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Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
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CAPE FLATS (CONT.), SOUTH AFRICA
We ended our township tour with a trip to the Philani Nutritional Project in Khayelitsha. There are large numbers of malnourished children and destitute mothers who form the most vulnerable groupings within townships and squatter camps. PNP's main objective is the rehabilitation of underweight children so as to limit the crippling effect of malnutrition on their health and development. They also had a Weaving Project which trained women to weave mats, rugs, and wall hangings from waste fabrics. Finished products are sold at the Philani Development Center. I bought cool placemats, pillow coverings, and a small wall hanging. |
Philani Nutrition Project |
We then visited the Masikhule Home Creche - a newly built nursery in the Crossroads Squatter Camp. Our guide, Sam, and the Backpack Hostel initiated the project by partnering with other tour operators and hostels to fundraise. The original creche, while filled with happy, energetic children, consisted of no more than corrugated aluminum panels patched with cardboard providing little protection from Cape Town's weather. It was obvious that it was not an environment conducive to learning. The architect and contractor donated their time and expertise and the crèche was completed in 6 weeks, costing a total of R132,370.00. 
When we pulled up about 40 1-5 year olds started screaming Sam's name. They obviously loved his daily visits! Then they were all over us wanting us to swing them, pick them up, and dance with them. They were just adorable and had TONS of energy. They were fascinated with my hair and kept playing with it. We all went outside and Sam started playing some South African tunes from the van and they were dancing in the street. Adorable! 
The one thing that struck me was that even though township residents lived in severe poverty, they had hope that the government was going to continue to improve their conditions. In 1994 there were 13 million South Africans without electricity and now there are only 7.5 million. There are plans for improved transportation - much linked to 2010 World Cup improvements - but people were hopeful and all knew the timeline for improvement. 
