WK 12: Service Learning Related Article: Women and Children of South Africa

         Our project, Bethel, mainly focuses on feeding and caring for the children and women who have been surrounded by abusive environments and have dealt with domestic violence. The program is able to facilitate various resources for the women and children by making and selling jewelry to the locals in South Africa. One of our main goals it to empower the women to become independent and stand strong despite what they have endured and help the children lead a normal life. The article I have chosen focuses on the difficulties women and children of South Africa face and the obstacles they overcome on a daily basis. According to the article, women and child abuse is still a big problem in South Africa as "thousands of women and children fall victims every year". Furthermore, various factors such as homelessness and hunger lead women and children to stay with their abusers because they see no other helpful options. The project, Bethel, is a terrific project because it takes in women and children so they can no longer be abused and still have a roof over their heads and food to eat. Not to mention, the women are trained in different fields so they can earn an income and be proud of their accomplishments. I believe that the media can be a strong tool in portraying the struggles of women in South Africa, bringing attention to the problem, help progress women's rights and  help end the abuse.

http://journalismiziko.dut.ac.za/feature-review/women-and-child-abuse-a-menace-in-south-africa/

WK 11: Service Learning Project

       This past week, I received my service learning project that I will be conducting with my group in South Africa (Very excited!). The project is titled Bethel, a social entrepreneurship program that conducts a bead jewelry business and are sold to local businesses to benefit previously abused women and young children. Our main goals are to empower the women, expand their market to a larger scale, and enlarge their business model. Interestingly, there are other programs that are similar in regard to the fact that they create jewelry to benefit a certain cause. For example, the Butterfly Project, a non profit, sells jewelry created by individuals all over the world to raise awareness and support those that have been affected by the sex trafficking industry. The program runs a well-crafted website and shares various jewelry pieces along with the stories behind the different designs. The website also showcases the different social media handles that help spread their project name to a large audience. Not to mention, they also attend different conferences around the world to raise awareness about the sex traffic industry and share the news with individuals that encounter the website. The Butterfly Project is a tremendous success and they hold many sponsors to help support their cause. This project can help give us ideas on how to successfully accomplish our goals towards Bethel and create something that will leave a positive impact.

›

Blog 9: Powerful Impact of the Top Ten

TOP 10 READINGS & VIDEOS

Maymester 2015, South Africa  
1.Power and Privilege Definitions
2.Apartheid Timeline
3.Not White Enough, Not Black Enough
4.South Africa Progressive on LGBT Rights but Gays Still Battle for Social Reform
5.Cape Town: Gangs, Race and Poverty 20 years after Apartheid
6.Realizing Women's Rights in South Africa
7.Here's how South African students talk about race and gender
8.Winnie’ fails to capture the essence of Mrs. Mandela
9. Bucket list to visiting South Africa 
10. Culture in South Africa

        The top ten list combined various aspects that helped me better understand the present and past of South Africa and relate to many issues faced in the United States. The Power and Privilege Definitions form was useful in simplifying complex terms of race,power, and privilege pertaining to social issues in South Africa. Moreover,the Apartheid Timeline was a beneficial tool in showing the past and present of South Africa and various aspects that created and destroyed the Apartheid era. The article "Not White Enough, Not Black Enough" highlights the struggles of the colored community as they receive less benefits, opportunities, and attention compared to their black and white counterparts. The article "South Africa Progressive on LBGT Rights"showcased a tremendous,positive change for LGBT members,however many LBGTQ members still face conflict in terms of hate crimes and homophobia in South Africa.
      In addition, the video "Cape Town: Gangs, Race and Poverty" was a eye-opener as it depicts those living in the slums and facing crime, unemployment and poverty issues while living in a post-apartheid era. The article on "Realizing Women's right" is a powerful reflection of the life of many South African women and how they are treated as second class citizens in a male-dominated society.Not to mention, the poor representation of Winnie Mandela in the film Winnie, where it focuses mainly on her relationship with Mandela instead of the significant role she played in the anti-apartheid movement.The next article based on South African student's opinions,delves into the social issues of race, class, and gender and how they are coping in a new generation.  
     Additionally, the articles "Bucket List of South Africa" and "Culture in South Africa" are interesting and promote the diversity and unique items that make South Africa a popular tourist destination rich with history and tradition.To conclude, the top ten list gave insight into understanding the political, economic, and social objectives that created South Africa.