Submitted by Lejan Castro on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies…
When we landed in Cape Town, the pilot stated that this was the worst drought Cape Town has experienced in 100 years. In the airport, there was hand sanitizer in the bathroom, the water for the sinks were all shut off, and there were signs with tips for saving water. The bathrooms in the hotel have timers to help their customers be cautious of their shower time and to help reduce that time to only 2 minutes. Timing myself in the shower, has really put into perspective how bad this water crisis is even though I am not feeling the full effects of it.
There are many people in the city who have been getting rationed water and hoping that it rains soon. Despite the fact that we are only visitors in this country, it is important to live in a way that won’t hurt the people that call this area home. Whether that be taking 2 minute showers because of a water crisis or throwing trash in garbage cans to keep the area clean, it is important to be conscious of how your actions can affect the citizens and the environment.