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!