A Visit To A Township

In the morning, after a wonderful breakfast of homemade granola, we met with our host, Peter Kjeseth, and we learned about all the things we will do this week. Then we did a walking tour of Fish Hoek, the town where we are staying. After lunch, we piled in a van and went to Masiphumelele, a township of 20,000 people. Our guide, Charlotte, lives in the township, and she showed us around and answered all our questions. It was very eye-opening.



This pictures shows what some of the homes look like. Charlotte told us that people build their own homes in one day, and they use whatever materials they can find. You will see pieces of wood, metal and plastic nailed together to make walls. The ground is sandy, so there is no grass in the yards.



As we were walking around, we saw a boy eating a snack. Charlotte explained that he was munching on a chicken foot. I assumed that was the name of the snack, kind of like a corn dog isn't really corn or a dog. But no, it turns out that chicken foot is actually chicken foot. It looks like it is breaded and fried. I say it looks like because I was not brave enough to try one myself.



There were many small stands in the township. This fruit stand sold many kinds of fresh fruit. The women wrapped blankets around their bodies and secured their babies on their backs.



Charlotte had arranged for this band, Ubuyambo, to play for us. The marimba music was lively, and people came from all around to sing and dance along with them.



Here is a photo of our group standing in front of a bed and breakfast in the township where we went for tea. At Zukie's Bed and Breakfast, you can spend the night and get food in the morning for about $23. If you are looking for an authentic township experience with wonderful hosts, then check them out.

My impressions from our time spent there are mixed. In many ways, it was very sad to see the living conditions of the people. Trash is everywhere you look. The houses are cramped with little or no space between them. Some of them do not have bathrooms but have an outhouse in the yard. The unemployment rate is high, and people who do have jobs must sometimes travel long hours to get to work. The AIDS infection rate is 42%, yet the people have poor access to health care. But I must say that I smiled more in Masiphumelele than most other places I have visited. The children were laughing, the people greeted us warmly, and the music we heard was full of life. There is great wealth in that place of great poverty.