Category: Africa

Submitted by Alexa Hirschberg on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health & Nutrition…

A whirlwind of excitement, illuminated by the cultural and experiential services, has been bestowed on me directly in South Africa, consuming my first week here. To say I was nervous was an understatement, yet to prepare for this incredible opportunity, I researched about the many different issues I would be facing surrounding service and public health. Being a privileged student who has benefited from the exchange rate of US dollar to Rand, I could easily understand the spaces of wealth, poverty, and areas in between, within South Africa. Even so, from the moment I stepped foot off the plane, I felt a sense of home and that I was ready to take in new experiences. It definitely did help that everyone was so welcoming and friendly, including our amazing tour guide Patrick – who’s already taught me more about life than I could have ever dreamed of. How cool is it that when responding to ‘thank you’ they say ‘pleasure’ or ‘see you again my friend’ – so polite and sincere, as if you are a long time acquaintance? While the people are magnificent, learning about the Cradle of Human Kind and how this is known as the starting place of evolution, can be an overwhelming emotion. I find myself with a lack of words as I come within ten feet of a cheetah, hyena and even touching the tusk of a free roaming elephant. Living in the moment and taking in each and every experience is key to ensuring that this travel experience is not only educational, but also a life memory filled with teachings beyond what I could even comprehend. All we have is NOW my friends. It’s been a pleasure.

 

 

Submitted by Drew Davia on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health & Nutrition…

I have experienced so much since the moment we landed in South Africa, that it’s tough to condense into words. Each day has been packed with breath-taking scenery, exotic animals and unforgettable human experience. We have learned so much about the nation by traveling through parks, conservations, museums and cities. These shared experiences allowed us to observe the effects of various failures and triumphs that have occurred within the country over time. The ripple effects from the apartheid that took place in South Africa is evident in many aspects of life, but the locals are a proudly resilient and respectful population. Personally, I have been humbled in a lot of ways by everything I’ve experienced thus far. Specifically, the children at the two orphanages we visited and the people living in the poverty-stricken pockets of Soweto, have taught me a lot about myself. They have been some of the happiest and most thankful people I have ever met, which has completely contradicted the common misconception that they are a dangerous and desperate people. It’s truly inspiring how they are so welcoming to outsiders, proud of themselves, and so grateful for the little that they have. They make the most of what is available and accessible to them, which is a concept that many privileged American citizens cannot even begin to comprehend. We are just under a week into our month-long program, and I have already gotten my money’s worth. I’ve never been so mentally, physically, and emotionally stimulated in such a short amount of time. I love the country, the people I came with, the people I’ve met, and everything I’ve been so blessed to experience. I’m beyond satisfied already, and cannot wait to see what else lies ahead.

Submitted by Danielle Lumpkin on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health & Nutrition…

South Africa has been very pleasant so far. The people have been very kind, the food good and the views beautiful. I am amazed by the amount of lush green that surrounds us as we travel, even as we drive on the highways! This week, we did a lot. We saw the animals at the de Wildt Cheetah and Wild Dog Breeding Center, explored a cave at the Cradle of Humankind, visited two orphanages and traveled to a town called Soweto. At the Breeding Center we learned how important it is to protect our animals in order to sustain our environment. We saw cheetahs, wild dogs, meerkats, vultures and more. It was unbelievable to be able to get so close to the animals! At the Cradle of Humankind, we were “welcomed home” to where some of our descendants were from. We even got to explore the cave where the remains of our descendants, including that of the famous Mrs. Plez, were found. The cave was breathtaking and again showed me the importance of taking care of our natural environment.

At the orphanages we were able to play with the children and learn a little about child abandonment in South Africa. Child abandonment is a huge problem in South Africa and these orphanages are an important community effort to eradicate the problem. While it was sad to leave, playing with the children and seeing the joy we were able to give them really made my day.

In Soweto, we learned about the apartheid, which was very similar to America’s Civil Rights era. The races in South Africa were segregated by law and blacks were severely oppressed. We learned of the student riot that happened in Soweto to protest this segregation and led to the death of many young students. We saw a memorial for one of these students and a museum that taught us about the incident. The memorial and museum showed me how far we have come in the world in such a short period of time. Overall, this week has been amazing and has really taught me a lot!

Submitted by Darlaine Paul on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health & Nutrition…

Coming to South Africa, I really didn’t know what to expect and how it was going to be. All the way up until landing in South Africa, I thought that I would see lots of dirt roads and not much big infrastructure. However, that was not the case at all. Once I landed in Johannesburg, also known as Joburg, I was in immediate awe about everything around me. I saw huge buildings, highways that are like those in America, skyscrapers and so much more. The landscape of Pretoria where we are spending our first week is absolutely amazing and beautiful as well. There is just so much open space and the mountains in the distance just make the view even better. I have experienced so many new things from just my first week of study abroad and it’s just unbelievable. I have seen a cheetah close up, explored a cave called the cradle of humankind which is where the first piece of human fossil was discovered, visited a couple orphanages, visited a town called Soweto where we got to observe the upper, middle and lower class of that town, visited the Hector Pieterson Museum and played rugby which is very popular in South Africa for the first time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, a very touching moment for me was definitely visiting the orphanages. It was just wonderful being able to play and talk to these children who have been abandoned by their parents or lost their parents to HIV/AIDS and they have the biggest smiles on their faces just because we are playing with them. The amount of things that I have got to experience in only my first week makes me feel like I’ve been here for a month already.

Submitted by Madeline Zehr on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health & Nutrition…

This week, we have had amazing adventures and it has been a life-changing experience so far. When we first arrived in Pretoria, we were immediately busy starting with a bus tour. The bus tour took us through all of Pretoria and we were able to see the informal settlements and the landscape of the area. Our first stop on the tour was a beautiful view of Pretoria and our second stop was Union Circle with a magnificent statue of Nelson Mandela.

On Tuesday, we visited the De Wildt Wildlife Conservation Center where we were able to see cheetahs, honey badgers, serval and wild dogs up close. We learned about how they only breed animals when conservationists tell them that an eco-system needs them and only let the amount that is needed into the ecosystem. Additionally, they brought a cheetah into the room with us and we got to experience it up close.

Wednesday, we were fortunate enough to go caving where the first humanoid fossils were found. We were able to see current excavation sites and amazing lakes inside the cave. After that, we went to the Cradle of Humankind Museum and saw fossils and learned about the evolution of mankind.

Today, we went to two orphanages for children who are affected by HIV/AIDS. The children were overjoyed to see us and were so excited that we brought soccer balls and candy for them. We were able to impact their lives through friendships and connection. Many of them were under the age of 10 and did not know what America was, which was extremely interesting because when I was that age I probably didn’t know what South Africa was either.

Submitted by Lejan Castro on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…

During our bus tour around Pretoria, South Africa, we stopped by the Union Buildings. At this site there were two little girls. The older, of the two girls,  had a phone out and was taking a photo of a younger girl who had her hands spread out mimicking the pose of the Nelson Mandela statue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After taking her photo, I was standing around admiring the surroundings of the site, when I saw the older girl pointing her phone camera towards my friend and me. We smiled for a photo and then continued walking around the Union Buildings. As I was walking to the back to our bus, I saw the girls again. They had managed to grab the attention of many of my other classmates. We were all taking selfies with one another and taking photos of the girls in front of the buildings. Although the Union Buildings were beautiful to admire and learn about, interacting with those girls made this experience that much more memorable.

Submitted by Hayden Fulton on the 2017 winter session program in Morocco sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…

This week we had class in Morocco and then for this weekend we went to Spain.

My first photo is of the dog that lives outside my building. He is always outside the building and I have been taking a lot of different photos of him. I wanted to use this picture for my weekly IGS post because in Morocco we constantly see dogs everywhere. Very seldom do they have leashes or owners. Once, while walking we even saw a pack of 5 dogs. It can be pretty sad because back home we all pamper our dogs, but here the dogs are just on the streets. What’s even worse is the amount of cats on the streets. The cats are everywhere and the positive part of this is that there are no mouse issues.

My next photo is of my new host family. The photo is of two of the three of my brothers, their cousin and one of the UD students on the program with us. I like this picture because it shows my part time home. The small table that they are eating at, is the table where we eat dinner every night. It’s pretty cool because we always eat with our hands which is a new experience for me. We eat pretty late, but you just have to adapt a little. I really like my host family and I’m sad I’m going to have to leave them tomorrow.

Submitted by April Ingenito on the 2013 winter session study abroad program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice and the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics…

I’m sad to say our last day is finally here!  It has been an incredible time here in Cape Town.  Last Sunday, we took a tour of the Cape of Good Hope which was amazing and then we went to Boulder Beach and hung out with penguins!  That was quite an experience.  We also got to climb Table Mountain, one of the Seven Wonders of Nature.  The views were absolutely spectacular!!  It felt like I was on top of the world.  Most of the week was spent finishing up our projects and journals for our classes, but we got to squeeze in a tour of Robben Island.  It was so cool to see the Maximum Security Prison that housed Nelson Mandela.  We even saw his exact cell!  On Friday, we volunteered at an Eco-village called Lynedoch.  We helped garden and also make sandwiches.  On Saturday, we all enjoyed authentic African cuisine at a restaurant called Moyo where we also enjoyed authentic music and got our faces painted!  On Tuesday night, our last night, we took a sunset cruise and then hung out and had dinner at the waterfront.  It is a bittersweet feeling finishing my last update, but I can’t wait to tell everyone about our amazing trip in more detail!

 Submitted by Katherine Chiseri on the 2013 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice and the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics..

Our past few days in Cape Town have been  jam packed! The highlights so far have been Boulders Beach and Table Mountain.  At Boulders Beach, we actually swam with African penguins! It was so cool! We also spent a morning at Table Mountain – some people took the cable car up to the top, and others climbed over 3,000 feet to the top! It was certainly a workout! We also visited the Sustainability Institute, an eco-village, as part of our Eco Tourism class.  We volunteered time working in the garden that supplied the vegetables for the entire village.  We are excited about our last few days in Cape Town, and we certainly are not excited about returning to the snow in Delaware!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by Rachel Dunscomb on the 2017 winter session program in Morocco sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…

It’s been almost a full month here in Morocco and now unfortunately, we have to say good-bye. Yesterday as we were on the ferry back to Tangier from a weekend in Spain, my roommate asked if I thought this program was life changing. I don’t know if my life has been completely changed from this study abroad experience. I am the same person I was when I came here. But, that said, I do think my time here has changed me, and for the better.

From riding camels into the Sahara sunset to pushing my way through a crowded souq in the cities, I have had the incredible opportunity to experience an entirely unique and rich culture on this program that I never would have otherwise. Some things that we have had the chance to do as a group like this would be impossible to do alone. I would never have had the courage to leave one of the main cities or to talk to a nomadic family or even eat at some of the small restaurants we ate at along the way. With this group, I’ve gone from not knowing a single word in Arabic to incorporating Arabic phrases into my everyday conversations.

I haven’t been so changed that I’m staying here for the rest of my life, but I’m definitely taking a big chunk of Morocco back with me and that will define me for the rest of my life. I’m not a name yet, but it’s definitely on my radar.