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South Africa (SFD) Program Links - 1 3590

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• Excursions
• Homestays

South Africa: Reconciliation and Development

Program Highlights

South Africa has experienced many political changes and as a result, the government, in an effort to redress the anomalies of the past, has introduced reconciliation and development programs. Through experiential learning, the Durban program provides an opportunity for students to participate in the changes that take place in this country.

Educational excursions, Reconciliation and Development seminars, homestay families and the Independent Study Projects contribute to student’s broadening knowledge and their understanding of cultural issues prevalent in South Africa. This program allows students to collect first hand information on the dynamic socio-economic and political aspects of this country.

Durban as Program Base

The program is based in Durban, which is located in KwaZulu-Natal, one of the nine provinces of South Africa. This large, fairly modern city played an important role in South Africa’s history of Apartheid; many say that Apartheid began in Durban, well before the Nationalist Party took over the national government in 1948. Durban and KwaZulu Natal have a rich history of political activity, with contributions of people like Gandhi, John Dube and Chief Albert Luthuli, and the foundation of organizations such as the Natal Indian Congress and the African National Congress. Durban has a significant Indian influence, with the largest Indian population of any city outside of India.

Community Service Week

During the community service week (CSW), students immerse themselves in the daily activities of a particular organization.  Students identify a local community organization that they feel is rendering significant services that enable a community to meet its needs. At the end of this experience, students write a report and evaluate the experience gained.

Reconciliation and Development Seminar (RDS)

During the seminar, the program includes lecturers from renowned specialists, mainly in reconciliation and development matters. One of the RDS lecturers participated actively in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 1998 and contributed to writing the TRC report that was officially submitted to South Africa’s President on the 21st of March 2003.

Zulu Language

Learning a foreign language is one of the highlights in this program. Zulu, as a language with many clicks, is a very difficult language for English speakers to master in a short period of time. Students work hard to communicate with their homestay families in Zulu. In previous semesters, an RDS lecturer from the Zulu Royal family was also invited to speak on Zulu culture and the language.

Rural Homestay in Hlabisa

Hlabisa is one of the many impoverished villages of the Zulu people. Villagers still keep their traditions even though most are jobless and more than 60% of the Hlabisa population does not have potable water. The rural Homestay in Hlabisa is one of the exciting components of the program where students spend three days with the Homestay families. The visit to the two local schools, one of which was built by SIT funds, is a highlight for students to compare the standard and quality of education in the rural schools.

Please note: Final arrangements are subject to change