Blogs from Soweto, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, Africa - page 5

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto July 27th 2008

Today we had two amazing church experiences. We began the morning at Regina Mundi Church in Soweto. This church was the home church of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and played a significant role in the apartheid resistance movement. Although the service was in Xhosa (one of the 11 official languages of South Africa), the songs were very moving and the congregation was very welcoming. We then continued our morning worship at the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg. We were guests of Dr. Lolwana who wanted us to see the wonderful work her church is doing. The Central Methodist Church is currently housing hundreds of refugees from Zimbabwe. Although the church is not equipped to handle that many people, they are doing their very best to provide safe haven and social services for the refugees. Not only is ... read more

Soweto and Field Band Performance

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto July 26th 2008

Nelson's Mandela Soweto Home

Lantka

The morning began with a bus tour of Soweto. Soweto is a township just outside of Johannesburg that was created by the apartheid government. Soweto is known for its 1976 student uprisings that brought world attention to the gross inequities of South African education during apartheid. Although many people associate Soweto with extreme poverty, there is a wide variety of homes that exist there - from shacks to brick homes. Two of the most famous homes in Soweto are those that belong to Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Incredibly, the two homes are just down the street from one another! Joining us on our tour today were students from a field band. Field bands in South Africa are what we in the U.S. would call marching bands. The members of the band mainly come from ... read more

Johannesburg - Soweto - Pretoria

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto July 6th 2008

Gigisxm

Day three: July 6th Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria 1st full day in South Africa. We got up on the late side and had to skip breakfast but we did have coffee and tea in the room with some biscuits I’d bought at Paris Airport. By the time my cousin made it onto the bus everyone else were on board (or so we thought) and ready to go. 1st stop mall to find a change point to change our USD and Euros to Rand. 1 euro = 11,74 rand. When we got to the mall we realized a member of our group was missing, the Guide joked he usually lost 10% along the way. She’d gotten out just as the bus was pulling out and the hotel arrange a ride for her to meet up with us, so ... read more

Apartheid, Separation and History in South Africa

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto July 4th 2008

Soweto Skyline

jessiegoes

Still entralled with my cloistered lifestyle behind the palace walls, I woke up this morning to utter luxury and to breakfast in bed, still sore from whitewater rafting in what seemed to be a world away. I had questions. They were the first questions I asked my driver when I got in for my day tour of Johannesburg and Soweto. They were the first questions I started asking anyone whom I could screw up the courage through my American upbringing to ask, "how do you think things are going since the end of the apartheid government with respect to racism?" and "what is with all these walls?" You see for me, the racism and classism (which still go hand in hand), and variance in economic prosperity was so readily apparent it was like a slap in ... read more

Language, Literacy, and Bugs...

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto April 17th 2008

4th Graders

Athena

Wow, today's excursions were very eye-opening. First, we visited the Mdelwa-hlongwane school in Soweto where 100% of the students are black (even though integration is 'accepted' now) and these students are primarily Zulu. After lunch, we visited The Molento Project, in downtown Johannesburg, which is a literacy and language organization, and then we had a group dinner at an excellent South African restaurant. MDELWA-HLONGWANE SCHOOL As soon as we arrived at the school, we were greeted by the principle and she took us on a tour of the school. I cannot quite describe the hospitality and the welcoming atmosphere as we walked into the main administrative building. I have found that no matter where we have gone so far, everyone has been so generous and hospitable, this school was no exception. As we walked through the ... read more

Demographics, History, and Humility

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg » Soweto April 16th 2008

Downtown Johannesburg

Athena

04-18-2008: Sorry all, behind already on these entries - had a problem at the hotel in Johannesburg with the internet connection. In a very ritzy hotel in Cape Town now and with a strong internet connection... Will try to catch up tonight, if not - will catch up tomorrow! 04-16-2008: This program is great (People to People Citizens Ambassadors) - they do a great job of informing us about the history and culture of South Africa before they send us out to talk to government officials and school administrators. They are definitely making sure we are going into this experienced, informed, and prepared. People to People organizes professional delegations in many fields so that all professions can exchange views, ideas, and approaches. If you don't know what this program is, People to People is an organization ... read more

Zulu Kids in front of the Hector Pieterson Museum

Memorial Wall in front of school where Hector Pieterson was killed

Brief history of South Africa

After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjug...more history

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