Written by Michael Bakan
As we stood watching the sun give life to Kruger National Park, the chatter of lions and elephants filled the air. The day before, we had witnessed two male lions enjoying a mid-afternoon snack of giraffe followed by a heard of elephants grazing just several feet away from our van. Yes, our windows were all closed, but that didn't prevent us from getting some photos that rival that of National Geographic. Little did we know that we would see another lion and a white rhino within minutes of beginning our morning safari on our last day at Kruger Park. I, for one, left Kruger astonished and satisfied, for just one year ago, I left Kruger without seeing any lions!
Following an exciting departure from Kruger, we were greeted with a warm welcome to St. Martin de Porres school and parish in Soweto, despite the cool winter breeze. Local students surrounded our van supporting Bellarmine t-shirts and barely letting us exit our van without a hug and handshake. Our friends in Soweto were so excited to see their old friends and meet new Bellarmine Bells, making a South African township 10,000 miles away feel like home. One of the defining characteristics of Bellarmine is the brotherhood and kinship that characterizes the school. It is moments like this where I realize that this connection extends beyond borders, uniting people in the spirit of Ubuntu, which translates from Zulu to English as "genuine human kindness."
After a night of intense card games and sarcastic jokes, we ventured to the Mandela Center of Memory, an institution that aims to continue Mandela's Legacy while also clarifying truths about his life and philosophies. Here, we met with Sahm Venter, who is an archivist for the Mandela Center. We first met with Sahm in Mandela's conference room, which proved to be fitting, as Mandela used the room to bring together people of different backgrounds and beliefs in hope of hosting dialoguesof progress and not just daily conversations. Sahm continued this tradition by challenging us to persevere in the midst of every difficulty, always displaying humanity in the light of Mandela. She shared personal stories of her interactions with Mandela, noting that his strengths as a leader continued throughout his daily life, as he always displayed grace and humanity to those around him. She noted that while Mandela had his own faults, a true hero must be 3D, for Mandela didn't seek godly worship but rather humanity that our own God would recognize. Yet as Sahm took us to the vault where all of Mandela's awards and writings are held, I couldn't help but imagine how one man could have such a vast impact on the world abroad.
The greatness of Mandela's feats and accomplishments were confirmed when we went to the Apartheid Museum. The combination of horrifying facts in conjunction with violent pictures left us in shock of such a detrimental period. Despite ending on a positive exhibition commemorating Mandela's life and work, we were quickly reminded of the residual effects of the apartheid regime, as it has left many of Soweto's residents in deprived socioeconomic positions.
While Soweto is not the most affluent area, its thriving culture makes it wealthy at heart. Upon arriving back at St. Martin's, we found ourselves in the midst of some intense games of soccer. Mr. Moreno's skills earned him the title of "coach" and our friends were comparing Jorgos' moves to that of Iniesta. We played until the sun gave breath to its final ray of light, and we bid farwell to our friends as we left to prepare for dinner. Our second day in Soweto is coming to an end and given the way it has started, I'm quite excited to see what the future holds...
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