Author Archives: prudence layne

                Upon entering the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, I was given a laminated business-card sized piece of paper.  On it was written “Non-white”.  I looked around at the cards in my classmates’ hands.  Some held cards that were the same … Continue reading →

                Upon landing in South Africa, it was immediately apparent to me that this young, influential democracy has tremendous ‘Western’ influences.  To draw this conclusion, however, I didn’t even need to make the trek halfway across the world.  That’s because … Continue reading →

Within the history of South Africa and today, the church has played an integral role in developing not just the spiritual well-being of South Africans, but also contributed in the education of men, women, and children on social challenges by … Continue reading →

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the brainchild of Nelson Mandela, is one of the most internationally heralded means of peace and conflict resolution.  The major objective of the TRC was to allow those who had not only been subjected … Continue reading →

It’s almost hard to believe that it was only 33 years ago that the apartheid struggle came to its boiling point. It started as a peaceful protest. Frustrated with the policy that black education would be in Afrikaans instead of … Continue reading →

            Imagine a town where you can drive past house where cardboard held together by stolen Vodacom advertisements meet dried the dried mud floor, A Mercedes C-Class pulls up and the inhabitants of the shanty get out of the car … Continue reading →

            After reading about Mark Mathabane’s education in Kaffir Boy it is evident that the educational system for blacks was very unjust during the apartheid era.  Although it is currently fifteen years after the apartheid ended there are still improvements … Continue reading →

The chief of Lesedi Cultural Village welcomed our class wearing a feathered headdress nearly as big as the ostrich it was made from.  He offered a lesson on the native language and food of local tribes, hoping to acquaint a … Continue reading →

As most already know, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has been the fastest growing epidemic in the world in the past couple of decades. South Africa has been one of the hardest hit nations. The first diagnosed case … Continue reading →

In the 1950s, Dr. Hedrick F Verwoerd was on his way to becoming the Prime Minister of South Africa when he made the following statement: “When I have control of native education, I will reform it so that natives will … Continue reading →