It is impossible to describe the impoverished townships that surround Cape Town to someone who has not observed them firsthand. Before departing from the US, I thought that last year’s students had provided us with a very solid understanding of these difficult areas. My only concern was that I would be overcome with pity for the hundreds of thousands of people who live in such poor conditions. But three days into my internship at Christel House, I have begun interacting with these people, and already I realize that they need not be pitied; instead, the optimism they maintain despite such hardship is overwhelmingly inspiring.Christel House South Africa is a private K-12 school whose aim is to help the children from these townships break the cycle of poverty. Founded by Christel DeHaan, the former head of RCI vacation group, Christel House receives over 600 applications each year for its 60-student incoming class. The school’s principal, along with social workers and counselors, visits each applicant’s home to assess the child’s living conditions and family environment. Once accepted, the child receives a holistic private school education at no charge to the family. Christel House pays for the learners’ clothing, meals, transportation, and extra-curricular activities. Counselors work with the children’s families, helping them to understand the value of education to ensure the cooperation of parents and siblings. Workshops are held frequently to teach the parents how to sew or cook; skills that are used not only in helping to make the school uniforms and meals, but also later to help the parents secure employment for themselves. Additionally, a full medical staff tends to the students’ physical, mental, dental, and nutritional health needs. My internship is in the Marketing/Public Relations office. In brief, my responsibilities include securing funding from corporations and private donors so that Christel DeHaan can free up her personal money to open other schools (currently, there are 5 Christel Houses throughout the world).
Right now, the school is preparing to move into its new premises in Ottery, a few short miles from its current location. The inauguration ceremony will be held in March, and much is being done to prepare for the ceremony. My boss Sharon, the director of Marketing/Development, was interviewed by two newspapers this week. The second reporter asked to speak to some students about their experiences at the school. The girl who spoke was from Mitchell's Plain, one of the townships. I have yet to master her name- it incorporates the Xhosa “clicks”- a challenge still too steep for my American mouth! Sharon told me that this girl lives in a one-room shack with seven other family members. After school, she is expected to cook, clean, and care for her other siblings. During exams, she stays with one of her teachers so that she may have a quiet room to use for studying. No one in her family has had formal schooling, and it would seem that her life was destined for poverty. The odds have been stacked against her for her whole life, but she has remained hopeful despite the hand she was dealt. Shattering any stereotypes of kids from poor neighborhoods being troublemakers or impolite, she conducted herself flawlessly throughout the interview. Always addressing the reporter as “ma’am”, she was more polite and well-spoken than most of my college peers. She answered the reporter’s questions fluidly, emphasizing her gratitude for the endless opportunities Christel House has given her. Listening to the interview, I began to realize fully the impact Christel House has on the lives of its learners. The kids receive not only an academic education, but also the tools to transform their own lives holistically. I felt foolish for thinking I would pity these people. Instead, their hopefulness and buoyancy in the face of such unbearable odds has already inspired me to appreciate my own life more. If these kids can come from nothing- literally, nothing, and still maintain pride and hope for their own futures, then I should surely remain optimistic in my own life. I can only begin to imagine how else our time in Cape Town will change us all.
