Beth Uriel Reflections

When we 1st arrived in Cape Town, we wondered whether 6 weeks would be too long in one place, but in the event, we wished that we could have stayed longer. We'd also been apprehensive about how we would cope with young men from such troubled backgrounds but that was another needless worry.

It seemed to make a huge impression on them all that a couple of our age had chosen to be there & we were welcomed with warmth & respect. Some were even referring to us as their mother & father by the time we left! During the obligatory volunteers' farewell ceremony, we were very moved by the touching speeches & messages of thanks & appreciation. We, in turn, tried to convey to them what a huge impact they had made on us.

We'd had some fascinating conversations over the 6 weeks as they shared the stories of their lives. A few of the "family" were coloured, one was from Rwanda & one from Zanzibar but most were from the Xhosa tribe, many from the Eastern Cape. We learned the initiation rituals young men go through, usually at age 18, when they go to "the bush" (not just a rural phenomenon - initiation camps are attached to most black townships) & what it means to be a Xhosa man. The initiation lasts for a month of isolation from the world, beginning with circumcision without anaesthetic. We learned about the tensions between traditional practices & the christian/western world. In fact, some of the most interesting conversations were sparked off by our celebrating Channukah & lighting our Friday night candles with them.

There were many sad stories. We don't know exactly how many have lived on the streets. One had lived rough for 3 years & said he grew to like the freedom while another told us that he'd lived on the streets for 2 months. One young man's family had "lost" him on the streets when he was 5 years old. Many had experienced violence in the townships & on the streets. Alcohol & drug abuse had been a feature of many of their backgrounds, both personally & in their families. They arrived at Beth Uriel in a variety of ways - referred by the courts or schools and by word of mouth, sometimes having met existing family members at the weekly soup kitchen run.

Despite all these problems, most were dedicated to furthering their education, either by going back to school (often in classes with much younger children) or by going on to further education. One was going to study medicine, another history, at university. Some were training to be cooks & we had a working actor (very thesp, darlings) in our midst. Others had ambitions to be a film & TV director, a pilot or a park ranger. Needless to say, we pray that they will all succeed in leading successful, comfortable, independent lives off the streets & away from crime. Under the watchful eye of the ever-energetic & resourceful Lindsay we think they have the fighting chance they deserve - they were bright, intelligent, charming company. We miss them all!