View photos from South Africa

16 students traveled to South Africa this past January to explore issues of service, justice and the after-effects of apartheid. The course was designed to look at some of the social problems that grew out the the period of state-sponsored racial segregation. Students met with former political prisoners and fellow prisoners of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island, toured the infamous District Six, and heard a talk by Truth & Reconciliation Commission member Mary Burton. Students also performed several days of community service work at the Children's Home orphanage in the Gardens neighborhood and also volunteered in the township slums with the Amy Biehl Foundation as well as the Zwane Center in Guguletu.

Students painted windows at the orphanage, kicked around a soccer ball with some of the children of the home, helped plant a garden at a school in the township and delivered food packages to people in the Guguletu community. Students read two texts on South Africa, completed a journal & final paper and had several meetings in the evenings to discuss the events of the day.

When not studying, the class was able to hike the mountains in the Cederberg area, tour the farms of Stellenbosch, climb Table Mountain, attend a performance of As You Like It, visit with the locals at Scrumpy Jack's, see the penguins in Simonstown and eat delicious food at the Africa Cafe. The three weeks were intense but went by far too quickly.

Brian MacHarg
Director of Service Learning

View photos from South Africa