As you pass by the main highway from the international airport to the city of Cape Town, all one sees is miles of shanty towns and what we (as Americans) would deem as the poorest of poverty.
In comparison terms, what we found is that while they do not have all the riches in the world from a materialistic standpoint, they have all the riches in the world from a community standpoint. We certainly gave these kids nothing other than an opportunity to make fun of the guy with hairy legs (what hair they did not pull out!), but they definately made our trip. These kids were amazing with their laughing, sharing, and singing. They sang songs to us and danced. Their school (where we are pictured above) is made of two shipping containers joined together by bolts.
We found these children of the Langa township to be more respectful and more tuned in to their teachers than many schools we have seen in the United States. That is not a criticism, it is a fact. It is also important to note that these children were sincerely happy and never once asked for a hand out. When coming to Cape Town, find a private guide and go into the Townships to see that it is more than what it looks like from the highway. This is what 50% or more of Africa is all about, therefore you should make the time to see the non-commercialized side of the country. It will make your whole trip.
One would think that these kids would be devastated from an educational perspective from the impacts of having living conditions where there are SIXTEEN FAMILIES to a three bedroom, one bath room structure. While they may be in need in other areas of their life, their education is progressing at what appeared to be no different than children we see in the States of their same age.
When we entered the school (two shipping containers joined together by bolts with the sidewalls cut out), they began singing in unison the South African national anthem and two of the children began dancing. The school was probably 20 feet by 30 feet and housed 30 children.
When we pulled into the township in our van, the kids ran not to me, but to Christina and grabbed an iron clad grip to her fingers. They were not seeking candy or money. They just wanted to play. We had been instructed not to give anyone anything as it creates expectations. So while you naturally want to give the child a piece of candy, it is highly discouraged as they do not want to teach the children of the township to run up to cars or create a culture of begging. This brings up another observation. We spent a good portion of the day in the townships where over one million people live in the shanty towns. Not one single person (adult or child) asked for a single thing. All they wanted to do was smile and play. This contrasts with walking down a New York or any other city street where there is a culture of begging.
When you pull into a community such as this, it is natural to feel a little intimidated because for the past week of our stay we have been told how dangerous it is by "certain" locals to go into Langa. However, at no time did we feel in danger. For those people going to South Africa, this does not mean you should run into the Townships in the middle of the night. You have to use a bit of common sense. The fear can at times go both ways. It was just ten years ago that these people were hearded by whites and shot. So, utilize the resources easily available through private tours. We do not recommend the commercial tours, but rather a private personal guide. We found ours through the De Tafelberg Guesthouse we were staying at our first few nights.
Christina, Ash, Njongo (our escort through the township) with two of his friends. The townships (shanty towns) go on for miles... as far as the eye can see. The huts are made of anything that the people can locate, mostly tin with sticks and wood framing and plastic sheet roofing.
On the way to the townships, Muhammed provided the history of Apartheid which ended in South Africa in 1994, upon the election of Nelson Mandella as the President of South Africa. During Apartheid, "blacks" and "colored" people were forced out of the major cities. Many headed to shanty towns located in the rural areas. (To learn more about Apartheid in South Africa, please read this report from Stanford Univeristy by clicking
here.) To learn more about why there has been a bit of skepticism on Americans concerns over the past decade click
here (this is not more attack on Dick Cheney, but rather an explanation to us of why these people have had a bit of fear from a man who has never been to their country).
We also learned today that out of the 4.5 million people living in Cape Town, that about 30-40% of the people live in shanty towns. And in South Africa, 50% of the people live in shanty towns with the largest concentration in Johannesburg. Today, in 2006, there is still great work left to be done in terms of equalization. In terms of work compensation the average white South African (SA) makes R10,500, the average "colored" South African makes R2,500, and the average "black" SA makes R1,500.
Finally, across South Africa the unemployment rate is around 40% in general and 60% within shanty towns. The shanty town employment comes mostly from unskilled labour in factories.
Ash and Christina with Muhammed Samuels, our township tourguide. We highly recommend him as he actually has lived in the townships in his earlier years and can speak firsthand. He is extremely knowledgable about the political history of South Africa as well.
Ash with Bikii, the artist who painted this of his township of Langa. Ash purchased this painting in the Greenmarket Square.
Beginning our 34 hour trip (including layovers in London and New York) back home to Dallas. Most long haul international airlines provide these screens at your seat which show all of the statisitics of your flight... maps, altitude, air speed, ground speed (550 mph), outside air temperature, etc. Just one way to help pass the time.
Our Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340 plane as we deboard at London Heathrow.
Our traditional departure picture. At the end of every trip we have extra bags full of memorabilia for our house, family and friends. We try only (witht the exception of London) to travel to countries (like Thailand) where the US dollar is much stronger than the currency where we are travelling. This allows $20 five star meals and has also enabled us to travel more cheaply abroad than we could if we traveled within the United States. By travelling in the low season to these countries, we are also able to save big on lower airfares whether we use points or have to pay.
