Nicole's Year...Continued

The six weeks I spent in South Africa were the most rewarding, educational, humbling, and exciting weeks of my entire life. I never could have anticipated that my last-minute decision to volunteer there would turn out to be the best choice I have ever made. Although it was difficult to get used to life there at first, once I got the hang of it, Muizenberg became my home.

As I began my gap year I was a bit worried that my time away from school would put me behind my peers, but in the last six weeks I have gained invaluable insight that I wouldn't have been able to receive through formal education. On the surface level I am now an expert at long division, multiplication, and converting Rands to US dollars. I also learned a bit of Afrikaans, got a look into Xhosa culture, saw what life is like in townships, and experienced firsthand post-apartheid South Africa. But on a more fundamental level I have learned about the struggles, and more importantly the resilience, of people all over the world.

One of my favorite things about being at Christian David is that the children love the volunteers and are eager to talk to us. Soon after meeting me, they would begin to tell me about their family situations, life at home, and the problems that they deal with on a daily basis. One day a girl handed me a folded piece of paper. I opened it up and saw that she had drawn herself with her mother, her father, and her sister. She had written "I love you mom. I love you dad". I told her it was beautiful and that her parents were going to love it. But she responded that her father left the family and that her mother and sister don't like her. And then she gave the drawing to me. We played together for the next hour, and her energy and happiness completely disguised what she had just told me. The smallest kid in school is nicknamed Simba, and playing with him was one of the things I looked forward to most each morning. The day before I left he wasn't at school which really worried me. The next day he came and when I asked why he didn't come the day before, he told me that his mom had hit him on his leg and arm with a belt because she accused him of stealing. When he showed me his cuts and bruises I rubbed them and told him how strong he is. And then he flashed me the biggest smile and we played together, just as we would have any other day.

The most important things I am taking with me from South Africa are the relationships that I made with not only these children, but also with the other volunteers. In the US I often felt like I was the odd one out amongst the people I've grown up with. We are taught that there is one way to do things -- graduate from high school, attend a well-renowned university, get a 9-5 job that pays well, and have a nuclear family. Most of my friends from home are already well on their way to accomplishing this, but I didn't want to go on that track. In South Africa I met so many other people who are in similar mental and emotional states as me. Whether they are taking time off before going to university or still deciding what they want to do next, with them I feel totally comfortable for the first time in my life.

The hardest thing about leaving South Africa was saying goodbye to all the wonderful people I met on my journey. But the best part is I know there are going to be so many hellos again. My life has been forever changed by those who I met along the way, and for that I am so grateful. I could write for days about how amazing everyone is, but I will choose instead to focus on the experiences that we had together that illuminated all those wonderful attributes within the people I met.

So here's to Africa: Riding from the airport with Nick and having no idea where we were. Hiking Lion's Head. Almost driving in the taxi with the man who took the taxi sign off right after we got in. Going to our first Brass Bell. Late night conversations with Shari. Going on a safari. Partying at the beach bar. Bungee jumping off the highest bridge bungee in the world. Watching sunsets. Seeing penguins at Boulder's Beach. Coloring with the kids. Having an ant holocaust in our kitchen. Admiring my visa photo mugshot. Taking polaroid photos. Painting "A Trip Around the World" banner in three days. Oliver not knowing the Union Jack. Going to Mama Africa. Cooking Chinese Food with Richard. Hugging the kids. Being on bedrest for a weekend. Hiking Muizenberg Mountain and not getting arrested. Playing mini golf. Eating Tim Tams. Going to Brass Bell every Wednesday. Meeting Veronika and Tara at Gary's. Missing our flight to Victoria Falls. Finally getting to Victoria Falls. Gambling in Zimbabwe's largest Casino (along with eight other people). Walking from Zimbabwe to Zambia. Ana croaking in the middle of the night. Showing Tara how to eat goldfish. Taking a ferry to Robben Island. Reading A Long Walk to Freedom. The days when Diego would hang out instead of taking a siesta. Making self portraits with the kids. Having family night with pancakes and quesadillas. Bragging to everyone about my mom. Having dance-offs during interval. Waking up every day to a note from Hannah. FaceTiming with Vince and Riley and Matthew. Watching the kids Whip and Nae Nae. Making crowns with the children. Having lunch on Muizenberg Mountain. Going to Clifton Beaches. Meeting Beyonce. Playing soccer with the kids outside Royal. Cameron painting my face. Waking up on Thursday mornings. Letting the kids freestyle during class. Going to Cape Point and Stellenbosch. Hiking a Devilish Peak with Garrett. Getting kisses from the kids. Setting up my tent. Making GoPro videos with Clara. Going to Signal Hill with Sam. Finally receiving the package from my parents. Hiking Table Mountain with Hannah and Jordi. Almost seeing Ruby Rose in Cape Town. Spending my last day on the beach with the kids. Waking up for sunrise on my last day.

"And in the night we'll wish this never ends. We'll wish this never ends. I miss you, miss you."

My senior year International Studies course never could have prepared me for what I have experienced so far in South Africa.

After missing orientation day, I was placed into this new city about which I knew hardly anything. I am living in a volunteer house in Muizenberg where we are five minutes away from the ocean and five minutes away from the mountains. I quickly realized that my days would be entirely dominated by my new environment. I was used to the secure surroundings in the Philippines that allow me to explore by myself at any hour and feel safe. In Muizenberg our days are planned around sunset, as once it is dark it is strongly advised against using public transport and especially walking around by oneself. I have been extremely lucky so far that I haven't had any incidents, but other volunteers have been harassed, mugged, and even stabbed.

A simple drive from our gated-in house lands us in Capricorn, a township that is home to thousands of people. During the apartheid era the townships were where non-whites were forced to live, and although there is no longer legal segregation, they are still highly populated and largely under-serviced.

I am placed as a teacher at Christian David Moravian Primary School and I feel as though I am learning just as much as I am teaching. Most of the kids come from local townships, and Christian David has a reputation around here of being the most in-need school. With the prevalence of drugs, alcohol, abuse, violence, gangs, etc, many of the kids live extremely difficult lives starting from as young as even birth. With the highest population of people with HIV/AIDS in the world, the classrooms note that they are "AIDS friendly classrooms." And the school grounds are fenced and locked in, just as all private places are, due to the high rate of crime. Although our primary role is to educate the children, we are also serving as motivation for them to attend school each day. Christian David provides children with the ability to get off the streets and into a safe place.

I am faced with new challenges each day and I am also introduced to new aspects of South African culture and life. Unfortunately the education system here has resulted in many of the kids falling behind where they should be. Children in grades as high as 3 don't even know the alphabet and can't recognize a letter with it's name; some kids in grade 3 are at the same level as those in grade 1. With only around 10 teachers at a school of over 300 kids, the classes are overpopulated and teachers can't provide necessary individual attention--so that's where we come in.

Two other volunteers and I are in charge of personalized tutoring sessions throughout the school day. We tailor each class to the needs of those struggling, and work on those areas that need improvement. If we point to the letter A and ask what letter it is, they will likely respond with "Ahh," making the sound an A makes. Although it is tedious and repetitive, we spend a lot of time going over letters of the alphabet so we can make sure that they at least can recognize those as a starting point. If we ask them to do simple math such as 4+3, they count with their hands and tap each finger against their lips. This creates a greater challenge when we get to numbers such as 6+7, as the kids will need my hands to help them count. It is such a humbling experience to help the kids learn. Last week I helped one girl who was struggling with addition because the numbers were too high, and I told her that in the example of 6+7 she could just start at the number 6 and add 7 more to that. And she caught on quite quickly..saying, "6...7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13!!!"

They kids are eager to do arts and crafts to express themselves and show off their skills to us. At interval time I often just stand and wait for kids to come up to me and hug me. Children who I've never even met before will grab my hands, hug me, and just stay there. Whenever I see a child that I recognize I give them the biggest hug and ask them how they are doing. After spending time with some of the kids they will even end up calling me Mom. Today a girl who I met for the first time played with me for an hour and then drew me a card that says "I love you mom." They have taught me some local games, and one of my favorites involves drawing a circle in the sand and separating it into four parts. The kids sing a song and all four of us move our feet in the same pattern and then rotate counterclockwise. Often the boys will make music by tapping rocks against a medal wall, and the other volunteers and I will dance together with the kids.

Every day I spend here I witness something beautiful--whether it be the views from Muizenberg Mountain or the eagerness of the kids to learn. It is challenging and unpredictable and nothing ever goes quite as planned and I love it. I am halfway through my time here and I am already wishing that I could stay so much longer.

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Molo, Africa

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