Cape Town Township

South Africa is beautiful, we as tourists, even though I was born in this beautiful country usually only see the affluent side, my children and us live in America and have a great life, the worst thing that happens to them is we have a storm and loose the internet. With this in mind I felt I needed them to see how less fortunate children live and are happy. As a artist I have always loved finding beauty amongst poverty, I love to see the human spirit, to see despite having nothing we still see beauty, we still keep trying, we still have pride. I sat in this home, the walls were peeling, the floor had long ago lost it's covering, but it was spotless, it had been swept and swept again, the dust being swept out to join the dirt outside, a woman was washing her clothes in a basin in the corner, looking out the window as she did it, seeing her neighbors clothes flapping in the wind outside, the gorgeous sun peeking in her window, the room was sad, gloomy and depressing, but there  was one window, "a window of hope", with plants growing on it, a attempt to make the room look better, a symbol of pride, something to look at to ignore the sadness around you.

 My children were scared to go on the tour, they had heard the stories and thought they would be mugged. The opposite was true, we were welcomed. The children played with them, the families welcomed us into their homes. I loved seeing so many people trying so hard, the lady running a creche in Langa, so Mom's have somewhere safe to leave their children while they go look for work, kids playing with Dad's in the street, yes people are so very poor but they have hope, they are resilient, they find a way. These people need a change, they need opportunities, they need teachers in the schools, There are thousands of children going to school here each day, but most of the schools are under equipped, their teachers under educated or overworked, This is where help needs to go. I looked around and saw, genius, people making a home out of nothing, of entrepreneurship, they want to learn.

Our guide, Jimmy Matthews, via our tour group, had himself been born in Langa, he had bettered himself, he wanted to do more, and more and more. He was extremely knowledgeable, and despite his start in life has risen up to be a amazing person.