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| Indaba at GAPA |
Though I ended up having to miss an entire day of working at ARESTA, the day began with a celebration. We all went to Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA) where they were having an ‘indaba’ or gathering to provide information about what they do for the community. Hundreds of grandmothers showed up for the event- some were forced to sit outside because the giant hall was packed full. As student guests, we had special seats reserved for us right up at the front where grandmothers could sneak pictures of us. Yes, I saw you! The room was filled with singing- songs about triumph and about pressing on when AIDS ravages your family and community. I think I mentioned before, but GAPA educates grandmothers in the community to stand up and talk about the things no one wants to talk about- sex education, how to cope with caring for family members with AIDS, and how to prevent the spread of AIDS through the community, particularly among the children. They run an after school program where many children in the community get the only hot meal they will have all day. It’s a really empowering organization that has allowed these women to step out of the traditional norm of attaching stigma to those dealing with HIV/AIDS and say “enough is enough- it’s time for change and I can do something about it.” The indaba was really touching, and one of our students managed to connect her service project with the GAPA mission. She invited a speaker from the rape crisis center where she is volunteering to teach the grandmothers about what to do if they know someone is raped. In particular, they were informed that there is a drug that can be given after a rape to reduce the chances that the victim will contract HIV/AIDS from their perpetrator. Women speak often here of physical insecurity, but because there is such stigma surrounding issues of the
body, instances of abuse are often hidden and proper healthcare is neglected. The connection between these two organizations is invaluable- the grandmothers have a lot of clout in the community, and by becoming educated about the avenues for seeking justice and healthcare after sexual assault, the entire community becomes better informed. At one point during the indaba, one of our students offered a huge donation that she had collected from her church back home. She also donated lotions and handwritten cards from grandmothers in her own congregation. The audience of grandmothers was moved to tears…more singing…more hugging. It was a really emotional experience and I was lucky to be a part of it. But, the day got more interesting…
body, instances of abuse are often hidden and proper healthcare is neglected. The connection between these two organizations is invaluable- the grandmothers have a lot of clout in the community, and by becoming educated about the avenues for seeking justice and healthcare after sexual assault, the entire community becomes better informed. At one point during the indaba, one of our students offered a huge donation that she had collected from her church back home. She also donated lotions and handwritten cards from grandmothers in her own congregation. The audience of grandmothers was moved to tears…more singing…more hugging. It was a really emotional experience and I was lucky to be a part of it. But, the day got more interesting…
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| Smiley! |
Driving out of the townships, my professor decided that today would be the day that we would get our driver a smiley. What’s a smiley, you ask? Why, it’s a roasted animal head. In this case, our driver’s preference is sheep, so we stopped by the side of the road at a smiley stand and learned all about the process of making smileys. Step one: chop head and wash. Step two: put in flames to burn off fur. Step three: saw in half and remove brains- throw in bucket to later give to wandering dogs. Step four: Cook a little more (maybe?) and sell with packed of spice. There’s a debate about what’s tastier, the cheeks or the tongue. The saw-handler was upset that I was taking a picture of him, and tried to shoo me off saying, “You buy one before you take pictures!” and I said, “We’re buying one right now, see?” pointing to my professor and our driver picking out the best head. “Oh, okay” he said- and then I was perfectly welcome to take pictures of him, with him, and be questioned by him about where we were from. PETA eat your heart out ;)
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| Kalk Bay at Sunset |
The day ended with fish and chips at the harbor, watching some seals beg for food from us by flopping around in the water by the fishing pier, and seeing a screening of a film about the 2008 xenophobic attacks. The most traumatic part about the screening (besides bawling my eyes out after seeing the scenes that refugees have been describing to me all week- I will spare you the details) was the Q&A session afterwards. The filmmaker asked for people’s impressions. Mind you, this screening took place in a super posh, snooty area of Cape Town. One of the women called out, “this shows a greater need for birth control!” The filmmaker (American) was obviously used to hearing comments like this so she didn’t even bat an eye, though she also didn’t acknowledge the clearly uncalled for comment. What this demonstrated though is that the woman clearly thought that because the entire audience (minus the one black person invited by the filmmaker in the back) was white, she was in like-minded company. One woman went on to say later that she thinks that it’s human nature to be racist, and that we all are whether we admit it or not. Speak for yourself, lady. South Africa has a long way to go in the realm of resolving institutionalized racial divides that linger in the mindset of so many of its citizens. Xenophobia continues today because labels are a way of life here. At one point during the screening, a woman two seats away saw one of the interviewees in the film and said, “Oh, that girl must be colored.” As if it matters in the context of the film. It was fascinating to be witness to a conversation between white elites here in South Africa who were convinced they were in the safety of others like them. If they only knew…