South Africa in Review

The Power of a Group — NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellows 2019

Just over a year ago I received a letter awarding me this fellowship which took me first to DC in October of 2018 and then South Africa 🇿🇦 in July of 2019. Not only did I feel honored but I was in awe of the talented, creative, and inspiring teachers joining me on this journey. This shared experience generated friendships and relationships that are certain to build bridges and future opportunities. What I learned on this adventure cannot be duplicated by textbooks 📚 or videos.  I am forever changed. Thank you 🙏🏽 ❤️ NEA Foundation for the honor of representing this organization in South Africa 🇿🇦 and beyond. 🤗🙂

Safari 🦒🦏🐘🦓 with an Edge

The last few days of our trip was spent at a gorgeous resort on the edge of  Pilanesberg National Park and Game Reserve.  Situated on 221 sq miles within an extinct volcano 🌋 crater, this park is home to the “Big Five:”:  elephant 🐘 , rhinoceros 🦏, leopard 🐆, lion 🦁, and the African buffalo.  The catchphrase, big five, comes from a hunting expression for five of the most difficult animals to be hunted.  We participated in five safaris over three days, each lasting between three and four hours. While out on Safari, we saw all of the big five except for the elusive African Buffalo and many many many many other animals. The park is home to over 7000 different species of animals so there was much to see. It was like a game of Where’s Waldo as we rode around in a Jeep 🚙 searching for 🦒 🦓🐗 animals.

On a darker note, this park was established in 1977 and it opened in 1979. Upon hearing this fact, I quickly questioned who was here before the park. With just a little bit of research I learned that the Tswana people had lived on this land. In simple terms, they were removed from their land and pushed  to the outskirts of the park. Thousands of people were forcibly removed from the land, their village demolished, and their farmlands turned into a nature preserve.  Call it eminent domain or apartheid, the end result for the Tswana people is heartbreaking.  As fun as the safaris were, I am very conscious of what was lost to create such a beautiful park.