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Hi folks, I arrived here in Cape Town at the 10 January and didn't even manage to drop you a line until now. But don't worry, I'm doing just fine. Over the previous four weeks I've been busy getting to know these amazing people in this even more amazing city within the most amazing country I've ever been to. My daily experiences are that overwhelming that I didn't know what to write about and still don't know where to get started. So I'm really excited where this E-Mail leads us to. But let's start at the very beginning … Tuesday, 10 January 2006, 5.35am: Our aircraft leaves the Atlantic Ocean behind and virtually dives into the sleepy city, which will be my home for the following three months. I swallow my last piece of croissant while allowing my thoughts to wander. I say goodbye to the European winter, exchange my winter jacket, gloves and snowboard for my swimming stuff, sun crème and surfboard and look forward to seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables and South-African wine. Meanwhile, simultaneously with the first beam of light Table Mountain appears in front of just. We seem to fly directly into the sunrise, being greeted by millions of lights from the metropolis at the Cape of Good Hope. The uniqueness and beauty of the sunrise is only outdone by the stewardess with the most beautiful and warm-hearted smile I've ever seen. Welcome to the Rainbow Nation, welcome to Cape Town! The adventure can begin … I'm in South-Africa for almost four weeks now, a country I fell in love with. I can't really describe it in words, but somehow I feel at home since my arrival. I live with Ficky and Wayne (two South-African dudes), Michaela and Benjamin (German volunteers), Simone and Koos (Dutch couple), three dogs, one cat, 27 goats, 13 ducks, 9 swans, 3 mice and 1329 flies on our little farm. Our house is situated about 30km in the South of the city centre, 2km from the beach and 1,5km from our workplace. After work we tend to sit for hours in front of our house, have a lovely barbecue with chicken, fresh vegetables and fruits, talk about our day, share our hopes and dreams, enjoy the sunset while drinking one or nine glasses of South-African wine and say goodbye to another exciting day with some drumming or traditional African music. Our South-African hosts are just like my colleagues and friends extraordinary welcoming, friendly and caring. People take time for each other and are pleased with whatever they have. This is a lifestyle, which I learned to appreciate and love myself. And I'm sometimes surprised about how many luxury goods and support systems we can abstain from. After packing and weighing my stuff for the three months in South-Africa, I noticed that I only needed 13,5kg rather than the 20kg weight, which was allowed to take on the plane. I always feel great, when reducing my life to its basics and abandoning all these material possessions, which our marketing experts in the 'developed world' attempt to make us buy. The more time I spend here the more I realise that the richest people are those, who are able to live with the least possessions. Everybody who ever made fire with their bare hands and whatever nature provides, everybody who ever climbed Mount Everest with only one pair of spare socks and every citizen of the 'first world' who ever managed to switch on his/her TV without a remote control knows what I'm talking about - this sense of achievement is beyond description. Since my arrival I noticed the uniqueness of the local people here in the townships. They master a language, which is understood by human beings of all cultures, nationalities, 'races' and religions. It is 'spoken' by deaf and dumb people and can not be learned via our education system or bought with money. It units people who have been segregated through our social structures and categories. It is a way of life and a great tool in order to work towards a better and brighter future. - People simple smile at you when you pass them on the street or meet them in a shop. Most people in England or Germany ignore you or even turn away whenever you greet or smile at someone you do not know. They consider you as weird, odd and 'abnormal'. It is very encouraging to witness South-African people opposing our Western norms and standards in this respect. After coming back to England, I just have to be careful not to get an ASBO for smiling and saying "Good morning" to a stranger in Plymouth city centre. He might be too busy buying Christmas presents for his loved ones or fetching his lunch at McDonalds before rushing to the next business meeting. How 'developed' must the Western world be, that its citizens can afford to give up personal encounters and communication with each other for spending quality time in front of their computers, laptops, mobiles, iPots and Play stations? OK, but let's move on to the actual reason I'm here for. During my stay here in Cape Town I work for the New World Foundation (NWF) as part of my studies. The NWF is a registered Non Profit Organisation, being situated in Lavender Hill, one of the most deprived townships of Cape Town. It was founded in the 1980's by two local ministers, in order to build a new world of hope, justice and peace. During this time of hopelessness, injustice and war against Apartheid, the NWF fought for the political and human rights of the oppressed and provided assistance to people with there daily struggles. The project started with a creche (kinder garden) for 27 children and a soup kitchen in the nearby Vrygrond informal settlement. Since the defeat of the Apartheid system, the NWF deals with its aftermath, while focusing on social uplifting, capacity building and empowerment. In doing so, the mutli-purpose training and development centre attempts to put an end to the marginalisation that the community of Lavender Hill and its surrounding areas have experienced for decades. Lavender Hill is a City Housing Estate that was established in the 1970's as a result of the Group Areas Act, an Apartheid law that called for separate living areas for people of different 'races' (colours). Nowadays, Lavender Hill and its surrounded areas consist of approximately 60000 residents. The majority of the residents live in small flats, which are totally overcrowded and house easily ten to twelve family members. Most families are largely dependent on government grants, since the unemployment rate is as high as 50%. Additional social problems are seen in domestic violence, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, teenage pregnancy, gangsterism, lack of housing, alcohol and substance abuse and ill health (HIV/Aids, tuberculoses etcetera). Furthermore, the area itself has a weak infrastructure as residents have no direct access to social services, shops, safe playgrounds for children and municipal services (libraries, sports grounds etcetera). The NWF is the only well established non-profit organisation that provides access to social services and training programmes to the community. While focusing primarily on programmes for children and young people, the NWF addresses a significant part of the community (50% of the residents are under the age of 24). Its resources, facilities and services enable youth to fulfil their potential and gain the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions, which affect their lives. The following programmes, in which I will be involved in, are aimed at young people's mental, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and social development: Youth Leadership/Volunteer Programme, Mapping the Future, After School Programme and Love Life. Right, that's it for now. Hope, you made it that far and I didn't bore you too much with one of the most amazing experiences I ever had in my life. Would be nice to hear from you sometime, either via E-Mail, post or phone … New World Foundation Love, Dan |