Recommended book: Kaffir Boy

Before arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa, each of the students was asked to read 3 books to help prepare.

One of the books was called Kaffir Boy written by Mark Mathabane. Kaffir Boy is Mathabane's autobiography of his life growing up during the apartheid in South Africa. He recounts the terror and horror of living in Alexandria, one of the largest townships for blacks in South Africa. I did not know much about apartheid before reading this book... I did know that it was government-enforced segregation in South Africa, but I did not how truly inhumane it was. I did not realize that for many of the blacks living in the segregated ghettos (which are called townships) fear was a way of life. FEAR was all they really knew. Author Mathabane talks about living in fear as the police would invade his house, physically abuse he and his family members, and take the little money that his family did have for no justifiable reason (at least to me as the reader).

The most fearful time I can recount is one time when I was home alone and was sure that I heard footsteps upstairs. Yet after being scared for about 20 minutes, I fell asleep and woke up realizing nothing had happened. For Mathabane, those footsteps (like the ones that I thought I heard) were a reality day in and day out, not just a figment of his imagination as they were for me. Those footsteps for Mathabane warned of the coming of the dreaded police--which meant an even harder life for Mark and his family. Those footsteps meant that there was a large likelihood that Mark's father would be taken away as a prisoner for not having his pass book (a government booklet that was used to regulate and monitor those living in the townships) in complete order. Those footsteps meant that his already starving stomach would ache even more. Those footsteps meant a sharp fear that sends chills down one's spine and takes one's breath right out of them. Fear destroys... and it works from the inside out.

Needless to say, I truly do recommend this book. It was one of the most difficult reads I've had to do, yet it was a story of survival--a survival during a truly dark time in South Africa. And this book forced me to ask the question time and time again, "how was this going on in South Africa, even during my life time, and we knew so little of it...?"

As I am in South Africa, I am sure that we will spend a great deal of time seeing some of the aftermath of apartheid. I will keep you all posted on what I learn, but it is my prayer that we can all find ourselves not asking, "How is it that I did not know this happened?" and instead we can ask, "Since I know this (insert world event...) is happening, how can I speak out against it and speak for justice, love, and peace?"

God's peace