My final project is a collage of some of my favorite memories from South Africa. Hermanus was my first official trip two days after I arrived—a crazy first couple of days after being on a plane for almost 20 hours. Some highlights: getting to see the penguins at Stony Point Penguin Colony, We did an ocean conservation boat trip. We saw Seal Island. Seals are cute, but they do not smell good, and that was the worst thing I have ever smelled in my life, and I cannot stress that it was the worst smell. Cape Agulhas was a trip for international students at UCT. It was a fun way to meet more students. We went to the Cape of Good Hope.
Our final trip was to Kruger National Park. I would say Kruger was my favorite trip while abroad. We did sunrise and nighttime game drives. Seeing the elephants was amazing, especially the baby ones. Monkeys were stealing food from us while at the rest stop. I attended a nighttime braai while there in the bush and that was really cool. Bo Kaap, we attended a Cape Malay cooking class and learned how to make some traditional foods. We also learned about how people there are fighting against gentrification. Foreign investors are buying up the properties, turning them into Air BNB’s, or raising the rent so high that locals can no longer afford to live there. The best example of this is in Bo Kapp, known for its colorful flat-roofed houses, but when we were walking, we saw this giant hotel that’s over 13 stories tall, and it sticks out because it belongs there.
This experience taught me that there is still a lot for me to learn. I learned more about food sustainability practices in South Africa and gained hands-on experience. I learned that the smallest things can help the environment. I became more conscious of food waste. Becoming more conscious at the grocery store when shopping only buying what you need to eat, and shopping on a week-to-week basis instead of big grocery halls. I also learned about how people are fighting to preserve culture and traditions and how difficult it is because of foreign influence. It makes you think about when you look for an Airbnb—that home where local people could live, but now it is just a vacation home. Or seeing hotels being built where people’s houses used to be. Our tower guide, who is a local, told us it doesn’t matter if we disagree because it’s about money.
As an African studies major, I wanted to go to Africa to do research. While I was here, I took classes in the African Feminist Department at the University of Cape Town. Most of my work here was examining gender-based violence (GBV) and its prevalence in South Africa. I volunteered with an organization that supports women and children who are victims of GBV, and that experience had a tremendous impact on me. Volunteering there was the highlight of being in South Africa for me. I hope people who look at my project realize that there is so much in South Africa that needs to be taught in school. I was very lucky because everyone in my program first time in South Africa, so we were able to experience everything new together. That is something don’t get with many study abroad programs. For those who look at my project, I hope it encourages them to explore places they never have and get out of their comfort zone.