Khayelitsha

We spent Wednesday in the township of Khayelitsha, an area where a large number of non-whites were forcefully relocated during apartheid. Today it is South Africa’s fastest growing township; miles of small houses, shacks, and sheds stretch as far as the eye can see from the N2 highway, a half hour drive from downtown Cape Town. Grassroot Soccer works closely with many local coaches and teachers in Khayelitsha given the townsip's high HIV prevalence and lack of resources. The 1st of FIFA’s (world soccer’s governing body) 20 Football for Hope centers (which you may have seen ads for during the World Cup) was built here, and GRS runs the facilities, which include a turf soccer field and some classrooms.

We got to meet some of the coaches, who use the GRS curriculum to teach kids about HIV/AIDS and related issues in their communities. Although these coaches are volunteers, for some of them, the transportation stipend GRS provides is their only source of income. They were inspiringly upbeat, friendly, and present. It was the first time that I can recall being part of a group of people who introduced themselves to each other by circling up, clapping a beat, and, one by one, stepping to the center and sharing their favorite dance moves.

One of the coaches, Phikolomzi, took us for an hour-long walk around his neighborhood in the Harare district. Despite it being one of the more developed parts of Khay, seeing so many people living with minimal material possessions was an overwhelming experience and a source of introspection.

We’ve really enjoyed exploring Cape Town over the past few days. Highlights include a sunrise hike up Lion’s Head, a mountain that overlooks the city and water, a glorious afternoon at the beach on Camps Bay in the Atlantic Ocean, surfing at Muizenberg in the Indian Ocean, and a stroll through the woods near Kirstenbosch at the foot of Table Mountain.