iThemba Labantu

While I have mentioned iThemba Labantu briefly in some of my other posts, I wanted to dedicate a whole post to it because of the large part it plays in my experience here in Cape Town. Every Monday and Tuesday I wake, get dressed, eat breakfast, and scramble to the van with my other housemates headed out to service. Our driver, Pearnel, drops each of us off at our service sites for the day. Because of the route we take and because my directors are usually not at iThemba Labantu until later in the morning, I usually have about an hour car ride ahead of me. I have one of the longest car rides out of all my housemates, but because of it I am able to see more of the townships and areas in which the others in my program are serving. Plus, I get to chat with Pearnel who has a lot of insight and wisdom (and who is endlessly patient answering my endless list of questions). Our busload of American students usually recieves quite a few glances from those on the street or in other vehicles on the road. Most of the areas in which we are serving are demographically comprised of black Africans.

*Quick Note: The terms black, white, and coloured are not seen as derogatory here. The terms had been used as racial classification during the apartheid era and remain part of the culture today. While this is different from the United States and ways in which some terms can be offensive, I will continue to use these terms in reference to the peoples of South Africa because they are the terms they use. Further questions on this topic can be directed to me through email*

So, as I was saying, a group of predominantly white and all American students driving through an area that does not see many white or American people draws the attention of many around us. After dropping everyone else off at their sites, I move to the front seat and enjoy the last little part of the drive into Philippi township.

I ride from Observatory (Right of CapeTown) to Philippi (pinkish box)

I included this map above so it might be a bit easier to understand the places I often mention.
I usually arrive at Ithemba Labantu's gates at about 10:00 am. Ithemba Labantu is a little haven inside Philippi that houses many services for the community. Because Ithemba Labantu was founded by a German pastor, the main building is a church in which the children have a Monday morning Bible study, music lessons, dance lessons, and other gatherings. In addition to the church, there is a soup kitchen, caretaker's lodgings, offices, pre-school, computer rooms, health clinic, technical training workshops (for example, mechanic workshop), a weight room, and sports courts/fields. I am sure I missed something, but the idea is that there is a lot going on at this place all the time. Because it was founded by a German pastor, many of the directors and long-term volunteers are German as well. However, there is a much larger South African presence than German one. It might seem silly to say that, but many times foreign organizations will move into a community to provide some humanitarian services, but will not involve the community in their own development. Ithemba Labantu is definitely not one of those organizations. Most of the facilitators are young adult South Africans from the surrounding areas who volunteer their time to teach, coach, or mentor the youth. It is quite an incredible place, and I learn something new about it and Philippi everytime I am there.

I do not have any pictures of iThemba Labantu or the people there yet because I want to create a relationship of trust and sensitivity before bringing a camera into the center. This is something I learned way back on my first trip to Kentucky with the Appalachia Service Project. Taking pictures of others can be a sensitive topic and must come from a place of friendship and of trust. I do not want to exploit anyone at iThemba Labantu for my own purposes, and therefore have not taken any pictures yet. I want to take pictures of my friends there so I can have something to remember them by when I leave and not so I can have a new profile picture on Facebook. I am not sure if any of that made sense, but do not worry, pictures will be coming in the future.

My days at iThemba Labantu consist of various activities including aiding the pre-school children with computer skills, preparing a new library and library system, and tutoring in the afternoons. My time there is not without its challenges, but there is so much energy and goodwill pulsing through the place that it is hard to leave without a smile on my face. Spending time at iThemba Labantu and interacting with the school children has been an interesting look into the effects of poor resource distribution. Although the children recieve schooling, many of them are behind in reading, writing, and math skills because of a lack of support at home, lack of personal school resources, and lack of aggragate school resources. iThemba Labantu tries to make a difference in these kids' lives so that they can have opportunities in the future through various after school programs promoting leadership, self-confidence, and motivation. 

I have made many friends at iThemba Labantu including Nina, Jil, Konstantine, and Franz (longterm German volunteers), as well as Natasha, Vuyo, Tosh, Tobelani, Mfoneyko, and Usher (South African facilitators and volunteers). They make my time at iThemba Labantu interesting and exciting even if I am just sitting covering books in the office. The people there are so talented and many of them play instruments, dance, or art artists that use their talents to further the mission of iThemba Labantu.

Mondays and Tuesdays at iThemba Labantu have taught me so much already, and will continue to for the rest of the semester. Even though I am not always doing things that have direct and immediate positive impacts, they lay the foundation for other actions to take place. They are the beginnings and unseen middle parts necessary to any organization, but not always known about. Working in the nonprofit sector for the past two summers has taught me that not everything that needs to be done for the good of others is exciting or will show immediate gratification or receive immediate graditude, but that joy must be found in completing every task no matter how mundane. Because someone needs to do it, why can't that someone be me? So, I continue to enjoy my days at iThemba Labantu talking, eating, sharing, and joking with Germans, South Africans, children, and adults.


For anyone interested for further information on iThemba Labantu, check out the website link below:
http://www.ithemba-labantu.co.za/index.php/about-us