All Good Things Must Come to an End

As I boarded the plane on Wednesday, Sept 15th I knew that this trip to Africa couldn't have come at a better time. The experiences I had and the people I met will forever be remembered and influence me throughout my life. I will be talking about this trip for years to come.

I hope that one day soon I will be able to go back to Africa and explore what some of its other countries have to offer. The culture so rich in tradition and untouched by Western influences is what inspires me. Let us not have the world become a melting pot, but rather a diverse and culturally rich place where we live in harmony with our neighbors.

Maps of Africa

We covered a lot of miles in 3 weeks. Here are a couple of maps to help put into perspective where I was.

On the continent of Africa: I visited Malawi and South Africa.

Within South Africa I visited:

KwaZulu-Natal- Eshowe, Hluhluwe and St. Lucia

Gauteng- Johannesburg, Soweto

Western Cape- Cape Town, Cape Point

Within Malawi I visited: Lilongwe, Lake Malawi and Zomba

Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope

Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope are often mistakenly claimed to be the place where the cold Benguela Current of the Atlantic Ocean and the warm Agulhas Current of the Indian ocean collide. In fact, the meeting point fluctuates along the southern and southwestern Cape coast, usually occurring between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point.

After hiking to the top the views were spectacular! The winds nearly knocked me over :)

Snoek and Wine on the Road to Cape of Good Hope

Paul, one of the rotarians in Cape Town who works with Books for Africa came along for the drive to the Cape of Good Hope. The number of whales we saw breaching in the Indian Ocean to our left was incredible. Paul took us to a fish market for lunch, tucked away out of tourist sights. We dined on Snoek, which was being auctioned off the boats when we arrived.

Cape Town is also known for their many wineries. We met the owners of 2 Wine Estates and got the grand tour. Pinotage is a red wine grape that is South Africa's signature variety.

The Western Cape

The Western Cape reminded me a lot of San Fransico, the fog, the ocean, the penguins?!

Who would have thought these guys would be here! The African penguin also known as the Black-footed penguin are found on the southwestern coast of Africa. Two colonies were established by penguins in the 1980s on the mainland near Cape Town at Boulders Beach near Simon's Town and Stony Point in Betty's Bay. They can be found on Robben Island too.

Table Mountain can also be found on the Western Cape in Cape Town. We were lucky enough to get to the top of the mountain on a gorgeous sunny morning, as we headed back down the fog was setting in. A rotating cable car took us to the top, you can hike it as well, but we didn't have enough time.

Here is a photo with Table Mountain in the background, I am on Robben Island.

Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Safari

Hluhluwe-Umfolozi game park is oldest and the only state run park with the BIG 5- Lino, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. They have the largest population of white rhino in South Africa, because of preservation efforts, the park is patrolled by anti-poachers several times per day.

Our morning jeep safari's began at 5am which meant a 4:30 wake-up call from Henry (well actually a knock on the door, since we had no phones). Our evening jeep safari's began at 5pm and got us back to camp by 8:30. Our walking safari was mid-day. Our walking safari guide had us all sit in the bush and meditate on the power of nature, it was difficult for me to keep my eyes closed knowing that I was a sitting duck for any large animal's dinner!

We saw a large array of animals; giraffe, zebra, hyena, baboons, warthogs, white and black rhinos, baby rhinos, buffalo, nyala, kudu, and lots of birds including the giant kingfisher and guinea fowl or bush chicken :) I was sick the night the group saw the elephants and unfortunately no large cats graced us with their presence. They probably knew that if I saw them I would want to run up and pet them and do near arm, far ankle!!

Kayaking with the Hippos and Crocs in St. Lucia

Who said it was a good idea to go kayaking??! I should have known I'd be in for a heart racing adventure the minute our guide got into the water and started poking around for crocodiles with his paddle before we could board our kayaks! I was way too nervous to take pictures, but I was able to get some great shots from our boat safari through the same waters where I kayaked. Just imagine being up close to these giants! I may have wet my pants, I was soaked head to toe by the end of the journey.

I later learned that evening that the concentration of hippo poop is off the charts in that water, perhaps that explains why I got sick the next day :)

My kayak partner was Bridget, she and her family were originally from Zimbabwe but because of the recent turmoil there over the last 10 years her white family had to flee to England in 2000 leaving everything they owned behind.

Indian Ocean

Our safari's lie ahead, but first we dip our toes in the waters of the Indian Ocean outside of Durban, SA.

Our Stay in Eshowe

Our stay in the town of Eshowe provided us the opportunity to meet some amazing individuals. Michael, the engineer who scouts out future school locations and Lingia who works with the communities in which the schools are built. Michael started the 1st grade when he was 15 years old. He graduated highschool at age 26. Today he has an engineering degree and he is the proud father of 2.

The Chennels, Jane and Jonathan who run a beautiful guest house and who are involved with ECAG. Mark Chennel who owns 20 rhino, grows grapefruit for export to Japan, bottles his own wine and lives on the top of the hill in an old church, his living room is the sanctuary, also involved with ECAG.

Thank you for making us feel so welcome!

Good-Bye Schools!

Over the course of 3 days we distributed over 400 toothbrushes to the learners. Here is a group waving their brushes and saying "CHEESE!"

Good-bye schools!

More Photos from School Visits

I just can't help but share all the wonderful photos that I took while visiting the learners (the term for students in South Africa). Teachers had been on strike for the last 3 weeks in South Africa prior to our visit and it wasn't until our last day that school was back in session and the strike was over. Even with the strike learners came to school to see us and shared some of their cultural dances with us.

Here is a clip of me on youtube introducing the learners to my family! Sorry Winnie, you're a brown dog!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwABBQaDbmg

Inside the Schools of KwaZulu-Natal

It just warms my heart to know that in a small way I have helped contribute to the lives of these school children through my trip to Africa. Their smiles, laughter, hospitality and the generosity of sharing their Zulu culture with us will forever be imprinted in my heart. It was these 3 days of visiting schools that made the trip unforgettable.

Africa Classroom Connection

The non-profit organization that I traveled with for this trip was Africa Classroom Connection (formerly known as Eshowe Community Action Group USA). The president and chair is Henry Bromelkamp who also was our fearless leader on our journeys through Malawi and South Africa.

Africa Classroom Connection holds a vision that every child in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa should have the opportunity for an excellent education. The mission is to provide resources to help build and improve schools in KwaZulu Natal. They work to get buildings built, help kids stay in school, and facilitate cultural exchanges/overseas travel.

Henry also sits on the board of directors as president for Books for Africa, a worldwide organization which was founded to end the book famine in Africa and help create a culture of literacy and provide the tools of empowerment to the next generation of parents, teachers, and leaders in Africa. You may have heard Oprah mention this group in the past.

More information can be found on Africa Classroom Connections website: http://africaclassroomconnection.org/

And also on Books for Africa's website:
http://www.booksforafrica.org/

My donation as part of my trip will help build a school like the one seen here.

Shanty Towns in Soweto

Shanty's are illegal because the occupants do not own the land. Shanty's have a tendency to crop up near migrant worker hostels. Women will set them up looking for husbands or to close to their husband since families are not allowed to live in the migrant hostels in most cases.

HIV in South Africa

Every 26 seconds a baby is born in South Africa. Each week approximately 40 babies are abandoned at orphanages. In 2007 it was estimated that 28% of pregnant women in SA were HIV positive. In 2008 13% of Africans living in SA were HIV positive. The region of KwaZulu-Natal has the highest HIV rates and the Cape (eastern and western) the lowest rates. Sadly it is believed in some areas that a shower after sex will prevent the spread of HIV.

According to our driver "Uncle Jimmy" prestige is one of the most important things for teens and adults in South Africa. Your car, how you dress, your hair are more important than the house you live in. Girls have the grandmother's take care of their babies, respect for elders is not highly regarded. Nigerians have a reputation of coming to South Africa and flashing their expensive cars and giving young girls Gucci bags, getting them pregnant and leaving them with empty promises.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela; born 18 July 1918 served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).

In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life in prison. Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island.

Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela led his party in the negotiations that led to multi-racial democracy in 1994. As president from 1994 to 1999, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation.

While in Soweto, SA I visited where Nelson Mandela lived. While on Robben Island I saw where he spent 27 years of his life as a prisoner. And I also hear the first hand story of another Robben Island prisoner who was involved in the school uprisings, he served as our tour guide of the island.

Nelson Mandela's Garden

Nelson Mandela's Prison Cell

Ex-Prisoner of Robben Island (tour guide)