Submitted by Sara Cannizzaro on the 2019 winter session study abroad program South Africa sponsored by the School of Nursing…
Week two has flown by and we have officially left Cape Town to head up the Eastern Cape. We have had so much fun these past few days. We’ve gone to multiple clinics where many of us saw deliveries, worked in the nursery and NICU, and helped with prenatal and postnatal checkups. We also all took a sunset cruise together and saw a Cape Town city soccer game!
Before the program, we all read Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, A Long Walk to Freedom, as well as Christo Brand’s book, Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend. We had the honor of having dinner with Mr. Brand and hearing his story. We asked him many questions about his job and what it was like to be such a good friend to Mandela, and to even work in parliament for him years later. It was an incredible night! The next day, we visited Robben Island, the prison that Mandela was in for many years and the one that Mr. Brand worked in. The living conditions were poor, and it was really sad to see. Our tour guide was even a political prisoner himself. His enthusiasm goes to show that not even the poor prison conditions could hinder his passion for ending apartheid. All of these men practiced incredible strength and forgiveness and went on to do great things. It was a great lesson to us all.
