March 27 Post

On Tuesday, I participated in something quite new—poverty tourism. The two words just don't seem to be quite right, especially since South Africa is the richests country in Africa. I learned a lot by having the “shacks” and “hostels” from Nahti, the tour guide, when we visited Khayalitsha, the second largest township in South Africa where over 500,000 people live. Nahti is a member of the “first free” generation, and his generation has a big role to play. The parents of his generation said, “Liberation first, then education” so much importance is placed on children attending school.

Nahti grew up in a hostel which is shared housing by four families. The way it works is that each family has private bedrooms, but they share the “toilet” and kitchen. During the 1920s and 1930s, there was a big push by the government to get blacks closer to towns and out of the country, so it built many hostels.

Nahti said the families decide what time the door of the hostel will be locked. If you are not in by that time, you have to sleep somewhere else. He talked about the strong sense of community among the population, and that they are working very hard within the townships to make their situation better.

Nahti feels a responsibility to his family—as do most people living in the townships. Because he has a job now, he is able to help his extended family, but he hopes to move out of the family home soon. When he marries, he will be expected to pay a dowry to his future wife's family. For a young woman with an education, he will need more money.

I walked so much yesterday, I had to give my ticket away for today's excursion.  "One speed Nana" walked way too far in the townships.

In addition to the government built hostels, shacks have been built by people in the townships that are made of metal and wood. Mostly young people live in these as they begin to have families and they want more privacy. The government is going to build five BILLION houses to replace the shacks, and there is a long waiting list.

As people improve their lives, they might get a better house, but many feel a responsibility to stay in the township. Another reason, is “They live here because their family has always lived here. We work very hard to be happy and focus on the positive.”