Marc talked of growing up in an Apartheid South Africa. I've not researched it just yet - but he referenced a 'student uprising' in Joburg in 1976. He and other students made cardboard coffins and marched through the streets of a local township called Alexandra (where we will be tomorrow). Their intent was to march to the government offices and present their protests with the coffins. Along the way - some 4000 - 5000 people joined them. Marc's memories were vivid. He was identified out of the crowd - taken, beaten with a metal bat over the head and sent home. Upon arrival he was arrested for what sounded like a made up charge of skipping out of a military assignment. He was then taken from his home, thrown in his uniform and made to guard the same government facility he had just been protesting from the people he had been protesting with.
He told us this story I think because it resonated with him as a story of the tumultuous Apartheid times that have left the people and landscape of the townships in such hard conditions. He then described a strategy that MaAfrika Tikkun has for not 'taking people out of' the townships (where you are "saving individuals") - but of placing people from the townships in positions to be able to save their entire community. That simple idea I found brilliant. You can save one person and take them away - but if you can enable a community to grow - and for it's people to have options - that's power.
Having experienced it today - there is a chasm of need in the townships beyond what I've encountered in my life. But I'll save that for the next post.
The team in Joburg - Mike, Amanda, Matt, Betsy, Brian and Onyi
Good work Matt, keep it up!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a story from Marc, impactful to say the least.
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