Soweto: MA in international relations

For: Javier Brandoli (text and photos)
Previous Image
Next Image

info heading

info content

A narrow street, surrounded by cardboard and wood shacks, of dry soil, awaits tourists in Elias Motsoaledi, a neighborhood over huge ghetto. There for our taxi. "Only four whites live behind or around Soweto", Zach explains, which highlights that this is a neighborhood for blacks (mestizos living either). There does not speak English or Afrikaans; People, arrival of rural South Africa and other neighboring countries, speaking the other nine official languages ​​of the country (among themselves, with tourists will speak up in Esperanto).

Soon get a guide, Mandla (in Zulu means powerful), offered to teach your neighborhood. I drop a tirade, I smile and he is shown satisfied with my face of bobo for despeluchar. We begin to lowering the close vereda and invites me to enter a house. There lives Gledys, the 55 years, that awaits me Join three friends with which drinking a coffee. Al enter their faces change; maintains the kindness (are very cordial the South Africans) but adds a certain dramatism. Me explains that has no heating, nor water and with gestures points me a basin red where it is washed whole family. Without asking nothing, me relates that has four daughters and her husband the has abandoned. La house falls to blows wind. Only has a room, full of dirty clothes pulled by the ground, a small bed (for five) and a close window by the that sneaks some light. "I'm in unemployment, live support of people like you ", is quick to tell me about intuits that visista is running. I make some pictures; I made the gesture of victory and laughs. It's a little disconcerting the scene (the argumentario Dramatic woman does not correspond with photography, but as I have given the 10 rand as it has confused a bit).

Only has a room, full of dirty clothes pulled by the ground, a small bed (for five) and a close window by the that sneaks some light

The same story of Gledys me repeated shortly after another woman in the middle of secarral, that rushes out of his hut when he sees that I'm playing with two children. Smile, I look and as stand one second glance tells me to come into your home, living there with his five children, no husband, without "money" and dozens of diseases diagnosed by a tñio grandfather (I can choose which one I like on the photo: has very good faces on offer for yellow fever and malaria, you know is a favorite of travelers). I realize I'm a nerd who teach the same story of misery and repeated to get the money. It is certain poverty; there is throughout the country, but here is a photo souvenir trades (Soweto is the "monument" most visited Johannesburg).

Comes the turn of children pounce on tourists. They have learned one mantra to make the money that is always repeated (all followed the same pattern). First ask where you; then your name; then they tell you that if in your country there are neighborhoods like; then pose for a picture they ask spontaneous (among my friends we call this a 'stolen'); then they tell, Point Blank, them from that dinero, who hunger. If you say no take, ask you sunglasses, chamber, one tooth… The kids are fun, but have six master of international relations.

Comes the turn of children pounce on tourists. They have learned one mantra to make the money that is always repeated

Finally, comes the turn of the guide, who has been waiting patiently to hunt prey. After several hundred meters over absolute poverty, Mandla me about the hardships of the neighborhood (undoubted), their only source of drinking water, his lack of electricity, of the important work done by the community to help each other, six that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, that likes to wear the old ladies bags and hand crossing the street children, and that without my help, just this moment, may die a 54 orphans. Your kindness, perennial hitherto, becomes when I give her money all I have on, 17 Rands (1,7 EUR). I spits that if that I think I can help many people. I tell him I have no more above (certain) and I explain that I'm tired of being one U.S. dollars andante (took several hours walking around the neighborhood and the sequence is constant); I'm tired of that I try to take money; to change their faces when they do not give them what they expect. He looks at me and walks with defiant gesture upset and, yes, with money in your pocket. I return to my cab; a van with tourists has stuck to our car parked. I see them start the same journey that takes them to another Gladys and other Mandla (observed spread tourists).

Lee explained to Zach, my guide, that is the last time that in a place like. I explain that I'm not here to take a picture in hunger to teach my friends. I say that if this is all you have to teach, take me to the airport. He apologizes to me, tells me that will not be repeated and that the guides are not allowed to ask for money from anyone (for descojonarse; here, you neglect, and ask you for money up KFC chicken Dissected).

Then, in food, in an authentic South African cuisine (mashed potatoes with knife cut), a man begins to make flexible movements against my (el tipo es capaz de hacer un tetris con los músculos y colocarse la gorra en la cabeza con los pies). Me divierte, I'm thinking of giving some coins, when Zach, I just heard that I am up to the balls that I try to take money, sends him to hell and almost end up in big fight (I see how much of it is not easy to understand my message. I realize that maybe I'm the one who do not understand).

PD. I will shortly a report of Soweto. The story of his struggle against apartheid, loaded symbols throughout the neighborhood, is exciting. Some places come to move you. I recommend everyone who is visiting this place, but beware of hungry marketers (are very friendly, but you despeluchan).

Clarification: This text is part of an article I published in elmundo.es. Here is the original text, first person and my personal experiences.

  • Share

Comments (14)

  • ricardo

    |

    You have much reason, but when you rinse it you're not an asshole, although at times dissemble, can not help feeling you're behaving like a motherfucker. It's very complicated, especially with children. If you bring candy, want pens; themselves llevas boiling, tea Identifier dinero, and if you lengthen them a few coins, want your glasses or your shirt.. They are insatiable. And around the corner is the adult to keep all, I have seen children eating handfuls of candy before reaching the town for not sharing. In order, Africa in its purest

    Answer

  • jeff

    |

    Ricardo …. CRAP

    Answer

  • jeff

    |

    Javie.you must go a little more easy . The reason every one wants your money or whatever, IS because they really could do with it .I mean they ARE hungrey they DO need to feed thier CHILDREN. I’m sure you are tired of this kind of things all the time . But,hey. thats what you are there for .The experiance of AFRICA. For good or bad.Enjoy what you have got there and remember us poor bastards here in Madrid bored to death,with the same old things happening all the time.

    Answer

  • ricardo

    |

    Jeff, I do not think you understood what I meant. The opinions, when reasoning, are never CRAP. In any case, bulls always look better from the sidelines…

    Answer

  • jeff

    |

    Ricardo .Maybe you have a piont .But when I wrote that I had just came back from the pub .Sorry

    Answer

  • jeff

    |

    Ricardo .Maybe you have a piont .But when I wrote that I had just came back from the pub .Sorry
    But I still think that it is not as bad as you think .I»»»»»v been to Africa a few times and found it a little heavy myself but not as hard as you say .

    Answer

  • ricardo

    |

    Jeff, what I pretended to explain, probably with little success, is that if you give all that you end up being unfair and ask if you close the end is inevitable band you do not feel good about yourself. In this duality is difficult to move. I have traveled Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia and clearly not always the same, but to me what Javi has reminded me of other similar situations in which you used at the window of misery and you have left a bad body for what.. I've given dictionaries and grammar books Spanish-English children have asked me to the study and after a while I have been saying that friends of his had screwed, they were not going to take advantage, best he had given them. It is a mere struggle for survival in which is very hard to be fair, because our vision of what surrounds us, mournfully, is limited, inevitably distorted and unfair. From ahi, clear, that each behave according to their conscience. A greeting and see if when Javi back we discussed a few beers (I from the tenth even I have fluent English…)

    Answer

  • Xavier

    |

    You are two cracks and your message is consistent. I just explained that sometimes traded with the misery and the choice is complicated. Of course we are hungry and have problems in AFRICA… and in Asia, America and Spain just behind the corner. (Never occurred to me to go as a tourist to the Cañada Real, Madrid, to see how people live). The problem is that here (and in many countries), on occasion, treat you like a fistful of dollars andante. You have to have some care between what is real and is a theater. Just say that. Then, course, you always have the inside certainly could have given more or done the asshole. But you do not come to Africa to be generous, as if you came to see a colony of poor blacks. Right behind our peaceful lives in Madrid there are people having a bad time and we would never lend a hand; but we come to the third world and fill the chest with air because we let 20 EUR. How many times do we give money to a black who is lying in the middle of the Plaza de Tirso de Molina? Clear, there is Europe and we have no Africanist spirit of being a sort of lay missionaries.
    Hugs to both of the beers and my return is agreed
    Jeff: 're a great guy

    Answer

  • Xavier

    |

    I forgot to tell Jeff that you should care so much beer. You look like a foreigner in the Costa Brava.
    Saying crap is not pretty. Write it ten times in your note book

    Answer

  • jeff

    |

    Javier I know saying crap is not nice but as I said I had just come back from the pub witha few beers under my belt .And I did say sorry the next day.But I will write it ten times for you.
    Ricardo … Yes when javier does come back we shall go for a good drink and have a good talk about many things.I will be looking forward to it. And sorry again for my rudeness.

    Answer

  • ricardo

    |

    Don´t worry, Jeff. At least we are agree in getting drunk as a lord together in every bar when Javier is coming (I suposse). Cheers!

    Answer

  • Xavier

    |

    Cheers from south africa!!!

    Answer

  • Juancho

    |

    From a place of asia where the gaze across someone costs ten euro cents (do not know how, but I'll take), add it to your exciting discussion:
    1) And if everything is mix of both? Ie, making theater, but they need much.
    2) I also want beer

    Seriously. Me he enfadado mil veces con las estrategias de «extraccion» del dolar que utilizan, sometimes more rudimentary and other more elaborate, however, they still see the plume. And a thousand times I thought: Already, but teatrillo, that would have given them no money, Juancho?
    And I thought a thousand times more: Do wrong, do wrong. We should not give. None. Never. Ceder is to make damage, because if you let him turn the begging business, read enslaved to that begging…
    And then you think: Y si nadie, never, give. Moririan? Many? Some? A?
    And in the end tell, me VOY bar, because every day enti less.

    Xavier, could have written the same words with different chronic and less grace (you're a genius). Like. As poverty seems…
    Hugs to all

    Answer

  • Xavier

    |

    I agree with your whole reflection. It is the constant doubt traveling through these lands. A kind of feeling that always moves between doubt and certainty, not knowing where to place any in certain situations. I be an idiot?, is the question. A time for giving; sometimes do not, what does not change is the question.
    The rest, thanks. Is it weird if I say now, after your comment, I died of laughter reading some of your stories, I've been to one of your beaches and I am excited with some of your hard stories? Yes, is rare, but true. The reading you sure you also make the trip.
    Now we are four for beers. Good group: Jeff, Ricardo, Juancho and server.

    Answer

Write a comment