Incredible! This whole trip has been incredible and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to make that known. While I would love to recap the whole trip, my charge is simply to give you a snapshot of today.
Today began with learning. I learned how to make French toast. The Global LEAD staff bought food and supplies for breakfast and my community group had the opportunity to cook and eat together. I love the people in my community group and have come to really enjoy these opportunities to have breakfast with them. On par for this trip, there were 7 girls and one guy, myself, at breakfast. We were fortunate enough to have one of our Teaching Assistants, Mallory, join us for breakfast. This was our first time being together since adventure week, an awesome adventure-packed week when I got to know many of my group members AS WELL as Mallory. We discussed our high’s and low’s of either adventure week or the first day of service that we experienced yesterday. While many students, myself included, discussed their high’s and low’s from adventure week, many students had already been substantially impacted by the first day in Sir Lowry’s Pass and decided to focus on yesterday. The first day in the township, reading “We Should Help Them,” and the class discussions that ensued had a profound impact on students.
Immediately following breakfast, we went to the room in the apartment complex where we have class. Our professor, Dr. Montgomery Wolf, lead a discussion about students’ thoughts, experiences, and reactions to the first day in Sir Lowry’s Pass. After that 30-minute conversation, we broke up into three smaller groups in order to discuss the article “We Should Help Them,” which we all read prior to attending class. The article basically went through the different ways that the United States or the “developed” world has tried to “help” Africa and the impact of that “aid.” The article first questions whether Africa needs help at all or if they are doing just fine on their own. Then, assuming that there is opportunity for improvement, the article goes on to analyze the primary methods that developed countries have utilized to help Africa. Basically the article shows that having a positive impact is extremely complicated and difficult and that our efforts could actually do more harm than good if the proper thought, planning, and study are not undertaken. Given that my vision for my life is to make a positive impact in a place that is poverty stricken, just like the majority of Africa, the conversation was a bit overwhelming for me.
As I reflected on the conversation, I became thankful for the opportunity to read and discuss the article and become disillusioned to many of the challenges inherent to helping people. As I reflected further, I realized that I didn’t really learn anything that I didn’t know before: Making a big, positive impact on the lives of impoverished humans is not going to be simple or easy. Rather, knowledge of the specific challenges became much more concrete and real. Furthermore, I became more eager to make a difference and was charged to learn more, over come obstacles, and truly rise to the challenge.
Our time in Sir Lowry’s Pass today was awesome. Most of the guy Springboks got a rugby game going with the kids. They had a massive field that was perfect for some hard-hitting rugby. It was really fun to play with the kids and other students and get a feel for a game that is so important to South African culture. I got to meet and talk to a 15 year old boy named Shane and continued to play with my man, Lathan. I also got to spend some awesome time with my “family” and soup mom, Ms. Ann. Our whole family loves her, her daughter, Natasha, and her grandchildren, Mikaela, Kay, Caleb, and Mathew. I’m so excited to continue to get to know her and her family this week.
Now it’s time for me to go help my roommates finish cooking our delicious dinner: chicken alfredo with bacon, salad, fresh bread, and wine. We have invited a room of girls and the two staff members here this week to join us. Cooking has been a really awesome part of the trip. Just as the day started, I’m off to eat!
-Zach Hogue
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