Community Outreach

Community Event

            Friday, I observed and assisted the Safe Line Athlone office coordinate a community event in Bontiville.  Recently, Safe Line has hosted Parenting Seminars in several areas.  The community workers invite women to attend one of the three different sessions offered for the week.  The attendees from all three sessions are then invited to a community event.

            We arrive at the Assembly of God church to set up for the event.  Unsure of where to go I walk into the kitchen.  There I found many of the workers feverishly spreading egg salad and cheese on bread.  The workers were preparing the food for the reception after the performances.  I join in and begin squishing cheese onto white bread.  I listen as the workers plan what to do with the food and how to finishing setting up.  One of the workers says that we are expecting 138 people.  By the end of the event, only 60 of the participants attended, but none of the sandwiches were left. 

            The event consisted of several programs such as a Safe Line intro video, a dancer (60 years young and amazing), a devotional singer, and a guest speaker, Ann, from the Future Factory.  The Safe line workers also performed during the event to show their appreciation to the community after Ann’s speech.  The safe line workers stood in a long line in front of the crowd.  Each one of the workers said his or her name and his or her position at Safe Line.  After each of the workers was introduced, the director stepped forward and pointed to me in the crowd.  She motioned for me to come and introduce myself.  Awkwardly, I introduced myself as the new intern from America and joined the workers in line.  The workers beamed as loud music began to play from the church speaker system.  Suddenly, Lena whispered to me to follow what she does.  I realized that I was about to participate in a performance that I was completely clueless about.  Lena began to lead the workers in song and motion.  All of the workers enthusiastically sway and sing.  I clapped along with the music and hoped that no one noticed me at the end of the line.  Soon, the performance ends and the programs continued with closing statements and community testimonials. 

            After the program ended, I helped the workers serve food and clean the kitchen.  In between collecting dirty plates and cups I talk with one of the board members, the Pastor, about my internship and how easily South Africa is stereotyped.  He joked that he hates Americans because they donate money to organization with little thought.  He talks about how Americans want to save “Africa” by donating sums to any venue.  He describes that other areas, such as the UK, require all organizations to go through a professional proposal process.   Though he prefaced his comment as just a joke, I could tell that he is frustrated at how South Africa (and the entire continent of Africa) is stereotyped as unprofessional, under developed, and uneducated.   

            After my discussion with pastor, Jim picks me up and we head back to home base for lunch.  On our way back to home base, I reflect on some of the stories I heard during the community event.  Stories of fathers raping their own children.  Stories of a little girl being set on fire after being sexually abused.  The stories float around in my head sticking into my long term memory.  I leave the work day behind with this final thought:  Cape Town is the sex crime capital of the world.  One in three women living in Cape Town have been sexually assaulted.