HIV and AID, STIs, TB, rap, drugs and alcohol, and "survival sex". My goal in the future would be to volunteer with shelters and help make it aware of their importance to the state and to these women. 

Lastly, the final dinner was great. For the first time I was able to connect with the director of the Western Cape Network of Violence Against Women. During my time interning there, the originally director resigned and I was working with one of the employees who works for South African National AIDS Council which is an organization the Network houses. I was fortunate enough to do actual Network assignments the last two and a half weeks of my time there. Glynis Rhodes, my director, really contributed to my time at the Network. She gave me projects and allowed me to attend staff meetings and actually have input and an important role in the Networks future endeavors. Overall, I have enjoyed my stay here in Cape Town. I cannot stress enough how happy I am that I came on this trip instead of freezing in Storrs, Connecticut. I plan to share all of what I learned while studying abroad with the people around me and hopefully get people as excited as I am to make a better world. 

Kiya's week in Jo'burg

These last few weeks have been amazing. I cannot describe how appreciative I am of the opportunities I have been provided with. The time we spent in Johannesburg was very informational. I learned much more about the events leading up to the fall of the apartheid government. I found the Hector Pieterson museum interesting in terms of its content and structure. The museum shed light on various accounts of that day which was beneficial for me. I appreciated the diverse perspectives because it helped me understand why people were acting and reacting the way they did. Another impactful historical landmark was the apartheid museum. As soon as I walk in I knew how powerful the events represented on the walls were. What I found most interesting was the videos displayed through the museum. There was one video that showed how violent black South Africans were post 1990. It made me think about what apartheid had done with in races as well. There was now a separation between individuals who were just fighting for equality together. It helped me understand the lasting effects the system had on the oppressed. Apartheid aided blacks in hating themselves and one another. It changed their opinion of the world we live in the damage done psychologically was permanent. There were no laws created that could possible heal the wounds.

Kiya at Soweto Boys & Girls Club

I also enjoyed spending my morning and afternoon at the Boys and Girls Club in Soweto. The children there were so warm and inviting.  It reminded me of being home. I thought it was cool that we were able to help with various projects at the club. I felt like my contribution was needed and it made my experience  there more fulfilling. I enjoyed playing with the children and getting to know a little about them. They were so excited to be in our presence and we were just as excited to be in theirs. I found the purpose of the club very important and vital to the children who were members. Organizations like the Boys and Girls Club are critical in communities like Soweto. The children really value their time spend there.

Lastly, the Sharpeville memorial was also an impactful place we visited during excursion. I heard so much about the massacre in 1960 and the trial where 6 individual were sentenced to execution. It made the events “real” when we were able to speak to people who were there and experienced being shot and imprisoned. Upon leaving Kruger I had a sad realization that my time was almost up. I reflected back to orientation and thought about all that I had learned and the many cuisines I was privileged enough to digest.  

Kiya's realization there is still so much to do and so little time

Wow. I still cannot grasp that my time here in Cape Town is coming to an end. The change in weather is definitely evidence of that. I have so many thoughts I do not know where to begin. I have been horseback riding on the beach and paragliding, two things I could never imagine myself doing. My internship is going pretty well. I have attended so many Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill (WEGE bill) hearings. Currently the bill has been adopted by the National Assembly and is now being mandated amongst provinces. The bill has its pros and cons for sure. For the women representing various NGOs, they believe the WEGE bill is solely a 50/50 bill meaning it only ensures that women are represented equality in all sectors. There are many issues with this bill sadly. It does not benefit the women who need the most help, the black women especially in the Townships. It was stated at a civil meeting that people are not satisfied with the write up of the bill because it focuses on LGBTI issues instead of violence against women and women rights. I am eager to speak to more people about the bill. We are suppose to fly to another province to speak to other women sectors within the next few weeks.

I am learning so much here. Last night during class we had an interesting discussion about education and what makes a good school. It made me think about my interest in industrial and organizational psychology related work and how cool it would be to create structure in schools. I find it to be so important for school to run on a well oiled system that is inclusive of all parties involved. The comparison of U.S students and South African learner`s attitudes provided insight to what education means for me. For some, usually people who are struggling in impoverished environments, their hunger for a way out gives them the needed motivation to go to school and  participate fully. How we view the importance of education can sometimes depend on the opportunities we have. This is not to say that people with endless opportunities do not value education but just to start a conversation about why students in areas like South Africa appear to be more appreciative of school.

I am finding that just the discussions I have been fortunate enough to have with people here is probably the most treasured experiences I will be taking back with me. So much more to do with so little time.

Kiya is ready to promote human rights everywhere she goes

Human rights weekend was by far one of the greatest experiences of my life. The food was great and the people were even better. I thought the weekend was going to be a bunch of forced relationships and lecturing. Not so much. I loved the atmosphere of the place we stayed and thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and the various activities we participated in. This weekend gave me the necessary tools to make a difference in my community. It gave me insight to what the people around me may be experiencing and their knowledge about what human rights is and what kind of world they want to see. It was interesting to hear the diverse responses from the individuals from different parts of Africa. 

Kiya (2nd from left) with her country group

The activity in particular that sparked interest in me was the new planet exercise. Initially I was not aware of the purpose of the assignment. It was not until we were all put together and able to hear how the countries who were afforded resources responded to other countries requesting to come onto their land. My country (one of the countries who was not given access to land initially) conversation before we spoke as a group resembled one of a minority group. We were willing to bargain and beg for our basic needs and rights even though in a perfect world no one would be denied them. In the end the groups that were privileged exhibit a great deal of power over the other countries. At some points they were not able to see the effects power can have over you. There was this sense of ownership over the land even though it did not technically belong to any one group. This activity was so important to me because it taught me about healing and forgiveness and why these two particular feelings are detrimental to creating change and moving on. In many situations we as a society cannot move on and unite because of what has been done to our people in the past. History prevents us from making a difference because we are worried about history repeating itself. We discussed what the process of healing looks like and the great things that can result from doing so.

Another activity that was very informative was an exercise that initially was confusing and frustrating to me. It was not until the exercise was over and we talked about it that I realized the purpose of what we done. We were given a form in a different language and told to fill it out with no other instructions. None of our questions were answered and when it was time to hand in our papers, almost all of us got denied or our papers were handed back to us. After this happened a couple of times we then had a discussion about asylum seekers. It was eye opening to see that this very process was similar to the experience they have when trying to become a refugee in another country. It put me in a position that now allows me to better understand what some of the people around me may have gone through or are still going through. At the end of our discussion I felt more aware of other human rights issues which is what I wanted to get out of the weekend.

Participants from the 2014 Africa Unite Human Rights Training for Social Cohesion

The people I now have relationships with were awesome. It was really touching and inpiring to hear horrible stories but see faces with smiles. I was around individuals who were not complaining and who genuinely appreciated everything they were given. I started to have a different take on life. The atmosphere was positive and people cared about what you had to say and what experiences you brought with you. I do feel like I can go into my communities and apply what I learned. I love the trainer`s manual we received at the end of the workshop. I plan to facilitate these workshops with my resident assistant staff and the other RAs in the different living areas. I hope to encourage others to do the same and promote human rights everywhere I go.

Kiya receiving her Human Rights Training Certificate from Ntombi Mcoyi from Africa Unite.

Kiya's life altering home stay experience

My time in Ocean View was truly a life altering experience. Traditionally for me, Valentine`s Day has always been a day about receiving instead of giving (similar to Christmas). This particular Valentine`s Day was special because I spent my morning and afternoon giving to the community and not once did I feel like I should be receiving anything tangible back. We started off our day with 40 or so little humans running around. We colored in hearts in the spirit of Valentine`s Day and allowed children to get their group (butterflies, elephants, dolphins, and penguins) painted on their cheeks. During this time I was able to bond with a few of the children and understand how important the space provided was for the families and the children themselves. The day before we were fortunate to hear the owner of the school speak about her personal struggle and how she was able to turn her house into a school with little to no help. I admired her strength and fight to accomplish her goals. After spending time with the children all morning I went ballroom dancing that night. Chantel and a few of us went and it was a blast. Everyone there was so nice and willing to teach us. 

 

Kiya with her little Valentine

Spending time with Chantel was great. She took us to the beach which had to be the longest walk of my life and the coldest water I have ever experienced. It was a great time overall. Later on that day we went to the mall and explored the various stores there.  After the mall we explored Ocean View. It was interesting to see how people where struggling yet they were so happy. We rode through the town noticing how people where living and how they were making a living. For such a beautiful country there was so much poverty in all areas. I wonder what was the government doing to help these individuals.

The family we stayed with was very warm and inviting. Auntie Katie and her husband made sure Cassie and I were comfortable. It was so cute how every meal she set the table putting our napkin inside our cups. I noticed while staying there that she was the neighborhood`s Auntie as well. Everyone spoke when walking by. On Sunday I went to church with them. I really enjoyed the young girls praise dancing at end of the ceremony. That particular day all of the married couples were renewing their vows in church. The church had a couple who had been through many trials and tribulations speak to everyone about marriage and what a healthy and successful one looks like. I thought it was very beneficial for people to hear this information in the place where they worshipped. After church Auntie Katie fixed us a big lunch (more like Sunday dinner) where we all sat at the table together and talked. I hope I can visit them again in the future.

Kiya getting the hang of the pace of things

It was a slow start but I`m getting the hang of the pace of things. My internship is at the Western Cape Network onViolence Against Women where the goal is to education and advocate for the rights of women in South Africa. For the past two weeks or so I have been fairly involved at my internship. My first assignment was to contact hundreds of organizations to confirm their partnership with the Network. It allowed me to be the face of the organization which I really appreciated. My current assignment is in their communication department. I am currently helping update and rebuild the public web page. I have been reading articles on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention that have been quite interesting. There is an increase in HIV/AIDS infections among teenage girls in South Africa. The cause of this is mainly from older men. Most of these younger girls are exchanging intercourse for money in order to help support their guardians at home and provide themselves with the basic necessities. The government is currently assisting families with low income or single parent homes to prevent this from happening.

The people at my internship are really sweet and inclusive. We just received another intern who is also from America. The two of us are working closely together to start updating the Network`s database and website. In addition to my job description, I also was able to attend a bill hearing that discussed gender based issues. One topic that stood out to me was how to word laws concerning the LGBTI community. They focused a lot on making that community feel comfortable and how to include them into laws such as protection laws that usually only apply for the born gender of individuals. They were discussing how these laws that are already in place have been affecting the LBGTI community and what should be done to change them.