Initially, when I heard that our class would be going on a township tour, I assumed to experience something similar to my service sites in Hanniville; however, when I stepped off of the bus, the first things I noticed were the paved roads and the plans for future hope in community development. Welcome to Langa, where suburbia meets culture, a township in the Cape flats. The population of Langa is about fifty thousand and the primary languages spoken are English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa. The tour through this area was led by Mike Zuma, a man born, bred, and raised in Langa, he directed us through the streets of the township to nine different destinations, each offering new educational experiences.
Several of our stops were places of significance to the community well being. For instance, St. Louis Primary school was our first stop and is important because it reveals the value of education and recognition of it as a blessing to the community. Although the school was shut down due to low student numbers in 2010, the students have been transferred to another location and the educators are still employed. The building is now being used as a community center with hopes of an internet connectivity room. The switch from school to center reveals that the community possesses an understanding of utilizing its resources in the most productive and beneficial manner. Another example is the Arts and Culture Center, or Guga Sthbe, which means, “A bowl of wisdom.” This place has established an area for unity to develop through creativity. The center is currently experiencing many improvement renovations. A common saying that encompasses the center is “For us, by us,” meaning the center is created for the use of community members and established by the same members, which directly exposes the knowledge that the members have in empowering the community by drawing from their own resources. Resources such as churches, a swimming pool, and Spaza sponsor stores offer many tools and provisions. ABET is an Adult Basic Education Training program which one of the churches runs in order to give adults the skills needed to provide for themselves. The community pool offers cheap prices for entry, which is affordable for, what Mike called, “Any man on the street.” A small Coca Cola sponsored store sells day to day necessities. Basic needs can be provided for through this store, which Mike explained is only “A stone throw distance” from the neighborhood in need. These sites were encouraging to visit because, in comparison to the previous townships I have worked in, the people of Langa have a confidence in their own skills and a focus on the betterment of the community.
Langa has done many things for themselves; however, they have come from a history that has brought them to this place today as well as receiving external recognition that has allowed advancement. While exploring what previously stood as a prison, and the museum exhibits which stand in its place, I learned that during the 1960 Langa Marches there was a great divide among the officials/figures who held power and the townspeople. The people were seeking an answer for unfair treatment and, as one of the exhibits read, “The answer was the bullet.” The violence which occurred on this day caused memories that furthered progress and altered conditions. Langa has received outside acknowledgement from the media. Safehouse, a film with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds was shot in Langa because of the ideal geographical location to the CBD of Capetown. Langa is positioned in a prime site because it encompasses a variety of scenery, from the city, to the mountains, to streets of poverty. All in all, the tour through Langa was a learning experience, helping me to understand the value in geographical location and resources, also showing a progressive history that has led to today’s success, giving me encouragement for the future of the rural township I worked with Pietermaritzburg. When I first started this trip, I often felt like I was in a zoo, an outisder looking in at those I was observing. Now after three months, I have a better understanding that "tourism" I felt is actually a learning opportunity, a chance to ask questions, a way to gain information, a time to build relationships, and gain a better understanding of culture. I am grateful for my time in Pietermartizburg and all that I can bring with me to future experiences.
May God grant you an open mind and heart to the new things He has for you every day.
All My Love,
Gennavieve
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