Township Sleepover

This is now my fourth week in CapeTown & I'm not sure where the time is going! Last night I had the privilege of staying in a township home. I stayed with Thobeka, who works for Izlanda Zetemba. Her Mother was also there. We had an evening of good food & laughter. However it was such an opportunity to learn more about the awful years of apartheid & one family's story. The township I stayed in was Langa which is the oldest township in Cape Town. People were removed from the areas they were living in. It was a process called "enforced resettlement" Thobeka's great grandfather was one of the founding leaders of the ANC. He worked with a Jewish man to organise work permits for people to work in Cape Town. The Jewish man was forced to return to the Eastern cape but the Grandfather was imprisoned for 20 years & tortured. There was no trace of bitterness as Thobeka's mother told me about this. It has been overwhelming to receive such love & kindness in the townships.
Yesterday it was time to be with the teenagers again, training to support others effected. They were being typical teenagers but  order was restored eventually & they got down to work!
This afternoon we were with the orphans & vulnerable children. It is so good to see how they engage & respond to loving attention when the reality of their lives is so tough. I am beginning to be more aware of the poverty still in the townships. It makes me realise how much non essential "stuff" we have in our lives.