Translations of Cape Town:
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eKapa – Xhosa translation (ethnic group from South Africa, recognized as the second-largest cultural group in the country after the Zulu) Cammisa - ‘Sweet water for all’ in the Khoe language. The Camissa River was an essential indigenous Khoe water source that the Europeans dammed to create the Cape Colony in 1652. This river that flows under the city was once a lifeline of the ‖Ammaqua people who were displace |
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A day after finals, Anjelica Young and I arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport, eager to begin our journey to Cape Town, South Africa. With a poorly packed suitcase, 3 hours of sleep, and a dream, we boarded our flight to Nairobi.
on the plane!
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Following a brief layover in Nairobi, Anjelica and I arrived in Cape Town. After meeting our cohort, we left the airport and first laid our eyes on the poetic, immense mountains that surround the city. I’ve always loved cities with mountains that remind us of humanity’s smallness in the face of nature, and Cape Town might be the city with the most unrelenting message of nature's brilliance. Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, and more define the skyline with a resounding more than the Chrysler, Empire State, or World Trade Center could.
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Soyu, a Laidlaw scholar in our cohort and the mountains behind her.
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We spent several days exploring the culture, history, and natural beauty that define Cape Town. This city is an amalgamation of cultures and has a deep history as a global city and trade port, drawing people from all over the world. Violent histories of slavery and Apartheid are defining facets of the city and the country’s past, and the evidence of such became obvious when on a bus tour. The residue of a strict legal socioeconomic and racial segregation displayed itself in the way residential neighborhoods are laid out, and even observing disparate elementary schools with Black children vs. White children while driving around the city.
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More mountains, and the bus that took us around the city!
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Following our introduction to Cape Town, our cohort arrived for the first time at SOS Children’s Villages, where we will be conducting our Leadership-in-Action projects. This village, opened originally by Nelson Mandela in May of 1996, was created to provide homes for children unable to live at home and experiencing hardship. I will be providing programming consisting of dance classes with a cultural and historical component, ranging from hip hop, Afro-Caribbean, jazz, and more. Meeting the children on the first day offered a glimpse of what was to come ahead and provided a reminder of our responsibility to match their enthusiasm and energy and create something they will enjoy. The journey continues, as well as the learning.
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The sunsets on another day in Cape town. I feel so lucky to have had so many beautiful experiences and more to come!
Signing off, Elizabeth W. 🌸