23/08/13
Up at 8am for a busy day. Everyone was pleased to see bacon for breakfast...
Our first step was "The Children's Memorial Institute". Essentially a free children's hospital run by NGO's. NGO's are a collection of Non-Governmental-Organisations that all work together to fund and run the hospital. My initial thoughts were that the NHS wouldn't be pleased. However, it is a great hospital run by amazing people that are equipped with everything the children need.
We spent the morning in the "Lecture Hall". On entering, the door handle fell off. We received various talks from members of staff. The most memorable talk was on HIV/AIDS and Baby Shake. HIV/AIDS statistics are so unbelievable in this country. The equivalent of the entire population of Scotland are currently living with the virus. That's only those who know they have it.
After the talk we were taken to an old, neglected hospital wing. It was like a scene from a horror movie. Dust everywhere, personal files scattered the floor and creepy pipes that rattled in the background. Not to mention the South African serial killer "Daisy" that haunts the place. The idea was to enter with an open mind as to what the place could be. They hope to transform it into a therapeutic martial arts centre for the children.
On walking back through the main hospital it's hard not to notice the excessive barred-gates and padlocks. It often felt more like a prison.We were shown to a lovely part of the hospital called the Toy Library. It was very inspirational as everything from the toy cooker that the kids played with to the chairs you sat on were made from paper mache. A very good example of recycling!
After that visit we had a tasty lunch made by the Hospital's Autistic Children. There was lot's of excitement when they brought out "South Africa's favourite Iron Brew!" Not so much excitement after we tasted it and realised it was made by Coca Cola.
After the Children's Memorial Institute we visited Constitutional Hill, an old prison that thrived throughout Apartheid. Learning about the food prisoners were given, the torture methods used and the way different races were treated was so sickening. The place was terrifying. It was however a very insightful trip. We ended the day by visiting the Constitutional Court, which I then saw on TV the next day.
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| Eleven official languages of South Africa |
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| South Africa Flag |
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| Project Trust hoody |
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| We had to have bear feet in a certain area of the prison |
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| Lewis just can't help it |
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| I love this, it's peeling paint but looks like an other worldly map |
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| within the prison grounds |
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| This is all the black prisoners would have to keep warm |
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| The prisoners would create sculptures like this to impress the guards and prisoners in higher ranks |
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| The isolation cells, markings and dates are scratched all over the inside doors |
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| Constitutional Court |
That evening, a group of us walked to a super market in Johannesburg. It all went swiftly but returning in the dark was more than a little scary.
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