The other week our group visited the township Langa. When we arrived we started our tour in the community center. We met several different artists that work for the center helping to teach others to learn a new and healthy tool to generate income to support themselves. We saw all sorts of different art and music roles that were extremely fun and impressive. The center also serves as a great safe zone for the community and also provides a good outlet for the members of the township to find a healthy way to support themselves.
This township was associated with the Xhosa tribe. Our tour guide, known as Suga Momma, gave us a brief breakdown of the language differences that the Xhosa people employ. A few of the twenty six letters of the alphabet are swapped with clucking and ticking sounds. This was the first township our group had visited and happened to be my first exposure as well. Initially I only had limited understanding and awareness of the existence of these townships in South Africa, let alone the conditions to be seen once inside. I was shocked to see the difficult and nearly tragic conditions that all these people live daily in. Trash was scattered throughout the streets and homes. Glass was shattered and scattered creating a blanket of dangerous walking conditions for the people and masses of shoeless children playing throughout the streets. The homes varied in style structure and amenities. In some areas, the homes were renovated or gentrified and hosted some features and appliances. However, less than 100 yards away these newer homes were juxtaposed next to mere shanty shacks that offered no electricity or heat. The one commonality that we noticed immediately is that there were children playing and running through the streets everywhere. Boys and girls of all ages, some with shoes and some without, playing all sorts of games using trash and materials found in the streets. I was amazed and impressed to see the level of ingenuity and creativity displayed by these children to recycle another persons waste and to refashion it into a fun toy or game. Despite the conditions, The kids were all so happy and joyous running around. This was great to see. On the adult level, we also noticed great ingenuity and business savvy. We passed by several businesses ranging in purpose from barber, leatherman, car washes, food vendors, and women using donated sheep parts for cleaning and sale.
Interactions with the people was a very new and nerve racking experience. I was unsure how we would be perceived walking about the streets and into individuals homes. To be honest I was a bit scared that we would be disliked and even rejected by the locals. However, despite my skepticisms, the people and children were incredibly receptive. Upon asking our guide why this was the case she concisely and perfectly explained that these people appreciate our visits for two main reasons. The first being that outsiders venturing into these townships helps generate greater awareness regarding the disparity of treatment of people. The second being that we are a large source of income for the community. Our group purchased items from the community center, as well as several street vendors along our tour. The children were just an incredible joy to be around. Their eyes agape at the sight of us, grabbing at everything. It was so much fun to see how much excitement they got from climbing on us, taking pictures and playing with the things in our pockets and backpacks.
Another large theme I observed in the township of Langa was the great importance of the role of the woman. Not only did women handle the child rearing but they also managed the household duties which includes cooking and cleaning among others. On top of those responsibilities a large majority of the women also had some sort of income generating role. Whether they had some sort of business or informal crafting or creative recycling role that generated money to support their families. It was incredibly impressive to see that women did not simply rely on the support of a male counterpart to support them and the family. A tragic theme related to women that we learned about was their mistreatment and in some cases abuse. It was not uncommon in the slightest for a woman or even a girl to be sexually assaulted, beaten or raped. These crimes rarely are talked about let alone the perpetrators being brought to justice. Suga momma also explained that often young girls would exchange sex for food or an article of clothing or something to help support their families. It was so sad and hard to hear that women and girls were subjected to such mistreatment and were forced to use their bodies to survive.
As we continued to walk through, I began to ask Suga momma broader questions about this township as well as townships as a whole. I learned that the government does provide some version of subsidies for residents to help allow them to have a roof over there head for a decently affordable rate. She explained that in most cases, rent was about 20 rand per month and that they are allotted a certain amount of electricity for lighting, warmth, and cooking.
Do superficial things make us the most happy in life?
