The Homestead
I spent my summer working at a NGO called The Homestead. The organization has a job creation project called Ubunye Beadworks, which is what most of my work was centered around. Women from various townships come into the city each day to do beadwork and take part in trainings which help them put food on the table and prepare them to get a more stable job respectively.
9 Hofmeyr St.
I lived in a house right off the main street of the city. The house was so close to the center of town with restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, shopping, etc, which was very convenient. I was also close enough that I walked to work every day.
My Housemates
During most of my time in Cape Town there were between 8 and 12 people living in my house from all different places. I learned so much by living with international students, and it always kept things interesting in the house and made my experience so great.
Table Mountain
Myself with 2 of my housemates with Table Mountain in the background. Seeing this mountain never seemed to get old.
View from Signal Hill
The area of Cape Town where I lived in is commonly called the “City Bowl” as Table Mountain, Lions Head, and Signal Hill circle around the city making it look like a bowl.
Stellenbosch
The winelands in South Africa give breathtaking views and show a different side of the country.
Wine Tasting
South Africans take their wines very seriously and doing a wine tasting is a must if you are in the Cape Town area.
Montagu
One weekend a group of about 20 of us from different houses took a trip to a little town called Montagu and visited the hot springs in the mountain as you see here. Karin, the local director, sends out weekly newsletters with different social events and trips planned by the program. Make sure to check your email because there are some great opportunities to meet people, see new places, and do some cool things.
African Penguins
A must see in South Africa is the African Penguins in Simon’s Town. They are such cool animals and you too will leave with a large amount of penguin pictures!
Climbing Lion’s Head
Some of the best views can be seen by hiking in Cape Town. Here is the coastline view from the hike up Lion’s Head.
Top of Table Mountain
You can’t leave Cape Town without hiking up Table Mountain. The views from the top are incredible, and I recommend watching sunset from the top. There is also a cable car that goes up to the top of the mountain.
Greenmarket Square
Here you can find jewelry, key chains, African paintings, spears, animal skin, beaded wire animals, and that’s just the first aisle. What also makes this place fun is that you have to bargain with the sellers to get the best price.
Women of Ubunye Beadworks
The women in the job creation project do their beading in this workshop at the bottom of the head office. I learned so much by just talking to them about their lives, family, community, culture and dreams. They were so open with me and really allowed me to learn from them.
July 4th Celebration
For our independence day, myself and 2 other ELIers were invited to the house of the US Consul-General in Cape Town to enjoy July 4th festivities. It was so cool to see how the two countries interact and we got to meet other Americans living in South Africa.
The Beaches
The beaches in South Africa were picturesque. Although it was winter in Cape Town while I was there, the weather was generally mild. Some days were very windy and cold, but others were perfect beach days. Come to Cape Town prepared for both because you never know what kind of attire will be needed for the day.
Baboons
Beware that if you go much outside of Cape Town you might run in to some baboons and they have no problem sitting in the middle of the road.
Training for the women
One of my projects at my internship was putting together a Job Preparation Training for the women in the job creation project. I gave a 2.5 hour training, typed up CVs for the women, and presented them each with a certificate of completion at the end.
Robben Island
South Africa has such a rich history and there is so much to learn about. I would definitely recommend that everyone take the Robben Island tour where you can see the infamous cell (pictured here) where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his life.
Braai
Having a braai is a regular thing for South Africans and this is something that all of us adopted very early on. Having a braai was a great way to socialize with other students, try some new things, and eat delicious food. In general the food I ate was always great. While in South Africa everyone must try foods like bobotie, ostrich, boeworse, samoosas, koeksisters, milk tart, and malva pudding.
Townships
Poverty is so widespread in the country and seeing the townships for the first time blew my mind. But, I would recommend learning what you can about these areas and through Karin, the program director, you can actually take a township tour and see the inside of the townships and play with some of the children in the community.
Sunsets
With both mountains and beaches there are so many places to watch the breathtaking sunsets in South Africa. It really is a beautiful country with so much to offer and teach. Anyone thinking of traveling to South Africa should book their flight right now!
