Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues,
As most of you probably know, I was in South Africa from May 7th - June 9th with 17 wonderful people. We were all part of the Pedagogy of Action 2007. The title of our trip was: Empowering Ordinary People to become HIV activists.
While on the trip two students were selected every week to write a dispatch, which was e-mailed out. I created this website in order to put all the dispatches in one spot and share them with you. By clicking on titles in the 'Blog Archive' above you can read different students' personal experiences. There are quite a few, but I think they are well worth reading. They represent the heart and soul of our experience. I hope you will enjoy sharing this experience with us. This trip has taken us on a wonderful journey, and even though we are back, it is a journey that is far from over.
Sincerely,
Ashley
The group at Shakaland
Bharat is the only student missing since he insisted on taking the picture with his camera :)
Week 1 - Unizul
Mama Gugu, Nesha, Mama Zethu
Introductory Meeting
A meeting with the Rector of Unizul
We visited Shakaland, a traditional Zulu Village, and were learning about the structure in this picture
We headed to Mtunzini Beach for some fun in the sun after a long week of travel and meetings
Even though it was a day off, we did not forget our Pedagogy!
A group of students learning the module at the University of Zululand
We were just coming back from our first day of teaching!
Bharat, Christina, Lydia and Lys with a group of our students
Step Routine by Zakiyah, Erika and Brown that we performed for the graduation ceremony
Some of our students and their certificates
Our four wonderful assistants presenting Mama Gugu with a gift
Right before we got on the bus to Durban
Week 2 - Durban
Our welcome sign at the Rainsgrove Lodge
Marissa, Jerry, Erika and students at Mayville Primary
Erika and her students at Mayville
Brown and his students at Cato Crest Primary
Cato Crest students and their certificates for doing a great job!
Week 3 - Cape Town
On Robben Eiland
We met Mr. Ahmed Kathrada, who spent 26 years in prison fighting for the new South Africa, and his former warden after our tour of Robben Eiland
Mr. Kathrada's quote
The building where Nelson Mandela gave his first speech after getting out of prison
Cape Point
Cape of Good Hope, the most South Eastern Point of Africa!
Pedagogy of Action Ladies Posing at the most Southern Tip of Africa! (Where was Lydia?!)
Week 4 - Johannesburg
A student teaching back the module in Pidgin English at University of Witwatersrand
Nesha, Lebethe and Gita handing out certificates at the Wits graduation
The Crest of the Constitutional Court, which represents the traditional way that rules were made in South Africa, under trees.
Inside the Consitutional Court