After Mr. Chaplins inspirational lecture, we loaded up two coach buses and headed towards the township of Gugulethu. The bus was buzzing with noise as we crossed over to the other side of the mountain but as soon as the township came into view, the bus was absolutely silent and our eyes were glued to the sobering sight we saw through a glass window. The shacks went on for as long as we could see and consisted of a few mangled pieces of metal nailed together and resembled a rusty dog shed. These shacks sheltered entire families. As soon our bus came into sight, dozens of tiny children ran out from underneath their shacks. They ran towards our buses, some holding American flags while others jumped up and down with excitement waving. The most noticeable feature at first sight of these children was their bright smiles. This show of happiness perplexed me and I was eager to meet the children instead of viewing them through the glass windows of a tall, air-conditioned coach bus. We stopped at one of the Amy Biehl centers and entered a sanctuary filled with music and the same happiness I saw in the white smiles of the children flooding the streets. The children danced for us and I swear one of the little girls that looked about 5 years old gave Beyonce a run for her money in her "Single Ladies" prance. Love, laughter, and bliss filled the courtyard and Amy Biehl's vision was displayed in front of me. The children invited us to dance, hugged us, kissed us, and showed us their own version of "paddy cake". I felt truly fulfilled for one of the first times in my life and I did nothing but observe and barely interact with these children. I cannot wait for service week in a few weeks where we will each be assigned a family and have the opportunity to form intimate relationships with people living under the same conditions of poverty.
Leaving these children close to sunset was difficult because all I could think of is them traveling back to their shacks in the dark. I had to remind myself that this was a daily occurrence for them and was probably the least of their worries. I did take comfort in watching their extreme care for each other. On many streets their were no parents to be seen and six year olds cradled infants in their arms while nine year olds carried 3 year olds around on their back. This was a scene I have never witnessed and really encapsulated the love these children have for each other. It was absolutely beautiful and definitely brought some tears to my eyes. It was hard crossing back through the mountains knowing a four star hotel and fabulous dishes of food awaited us while the children I just left were scrambling to obtain just a small scrap of food on the other side of the pass. Today put a lot of things in perspective and while I'm thankful for the life I was born in to, I can't stop thinking how unfair these contesting lives are. These children are innocent and kind. Why should they have to face world hunger, disease, and violence? I hope to develop more thoughts on this issue later as I learn more about the country's history, politics, and culture. Today was one of the most moving yet heart-wrenching days of my life.
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