I'll begin by saying that, transport-wise, today went without incident. Apparently there is method to the minibus madness, so no big dramas getting to and from work. Today was jam-packed with activities and, as I have no photos, I will try to describe everything in detail.
Upon arriving at PAHRO, I was introduced to Theodore Kamwimbi, a human rights lawyer who heads up the office. Theo is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and he shared his story with us of how he came to be in Cape Town. Unfortunately he leaves this Friday for Canada, to complete further study, so I don't have a lot of time to pick his brains! But he is clearly very passionate about the work he does in South Africa, which was very encouraging.
A few volunteers and Lyndon, the social justice co-ordinator, were going to Gugulethu (one of the townships) that morning. So I jumped on the bandwagon (or rather, in Lyndon's car) and went along. It was like a completely different Cape Town to the one in which I have been living. In fact, in parts, it reminded me more of an Indian slum than anything else. From afar, it looked like a sea of shanty houses (flat roofs and crumbling walls). Once inside, I could see that the houses were secured dubiously with bits of corrugated iron, the "roads" were poor (and many without signage), dogs roamed freely...there was even a shop unashamedly marked "Ghetto-Tyres" (which, I must admit, elicited a giggle from me). But there were also aspects to Gugulethu that surprised me - such as the Shell petrol station and the large shopping mall, smack in the middle of everything.
The purpose of the visit to Gugulethu was to attend a community forum, on crime and social justice issues, that was aimed at engaging local residents. Other people in attendance included members of the local police force and councillors. Despite not understanding most of what was being said (the majority of the people spoke Xhosa), it was a really interesting experience. The discussion got quite heated in points and it was clear that there was a divide, even amongst residents. Some topics of concern were gangsterism, juvenile justice and family & domestic violence. However, the forum provided the community with the opportunity to express their concerns and put their heads together to reach solutions. The people at the forum were so welcoming and very open to having us (foreigners) sitting in on their discussions. In fact, for a township where there is one murder every two-and-a-half days, I found the people we met to be pretty friendly!
Since we were in Gugulethu, Lyndon took us to Mzoli's for lunch. To fully understand the institution that is Mzoli's, please read the Wikipedia entry. I will limit my description to what we ate: imagine walking in (to what is basically a butcher's shop), choosing a pile of meat, having that meat barbequed for you (here it is called braai)...and paying next to nothing for it. We ordered chicken wings, pork loin, lamb shanks, sausages and a slab of steamed bread (essential for mopping up those delicious braai juices), and paid the equivalent of AUD$4.50 each. And I haven't even described the taste yet. (Just so we're clear, it was amazing.) For me, the biggest difference between a normal BBQ and braai, is not just in the method of cooking, but rather in the mouth-watering spicy marinade. Who knows what these South Africans put in it - but it is bloody delicious!
After lunch it was a quick stop back at PAHRO, and then on to a community centre in another suburb of Cape Town. There, we spent the afternoon with local high school children, teaching them about public speaking and debating. Obviously an area that I do know something about (plus, they spoke English!) so this was a great activity for me to start with. The children will eventually form a mock trial team, so the purpose is to build their confidence and teach them skills that they can use for the mock trial, and beyond.
Although that brings the work part of my day to a close, the action didn't stop there! I had put my name down to take part in the staff vs. volunteers soccer match, held at an indoor sports centre in Claremont. I caught a taxi to the stadium (conquering yet another fear I'd had - catching a taxi alone in Cape Town); my driver's name was Vernon, a man who has lived in Cape Town his entire life ("and wouldn't live anywhere else!"). Anyway, the taxi turned out to be the least of my worries. Little did I know that a) I would be the only girl playing soccer! and b) the boys would be so violent. Maybe that's what you get when you throw an Italian, a couple of Poms, an American and a bunch of South Africans onto a field. I can't say that I really helped my team; my greatest achievement on the field was taking a soccer ball to the head (owch!) but that was purely accidental. I mainly just ran up and down, screaming when the ball came my way and failing to make two goals. On the plus side, I did work off my braai belly!
Having made some new friends amongst the volunteers at the soccer match (or perhaps they just felt sorry for me after witnessing my shambolic performance) I then went with them to Cubana, a restaurant and bar in Newlands (i.e. across the road from Claremont). I met a couple of other volunteers there - one girl from the UK and another from Darwin. Again, I couldn't get over how cheap food and drink was (about AUD$3-$6 per cocktail, and not much more for a main meal). Curse Perth and our exorbitant prices!
I'm back at home now, and ready to turn in for the night. I will share one last snippet with you though: after just three days in Cape Town, I have perfected the South African handshake. No, nothing dirty - just a very lengthy handshake that involves a ghetto-type grip and some thumb flicking. Yep, I'm practically a local.
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