The End

On Saturday, we flew to Cape Town. On Sunday, we toured Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Although it was my second time visiting the island, I was still moved by the horrific conditions of the prisoners and their resiliency. Our tour guide, Jama, said Robben Island was known as "the university" because it is where they learned from books and from others. Mandela wrote his autobiography--Long Walk to Freedom--while in prison. Up until 1978, the prisoners slept on mats. They got 2 mats and 5 blankets. In 1978, with the help of the International Red Cross, the prisoners received cots. In 1978, the prisoners went on a hunger strike to protest the food rations. They were divided into different groups that were identified by letter. Group D, for example, could write one letter per month and get one visitor per month. Group A could write four letters and get four visitors per month. One of the tour guides noted that the dog kennels for the dogs who worked with the guards on the island were bigger than the prisoners' cells. Prisoners worked in the rock quarry for 8 hours per day. Because of this, the dust did damage to their eyes.

The quote on one of the buses was thought provoking--The journey's never long when freedom is the destination. Jama said that the prisoners wanted Robben Island to be a place of hope and triumph. As I took the bus tour, I questioned how that hope and triumph happens. Certainly, Mandela's life speaks to that. But, what is the hope and triumph for South Africa? Former Model C Schools are still schools for white students. They are still better. The living conditions of most of our students was beyond impoverished. It makes me angry to know that there are such deplorable living conditions in a democratic country. What is the promise of democracy if it cannot ensure that everyone has access to a basic standard of living? Our visit to Kama Primary ended with a small group of students singing a song that, perhaps, captures the hope of South Africa. To see the students singing, click on: Kama Primary: Never Give Up

On Sunday evening, we had dinner at the State House in Cape Town with South African First Lady, Bongi Ngema-Zuma. Though we did not talk at any length about the economic and social problems of South Africa, she did mention them. She clearly understands what they are. Eating dinner with her stood in stark contrast to the lunches we shared with our students at Emafini, many of whom ate soup from the soup kitchen at school. On Tuesday, we flew home. It was bittersweet. Yes, we wanted to come home, but we also found ourselves tied to South Africa. It is a country that draws one in and makes one want to stay awhile.