Homestay!

Homestays!

We had a two night homestay in a Township home just outside of Cape Town. I stayed with Mama Knox. She had a son, Sipa, and a daughter who wasn’t at home at the time. 

Firstly, I learned how to make a delicious African meal. We had something called pap- it’s based off corn and you just add water to it and let it simmer over the stove. Mama Knox also taught me how to make this amazing creamy spinach dish. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find the ingredients in MN.

Over dinner, I had some interesting conversations with her. The conversation exposed me to some township level politics. She told me how the police weren’t fast enough in many cases of crime in the townships and as a result for the more serious crimes, like rape and murder, the people had taken to their own form of punishment. The most common form of this is something called necklacing. A person is essentially tied down and tires are put on them. Gasoline is then poured on the tires and they are burnt alive. It is absolutely horrific and most would even say it’s barbaric. But as I was talking to Mama Knox, I wondered what other alternatives there were. These people don’t have a police force that they can rely on. The communities are close knit and they won’t stand by while their women and children are hurt. For me, this was an issue where I don’t really know what is right. It was certainly thought provoking.

Mama Knox’s front yard is also where all the neighborhood kids gather- probably because she hands out various snacks to them. The kids simply don’t tire of playing- they hang on you, demand to be carried up, wanted me to sing etc. It was a tiring but absolutely wonderful night.