Where the Sky Meets the Land – South Africa, Part 1

If only I lived in Africa

If I only lived in a world where love and family came before money and wealth. If I only lived in a place where music and sound was the navigation system to the soul. If only I lived where the sky meets the land and the land is the heartbeat of man.

By Porsha Lackey

When I thought of South Africa I thought of severe poverty, homelessness, extreme hunger, HIV/AIDS, and of course, a never ending epidemic of slavery.

Porsha shares a tender moment with children from the township of Soweto as they pose for the camera.

Brother Bob, Director of S.K.Y. stands in front of the signature wall as the youth dance and entertain visiting guests.

Downtown Johannesburg, South Africa

A panoramic view from the highway of Soweto and Kliptown, South Africa

But after visiting
this beautiful country, I realized that all the assumptions of the
people and the way they live were completely untrue, and unfair. South
Africa is the most amazing and intriguing place I have ever been. The
people were full of love and excitement. Even though they didn’t have
much and were stricken with poverty, they were extremely happy and full
of hope; for that, I envy them.
What I thought would be two weeks of community service and education in
South Africa, changed my life — forever. From the moment we set foot in
Johannesburg the people embraced us and cleared a spot for us in their
hearts. I remember leaving the inside of the airport and the children
screaming — “there are Americans, Americans!” They had smiles on their
faces as if we were celebrities. For a moment, I had to turn around and
make sure a well-known celebrity wasn’t standing behind me!

The most memorable experiences were visiting the township of Soweto/
Kliptown, the poorest townships in Johannesburg, not respectfully
recognized by the South African government. Clean water and decent
homes were not in this area. As we walked through the township we saw
people on the streets panning water, washing clothes, and children
playing along the way. It was interesting to see how everyday
necessities to Americans, became unneeded for survival to them. The
children followed us up and down the street while holding our hands and
smiling constantly, as if they had just found a miracle, and a cure to
all their problems. Little did they know we were just college students,
but in their eyes we were more, we were their future, their dream.

A man named T.K., one of the youth leaders in the township, worked with
the S.K.Y (Soweto and Kliptown Youth) Foundation. The S.K.Y Foundation
feeds over 3,000 children three meals a day, and provides the children
with educational necessities such as books, paper, and other
essentials, all from donations. Brother Bob (the Director), looked like
Bob Marley with his long tangled locks, and spoke with passion and
love. When we went inside, there was a backyard with a concrete stage.

People such as actor and comedian Chris Tucker, several players from
the NBA including Marcus Camby, had all appeared on this stage. It was
then that we realized how special it was for us to be in this place. If
celebrities could walk in here and be treated like royalty, and we as
regular people be treated the same, that shows how special and big
their hearts are. We spent the whole day singing, dancing, exchanging
email addresses, and left beautiful notes on Brother Bob’s thank you
wall.

Towards the end of the first week we visited the Mama Jackie Itutheng
School. There was a huge parade outside (between 400-500 people), and
children in the streets playing drums and dancing.

We eventually made
our way to a field and some chairs draped under a gazebo, and the
children began to line up, and it became silent. All of a sudden the
most beautiful voice began singing and we all instantly started to cry.
They put on a show just for us, like we were VIP’s! After the show we
went inside for dinner and theatre.

The dinner hall was gorgeous and elegant, and was masked in zebra
print. The children gathered on a center stage and began to perform
different little skits. The one that stood out the most was when they
did a skit about one of the biggest issues in South Africa, rape among
children, and the spread of HIV/AIDS. It was extremely powerful and
jerked tears out of everyone. We were called on stage, where they gave
us each African names. I was named Ntahbiseng, which means “to make
people happy.”

In South Africa, African Blacks believe the children are the hope for
the future. In their eyes, children are more powerful than anyone. To
them when a child speaks fluently and passionately, it is coming from
the heart and can possibly move mountains! In Johannesburg we went to a
school where students once rallied during the Apartheid days about the
treatment of Africans Blacks by white settlers. They organized a
peaceful silent march, which turned into a blood shed of abuse. The
police had fired into a crowd of over two hundred students, killing
dozens of innocent children between the age of 10-18, who were just
looking for improvement and equal rights. Seeing and visiting the
museum was extremely powerful.

Being in South Africa taught me that what I have, and will obtain,
should not be taken lightly. You never know how much you have until you
see someone else who lacks so much! I won’t say that I would ever
switch places with them, but I now truly understand that what I have is
important. Not only do I want to make an impact on my community, but
their community as well.