An Experience Like No Other: My Visit to South Africa

My hope is that this post reaches you in high spirits, low worries, and your faces gleams and glows with joy! How’s life? Well, we’re back from the beautiful South Africa and just as we all expected, it was nothing short of AMAZING!

15 Beavers and I traveled to the southern tip of the continent of Africa on a Biological Adventure led by Dr. Richard Lampe and Mark Kirkholm. We had the opportunity to travel the KwaZulu Natal in southeastern South Africa for the first two weeks and then traveled to the Provincial (St. Lucia on the INDIAN OCEAN, Umfolozi, Hluhluwe, and Itala), as well as Kruger National Park. During the course of the trip we observed various creatures in their natural habitats of grassland, thorn scrub, and forest. We were even fortunate enough to visit historical sites such as Eshowe, Ulundi, Zulu villages and homesteads, Isandlwana, and Rorke’s Drift. The trip took a total of 21 days…sounds long huh? Those 21 days flew as rapidly as a cheetah on a prey chase!

Working with GREENBEAVER for the past semester, I’ve become more of a devout advocate in developing and sustaining a global environment favorable to all of humanity. Environmentally and socially, GREENBEAVER diligently strives to establish a reconnection and coexistence with nature as our ancestors once achieved. GREENBEAVER also works to reconnect us as a people, a whole, to eventually mitigate any cultural separatism prolonging our disunity by means of philanthropy and service. Keeping this in mind as a fellow GREENBEAVER, I couldn’t help but notice the tremendous progress in the sociality of South Africa. A once segregated country where the white minority controlled the vastly larger black majority had now become a country succeeding through the chains of inequality.

While South Africa continues to grow as a country pro equality, I noticed the Adansonia digitata-like (baobab) chasm between the rich and the poor. Of course in a capitalistic economy where private property and profit are praised, the blue-collar plight and plead, “Unequal wealth distribution” is automatically replied with an adage in which American citizens are familiar with : Only the Strong Survive. Indeed. However, the arroyo of the rich and poor in South Africa barely births an obvious middle-class. I was nearly brought to tears when travelling from Joburg to Durban as the sites of shanty towns continued to appear. The prevalence of poverty was incredible despite supposedly government diligent efforts.

Yes, South Africa is classified as a middle-income country. Yes, South Africa faces substantial income gaps and yes, South Africa is still deemed as a developing country. It must also be brought to light that South Africa also boasts one of the higher income per capitas in the Motherland. South Africa is also ranked 25^th in the world based on GDP. Such economic accolades easily leads to the inference of some appearance of some sort of middle class, yet the bourgeois is vaguely represented.

Optimistic eyes opt a continued decline in poverty in South Africa, specifically, a reduction in both absolute and relative income poverty. First-handedly viewing the realities of a Third-World really does something in a sense of humility to one's soul. Although I come from a modest background where I became familiar with financial struggle, it’s nothing more saddening and motivating to witness individuals in shoddier shapes. Our journey to the Motherland was all breath-taking, pleasurable, and frustrating all in one glimpse. As members of this Homo Sapien species, let it be our obligation to fight and provide the same quality of life we all want for people everywhere.

*Vulcan Sign*

Des

P.S. Here's a *beep* so you all can leave messages. Thanks