Township Home Stays

It's hard to see Emily, Margaret and their Mama -
They are standing behind the kids!

Port Elizabeth is currently not set up for home stays in the townships.  But our tour guide to Cape Town, Michael Gathercole of TwoWayTravel, is passionate about connecting college kids (and others) to people who live in the townships.

Through his own membership in a local multi-racial church called Jubilee, he has become friends with many township families.  Working through one main mama, Mama Noks, he has arranged many overnight stays with local families.  Jim and I thought we had to add this to our Cape Town trip, as we are always encouraging the students to get to know more South Africans.

We were the largest group for which Michael had ever arranged a stay.  Including Mark and Beth, and Jim and I, there were 34 of us staying Saturday and Sunday nights in the nearby Tambo Township.  As we went out to the homes in pairs, seventeen homes were needed.

We arrived at the home of Mama Noks around 5:00.  Each Mama who was hosting a pair of us came to her house and walked her students home.  Jim and I had a little worrisome lump in our throats.

Trang, Mama Titi, and Margaret

            Our arrangements were very different - just like families are different.  Mark and Beth stayed with an elderly couple, Dennis and Connie, who quickly fell in love with "Markie."  Jim and I stayed with Mama Mavis, who had been an ANC activist in her time.  One pair of students stayed in a home next door to a active shabeen (i.e. local bar), which they were fine with.  Another stayed with a Mama, her 8 daughters, and 10 grandchildren.

Mama Mavis is on the right...

Molly, Mama Tobeka, and Michelle

Jim and I wondered if the students would ask to stay in a hotel the second night.  But, even though some had no access to hot water (although their mamas heated water up on the stove for a bucket bath), all stayed a second night, and some wanted to stay longer.  Some  Mama- student partings had tears in their eyes.