Chester Students Prepare for their African Adventure!

On 16th February 2011, myself and one of my tutors, Andy Lyon, met with this year’s prospective EDGE of AFRICA volunteers to answer any questions they may have and put their minds at ease about what to expect from their African adventure.

Andy started by introducing us both and speaking about the academic side of their trip and the sessions that the university are delivering in March to prepare them for their trip. During these sessions, the students will learn about how to behave within a new country and culture, and how to stay safe while they’re away, as well as getting information on the assessments they will be required to complete. Andy also spoke about what Knysna, and particularly areas such as The Heads and the marina, are like.

After this I was asked to tell the students about my experience with EDGE of AFRICA. I spoke about the structure of my placement (two days per week in the Knysna Tourism office, a day and a half per week on the Khayalethu eco-trail with the Rastafarians, and a two half-days per week in Judah Square edu-centre), our Cape Town orientation in the first week of our visit, and our return to Cape Town once our placements were over. I then gave the students the opportunity to ask me anything they felt they needed to know:

• How safe is Knysna? Can we take pictures openly and feel safe having our cameras out? Knysna is a relatively safe place. Remain as vigilant as you would if you were in this situation at home, and never forget that you are in a third-world country. Take pictures as you would normally but do not walk around with your camera in your hand or around your wrist. One of the most important things to remember is, don’t become complacent with the relative safety of Knysna town centre and assume that everywhere is the same, particularly if you are taking a trip to Cape Town.
  

  Cape Town
• How much money did you spend? It’s all relative to the kind of person you are. Our group went out at night quite a lot and at the time that we were there, there was no internet connection in the volunteer house, so we were also paying to use the internet cafe. I took around £700 and was sent an extra £150-200 by my parents while I was there.
• Was your presence well received in the township? Yes, the people who live in the township are so happy to have you there, and we didn’t experience any animosity at all from them.
• Was there a language barrier? The only language barrier we experienced was with some of the younger children. All the practitioners and teachers/workers etc in the township speak very good English. Every Friday afternoon, we had a Xhosa lesson with Joash, which was helpful in finding out certain words and phrases we could use around the children to keep them under control.
  

  Highest Bridge Bungee Jump in the World
• What was the weather like? Although the time of year is technically going into the African winter, their winter is nothing at all like our winter. The days are mainly warm enough to wear a t-shirt, but you should take ‘hoodies’ etc for in the evening.
• What footwear did you wear on placement? It all depends on your placement. In the preschools and on most other placements, flip flops are okay. However, if your placement involved outdoor work, such as Build Our School or the Khayalethu Eco-trail, trainers or boots would be more appropriate.
• Are there bank charges for drawing money out? There wasn’t with my bank, but I think some banks do have a small fee. An important thing to remember is to ring your bank and notify them that you intend on leaving the country and how long you’re going for, as some banks will block your account if there’s unexpected activity on your card.
  

  Plettenberg Bay Beach
• What was the general vibe you got of Knysna and of being in Africa? I personally thought that it started to feel like I lived there. The volunteer house is very homely, and Knysna itself is very welcoming. At first, working in the township is a culture shock, and nothing can really prepare you for that, but you soon fit in and start to feel like part of a team.
• What is there to do at night? The EDGE of AFRICA staff has a weekly programme of activities for in the evenings. You’ll have a braai once a week, which is like a BBQ and is more of a social event than a meal, and there’s also a quiz night, a games night, a DVD night, and a lecture night, all once a week. Knysna also has a decent variety of bars and clubs for at the weekend.
• Is there a difference between what you can wear in the town centre and what you can wear in the township? Yes, you must make sure you’re covered up when you go into the township, but you can pretty much dress how you would here in summer when you’re in the town centre.
• Other points to consider: Take an unlocked mobile phone with you to save you the time and money of buying one once you get there, as EDGE of AFRICA will provide you with a SIM card when you get there. Go on as many excursions as you can and make the most of your time there. Do as much of your assignment work as you possibly can before you go, so you have as much free time as possible when you’re there. Dress conservatively when going into the township and be respectful of the culture differences.

By Emma Hitchen - 2010 EDGE of AFRICA Volunteer and EDGE of AFRICA Rep based in the UK