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Contrasts in Cape Town

I really wasn't sure what I was looking for when making my decision about where to go for my semester abroad.

I knew I wanted to experience something completely different in a place where I would have the opportunity to give back to the community.

So, after spending much time looking through numerous brochures, with a bit of research of my own, I finally settled on South Africa. Before my departure I was, of course, a bit unsure and anxious as to whether my decision was the best choice for me.

New Surroundings and Experiences

Making my way to my new home in Cape Town, I was initially overwhelmed with my new surroundings. As we drove from the airport I witnessed much wealth along with desperate poverty, the likes of which I had never seen. Once at the University of Stellenbosch, I was in awe of the beauty of the country. Only a 40 minute drive from the bustling streets of Cape Town, Stellenbosch is tucked at the base of towering mountains in the heart of South Africa’s wine lands. Its quaint feel and Cape Dutch influences really made the place easy to fall in love with.

The university, with a student population of over 20,000, gives Stellenbosch a “college town feel” and made the transition comfortable. The student culture and night life is incredible and soon I felt right at home. There was always something to do -- a late night on the town, a visit to a wine estate, a hike in the surrounding mountains, or a day at the beach.

My classes at the University of Stellenbosch were fantastic. As a political science major, I found the context for my courses and the professors themselves to be profoundly interesting. South Africa is a nation undergoing massive transition. One of the most beneficial educational experiences was to learn from people who have lived through apartheid and personally fought for their civil rights.

As far as giving back to the community, I found the volunteering opportunities were seemingly endless. I tutored English in the Kayamandi Township on the outskirts of Stellenbosch and found the experience to be absolutely wonderful. I worked with elementary school students once a week and learned so much from the experience. The residents of the Townships are among the poorest in the country, and living conditions are tough to say the least. Yet I found that the people were some of the kindest I have met and were overwhelmingly grateful for the effort put out by volunteers.

Though initially I may have been unsure of what I was looking for in a study abroad program and host nation, I know I found it in South Africa.

Bruce Crise is a junior majoring in Political Science. He studied abroad for the 2007 spring semester at the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa.