South Africa

South Africa is the southern most country on the continent of Africa. It is incredibly beautiful and diverse both in landscape and culture. As a country that is now finding its post-apartheid identity, South Africa continues to heal from the painful memories of almost 50 years of racial segregation. However, this country contains some of the world’s most beautiful cities, a diverse and vibrant culture, and some of Africa’s best places to view wildlife.

It is still a very broken nation that continues to deal with very real problems. South Africa is in a unique economic situation where it has a first world economy, yet millions still live in third world conditions. In addition, the AIDS pandemic remains a growing crisis. South Africa has more people with HIV/AIDS than any other country in the world. Over 4.8 million people are infected with the virus.

Introduction to Outtatown South Africa

Your second semester in South Africa is a moving feast of study, worship, service and adventure. Although there is a significant portion of the semester that involves “missionary service”, it should not be thought of as a 3-month mission trip. We have designed the semester to include a wide variety of different experiences. It is better to think of it as equal parts education and service, with an appropriate amount of time set aside for you to rest and have fun.

Depending on the given week, you might find yourself doing VBS with children in a school or orphanage, building houses in a local township or praying for the sick in an AIDS hospice. You also might find yourself lounging on the beach or hanging out with your friends as you process the things you’ve seen and done; listening to guest instructors as they fascinate you with South Africa’s painful history and methods for reconciliation; surfing, hiking, bungee jumping or galloping along the edge of the ocean on your horse as you soak in the beautiful setting and South African sense of adventure; worshipping God in Zulu as you discover that you may or may not have as much rhythm as you thought; bartering with local merchants as you make your way through a crowd in the incredible African craft markets; or snapping pictures of a lion or an elephant as you ride in an open air jeep on a wildlife safari.

It is our understanding that in order to grow up and mature, you need time to do so. Time on your own, time with your friends and time to laugh, have fun and experience adventure. As much as possible we will provide these times for you to rest and gather your thoughts.

Travel

So you thought you did a lot of travelling and got to see a lot while in Canada? Well, wait until you get to South Africa! There is so much to see in this country because each major city and area has its own unique flavor. Cultures and people groups are still mostly separated in South Africa, with each ethnicity generally staying within a particular area of the country. In the three months that you will spend in South Africa, you will travel over 5000 km’s, staying in a new location almost every week. Some of these will be in poor urban areas where you will get a feel for what life is like in the many townships. During other weeks, you will get a feel for Afrikaans lifestyle and culture when living in a predominantly white area. In other weeks you will stay at camps or retreat centres, homes of people from various church congregations, a cave while hiking in the Drakensburg mountains, rondavels (thatch-roofed huts) at a rustic backpackers hostel in a village on the Wild Coast, and tents while on a safari in Kruger National Park.

You will be re-familiarized with games, songs and the various ways to pass the time during long drives. However, this time you will all travel together in a large coach bus.

Instruction

In general, your studies will focus on South African history and Conflict Resolution. Partners at the University of Pretoria and the Institute for Democracy in South Africa, as well as Conflict Transformation practitioners will help you develop an understanding of modern South Africa along with the ways in which they have dealt with the difficult internal conflicts. You will also study and experience the many ways in which Christ is honoured, served and worshiped throughout the country.

Lectures will sometimes take place in the classroom, but as often as possible lectures will be “on location” at museums, historical monuments, prisons, and famous settings of political violence and protest. Site Leaders will give reflection assignments to help you process what you are learning. Group discussion times will also serve to brief and debrief what is being taught.

During your first two weeks in South Africa, you will be introduced to both the Afrikaaner (white) and African (black) perspectives of South African history, culture and politics. You will learn how these two very different cultures are working to bridge the gap that has separated them and caused so much conflict in the past. You will learn about the Great Trek of the Afrikaaners while visiting the Voortrekker Monument, and the struggle of the blacks while visiting the Apartheid Museum.

In the Western Cape province, you will live with Coloured (mixed race) families and learn about their lives. As you experience this unique culture you will fall in love with their outgoing spirit and sense of humour. You will also visit Robben Island, the famous prison where Nelson Mandela and his comrades were incarcerated during the apartheid era. Former inmates will teach you about life as a political prisoner.

On the Wild Coast, you will live at a rustic backpacker’s hostel in a rural village. Your Site Leaders will be your instructors for the week, leading you through a module designed to help you know yourself better. Discussions, surveys, and assessment tools will help you discover your spiritual gifts, personality traits, passions, abilities, love languages and career aptitude.

In Kwazulu-Natal, you will live with Indian families in the area with the largest population of Indians outside of India. Your learning will be mostly experiential as you visit temples, workplaces and cultural events. You will experience delicious (and spicy!) food as they spoil you with their amazing hospitality.

Service

The service projects in South Africa will vary greatly depending on the particular location or people group. After you receive your initial introductions to Afrikaaner and African culture and history, your site will be divided into small groups to begin Small Group Independent Service Projects. Groups of approximately ten students and one Site Leader will live and serve at ministries in and around Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city. Service work may involve hospital visitation, construction and gardening at an AIDS hospice, working with children in an orphanage, assisting in a township school or helping out with an after school program. When students return from their service projects, the site will travel to Cape Town where they will spend the first couple of days debriefing and sharing stories.

The next major service opportunity will take place in a township in Cape Town. You will help construct modest cinder block houses to assist the government in replacing the shacks where so many impoverished South Africans live. Local workers will supervise and provide guidance as you work.

In Jeffrey’s Bay, you will support ongoing children’s ministries while living with a group of international students at the Uniting Christian Students Association (UCSA). UCSA students will introduce you to the various areas where they are serving and help you to get involved with their programs.

While in South Africa, there will be many other opportunities to serve our various ministry partners. Duties may include maintenance, dishwashing, cooking and childcare.

Adventure

For you adventurous types, you’ve come to the right place! South Africans love to push the limits in adventure and sport, finding just about anything to jump or rappel off of, climb up, or dive into. There are many unique opportunities available in South Africa, and we want you to take advantage of as many as possible! We do understand, however, that adventure can look different for different people. Whether you enjoy extreme sports or get your thrills from badminton, activities are available to suit different tastes. As many of these activities may be a “once in a lifetime” opportunity, we encourage you to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. Adventure is incredible for team building, and you’ll be surprised what God will teach you through physical challenge.

As adventure is a main component of the semester, many activities will be either covered or subsidized by the program. Some activities that will be made available, however, will be optional and at the students’ own cost.

Possible adventure activities may include:

Bungee Jumping – South Africa is home to the Guiness World Record holding highest commercial bungee jump in the world! This is an incredible opportunity to brag about to all your friends back home whose studies don’t include bungee jumping.

Shark Diving – You’ve probably been to a zoo before, but haven’t you always wanted to see wild animals in their natural habitat? You’ll be given the opportunity to go out on the Atlantic Ocean with Shark experts to see Great Whites in the wild. You will even get in the water with them… in a protective cage, of course.

Surfing – South Africa is known around the world for its incredible surfing. It’s a difficult sport, but with a lesson or two, you’ll be on your way.

Abseiling – A popular South African sport, better known to Canadians as “repelling”. We will take you to the top of a raging, 110 metre waterfall, put a harness on you and send you abseiling down the side of it. Some find this more intense than bungee jumping.

Horseback Riding – Have you ever seen those travel ads where people are galloping down a gorgeous beach, splashing along the water’s edge? Well, that will be you. If you’re a beginner, you might just enjoy a leisurely ride through the desert. For confident riders, we’ll take you to a spectacular beach with miles and miles of coastline where you can ride as fast as you like!

Wildlife Safari – You’ll have plenty of opportunities to see wildlife in South Africa. Highlights are always the lion sanctuary where you can actually hold and play with baby lions, and our trip to Kruger National Park where you will go on a game drive at both dawn and dusk. The goal is to see all of the big 5: lion, elephant, African Buffalo, Rhinoceros and leopard.

Hiking – The beautiful landscape in South Africa includes incredible mountain ranges. We will take you on a hike up Table Mountain, which overlooks the city of Cape Town. The view will take your breath away. The next hiking challenge will be a 2-day adventure led by professional guides in the Drakensburg mountain range. You will stay the night in mountainside cave, cross paths with baboons and likely even meet a tribe of Basotho herdsman.

Other possible adventures may include white water rafting, paintball, rock climbing, zip-line, caving, sandboarding and paragliding.

Come let us show you around South Africa and discover the breathtaking beauty and excitement of this incredible country!