The interim course to South Africa was truly an experience of a lifetime. Going into the trip, I thought I knew a decent amount about South Africa, since it is the most industrialized country in Africa, and thanks to Nelson Mandela, the country is now a democratic nation. However, due to the international media portrayal of South Africa, many people that do not experience South Africa firsthand do not understand the amount of struggle the country endures with segregation, national identity, and equality.
Seeing the shacks that so many of the natives live in and hearing the people's stories was an eye opening experience and will forever be engrained in my mind. These people were forced to live in these conditions due to the former Apartheid government. With no running water, the dirt as their floor, and often crowding 6-10 people in a room the size of most bathrooms in America, these people's spirits never faltered. A man we met was perfectly content with his life as he was a schoolteacher trying to help educate the youth and better his community. He said, "I have my family in my house and a roof over our heads. What else could I ask for in life?" This is amazing to me as so many of us could not even imagine living in the situations they were in.
One thing that really stands out about this trip was when we were able to play soccer with all of the kids. Being on that field, it didn't matter what color, race, religion, or economic background you came from. Everyone was equal and that is how life should be. With the World Cup in 2010 taking place in South Africa, the people hope the games will unite this country and make people realize it is not what's on the outside of a person that should matter.
Without real use of technology that so many of us have become so reliant on in America, and seeing people live life directly connected to the environment surrounding them, it really makes you become less materialistic and not take what you have for granted. It shows you a completely different world that when you come back to your own world, the lessons you learned and the things you experienced instill a different outlook on life and really make you want to try and better the lives of others.
Policy Studies at Lafayette
Study Abroad at Lafayette
23-sport NCAA Division I athletics program
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