Poverty & Privilege - A Personal Reflection

Throughout my travels, I have witnessed poverty and the misery that it can bring. Prior to 2017, I had never witnessed poverty with my own eyes. I have seen pictures but I don't think that is the same as seeing it and standing in it. I was in Guatemala City when I first saw poverty. The smell is something that haunts me to this day. The conditions were difficult and yet, we were on the "good" side of it.
Now, a little over a year later, I see poverty in a different country. I have so far been to two townships (Masiphumelele and Langa). But, what is different with my experience here is that even outside of the townships, poverty can reach your front door. Hardly a day goes by where I don't encounter someone begging for money or looking to sell enough trinkets to scrape by with a living. I have found it to be challenging to understand. I am not of that world. I was born in a middle-class American home with loving family. I have never known poverty. I have never known a life where my needs were not met.
This is where we have to be honest with ourselves. I don't know how to fully eradicate poverty. I wish I did and I think we all do as well. I used to think it was making jobs available but after some reading and thought, it is a little more than that. Over this trip, I read Trevor Noah's book, Born a Crime, and in that book he raises an interesting point about living in poverty. There is a mindset created in it and often, poverty will drag you back in even if you know you shouldn't. There are stories of people quitting their jobs due to social pressure from back home. There are stories of friends from the township ruining prospects for others so that they don't leave. This isn't universal of course, and how prevalent it is I do not know. But I think it raises an important point. It takes a lot to get out of poverty and for many, it's more than just getting a job. It's about being able to get out of poverty and stay out of poverty.
How should those who who are not living in such conditions view those that do? It's easy to dismiss if you don't live, but it's impossible to ignore if you do live in it. I think providing jobs alone isn't enough but also advertising what life is like when you have a career. I think proper educational facilities is key as well. You might note a previous blog post I did where I went and visited a school in Masiphumelele. The conditions of the school was difficult and I imagine there are schools like it in other townships in Cape Town that are either the same quality or worse. Quality education and job aspirations could be what it takes for everyone to have equality of opportunity. If you feed a man a fish, he will eat for a day but if you teach the man how to fish and to allow him the chance to seek further ways to fish better - him and his family will never go hungry.
May what we call a township today be a thriving city tomorrow.
~Noah Goldman

Mandela Day - Celebration in Langa

It goes without saying that I have had some very interesting experiences whilst traveling. I have gone to some places that have caused some raised eyebrows. "Noah, why would you go there?" "Noah, why would you eat that?" "Noah, what are you doing?" I have to be honest, I've been hearing questions like that at least once a week. One of the things you have to do when you travel is go for the local cuisine and look for those places that fill your heart with joy. 

Today is a special day (at least in my eyes) because it is Mandela Day. If Madiba were alive today, he would be 100 years old. Perhaps also appropriate that it's my dad's birthday too. Madiba is someone whom I had admired for as long as I can remember. He was a man who brought an oppressive system down to its knees. That alone is admirable but he did so much more. I think what I have learned from Madiba is that it takes great courage to let go of the pain brought upon you, to turn the other cheek, and be willing to work with those who hurt you to make something better. 

So, in honor of his life and of what happened to be good timing, me and some of my friends went to this very special restaurant: Mzansi. Mzansi is a buffet/homestyle restaurant. It is located in the township of Langa (this is where some eyebrows are raised) and has been in operation for quite some time now. This restaurant was made for travelers to come to and experience a different part of South Africa. Here you are served traditional Xhosa foods and are meant to feel at home. There are no waiters as you serve yourself but the experience is very homey. I will explain. 

You get your food and you sit with anyone. It is home-style so its not just a table for you and your group like a normal restaurant. You meet people from different parts of the world who happen to come to this place the same time you did. There is also a wonderful band playing to make the experience even more enjoyable. Then, after you eat, the owner and head cook shares with you her story. We, as travelers, know her as Mama. 

She shared her story of growing up in Langa during apartheid and how even before the restaurant she would serve food to people in the township. Back then, whites were not permitted to go to townships due to 'forced separation' laws. A couple years ago she opened her old home, renovated it, and made it into a restaurant. Thanks to spread of word and TripAdvisor, it has become very successful. She is a humble woman who loves to see the smiles on people's faces because of her delicious food. She said that thanks to this restaurant "I don't come to the world, the world comes to me." This was rather interesting to me. It really does show how small our world really is. She talked with us about the struggles she had to endure because of racism but holds no grudges. Cliche' it may be, below our different skin colors, the blood is the same. 

I think what has been hard for me here is the dialogue around race. "Whites do this." "Blacks do that." Coloureds always do such and such." The over-simplification and generalizations infuriate me because human beings are so much more complicated than skin color. I think people spend so much time thinking about race that they are missing out on the beauty of the world around them. This is what Madiba believed. Race does not define your character. You are no better or worse because of it. There may be systems that prefer certain skin colors but in the grand scheme, it ultimately means nothing. 

Look for the beauty in your culture and in your people. It is beautiful and there are amazing stories to share of it. Then, go to a place like Mzansi, and you will find people of another culture and you will see that they too are beautiful. This is what Madiba believed. That the plurality of society in which we all live together and contribute to each others well-being is what makes our world great. So, on this Mandela Day, let us move past this primitive view on race and let us move forward so that a better world is yet to come. 

"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." 

~Noah Goldman

Robben Island

I think Robben Island is about four miles from mainland Cape Town. The way you go there today is by boat through the Robben Island Museum. Distance-wise, it is not that far from the mainland but for some reason, it felt like the longest boat ride of my life. There is something about this place of terror and oppression that makes it different from the others. Robben Island was a place in which the apartheid government could hold those it deemed "enemies of the state" away from South African society with four miles of water to keep them separated. A place where many black people suffered tremendously. Where some, would never return from.

When you go to Robben Island through the museum, you get a very special perspective added to your trip. Your tour guide will be someone who was a former prisoner when it was operational. This is a very unique and powerful perspective. Our guide was a man who went to a protest in his high school years and because of that, he was arrested and sent to Robben Island for five years.

This is the entrance to Robben Island prison. As you walk through the prison halls, you see the harsh conditions that prisoners were put through. When you hear and read testimony, you learn how experiences on the island were made to be even worse than designed. It is a place where for many, the punishment was far bigger than the crime. Going through the island, one can understand why many hold resentment towards South Africa. It is a suffering beyond what a person can imagine unless they have experienced it. 

What was interesting was that our tour guide knew Nelson Mandela. He casually pointed out where his 'buddy' Nelson sat in prison. I wonder what it's like to know one of the 20th century's greatest statesmen at what may be the lowest point in their lives. There is something about the cold and the gray walls of the prison. How one could spend more than a day there, I will never know. Even with the desire to escape, you simply could not. On the off-chance you break out of prison, you then would have to swim to mainland Cape Town where if you managed to make it there, there may be some people expecting you. But, the coasts are difficult, the waves are strong, and the water is always cold. When asked if anyone escaped during the apartheid era, the guide told me "the thought never escaped our minds." In a disturbing way, Robben Island was the perfect prison. 

Robben Island leaves a disturbing reminder as to what happens when we let radicals take over our politics and corrupt our systems so that opposition to them is a damning offense. This isn't a lesson just for South Africa; it's a lesson for the world.

It makes a great physical reminder because from Cape Town, if you look out to sea, there is a good chance you will see the island. As I leave the island, I reflect on the pain that took place on the grounds that I walked on. Who was locked up there? What did they do to be put there? Who never got to leave the island? Can we stop something like this from ever happening again? 

My Visit to Pinelands - Cape Town Jewish Cemetery

I have come a long way from home. From the comfort of Charlotte to the old cemeteries of Poland to the beautiful sights of Prague and Zurich to now being in South Africa. This journey to 4 different countries has involved me tracing some form of where I come from and what my history is. It is weird to think had history taken a different turn, I would likely be Polish or Lithuanian today instead of being an American. Had history taken a different route, no one in my family would have ever moved to South Africa. I would be someone totally different.
But that's not the reality I live in. The Holocaust happened and those who survived did not stay in Poland or Lithuania, they came to South Africa. There are a few different stories with how my Polish and Lithuanian ancestors came to South Africa but the underlying theme was to flee a destructive persecution. Since  the 1920's, people from my family have lived in South Africa and have contributed to the country since. They were established businesses, contributed to a strong Jewish community, and life was good but not without their challenges. Over time, people left South Africa for varying reasons and to varying places but many stay behind and when the opportunity arises, we visit South Africa.
One of the ways in which you establish a Jewish community is that you have a Jewish cemetery. This is hallmark for Jewish communities all across the world. On this day, I went to go see the Cape Town Jewish Cemetery at Pinelands.
It is a beautiful cemetery that is well-taken care of and a place where many who added to Cape Town are laid to rest. Some of the people buried there are close family. This blog post will acknowledge them and what they mean to me. One of the women buried there is my grandmother. I sadly never had the privilege to meet her in person. She passed away on the 21st of August, 1974. By blood, she is my grandmother and even thought I never got to see her in person, I feel a strong love for her through the stories that keep her alive. On this day and after all these years, I finally got to meet her.

Afterwards, my grandfather remarried and more people were added to the family. It makes for an interesting dynamic. I have uncles, aunts, and cousins with whom I share no genetic bond to. We are related through the marriage of one couple. For me at least, it has so far worked out just fine. I love all my relatives, whether related by blood or not, and we get along pretty well. One of my aunts, Ruth Golembo Mesarcik, was another woman I did not have the privilege of meeting in person. Unfortunately, she passed away on the 14th of July, 2016. I had only heard wonderful things about her. She was an amazing wife and mother and successful in her field of work. I wish I could have at least spoken to her. 

An amazing person I never got to meet was the man we called 'Uncle Phil'. He was my dad's uncle. His father's brother to be exact. He passed away on the 28th of June, 2016. I have heard wonderful stories through my dad and my grandfather of the impact he had on their lives. How he was able to touch the lives of so many people and live to a ripe old age. His life will live on through those stories that I wish to share and pass on as well. 

I would lastly like to acknowledge one more person and this is difficult. My dad's cousin had a son named Justin Goldman. He was 'Uncle Phil's' grandson. He passed away on the 16th of May, 2016. He was too young for his time and taken from us way too soon. Despite the obstacles he faced in life, he sought and worked for success. His loss leaves an unfilled space that can never be refilled. 

I know that for any of my family members who have read this, it may not have been easy and I apologize if I brought any tears back to you. I feel that it is important to share these stories and these people with the world. I have to be honest, these losses have shown me how fragile life really is. I don't hold many regrets but I do have one. That I never called. Three of my relatives that I shared about passed away in 2016. It was a rough year for the family. It hit me that I will never hear their voices for a first time because we never talked. Even though we are a distance apart, I could have called. I should have but I didn't. The thought did not occur to me until it was far too late. I am sorry for not calling you when I should have made the effort to do so. 

I know that I have shared a lot of personal thoughts, feelings, and stories on this blog. I find it easier to type it than to speak it. Some may think I may be getting to personal but I see it as being authentic, real, and human. Through this, there will forever be a record of these people who have left an impact on this world. Also, I hope that those who read these posts may learn something and perhaps see something differently in their own lives. That is why I share these personal thoughts. May we all hold our loved one's close whether they are on this earth or not and may we love them forever. 

May the memories of those we have lost forever be a blessing. 

BDE'

~Noah Goldman

Golden Birthday in the Western Cape

It sometimes so happens that the days and times align really well in order to make a great day. My birthday is June 22. It's usually a pretty cool day and as far as I remember, I only have positive memories of my past birthdays. This year was my "golden birthday" which is essentially when I turn 22 on the 22nd. It's a fun, cute idea. Because there is so much I have to do here in Cape Town, I had to go and celebrate a little bit before my actual birthday. My new friends took me to a pasta restaurant where I had a burger (such an American thing to do) and then went to the bar, Forex. Now, there is no way your friends can embarrass you more than to get a bar packed full of people to join them in singing "Happy Birthday." If there was ever an appropriate time to be drunk, it would be after that nightmare. Nevertheless, I survived.
For my actual birthday, the internship placement organization took us to Cape Point, the most South Western tip of the African continent. It's about an hour drive from Observatory and a must-do when in Cape Town. Once you get near Cape Point, you get to see some fun animals like ostriches and baboons. I don't recommend you try playing with either of them. I didn't, but apparently the obvious statements have to be made because tourists sometimes can only learn from experience. For things like safety, you only have to tell me and I'll take your word for it. So, I didn't get to play with the poor baboons.
Once you get to Cape Point, there are two short hikes you can do. One is to the lighthouse and the other is to the Cape of Good Hope which is as Southwest as Africa gets. I'll share some words about what I saw, but I'll let the pictures here do some talking first.

 These are just some of the sights I got to see whilst at Cape Point. After walking up to the lighthouse for the views, we then walked to Cape Point in which the trail took us to the top of a hill on a cliff. I never understood why people risk their lives for a nice picture right on the edge of a cliff. Are likes worth that much. The wind almost knocked someone off the edge of the cliff. What's a step or two forward so you're less likely to fall off? I got as close as I was comfortable. I got some nice pictures and that was that. The path down the hill was rather unsafe. You essentially had to hop from rock to rock and when you weren't hopping on rocks, you had to walk on rickety wood hoping it wouldn't break. It took about 15 minutes to get down and back to the van. Bye baboons. Until next time my friends.
To complete my birthday was another big family dinner at the grandparent's flat. I got some great gifts such as books, wine, chocolate, and clothes. Even when you get older, gifts from the heart are always nice. Traveling and family make for a great birthday, even for a golden birthday. I had a really good day and I am so far having a wonderful time in Cape Town. Off to the next adventure.
~Noah Goldman

Life in the Water Crisis

One of the stresses about Cape Town I had was coming here during a water crisis. Day Zero, the policy in which water usage will be extremely limited, was scary to think about. I must say though, I have lucked out a bit thanks to two things. Capetonians have become very concerned about the water crisis and have limited their water consumption as best they can. The second thing is, it has been raining a good bit. The dam levels are rising and Day Zero has been pushed back and seems to be getting pushed further and further back. This is good news but Cape Town is not out of the woods yet.
When I first got here, they told me "if it's yellow let it mellow and if it's brown flush it down." I'll leave it at that with regards to toilet usage. I have been pretty good at taking 2 minute showers but just know that when I'm back home, I'm gonna make up for lost time and take a 5 hour shower. Just kidding! I often don't drink water but other liquids to stay hydrated and typically only bring water on hikes or long trips. I have done my best to limit my water usage and I'm curious to see how it will be when I'm back home.
Living in Cape Town has made me greater appreciate the value of water and we waste so much of it back in Charlotte. We need water to live and yet we overuse it by taking insanely long showers, dumping out water instead of saving it for another day, and so much other ways we waste it. I hope that when I am back in Charlotte, I will be more considerate in my water usage. Back home I will always flush and my showers will take longer than 2 minutes but it won't be excessive. Appreciate the value of water as water is what gives us life and you shouldn't have to come to Cape Town to appreciate its importance.

Education for Immigrants in the Western Cape

I started my internship a couple of days ago. To catch you up, the organization is called the Refugee Legal & Advocacy Centre which primarily helps refugees get asylum in South Africa. One of the things my supervisor wanted me to see was some of the immigrant schools that exist in Cape Town. The school system I went to visit is called the Bright Student Learning Centre which has an incredible goal and ethic. The school is a non-profit that helps immigrant and refugee children in South Africa get a good education and makes sure that the students learn English. The students come from mainly Zimbabwe but also from Malawi, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

I had the opportunity to interview the principal, some teachers, and some students from the three different campuses. The three campuses are in Wynberg, Bellville, and Masiphumelele which is a township. Prior to going, I did some research on South African and Zimbabwean politics to better understand the issues that people in the two countries face. Both countries have recently had big political shake-ups with Jacob Zuma forced to resign in shame and replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa. Robert Mugabe was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa through the means of a military coup. The issues that force Zimbabweans out of Zimbabwe are poverty, unemployment, and political instability to name a few. South Africa currently has a growing poverty rate and a 26% unemployment rate. This is just the numbers recorded based on those in South Africa who have papers. If you don't have papers, you don't get included in the records.
I share some of the details to paint a picture as to what the migrant and refugee children I met have to deal with. I interviewed students who go far out of their way so that they can go to school. Some go by themselves on the train or the crazy taxis to get to school. For many, on a good day it is a 45 minute commute. Many of these kids were planning on going to public school but because of spacing issues, they have been deferred and some had to wait two years in order to go to public school. I met nine year olds who were forced to wait and were in the 1st Grade being held very far behind. That's why immigrant and refugee parents will send their kids to schools like the Bright Student Learning Centre, even if they can barely or downright not afford to send their kids there. It's because they know that education is a powerful tool that can take you far in life so that's why people risk everything to get it.

This is the preschool in Masiphumelele. Behind each door is a class of about 30 kindergartners. 

This school works in making sure students are fluent in English and get a high-quality education. There is a big hurdle for the school's success: money. The school started in 2012 in a small house and today has three campuses with over 500 students in total. They get no support from the South African government nor from Zimbabweans back in Zimbabwe. They rely on fees and donations and there are a good bit of people not paying their fees for whatever their reason may be. Money limits the resources needed to help these kids get an even better education. The kids I met are disciplined and more eager to learn than many Americans I know back home. I think sometimes we take education for granted since it's a requirement back home whereas here, the cracks are very big and easy to fall through. These kids value education because they know it can make a better life for them and their families. They want to be lawyers, doctors, tv stars, etc. They have these goals and ambitions at a young age. If you feel it in your heart, check out their website to learn more about how they help many young students in Cape Town.
~Noah Goldman
http://brightstudentlearningcentre.co.za/