A Trip to the Rainbow Nation
Though apartheid ended almost 23 years ago, the port city of Cape Town, located on the nation’s southwest coast, is still experiencing the long-lasting effects of this policy of racial segregation. This summer, upper Menat Bahnasy spent three weeks in Cape Town, South Africa exploring education as a human right under apartheid’s legacy. There, Bahnasy studied the school systems around the city, where socioeconomic conditions vary greatly, to study the discrepancies in the quality of education that children receive as a result of apartheid.
Bahnasy was initially intrigued by South Africa after hearing others in her life express their love for the country, its sights and its people. She connected with her friend’s father who does charity work in Cape Town and arranged to stay in a flat in the suburb Rondebosch with students from around the U.S. who shared her interest in the education system. Several Capetonians offered to spend the three weeks showing them around.
“For reasons now familiar to me, everyone falls in love with Cape Town.”
Bahnasy had the opportunity to explore many of the city’s gems: she hiked the mountain Lion’s Head, toured the graffiti of the suburb Woodstock, saw the penguins on Boulder’s Beach and took photos at Chapman’s Peak. Though Bahnasy described the entire trip as “absolutely wonderful and beautiful,” her favorite memories from her time in Cape Town were eating meals at local homes and sitting in classes with students of all ages. During these encounters she met people with viewpoints both similar and opposing to her own.
“They would tell me about their favorite Capetonian foods that I just had to try, and I would tell them about Exeter and my favorite movies,” Bahnasy recalled. Talking and laughing with the people she met in Cape Town was the highlight of the trip for her.
Through connecting with locals, Bahnasy developed a deeper understanding of South Africa’s history. During her visits to the apartheid Museum and the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, as well as to Amy Biehl’s Memorial and Robben Island, Bahnasy felt that her experience was heightened by the first-hand testimony from those who had lived through apartheid themselves. “Most of these visits were lots of facts and pictures, but what made them come to life were the locals who witnessed all of it,” she said, adding that most of these locals were “very willing” to discuss their nation’s history. “In fact, my tour guide on Robben Island was a political prisoner at the very prison he gave tours in,” Bahnasy continued. Given that apartheid occurred so recently in South Africa’s history, there is still a great deal to learn. “Visiting now makes it more than just visiting museums,” Bahnasy said.
Bahnasy emphasized that her trip to Cape Town was not one of service, but rather one of “impact, learning and exploration.” Having only stayed for three weeks, she recognized that the most she can do after witnessing injustice within the education system is spread her knowledge and plan for further learning, impact and perhaps a longer trip with a focus on service in the future. Inspired by her time there this summer, Bahnasy has “no doubt” that she will be heading back soon. “For reasons now familiar to me, everyone falls in love with Cape Town,” she said.
South Africa is often referred to as the “rainbow nation” for its newfound unity and multiculturalism, and after her three weeks there, Bahnasy confirmed that the country lives up to its nickname.
“If you want to try new things, meet new people from all over the world and learn about South Africa’s history with apartheid, uprisings and racial segregation, as well as see its effects today, I highly recommend visiting South Africa,” she said. She concluded, “it truly is the rainbow nation!”