Gugulethu Part 2

So it is probably time to do some further reflecting on our experience in Gugulethu. After getting back into the University of Cape Town area, I am just realizing how different the whole atmosphere is. You can just tell that the township is so much closer. In Mowbray (the suburb), I get the feeling that most people don't really know their neighbors, and there is so much security on all of the houses. It just feels very hostile in general. I also had an illuminating experience, in which I went out to a local club called Tiger Tiger with my friend Allan, who works at UCT. The crowd there was practically 100 percent white, which is something I haven't yet seen in Cape town. It was a fun night, but the whole place felt really nervous. The people weren't too friendly, and I didn't feel too much like I could just strike up a good conversation with any random person. People seemed very concerned with what they looked like all the time, and they also seemed very guarded. It was like a huge collection of cliques. Regardless, Allan is a lot of fun, and we certainly had a good time. It was just a striking contrast with the township, that I have come to characterize as a place of close bonds and an overwhelming sense of family.

At this point, I feel like it would be very difficult for me to discuss all of the events that occured in Gugulethu. We had many lecturers at JL Zwane with a number of great insights on contemporary South African issues. I felt very stimulated by the conversation we had each day, and I am thankful for the diverse range of perspectives presented to me. There are a few highlights that stand out to me, however.

The first day we were lectured to by the Reverends Xapile and Louw, who serve as both the spiritual and community leaders of their congregation. They talked to us a lot about leadership, with particular emphasis on personal leadership and its role in helping to build community. I was particularly struck by the observation that it is impossible to "help" everyone, regardless of the resources available to the community in question. As a leader, one must instead identify those with a desire to succeed, and give them your time and attention. Many people simply want a leader to hand things to them on a silver platter, demanding attention without actually putting in any of their own effort. I took from the lecture that these people will sap the energy of a leader if he or she doesn't help to raise them to a point where they are self motivated and can sustain their own effort. Another big point was that one can do anything if they truly decide to do it. JL Zwane began as shipping containers pushed together to form a makeshift center, and it has since grown into the magnificent building shown in the pictures of my previous posts. The leaders there used connections around the world to raise money, and over a long time and with great effort built a strong center for the community. They have since raised awareness of AIDS in the face of social stigma, and there congregation is an amazing collection of impassioned individuals.

That same day, we made our first trip to a woman named Priscilla's house. She lives alone in a four bedroom house, where she raises a number of young children that varies from 11 to 14 depending on the day. She was quite inspirational, and I will certainly discuss her at a later point. I actually need to get some sleep now, but I will continue this reflection in the morning. I think what is most present in my mind is the above discussion on leading individuals. It is so hard for me to consider social change from a global perspective. A problem like AIDS contains so many sub-issues, and it is wrapped in so many levels of complexity that it can seem impossible to untangle. However, boiling issues down into more manageable samples can help to make them reasonable. This can be accomplished by thinking in terms of individuals and using leadership skills to bring them together into a functioning group. I will continue to consider this in the next couple hours, and I will also probably be posting in the morning. Good night!