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UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 23 APRIL, 2017
UWI DISCOVERS
SouthAfrica is a country not afraid of its scars.
FromApartheid-
era sites such as Robben Island, prison to Nelson Mandela and
numerous other political prisoners; to the sprawling townships;
to the stories of the era that have been immortalised in literature,
drama and song; South Africans wear their history with pride.
“Everybody – white, black, coloured, Indian, they are very
proud to be South African,” says Afiya Francis, Study Tour
Coordinator withThe UWI’s International Office. “There is great
pride among the people.”
Ms. Francis and a group comprising UWI senior
administrators, faculty, current and retired staff, teachers and
family members had an incredible opportunity to immerse
themselves in the culture of South Africa on a 17-day study
tour of the country. The tour, beginning at the end of 2016 and
continuing into 2017, was part of the International Office’s “UWI
Discovers” series.
“UWI Discovers South Africa” focused on several topics –
the history and culture of the country, conflict resolution, and the
post-Apartheid experience. One of the most impactful aspects of
the trip was the interaction with figures from the anti-Apartheid
movement, the movement for gender equality, and the arts and
SouthAfrica
Around the world, close to home
B Y J O E L H E N R Y
academia. This was facilitated by Professor Rhoda Reddock,
Deputy Principal of the St. Augustine Campus, who also took
part in the study tour.
“Thanks to Professor Reddock we met a lot of very influential
people,” says Ms. Francis. “We shared discussion about their
struggles and triumphs.”
At their first stop in Johannesburg, the group was hosted
by the Sisulu family – writer and activist Elinor Sisulu, and her
husband, well-known national politician Max Sisulu. Max is the
son of famed anti-apartheid activists Walter and Albertina Sisulu,
two close associates of Nelson Mandela. While in Johannesburg
they also visited Soweto, one of the historic centres of resistance
against the Apartheid regime.
The UWI study tour continued on to the Pilanesberg Game
Reserve and the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage site
that contains the fossils of near-human ancestors that are over 2
million-years old.
The final stop on the tour was Cape Town, where they
were hosted by author, historian and cricketer, Professor Andre
Odendaal and women’s rights activist, writer and educator
Professor Gertrude Fester. Through Professor Fester, The UWI
For more information on
UWI Discovers
and the International Office,
visit
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group was able tomeet withmany of the women who played a role
in the movement against Apartheid in Cape Town. Among them
was Mrs. Mildred Lesia Ramakaba, a warrior for racial, gender and
economic justice in South Africa for over half a century.
One of the most striking aspects of the journey, says Ms.
Francis, was the country’s resemblance to Trinidad and Tobago:
“I think a lot of people were verymuch amazed at how similar
SouthAfrica is to T&T, particularly with regard to the ethnicmake-
up of the country. In terms of the struggles they face, obviously
they are not as intense here, but some of the things we had to deal
with are similar.”
Started in 2012, UWI Discovers gives students, staff and a
cross-section of society an opportunity to visit and learn about
countries within and beyond the region. Participants become better
versed in several aspects of these societies and the opportunities
for the Caribbean to engage in constructive partnerships. “UWI
Discovers China” will take place in 2017.
