Day 1: Soweto

We've just wrapped up our first day in South Africa and it was a full day! The day started at 5:30 AM and breakfast in the boarding house at 6:30. Despite the early alarm, I don't think I've ever slept so well- I was OUT! It was rather brisk this morning and we all had the opportunity to wear jeans and our new hoodies. All the students met at the school at 7:30 to head out for the Soweto tour. We went with 2 history classes from CHC and their teachers, so we had 61 people on our tour bus. It was a long bus ride in morning rush hour traffic. Even though the highway was 6 lanes across, there were times we were at a complete standstill. It took about an hour and 30 minutes to get to Soweto.

Along the way, we saw all the gold mines that surround Johannesburg. Mining and agriculture are the mainstays in South Africa's economy and this was evident. There are large, yellow soil hills that circle the city limits. All of the other soil in the country looks like red Georgia clay. We went to the top of a hill to see the Johannesburg skyline, then observed exactly how far Soweto is from the city center- it can barely be called a suburb. At the top of the hill was the stadium for the 2010 World Cup final. It was a very interesting building from the outside- we stayed on the bus and did not get to go inside.

Soweto is an abbreviation for "southwest township." It is a suburb of Johannesburg that was started because of the eviction of Africans from the city limits. It is at least 30 minutes from downtown Johannesburg, therefore it has one of the largest taxi "rinks," or hubs, in the world to help the 1.8 million people (and still growing...) there get to work in the city. At the very edge of Soweto is Baragwanath Hospital, the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere. It is one of the most popular teaching hospitals in the world- because people here cannot sue doctors for malpractice! Also, on a sad note, they have one of the best burn units in the world due to political unrest and the current conditions in the shanty towns.

We took a bus tour through Soweto, which included the former powerstation. The cooling towers have been painted with murals and are now home to a popular nightclub. There is also a skywalk connecting the two towers where you can bungee jump! We drove through a neighborhood where the local Orlando Pirates soccer team was founded and also saw the home of Lillian Ngoyi, the first woman to march and protest the apartheid passes.

A major focus of the day was the youth movement. This past Thursday, June 16th, was a national holiday, Youth Day, that was created by Nelson Mandela. This all stems from the Soweto uprising on June 16, 1976. A group of students from Morris Isaacson High School and Orlando West High School (located directly across the street from Nelson Mandela's house) marched from MIHS to the Orlando soccer stadium. The march was intended to be peaceful, but ended in violence. Police fired shots into the crowd and chased the students through Soweto. Some students sought refuge in a church, Regina Mundi (the largest catholic church in South Africa), but the police followed them in and continued to shoot. In all, it is estimated that over 125 students out of 20,000 participants died in that protest.

Our morning started with the Hector Pieterson Trail. Hector Pieterson was a 12 year old boy who was killed in the crossfire. He wasn't supposed to be at the march and rally, but followed his older sister, Antoinette. Hector is considered the "face" of the youth movement after an iconic photograph was published worldwide with another boy, Mbuyisa Makhubo, carrying him and Antoinette running at his side. (Side note: after the photograph, Mbuyisa disappeared and it is assumed he went into hiding out of fear of arrest)

The students were split into two groups and walked the trail. We went to the Hector Pieterson Museum, which follows the history of the youth movement in South Africa, walked the same route that the students took past Orlando West High School, and we visited Nelson Mandela's house, which is now a museum. Both places were impressive. The Hector Pieterson Museum was extremely moving; the best comparison I can make is how I felt going through the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. Two very different events, but to see the faces associated with such a painful part of someone's past makes an impact. I hope that the students realized that these were kids their age who were incredibly passionate about their heritage, their country, and their future. It was difficult to look at them, then all the pictures on the walls. Nelson Mandela's house still has bullet holes and burn marks from petrol-bombs on it. It was a tiny home with so many of his personal things in it. There was a lot to read, so we probably could have spent more time there.

We moved on and continued to drive through Soweto. After seeing Morris Isaacson High School, we stopped for lunch at Wandie's. It was a very interesting little restaurant. The walls are COVERED with business cards and writing; many of the students left their names on it. Then we went to Regina Mundi. Again, it is the largest catholic church in South Africa. It was constructed in the 1960s and not much has been replaced since the Soweto uprising. There are bullet holes in the stained glass on one side of the building; the other side has been replaced thanks to a donation by the Polish First Lady in 1998. There are also bullet holes in the walls and ceilings and the marble altar is broken on one side. The tour guide showed us were Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson sit during their visits to the church and he told us that Michelle Obama would be there on Wednesday (they were doing a lot of cleaning in preparation while we were there). There is an art exhibit in the back of the church that chronicles the uprising.

As if there wasn't enough history or emotional stops today, our final stop was in the Shanty Town. One of the teachers, Vanessa, made special arrangements for us to take a walking tour. It is difficult, even now, to think about what we saw. There is no electricity, no running water. There is one water tub and one port-a-potty per block. The houses are made of corrugated tin and tarp, or they are converted trash dumpsters. Many of the children run around barefoot, some half-clothed, but all of them had smiles and even said "Cheese!" trying to mug for the camera. We weren't afraid when we were there- we were safe- but it still was incredibly unnerving because these shacks kept going... and going... and going. They make up such a large portion of Soweto and represent the area with the fastest growing population. It was very sad and you wanted to look away, but found yourself staring.

When we drove out of the Shanty Town, we went through the former mining hostels. All of the mine workers brought into the area had to live in these barracks, which are now multi-family homes. Each hostel block was separated by "no-man's land," because the different groups could not get along. For example, one block is the Zulu block, strictly for those who speak the language. We continued to drive up the hill into the Beverly Hills district (yes, that's what it's called) of Soweto. These houses had gates, security systems, rose bushes, swimming pools- and a view of the Shanty Town below. A stark contrast in less than 1 mile.

I apologize for writing so much, but there was a TON of history packed into one day. I could write more, but there are boys waiting to use this computer in the rec room :) They are hilarious and not quite used to me being here yet- lots of rough housing and swear words have slipped :)

I hope to have more posted for you tomorrow evening (afternoon for you!)