Trip to Eastern Cape Province

A few years ago, I interviewed health care workers in townships surrounding Cape Town as part of a volunteer project. These health care workers, called Patient Advocates were truly inspiring individuals who work tirelessly to support people living with HIV in taking their medication and living healthy lifestyles.

Eastern Cape

Most of them, like many other South Africans in this area, hail originally from Eastern Cape Province.

A mostly rural area, Eastern Cape is said to be the home of the Xhosa people. It also happens to boast some of South Africa’s most famous, including the first and second presidents of democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki as well as founder of the Black Consciousness Movement Steve Biko (just to name a few!).

Needless to say, I've been wanting to visit the Eastern Cape for some time. 

I was lucky to receive an invite from a friend to join him on a trip home to East London (one of Eastern Cape's major cities) for a visit. There ended up being four of us travelling together, two friends from East London, a German expat and myself.

The 18-hour bus ride in itself was very eye opening. We move into more rural areas and pass through smaller towns. Siseko points out young Xhosa initiates wearing blankets with faces painted white, walking along the side of the road.

It felt new and familiar at once – in some places the level of development made me think of a less populated Malawi. 

One of my favourite things in the world is travelling overland to new places - I am always giddy with excitement and childlike as I press my face up the window to take in the new surroundings.

View from the bus window - Eastern Cape Province

East London is situated on the Indian ocean. The waterfront is beautiful and the weather more temperate (a treat after Cape Town winter). Rather than playing tourist as I usually do upon arriving in a city, I went along with whatever my local friends were doing - which was a lot of hanging out (and a lot of fun!).

East London

Street vendors posing for a picture - East London

One highlight was going to a Chisa Nyama, which is a barbeque restaurant. You buy raw meat from the attached shop and give it to the cook to have it braaied (barbequed). There are picnic tables to sit at, big bottles of beer to wash the meat down and loud, fantastic music.

Cook at Chiya Nyama, East London

Braai @ Chiya Nyama

I also stayed in a township for the first time which was both an eye-opening and heartwarming experience. People were extremely friendly and welcoming. A walk through the location quickly turned into hours hanging out on the street and chatting. The day was a beautiful blur of people blasting music from their cars, greetings, conversations and laughter.

The last evening, we visited another home and were met with (yet again) wonderful hospitality. We stayed up late into the night dancing in the living room to South African music (a mixture of old freedom struggle songs and newer stuff). What a beautiful glimpse into a different side of South African culture and life. 

Ewonke busting a move

Below are some pictures of our time in East London, most taken by Siseko in the community where he grew up. 

Owner of Lungi's Tavern - She invited me in to chat and hang out with her grandchildren (below)

Tumi

Following a few days in East London, I continued on alone to Durban (next post!).

My Rotary Host Family - The Matzdorffs

I am incredibly privileged to have been placed with a wonderful host counsellor and host Rotary Club here. Everyone teems with authenticity and the vibe is always warm, inviting and (oftentimes) quirky.

I couldn’t be luckier with my host counsellor. Terence is incredibly engaged, interesting and interested man. His family has opened up their home to me. Terence, his wife Connie and daughters, Michelle and Nicole have gone out of their way to make me feel welcomed and comfortable.

The Matzdorff's + Chrissy, last year's scholar & me

Terence and Nicole

Connie being a silly rockstar in my pink
sunglasses to match her shoes!

Michelle - on the way back from lunch

Through the time I have spent with their family, I have had the privilege to learn about bits of South African history, culture and perspectives through their personal journeys. It has been a very humbling, enriching and eye-opening start to my year in South Africa. 

They also happen to have a wonderful library of books and unbounded supply of silliness. On occasions when I’ve been upset, they have offered silent compassion and acceptance coupled with warm beverages and tissues for my tears.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I've spent chatting, laughing and eating with them. I continue to be floored by my luck, the generosity of Rotarians and the way that South Africans have opened their country and homes to me.

Me and Toffee

A day in Khayelitsha

Marina @ HubSpace Khayelitsha

My friend Marina and I met two very interesting local entrepreneurs a few weeks back.

We went to check out HubSpace Khayelitsha - a new project they are working on in one of South Africa’s biggest townships. 

Khayelitsha is second in size only to Soweto with an estimated population of 1.2 million. Khayelitsha translates as 'new home' in isiXhosa and in addition to those who were born there, is home to many people who have migrated from Eastern Cape province, other areas of South Africa and increasingly other parts of Africa. It was my first time to Khayelitsha and it served to be a very interesting day.

Many entrepreneurs in township spaces don’t have access to a formal office area. In this context, the logistics of administration and gaining credibility are sometimes barriers to success. HubSpace is a solution to this problem – they rent out areas on an hourly, daily, weekly monthly or annual basis where entrepreneurs can access a phone, printer, internet, etc. 

It was a great set-up and I thoroughly enjoyed my free trial there that morning. 

Seko & Meli - Hubspace Khayelitsha

Working @ Hubspace Khayelitsha

The day also proved interesting for another reason. While driving in, I saw men on the side of the road holding jerry cans. I wondered what was in the jerry cans but didn’t think much of it.

At the space, we heard singing and looked out through the window. People were holding signs directly below us. The premier of Western Cape Province, Helen Zille was scheduled to be arriving for an event. 

Protest starting... view from the window

We heard warning shots being fired into the air. Outside, police threw someone in a van and it smelled realllyyyy bad. Turns out the protest was on sanitation in the area. Many people don’t have access to flush toilets and have to share portapotties amongst many people. 

In protest, they threw jerry cans full of poo on the Premier’s convoy.

Poor living conditions are a daily reality for many South Africans and an ongoing part of the sad legacy of apartheid.

Protest Aftermath (Photocred to Marina)

Protest Aftermath (Photocred to Marina)

Protest Aftermath (Photocred to Marina)

Every day I am here I learn something and become more aware of how little I know.  

This day in Khayelitsha (seeing a wonderful local entrepreneurship project and a protest for access to basic sanitation) stands out to me as an illustration of the incredible complexity and contrast present in South Africa. 

A photo walk through Woodstock, Cape Town

Woodstock (Table Mountain and Devil's Peak in the background)

Art & Words

Cape Town is a sprawling city, containing many ‘suburbs’ that used to be small towns in themselves. Woodstock is one such suburb, about 1 kilometer from the city centre (or ‘town’ as it is called here’).

My introduction to Cape Town two years ago was in Woodstock. This is where I lived and volunteered for a month and a half on my first visit to the city. Woodstock continues to draw me back – I find myself coming back to this area often.

It is a fascinating and intense space:

Van taxis swerve and squeal through traffic while the conductors shout their destinations. 

Vendors line the streets selling their wares.

Funky cafes, art galleries and antique shops abound.

Devils Peak provides a stunning background to the myriad side streets adorned with brightly painted houses.

Pigeons and the occasional scroungy dog pick through the mounds of trash. 

Circles of barbed wire line virtually every fence.

Beauty & barbed wire

Woodstock has a unique history as one of the areas that remained integrated during apartheid, escaping the forced removals that saw its neighbouring suburb; the once vibrant District 6 bulldozed and classified a ‘white only’ area. Today it continues to be a diverse space.

Elaine was a resident of the former District 6. She was forcibly removed during apartheid and moved to Woodstock years ago to be close to where she grew up. 

Cape Town has been selected by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) as the World Design Capital for 2014 (the last two awards were giving to Helsinki and Seoul). The objective of the award is to recognize and showcase cities that are dedicated to using design for social, cultural and economic development.

Woodstock really stands out to me in this regard, using design for social, cultural and economic ends.  

Although it is a microcosm of the inequality present throughout South Africa, I believe that this place has something really special. It is full of beautiful and uplifting street art and crammed with visuals of hope, vibrance and beauty.

The graffiti is a combination of esthetics, inspiration, politics and poetry.

Here are some offerings from today’s stroll through Woodstock with a camera...

Feeding the Pigeons

You've Got the Whole World in Your Hands

Part 1 - Evolution (?)

Part 2 - Evolution (?)

Part 3 - Evolution (?)

Removing the greyness from the soul is the job of musicians, artists and poets...

Wearing their hearts on their sleeves

Spray Paint Poetry

An imagined window

Imagined windows

Outer wall of Children's Home

Outer Wall of Children's Home

@ a Children's Home