Alanna W
Kliptown for me was a real eye opener and has now made me look at things in a whole different perspective. The whole area of Kliptown really shocked me and made me think how could the government let people live like that. We were told that 73% of people living in Kliptown were unemployed and with the total of around 4500 people living in Kliptown, this means that is a huge number, we were also told that they lacked food, resources (as they had been stolen a few weeks before) and simply somewhere to go to the toilet! Knowing these things and still seeing how positive and happy the people of Kliptown were it makes you feel and want to be more grateful and know that we are so privileged compared to those who live in poverty.
Alanna W
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Today we went to see the Hector Pieterson memorial. We learned about all the hard work that the students of Soweto put into their plan to march and to peacefully protest against the education rules the Afrikaans had put in place. We walked along the route in which the students marched. Along this, we saw just what the Afrikaans had left the black majority to live in and also the place where Hector was shot. Booysie, who was at the march back in 1976, taught us about the truth behind all the events that lead to and followed the Soweto uprisings. The educational experience meant that we got a deeper understanding of what lead the black majority in Soweto to where they are today.
As we approached the class we were warmly welcomed by the students and the teacher. Due to there not being enough chairs in the classroom the South African learners gave up their chairs for us to sit on. We were told lots of information about vhenda and then the South African students showed us some dance moves. The first move that they taught was like we were rowing a boat we all had to get into a line and hold onto each others arms. The second dance move that they taught us was very fast and extremely confusing , you had to pick a boy or girl who you liked and the whole point of this dance was to propose to them. We all thought that we would get away with not doing that dance but then the teacher remembered that we had to try out, she asked for one of them to pick one of us and guess what... they chose me!!! It was really embarrassing at the start but I really enjoyed it by the end. I didn’t really dance I just stood there laughing! Ruby shouted at me ‘kneel down’ so I did; but the thing is I didn’t know what it meant. At the end I realised that it meant that I liked the other person back and that I wanted to marry them! So I’m getting married (best not tell my parents!) Victoria was chosen to do the third dance, this dance was very slow at the start and you had to walk and then all of a sudden it went really fast. The fourth and final dance was done by Alanna and one of the South African learners this dance was pretty similar to the third dance but you had to do it going around in your own circle and it was slower at the end of the third and fourth dances the dancers had to go onto the floor into a cacoon shape. After we did all of our dances we got taught how to say hello and goodbye in vhenda hello : ‘sowabona ‘ Lauren J Today is our second full day we’ve spent in Matseliso secondary school and we took part in many interesting classes and activities. Starting off with some cultural dance, then a lesson learning about the crime in South Africa. After this we took part in some lessons which we all know so well but yet they are so different, these were history, geography and art. In history, we learnt about the South African history including the fight between the British and afrikaners and the ANC youth league. Next we went to geography and spoke about the differences in the WiFi and data networks in the uk and South Africa. The last lesson we took part in on the this day was art. We had the opportunity to draw and paint anything we wanted. I really enjoyed doing this as it is not a subject I do back at school. I’m really looking forward to what we will be doing for the rest of our time in South Africa. After our tea at the local Brai we met some of the local children and played under the sunset. When we finished at the local restaurant, Booysie spotted a local football pitch with a team playing. Booysie asked them if we could join in and they accepted. The game was underway and we had a lot of fun. We made friends and Sam put a career ending challenge on a child! They scored from the resulting penalty! The game ended all square and there was a lot of respect from the both teams at the full time whistle. We took a picture with them all and carried on with our journey. Elliot W We were invited to the Orlando stadium where the Premier League side Orlando Pirates play. We visited the leaner centre where the local primary school students are able to go after school to further their education. Students attend from the local township surrounding the stadium. 5-a-side football match When we arrived at the newly refurbished Nike football academy everyone felt amazed by the sizeable building. We were all exhilarated when seeing the former captain of the orlando pirates. After a quick tour and more then a few photos we were ready for the mini game between Culcheth and Matseliso. With Mr Cushing at the back with Tom in attack the game was underway. It was enjoyable playing against the students especially me and Iwan getting on the score to win us the game. Even though the Matseliso students played well they couldn’t defeat the mighty Culcheth! As well as the Culcheth girls beating the Matseliso school 6-2. Overall it was a fun day and was a good experience to have over in Soweto. Sam C When we first arrived at Matseliso high school we were welcomed with a range of cultural dances and songs by the choir. They greeted us with lots of smiles and called us family. This made us feel at home for the first time since the flight. After all the impressive dances, we got to know the students that didn’t come to Culcheth, obviously just as friendly and welcoming and I already feel, after the first day, that I have met even more friends for life. Lucy P Last bits of packing done! We’re ready to go now. Soweto here we come!
As always, a huge thank you to our local community who have donated lots of items for us to take over. |
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October 2019
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