this side of reality

Today was a wet and drizzly day, quite fitting for our Imizamo Yethu (aka: IY) township tour.

IY, or sometimes known as Mandela Park is one of the many township settlements in Cape Town; this one is situated in Hout Bay, and was created by the Apartheid government who forcibly removed residents to this area in order to create a greater ANC presence.

As soon as apartheid rule was abolished, there was an influx of people swarming into IY in search of a better life. Unfortunately, this has only resulted in more cramped living conditions.

Promises of better housing, of decent services and of jobs have come and gone long ago. Unemployment stands at more than 50%.

Most of the men work in construction or as gardeners, or not at all, in which case they spend their days in shebeens (unlicensed bars). The majority of the women, those who are lucky enough to be employed, are domestic workers.

For me, this township tour provided an inside view into the life of the majority of my students in the Hout Bay Music Project Trust.

Many of them live in these types of shelter, where privacy is a luxury. It is another world in itself, but it is a mere 3 minute drive from our house.

What does it do to a child who grows up in such conditions? What does it teach a young mind about the state of our society, of our values? Do they think about these things while we teach them how to play a difficult passage in Pachelbel's Canon in D major?

Afrika Moni, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and a true entrepreneur with a very concerned outlook for South Africa.

Now that his tour business has grown (he employs 4 other tour guides), he is expected to care for extended family and friends who are unable to find employment or who are plagued with sickness. It is a burden and one I cannot imagine bearing.

He took us to see a local shebeen, a nursery school, a Chinese-run shop which sells everything from sandals to kettles to water hoses.

Inside were two young (and bored)-looking Chinese men from southern China. It was interesting to hear their stories and how they ended up in a township settlement in South Africa!

Matt did a lot of the translating for us, which totally shocked Afrika Moni.

Here we were, 4 Chinese- looking tourists and one blond, blue-eyed guy, and it's the Blondie who was speaking in Mandarin to the shopkeeper!

We tried to explain to him that Mandarin and Cantonese are two different types of Chinese, but he still couldn't believe it. We all had a good chuckle about it.

We ended our tour with a traditional lunch, prepared by Sherley, a Basotho lady who moved to Cape Town in her youth.

She is a very kind-hearted woman who has done well for herself. Her grownup children have left home and she runs a B&B in IY now, as well as catering for large tour groups for lunch or dinner.

She served up a scrumptious meal of roasted chicken, creamy spinach and pap. For desert we had homemade melk tart, a South African favourite for many. Enjoyed with a cup of rooibos tea, it is divine.