It’s been one year since 17 TYA family members visited South Africa. In reflection, the trip was life changing;it expanded our perspective, warmed our hearts, and hurt then healed our souls. The history is South Africa is undeniable.
We visited the Soweto Apartheid Museum, which told the story of the pain and evils of Apartheid through photos, video, print and artifacts. The entrance to the museum spoke volumes as you are separated by whites or non-whites to enter and experience a wealth of information separately.
On our fifth day, as we left Johannesburg going to Cape Town, Nelson Mandela transitioned. The shock, the out pouring of love, the energy, the history, the life blood, heartbeat of South Africa was exposed for all to see and feel. We were not exempt from the pain and then healing from the world’a great loss.
The trip included a visit to our sister organization, Bokamoso Youth Center in Winterveldt, a performance at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, a gumboot class in Durban, a performance at a recreation center in the Langda Township, and a multitude of historical and cultural sites in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. This trip will never be forgotten.
