Browsing Tag:

africa

Socially Responsible in South Africa

I am grateful for the opportunity to go to South Africa and want to give back to the communities that I will be visiting. Short of volunteering trips which generally require several weeks to a year and can potentially be more about exploitation rather than helping (read here about the potential problems with some volunteering trips), how can people that want to help more directly, do so?

In my research, I came across three organizations. I learned about a program called Pack for a Purpose through The BackpackThe idea is to use space in your suitcase or your extra baggage allowance to pack much-needed items. To figure out what is needed, you look up a destination, choose lodging that participates and view the items that are needed. The information is regularly updated. What a great idea, right?!

For my trip to Africa (Senegal & South Africa), I am allowed two suitcases of up to 50 pounds each. I only need one small suitcase, so I have filled another one for donation. With the Pack for a Purpose organization, you bring the items to the lodging, and they will make sure it gets to the projects they support.

The hostel I’m staying at in Cape Town is The Backpack. I chose them because of their initiatives that support people and communities. They are more than a great hostel in an excellent location; their responsible tourism efforts are what drew me to them. It is important for me to support small businesses that affect people more directly, where I can. Check them out if you plan to visit Cape Town.

donations
donated items for Pack for a Purpose and Uthando South Africa

The other organization I learned of is Uthando South Africa. I couldn’t go to Cape Town and ignore the communities outside of the tourist areas. I’ve known about Apartheid over the years. Admittedly, I struggled with the idea of visiting a township as I didn’t want it to be voyeuristic or intrusive. I came across many tours, but they didn’t feel right to me. Uthando is different as you visit community projects that are making a difference to their communities. 

From the Uthando website: “Uthando offers tailor made, unique and authentic philanthropic cultural tours, visiting the projects that receive funding and other forms of assistance from Uthando and its benefactors. People attending on the field trip have an insight into the remarkable stories that make life in South Africa so interesting, dynamic and very importantly, inspiring. The tours are interactive, meeting the people at the projects, learning about their work and way of life, firsthand. By booking a tour with Uthando, clients are also automatically assisting the projects on a financial level.”

In addition to helping financially by going on a tour, I will also bring items that are needed in the donated suitcase. Finding a way to help not only locally, but globally is important to me, especially since having children.

I want to teach my boys about the world and the people of the world. I want to raise them to be socially responsible men. I want them to learn about giving and helping where they can, but not just by telling them, by showing them, and involving them. I strive to find ways to teach them about this in a meaningful way. Thanks to the Backpack, Pack for a Purpose and Uthando South Africa, I will be able to do so in a more tangible way.

Read More about Cape Town & South Africa :

Update February 2020:

Since this post almost 8 years ago, I’ve been to Cape Town 8 times and South Africa 10 times. My most recent trip was in October/November 2019. I still feel this way about these great organizations. 

Preparing for Africa, gathering inspiration and courage

In less than a month I will be leaving for Africa. It will be my first visit to the continent. I am super excited and the more I research the more excited I get. Admittedly, I am also nervous as I have never been anywhere like it. I will be visiting friends in Dakar, Senegal who are currently working there. I’ll then be travelling to Cape Town, South Africa!

I’m going to South Africa alone and will be there for 9 days and will then be going back to Dakar for a final few days to break up the long trip home to Toronto.

Did I have some apprehension going to Europe solo? I sure did, especially thinking of Prague as I had heard stories and was warned while in Austria. I took Prague on and off my itinerary several times. Why did I go? I think it was simply because my passion for travel, new things, cultures, people and adventure far outweighed my fear. As for South Africa and Africa in general, I’ve read and heard about it and yes, have been warned about it. It doesn’t help to hear how potentially unsafe South Africa can be everywhere I look in my research. However, with the appropriate precautions, the same ones I practice at home, I feel confident that I will be fine. After 18 days of travelling solo in Europe, I’m happy to report I did not have one single incident. I think it also helps to walk with confidence.

On Preparing For a Trip:

When I prepare for a trip, I engross myself on the internet. I visit sites like Journeywoman that help prepare and inspire me for solo travel. I read and ask questions in travel forums on lonely planet, trip advisor and virtual tourist, tweet and message people on facebook that have gone before me and read reviews on Trip Advisor. It’s almost like a full time job as I like to research and know where I’m going or figure out where I should go in the first place. I follow a lot of travel related people and sites on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest so I am inundated with it on a daily basis and I love that. I am inspired every single day.

Here are a few of my favourite pins and quotes that I have read a few times since booking my plane ticket to Africa.

Inspiration:

Be Brave

Sail away from the safe harbor

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph
over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear — Nelson Mandela

“Passion is what drives us crazy, what makes us do extraordinary things, to discover, to challenge ourselves. Passion is and should always be the heart of courage.” ? Midori Komatsu

When we are afraid we ought not to occupy ourselves with endeavoring to prove that there is no danger, but in strengthening ourselves to go on in spite of the danger. — Mark Rutherford

From caring comes courage. — Lao Tzu

My Inspiration:

Finally, I’ll share my biggest source of inspiration – my beloved grandmother affectionately called Gran. Gran inspires me with her incredible strength, courage, independence, love, zest for adventure, love of travel and faith.  She left her home in Rangoon, Burma (Yangon, Myanmar) in 1965 as a divorced woman with 2 children, my father and my uncle, with only $88 on her person and without a visa to Canada. She went without knowing what the future held, most certainly with fear, but with her overwhelming courage. She stopped in northern India to work and apply for a visa to Canada, and after much perseverance, determination and hard work, 10 months later she got her visa to Canada.

Gran kayaking at 79 years young

Every time I’m about to embark on a new adventure and especially when stepping out of my comfort zone, I think of her. My gran had dementia for about 10 years and the last 3-4 years she didn’t know me and couldn’t really talk, but she could always giggle. We have always shared a love of travel together and if you read back to my first post, you’ll learn of the very first flight I recall, it was with my Gran on a trip to California at age 5.

I took the photo below of my Gran in May 2003. She already had dementia, but could still have conversations, was mobile, lived on her own, but was forgetting.

Before my trip to Europe this past March, I visited my Gran and told her of my trip to Europe and my plans. For the first time in a long time, I received eye contact and what felt like some lucidity.

Do you want to go on a trip with me?”

Gran nodded and very clearly said “where?”.

I lost my Gran this past May 2012 and though we can no longer laugh and chat, I know she is with me and giving me all the courage I need.