Welcome back to Payton's South Africa group! Following are some student quotes. For further reflections and photos visit the inspiring Payton South Africa blog.
“I learned that I am very privileged. Going to South Africa was a privilege. And after walking through Soweto, a city of 1.3 million, I quickly learned that health is also a privilege.” Gloria Kevliciute (JR)
“The students at the ALA (African Leadership Academy) manifest the concept of leadership and initiative: They, independently, with minimal guidance from their teachers, are designing creating successful ventures and businesses. They are starting new generations of South Africans with the knowledge and ability to foster autonomy and change the lives of many.” Hanna Mularczyk (JR)
“As America is still coming to grips with its own racial history and future, post-apartheid South Africa is still developing a racial identity to bridge the massive gaps created by apartheid. These efforts to engender this identity became apparent in the different cultural heartbeats of Johannesburg and Cape Town.” Bobby Rone (SR)
“When we toured Robben Island we heard stories from actual prisoners about the conditions such as the hole people were put in and the blinding sun. The harshness of the circumstances prisoners faced puts into perspective the risk that Mandela and all other leaders of this movement took by fighting for what they believe in.” Ezra Wallon (SR)
“One of the most important things I thought about in South Africa was who should serve as a political leader. Even if someone has an idea that they think will be good for a nation, it is more important for a leader to have an understanding of what the people of their nation want.” Matt McColgan (SR)
“The most striking characteristic of the South African landscape was how different the houses were. There are tall white structures, brick complexes like our hotel, more modest houses with terra cotta roofs, and shanties. The transitions from one landscape to the other are quite drastic. Shantytowns seemed to rise up suddenly from the earth and would just as quickly give way to dust and brush.” Polly Hochman (SR)
“Visiting Robben Island and stepping in the prison that held the country’s black prisoners, such as Nelson Mandela, was surreal. I felt like I was walking through history as I imagined all of the prisoners that once filled the cells, waiting for justice to reach them 500 kilometers away from their lives and loved ones. When I walked past Nelson Mandela's cell, a profound feeling of light and hope rushed through me. It dawned on me that I had just walked past the headquarters of South African equality and freedom that belonged to a man who fought for his country’s future from
“I learned that I am very privileged. Going to South Africa was a privilege. And after walking through Soweto, a city of 1.3 million, I quickly learned that health is also a privilege.” Gloria Kevliciute (JR)
“The students at the ALA (African Leadership Academy) manifest the concept of leadership and initiative: They, independently, with minimal guidance from their teachers, are designing creating successful ventures and businesses. They are starting new generations of South Africans with the knowledge and ability to foster autonomy and change the lives of many.” Hanna Mularczyk (JR)
“As America is still coming to grips with its own racial history and future, post-apartheid South Africa is still developing a racial identity to bridge the massive gaps created by apartheid. These efforts to engender this identity became apparent in the different cultural heartbeats of Johannesburg and Cape Town.” Bobby Rone (SR)
“When we toured Robben Island we heard stories from actual prisoners about the conditions such as the hole people were put in and the blinding sun. The harshness of the circumstances prisoners faced puts into perspective the risk that Mandela and all other leaders of this movement took by fighting for what they believe in.” Ezra Wallon (SR)
“One of the most important things I thought about in South Africa was who should serve as a political leader. Even if someone has an idea that they think will be good for a nation, it is more important for a leader to have an understanding of what the people of their nation want.” Matt McColgan (SR)
“The most striking characteristic of the South African landscape was how different the houses were. There are tall white structures, brick complexes like our hotel, more modest houses with terra cotta roofs, and shanties. The transitions from one landscape to the other are quite drastic. Shantytowns seemed to rise up suddenly from the earth and would just as quickly give way to dust and brush.” Polly Hochman (SR)
“Visiting Robben Island and stepping in the prison that held the country’s black prisoners, such as Nelson Mandela, was surreal. I felt like I was walking through history as I imagined all of the prisoners that once filled the cells, waiting for justice to reach them 500 kilometers away from their lives and loved ones. When I walked past Nelson Mandela's cell, a profound feeling of light and hope rushed through me. It dawned on me that I had just walked past the headquarters of South African equality and freedom that belonged to a man who fought for his country’s future from
