“Ubuntu is humanity. It is more about having the pie but sharing with the national equally and not trying to keep the big piece to yourself. Ubuntu is having no greed and always living to share.” – Vuyo Mnyantsi, Khayelitsha, South Africa on his definition of ubuntu.
I am learning the way in which I look at my world is not necessarily the most profitable to humankind. Yesterday, a few friends of mine on the trip and I were talking about the distinct difference in urgency between the U.S. and what we’ve experienced so far in South Africa. For most of us, we’ve never experienced anything quite like this before. Time, it seems, is a moving target here. Time is given, appointments are made. However, it doesn’t seem like there’s much stress in arriving at said time. Continue Reading
6/21/05
I walked into the office yesterday and made myself busy. A lot of conversation has been had in regards to potential projects on which I could work. However, it’s only been a little over a week and I’m not quite sure any of us are totally clear on what to do with the intern. Continue Reading
In Khayelitsha, the community accepts outsiders as family. This isn’t a process that’s earned or takes time, it happens immediately. Older people are addressed as “Mama” or “Dada,” younger people are “sisi” (sissy) or “brother.” Host families are just that – your family. That feeling I had arriving in Khayelitsha the first day, it was indeed foreshadowing. Continue Reading
Molweni! Unjani? (Hello! How are you?)
I’ve officially been living in Khayelitsha, a township (or province) of Cape Town, for the past week.We packed up the kombis (comb-ease) and set off to the second part of our journey last Tuesday. Driving out of the city and into the township our leader, Scott, began to tell us more about the community in which we were about to live.