Cape Town Township Tours With Teens - 2

On the way to the schoolhouse, our guide spotted some children idling in the alley. He launched into rapid Xhosa, the local language, and marched off to find their mothers. Clearly rattled, he explained: “School is free. They learn, they get good food. [Their parents] shouldn’t keep them home to help with chores.”

Sure enough, when we arrived at the schoolhouse lunch was underway. We met a crowd of happy, chattering kids who were wolfing down nourishing bowls of 'pap,' the traditional dish of maize meal.

Despite some uncomfortable moments, the trip proved eye-opening for both parents and children. The very fact that township tours exist represents a huge step forward from the days of apartheid—the days when Uncle Brian and his family were evicted from their communities.

What Might Your Kids Learn?

A different perspective. You may be taking them well outside their comfort zone, but it needn’t be a guilt trip. The township tours offer children a view of another reality that is far more concrete than any number of parental rebukes about how lucky they are.

 

• Two township school boys pose for a picture on their first day of school.

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The benefits of cultural exchange. A woman who shows visitors her house told us that when the tours first began, her neighbors would rush over, thinking she was in trouble. “Whenever we saw white faces before, it was always the police,” she said. “Because of apartheid we never had the opportunity to share our culture.”

The tours also challenge the preconceived notions of visitors about what life in the townships is really like. They offer a way for people on both sides of these racial and economic divides to see each other as more than opposing demographics. Or, as our son said, “They liked us and we liked them!”

If You Go

Take a small group walking tour. Companies offering these include Daytrippers and Grassroute. Other companies run drive-through tours where visitors are limited to staring through the windows of their air-conditioned bus.

Take plenty of cash. It’s your opportunity to put money directly into the hands of the people who need it. Local craftspeople rely on trade from tourists, and the roadside stalls are crammed with handmade goods, often made from recycled materials.