It’s going to be difficult to describe my five-week program to Southern Africa (South Africa and Lesotho) in just a few hundred words because it was a time filled with a lot of learning, growth and happiness. 

Before this program, I had never been out of the country; not even to Canada! I didn’t know what to expect from travelling such a long distance and I didn’t know too much about South Africa in the first place. This was good though, because I was able to experience everything as it was happening and have time to take it in before reflecting. 

South Africa and Lesotho are home to some of the most genuine and wonderful people I have ever met. The beautiful sunsets, occasional cow herd crossings, and the endless view of mountains are some of the things I miss every day. But what meant the most to me from being a part of this program, is the experiences that reminded me why I want to become a teacher in the first place. 

At one of the many primary schools we visited, we had the chance to sit in a first-grade classroom and observe an English lesson. We also got to read a few books with the students before we left to the next school. After learning so much about the education system, curriculum, and how the ripple effects of Apartheid are still negatively affecting students all over the country, it was so nice to be in the moment with the students. There was a word that kept coming up throughout the story that my student was struggling with and by the end of the book he got it without needing any scaffolding from me at all. It is moments like those where the lightbulb clicks in a student’s head where I feel the proudest of my chosen profession. 

My program to Southern Africa was also a reminder of my privileges in this life. This really hit me when we were in Soweto learning about townships and what it’s like to live in an informal home. In Lesotho, we visited a high school and got to ask some of the girls a few questions before they gave us a tour. They asked us about our families and when we returned the question, all of them in our group had at least one parent who had passed away. Experiences like these reminded me of what I should be grateful for and to strive to make a positive impact in the lives of those paths’ I cross because you never know what someone else is going through. 

Southern Africa looked like diversity - of culture, race, socioeconomic status, plant and animal life, and wonderful sceneries. It smelled like fresh air, city life, salt water, muddy puddles, and the occasional cow manure (which you would get used to). It tasted like doughy fat cakes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, smooth wine, and a nice home-cooked meal in Langa. It sounded like crashing waves, laughing students, and trumpeting elephants. But most importantly, Southern Africa felt like home. 

Name: Sarah Jackson
Status: Senior
Major: Elementary Education
Hometown: Southfield, Michigan
Program: History, Culture and Schooling in Southern Africa