June 17, District 6/Langa Tour

Monday morning we woke up early and were picked up at the house by our tour guide, Sally. We all piled into the van and made our way to District 6. We drove past an area where all of the houses were painted with vibrant colors. Theses houses were known as the slave homes. They were so beautiful and the streets were full of color. These were some of the first images that I saw on Google before coming to Cape Town, so I was excited to see them in person.

After stopping to see the colorful houses we headed to the District 6 museum. As we arrived at the museum I was surprised to see that District 6 was in the city (downtown area). I was expecting it to be in the middle of no where or by the townships. To give you a quick background on the District 6, it was an area in the downtown region where many colored (mixed race) people lived. The government designated it as a white area and told all of the colored people that they had 24 hours to evacuate from their homes. After all of the colored people were evacuated they destroyed and tore down the neighborhoods. The people were forced to move to the outskirt settlements and leave everything behind. The people created this museum as a rememberance of the area they lived in. The museum was beautiful and in an old church. It had pictures and items that were donated by the people who previously lived in these neighborhoods. The man who gave us the tour was a former citizen and told us many stories about the area. They were all very interesting but also very sad. After walking around the museum for awhile we went outside and got a tour of the District 6 area. They showed us the areas where homes and buildings used to be. Now it is just empty land with little remains of the buildings. In one of the fields there was a giant palm tree that they named the remembrance tree. It was most definitely an amazing experience and I learned so much while on the tour.

Map of District 6

Street signs from District 6

After we left District 6 we headed to Langa, the oldest township in Cape Town. We arrived at the community center at the entrance of Langa. That is where we met our tour guide which was one of the residents of Langa. He first brought us through the community center and introduced us to all of the projects that were there. The projects were designed to get the people and children out of the "dangers" in the community and give them something to focus on. The projects ranged from pottery and artwork to music and dancing. I bought several things for family and friends there especially since it was all so unique and beautiful. We left the community center and headed for the neighborhoods and housing. As soon as we stepped out of the bus all of the children ran up to us and were grabbing our hands. It was nice to feel so welcomed and loved by all of the kids. We got to walk around with the children and get an outside view of the homes. Then we got to go into one of the "homes". It was like one big house with a lot a bedrooms. These bedrooms were then turned into the homes and the living room was the common area for all of the people. You had to be in the home by 8:30 before theu closed and locked the door for the night. I guess this was a preventative measure to reduce crime. The bedrooms, or houses, had several beds to a room. The one we got to see had three small beds, a stove, all of the kitchens supplys, clothes, and there wasn't even glass over the window to keep them warm, just bars to protect them. It made me horrbily sad that people lived in these conditions. The saddest part was that these were actually nice and the squatter camps were ten times worse. We also got to see a home that was a bit nicer and had rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen/living room. It was all extremely eye-opening.

Community Center

Pottery project

 

Later on we went to another part of the township to watch the children dance. All of the children in the neighborhood came out to either participate in the dancing or watch the dancing with us. The dancing was amazing. The boys did some sort of stomp routine with rubber boots on. The girls danced to drums. The vibe was extremely fun and all of the kids were having a blast. After they showed us their dances, they asked if we wanted to learn one. Allison, Jenny, and I (the brave ones) went up on the stage and got to learn one of the stomp routines. This was honestly one of the best things I have done since I have been here, especially since it gave me an insight into the art culture.

Below I have included some videos of the dancing. I hope you enjoy!!!!

 

 

We all then got back into the bus and drove through the township to a restaurant where we were eating a late lunch. The restaurant was in a home and when we walked in I was honestly shocked. It was absolutely beautiful! African art on the walls, white table cloths, wood floors, and much more. It was nothing like I expected it to be. We were fortunate enough to meet Sally's family (husband, son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter Zola) and the foreign exchange students that were staying with her family. We first got to listen to some marimba music while we waited for the food to be set out. Finally we got to eat. The food was all homemade and absolutely delicious. I honestly can't really tell you what any of it was because I can't remember the African names. I do remember the name of the dessert though (malva pudding) because it was absolutely delicious. Malva Pudding is basically a sponge cake with a caramel sauce that has soaked into it and then it is placed in custard. Oh my Lord, it was my favorite sweet treat so far and I'm definitely making it when I get home. After dinner we got to learn how to do some African dancing, how to play the marimba instruments, and watch a play. It was so much fun and I hope I can go back before I go home. They made me, and I'm sure everyone else, feel like family. It was a wonderful experience and a true highlight of this trip!!!

xoxo,

Alexandra.