Day 8 District Museum and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens... alongside our besties from Leap High School
So far, today was one of my favorite days of the trip. We started off by visiting the District 6 Museum along with 7 of the iThuba students. We learned about the forced removal of the Black South African families who lived within the District and the demolition of their homes, saw photos of families and their homes that no longer exist, recreations of destroyed rooms, street signs, maps, and all sorts of mementos, which serve to remind people of the loss and pain, BUT also the strength of these individuals. Visiting this museum resonated very strongly with me because I understand the pain of losing your home, but also was so uplifting to see how people were able to come together and share their pains to create something beautiful. Being able to take such trauma and convert it into a reminder to put an end to the effects of apartheid was such a surreal experience and I'm so glad I was able to learn about and understand this grave injustice.
Afterwards, together with the Leap HS students, we headed to world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where we saw exotic trees, flowers, statues, ponds, wild animals, and so much more. Words can’t explain the beauty of watching the clouds roll over Table Mountain and engulf the trees, the satisfaction of fresh oxygen as we walked along the dirt trails engulfed by trees, which filtered the beaming sun. It was so amazing, and today would not have been the same without the iThuba students. Getting to have natural “teen” conversations on the bus, hearing their perspectives on apartheid’s actions and legacies, experiencing the Gardens together, not being forced to do planned activities with pre-chosen topics, it was so fulfilling. I feel like I have created bonds that I will cherish forever only in the span of one week. My group of 4 (2 Poly students and 2 iThuba students) ran around on the grassiest greenest hill I have ever seen, doing cartwheels, racing, taking photos, and just enjoying each other’s company- this was the highlight of this 8 day stretch… by far.
After a few amazing hours at the Gardens, we parted ways with the students and grabbed lunch at this amazing restaurant in a local mall and proceeded to return to the hotel for a bit of rest. What fun when the waitress, Aquiwa, remembered Mr. Caragher and Ms. Etoka from last year- and gave them hugs. Lastly, for dinner we walked to a local pizza place with delicious and unique pizza flavors and yummy drinks. I can’t wait for tomorrow to see the iThuba students again and continue forging such beautiful memories and connections… the plan for tomorrow is to attend a political party forum in the Langa Township.
Catch ya on the next one!
Kristina P
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