Yesterday afternoon we went to the graduation ceremony of the pre-primary school in the location (‘township’) near our village. It’s a privately funded school and supported by all parents and others of the little community named Die Kop (= the Head). It’s also one of the best pre-primary schools in South Africa and seemingly the provincial and national government are not aware of this or keep their eyes closed… Anyway once there I took the opportunity to make some pictures and ‘guided’ by one of the previous pupils of the pre-primary I had a ‘grand tour’ and I can assure you that more ‘privileged’ South Africans should do the same. It’s an eye-opener!!! Meeting people who are able to make something our of nothing; experiencing great true hospitality ….. so much different from the stories especially tourists are told. The organization Food for Thought (more info via: food4thoughtstanford -at- gmail.com donations are always welcome!) has invested quite a lot in this community during the past 10 years and it is one of the relatively few projects in the Western Cape with a sustainable character. It’s in places like this where the seeds of the future of South Africa are germinating. Education is important and so unfortunate that this is so much underestimated by many people in this country. But this is not about politics; I just want to introduce you to a colorful community and silently hope (probably against all odds) that one day more people take the first step to a mutual beneficial understanding… Click on thumbnails for enlargement and get an idea of a ‘portrait of a community’.
Filed under: photography, portrait, South Africa Tagged: colorful community, education, food for thought, graduation ceremony, politics, pre-primary, south africans, Stanford, true hospitality
