I was standing in the classroom answering questions a boy raised his
answering questions a boy raised his
answering questions a boy raised his hand and asked in America do you feel
hand and asked in America do you feel
hand and asked in America do you feel safe going to school this past summer I
safe going to school this past summer I
safe going to school this past summer I had the opportunity to go to the Cape
had the opportunity to go to the Cape
had the opportunity to go to the Cape Town in the Republic of South Africa
Town in the Republic of South Africa
Town in the Republic of South Africa through the CI EEE program ciee is a
through the CI EEE program ciee is a
through the CI EEE program ciee is a study abroad program for students of all
study abroad program for students of all
study abroad program for students of all ages to travel around the world and
ages to travel around the world and
ages to travel around the world and gained global experiences my group about
gained global experiences my group about
gained global experiences my group about 19 teenagers dove into the South African
19 teenagers dove into the South African
19 teenagers dove into the South African culture we eat mopani worms which with
culture we eat mopani worms which with
culture we eat mopani worms which with mine the custom taste buds taste like
mine the custom taste buds taste like
mine the custom taste buds taste like dirt we took a class on Afrikaans one of
dirt we took a class on Afrikaans one of
dirt we took a class on Afrikaans one of the 11 official languages spoken in the
the 11 official languages spoken in the
the 11 official languages spoken in the country we went to local schools
country we went to local schools
country we went to local schools teaching English and playing one and we
teaching English and playing one and we
teaching English and playing one and we here’s a key tourist locations most
here’s a key tourist locations most
here’s a key tourist locations most importantly we learned about South
importantly we learned about South
importantly we learned about South Africa’s history and how this very
Africa’s history and how this very
Africa’s history and how this very recent country only formed the democracy
recent country only formed the democracy
recent country only formed the democracy 20 years ago South Africa used to be
20 years ago South Africa used to be
20 years ago South Africa used to be governed by the part ID system
governed by the part ID system
governed by the part ID system established in 1795 it was the
established in 1795 it was the
established in 1795 it was the equivalent of the Jim Crow laws in
equivalent of the Jim Crow laws in
equivalent of the Jim Crow laws in America scared segregating the whites
America scared segregating the whites
America scared segregating the whites from the non-whites causing inequalities
from the non-whites causing inequalities
from the non-whites causing inequalities and services especially education we
and services especially education we
and services especially education we visited Museum about the sweater
visited Museum about the sweater
visited Museum about the sweater uprising where high school students
uprising where high school students
uprising where high school students protested against the unfair educational
protested against the unfair educational
protested against the unfair educational system leading to the death of 13 year
system leading to the death of 13 year
system leading to the death of 13 year old Hector Pearson death was the Simmons
old Hector Pearson death was the Simmons
old Hector Pearson death was the Simmons to brutality at apartment as well as his
to brutality at apartment as well as his
to brutality at apartment as well as his commitment to human right of Education
commitment to human right of Education
commitment to human right of Education during our stay in South Africa
during our stay in South Africa
during our stay in South Africa eyewitness and heard the cops and
eyewitness and heard the cops and
eyewitness and heard the cops and difficulties of achieving this level of
difficulties of achieving this level of
difficulties of achieving this level of education for example many students who
education for example many students who
education for example many students who rural areas are afraid to go to school
rural areas are afraid to go to school
rural areas are afraid to go to school when the boy asked in a do feel safe
when the boy asked in a do feel safe
when the boy asked in a do feel safe when he go to school I stared at him
when he go to school I stared at him
when he go to school I stared at him wondering why an eight-year-old was
wondering why an eight-year-old was
wondering why an eight-year-old was asking this kind of question the place
asking this kind of question the place
asking this kind of question the place where he lived was filled with drugs and
where he lived was filled with drugs and
where he lived was filled with drugs and gang activity although I had read about
gang activity although I had read about
gang activity although I had read about these types of problems in school I was
these types of problems in school I was
these types of problems in school I was shocked to hear those words come from
shocked to hear those words come from
shocked to hear those words come from this boy’s mouth witnessing this
this boy’s mouth witnessing this
this boy’s mouth witnessing this firsthand I thought you might
firsthand I thought you might
firsthand I thought you might no child should ever have to say that a
no child should ever have to say that a
no child should ever have to say that a child should be scared to walk to school
child should be scared to walk to school
child should be scared to walk to school because of violence and no child should
because of violence and no child should
because of violence and no child should ever be denied education but that is the
ever be denied education but that is the
ever be denied education but that is the reality of the world we live in and has
reality of the world we live in and has
reality of the world we live in and has been demoralizing as a situation is for
been demoralizing as a situation is for
been demoralizing as a situation is for this boy and many other children I saw
this boy and many other children I saw
this boy and many other children I saw hoping this these children still go to
hoping this these children still go to
hoping this these children still go to school they want to have an education
school they want to have an education
school they want to have an education regardless of the dangers involved in
regardless of the dangers involved in
regardless of the dangers involved in attending school according to the UN the
attending school according to the UN the
attending school according to the UN the right to education establishes the
right to education establishes the
right to education establishes the access to quality education and to a
access to quality education and to a
access to quality education and to a learning that developed the human
learning that developed the human
learning that developed the human personality there must be an equitable
personality there must be an equitable
personality there must be an equitable distribution of educational resources
distribution of educational resources
distribution of educational resources according to needs regardless of race
according to needs regardless of race
according to needs regardless of race gender and religion education empowers
gender and religion education empowers
gender and religion education empowers individual promoting freedom necessary
individual promoting freedom necessary
individual promoting freedom necessary for the exercising of all basic human
for the exercising of all basic human
for the exercising of all basic human rights education is the foundation for
rights education is the foundation for
rights education is the foundation for growth in a society on the third day of
growth in a society on the third day of
growth in a society on the third day of the program we went to a local Township
the program we went to a local Township
the program we went to a local Township panas Berg the capital south africa it
panas Berg the capital south africa it
panas Berg the capital south africa it was a talent of 40,000 people an
was a talent of 40,000 people an
was a talent of 40,000 people an unemployment rate of seventy two percent
unemployment rate of seventy two percent
unemployment rate of seventy two percent and southern public water fountains
and southern public water fountains
and southern public water fountains their only source of water to supply the
their only source of water to supply the
their only source of water to supply the entire community known as kliptown this
entire community known as kliptown this
entire community known as kliptown this is one of the poor areas surrounding the
is one of the poor areas surrounding the
is one of the poor areas surrounding the capital right away I deemed the place
capital right away I deemed the place
capital right away I deemed the place hopeless as poverty crippled the entire
hopeless as poverty crippled the entire
hopeless as poverty crippled the entire community that day I saw something very
community that day I saw something very
community that day I saw something very different I learned that poverty can
different I learned that poverty can
different I learned that poverty can deprive humans or their basic human
deprive humans or their basic human
deprive humans or their basic human rights they cannot take away the fact
rights they cannot take away the fact
rights they cannot take away the fact that these rights these rights aren’t
that these rights these rights aren’t
that these rights these rights aren’t inalienable I went to a community center
inalienable I went to a community center
inalienable I went to a community center in clipped where I saw an amazing
in clipped where I saw an amazing
in clipped where I saw an amazing program put together by local educators
program put together by local educators
program put together by local educators all children could play sports and learn
all children could play sports and learn
all children could play sports and learn to read and write in the safe
to read and write in the safe
to read and write in the safe environment with limited resources and
environment with limited resources and
environment with limited resources and in one of the most impoverished
in one of the most impoverished
in one of the most impoverished communities this Center has managed to
communities this Center has managed to
communities this Center has managed to give education to its local children for
give education to its local children for
give education to its local children for the past eight years education is not
the past eight years education is not
the past eight years education is not just school-related but is the
just school-related but is the
just school-related but is the acquisition of knowledge in all fields
acquisition of knowledge in all fields
acquisition of knowledge in all fields of life going on this trip I realized
of life going on this trip I realized
of life going on this trip I realized not only how important the ciee program
not only how important the ciee program
not only how important the ciee program was for the children South Africa so big
was for the children South Africa so big
was for the children South Africa so big learning experience for me when I spent
learning experience for me when I spent
learning experience for me when I spent time with the children kliptown I played
time with the children kliptown I played
time with the children kliptown I played soccer with them and within minutes my
soccer with them and within minutes my
soccer with them and within minutes my phone is out and
phone is out and
phone is out and I was already taking pictures of them on
I was already taking pictures of them on
I was already taking pictures of them on the drive home my group was halfway
the drive home my group was halfway
the drive home my group was halfway exchanging the many photos we took them
exchanging the many photos we took them
exchanging the many photos we took them honestly I was excited to post a picture
honestly I was excited to post a picture
honestly I was excited to post a picture I’ll maybe Facebook understandably
I’ll maybe Facebook understandably
I’ll maybe Facebook understandably because I wanted to share them with my
because I wanted to share them with my
because I wanted to share them with my friends and families back home however I
friends and families back home however I
friends and families back home however I forgot that I didn’t go there to receive
forgot that I didn’t go there to receive
forgot that I didn’t go there to receive recognition but to make the children
recognition but to make the children
recognition but to make the children feel recognized instead I learned that
feel recognized instead I learned that
feel recognized instead I learned that by taking pictures first if I getting to
by taking pictures first if I getting to
by taking pictures first if I getting to know the kids we fall prey to viewing
know the kids we fall prey to viewing
know the kids we fall prey to viewing these children as props for a picture to
these children as props for a picture to
these children as props for a picture to post on social media reflecting on this
post on social media reflecting on this
post on social media reflecting on this trip I knew I was not an NGO wing into a
trip I knew I was not an NGO wing into a
trip I knew I was not an NGO wing into a develop developing country discovering
develop developing country discovering
develop developing country discovering solutions defy every problem in South
solutions defy every problem in South
solutions defy every problem in South Africa has I understand the limits what
Africa has I understand the limits what
Africa has I understand the limits what i could do with my abilities in my
i could do with my abilities in my
i could do with my abilities in my position in society but South Africa
position in society but South Africa
position in society but South Africa showed me money is incomparable to the
showed me money is incomparable to the
showed me money is incomparable to the human desire for change driven by the
human desire for change driven by the
human desire for change driven by the belief that all humans are equal and can
belief that all humans are equal and can
belief that all humans are equal and can possess the knowledge of their basic
possess the knowledge of their basic
possess the knowledge of their basic human rights a small impact as
human rights a small impact as
human rights a small impact as insignificant as it may be is still one
insignificant as it may be is still one
insignificant as it may be is still one piece of the puzzle to the overall
piece of the puzzle to the overall
piece of the puzzle to the overall picture little by little service a group
picture little by little service a group
picture little by little service a group after service group I knew I was a part
after service group I knew I was a part
after service group I knew I was a part of a bigger scheme to bring education
of a bigger scheme to bring education
of a bigger scheme to bring education into the lives of the South African
into the lives of the South African
into the lives of the South African children just like the boy asking me if
children just like the boy asking me if
children just like the boy asking me if it was safe to go to school just like
it was safe to go to school just like
it was safe to go to school just like Hector Pieterson and the many other
Hector Pieterson and the many other
Hector Pieterson and the many other students were killed in movement for
students were killed in movement for
students were killed in movement for equality and education I think it’s time
equality and education I think it’s time
equality and education I think it’s time we see a world where students are set
we see a world where students are set
we see a world where students are set free from the chains of poverty
free from the chains of poverty
free from the chains of poverty discrimination and society standards and
discrimination and society standards and
discrimination and society standards and i believe i believe it starts with
i believe i believe it starts with
i believe i believe it starts with education as a human right thank
[Applause]
[Applause] you
”
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