The last week in South Africa, my family and I visited a township in Johannesburg called SOWETO. The name represents the location: South Western Township, and it is the largest township in all of South Africa. We went on a tuk-tuk tour for two hours and were able to immerse ourselves in many aspects of the township.
We met some of the family members that lived in the township, and they were extremely friendly and welcoming to us. The children were so excited when we passed by in the tuk-tuk and ran after to come say hi to us. They didn’t seem to mind that we were entering their community, and we felt extremely welcomed to the African culture of “Ubuntu” which means family.
We were also able to visit the Hector Pieterson memorial and learn about the history during the Apartheid government. A group of high school students were peacefully marching, and upon confrontation with police, violence broke out. A 12-year-old boy, Hector Pieterson, was murdered. He wasn’t even part of the march, but happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Hector’s sister happened to be at the memorial that day as well, paying tribute as she had done times in the past. The memorial symbolized the excruciating violence the Apartheid government used to enforce their policies and the injustice that many families faced. We were also able to visit Nelson Mandela’s house, only a few blocks from the memorial site.
This was a great cultural experience to end my study abroad in South Africa. It reminded me that among all the beauties of South Africa, there exists problems that yearn solutions. This is an element that is relevant to each and every country, including the United States.
