Knsyna: Khayalethu Township

The best vacation experiences are often those that spring up out of nowhere.

My tour of the Khayalethu township is a perfect example of this type of tourist serendipity.

When Darvey was in town he took the three of us out for some drinks at a local pub. Darv decided to invite a childhood friend of his, Dayne Davey (such a movie star name!). Thus began the most fortunate meeting. 

Turns out Dane manages a local charitable organization called Edge of Africa. It carries out programs that benefit both the local communities and the environment. Some of their projects include the construction of an eco-trail in Khayalethu, conservation work with The Big Five animals at a local game reserve, HIV/AIDS & TB awareness classes, the Sinethemba Street Kids Project which coordinates support for local homeless and disadvantaged children, and the Sports Development Project which helps underprivileged kids get involved in  free sports clinics.  

As you can see, Dayne's organization is a well-oiled machine that does a tonne of good work in the Knysna community. 

What I found most unique about it is that it does not receive funding from any sources other than the contributions of its volunteers' fees. This means it does not have to answer to anyone but Dane. As she explained to me, this freedom is invaluable. A lot of charities can be bogged down by organizational and governmental red tape. Her projects are not put in that type of subordinate position. If she dreams it, she can make it happen -- and that is pretty friggin' awesome. 

Also amazing is the fact that Dayne is under 30 years old. Edge of Africa is entirely her own personal brainchild and I am in awe of all she has achieved with it in such a short amount of time. I can only imagine the places it will take her and the positive long-term impact she will have on her childhood community. 

Now... onto our tour. 

Once Dayne and I got talking, she could immediately tell that I was interested in learning more about Edge of Africa. She offered to take Dids and I on a tour of the township and her projects on the following Thursday. I couldn't say "yes!" fast enough. 

I've already visited two townships up to this point since being in SA: the first was Khayamandi outside Cape Town and the second was Diepsloot in Joburg. 

Now, those two squatter camps (as South Africans like to call them) were very different to each other. Khayamandi boasted a stunning mountain view, friendly people, and wide gravel streets, but severely lacked toilets, running water, and amenities such as parks, playgrounds, and shops. 

Diepsloot is an entirely different beast. Whereas Khayamandi is home to 30, 000 people, Diepsloot houses 150, 000 and is rapidly growing. This means it is densely packed and very dirty. When I visited it, garbage was strewn everywhere, dirty water snaked through the streets, and shacks were built right beside one another in no logical order. People were weary and rough looking. It was not a place of peace. It differed from Khayamandi most sharply in that it lacked a relaxed, coastal vibe. Diepsloot is very obviously an urban monster bred in the shadow of the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg city. 

With these two experiences under my belt, I was anxious to see how Khayalethu stacked up. 

The result? My mouth was agape for most of our tour.

The township of Khayalethu was -- is -- simply a stunning community.  

The first thing you have to know about this place is its location. It's set on the mountainside that overlooks Knysna and the Lagoon. Essentially, it has the best view in town. No joke. I think it's pretty funny that the richer folks took residence close to the water while the underprivileged took to the hills. Clearly the latter were the smarter of the two because the scenery up there is hands-down some of the most stunning in all of Africa. 

Personally, I think the majestic views of the ocean and surrounding mountains do a lot for the community. I imagine it's pretty tough to wake up in cramped, flat, dirt-covered Diepsloot and feel inspired to be more. The fact that residents of Khayalethu are greeted every day by crisp ocean air and rolling green hills has to do wonders for the psyche. It adds a dash of natural beauty to the area that can't help but be foster positive thinking and gratitude.

The first things we saw as we entered the community was a pretty special sight: a football field. 

What a glorious thing to see!

Complete with flood lights

In no other township that I've previously visited have I seen such a thing. Most squatter camps are so tightly packed with shacks that sports fields are simply not feasible. The fact that Khayalethu had one spoke volumes about the integrity and quality of this community. 

The next thing I noticed was the space that the shacks of Khayalethu enjoyed. Most homes had fenced in yards. Room for children to play. Privacy. Space for families to hang their laundry on long clotheslines. I had never before seen a township so organized and spacious. It gave the place an air of calmness and respect.  

This shack boasted a front porch, whereas the one in the back is a nice government-built home made out of brick. For a township, the space between these two home is unparalleled   

The other great thing? The cleanliness of the area. Garbage in the streets was basically non-existent. You could tell that the people of this community took pride in their living space and worked hard to keep it looking nice. 

But that didn't stop the animals from doing their thing. 

The whole drive through, we dodged wayward cows, chickens, roosters, dogs, cats, goats, and yes -- even full-grown pigs! 

Cows riddle the streets, freely grazing as they please

I nearly had a heart attack!! A couple of times the only way I coped was by closing my eyes and peeking through my fingers as we flew by animals and small children that stood mere inches from the wheels of our car. Jeepers! 

Roosters and schoolchildren in the streets: I would have been crawling at 5kms an hour if it was me driving

Loose pig in the taxi lane!

It seemed like the government was doing an okay job of helping the community. The roads were in good condition, there were street lamps, and I saw quite a lot of new government houses going up in the area. This compared to Diepsloot and Khayamandi which appeared to be all but forgotten by their governments. 

Two young children play on the foundation of a new house-to-be

What really struck me was the quality and color of the buildings. They were well-kept and brightly painted. It gave the community such a spunky, spirited vibe and really made it stand out as a place of dignity and self-sufficiency. 

A local place of worship: The Salvation Church of the Revival of Faith

Impressive fence, stray dog, and taxi: yup, you know this home is South African! 

People were so friendly. I was a bit unsure, like always, of being white and driving through the area, but Dayne had reassured me not to worry and she was right. The folks of Khayalethu showed us nothing but smiles and waves. The children were especially friendly. Some ran up to our car, shrieking and laughing, while other stood off to the side shyly but still mustered up a wave and a "heyyyy" as we passed by. 

It was clear that Dayne was a force to be reckoned with in this community. The second people recognized her from the back seat, their faces lit up. She is obviously very well known by everyone for all the hard work she does in the area. She knew a lot of families and people by name, just as it was also clear that they were just as familiar with her. Having Dayne in the car was like driving with a celebrity :)  

Notice the shacks here have numbers posted near their front doors 

This was one of my favorite finds of the day. Check out its name:

The "Obama Cash Store"

Of course, like all South African towns, nothing is free from automotive disaster. Check out this shack. A car had spun off the road and had fallen directly through this family's roof! Sad. 

Dayne had mentioned that there was a large Rastafarian community residing in Khayalethu, and that they actually had their own section of the township where they could do and live as they pleased. 

For those unfamiliar with the Rastas (as I was at first), they are a group of people who are part of the Rastafari movement. It's a Christian Jamaican culture that is based around the spiritual use of cannabis, vegetarianism, and the rejection of Western ways of life. Not really a religion, it is a movement and ideology. You can usually spot Rastas by their distinct long dread locked hair and red, yellow, and green clothing. 

The Rastafarians of Khayalethu were given their own section of living space, called Judah Square, as many of their lifestyle views differ from the average black South African. Their unusual religious practices as well as their frequent and open use of marijuana sort of necessitated that they have space to call their own. Because they preach such a positive and peaceful way of life, the local police choose to let them be and rarely interfere with their activities.  

When our car swung to the right of the Rasta community, a huge beam came into view. Standing to the side of it were two small men that had dreadlocks down past their bums. They nodded furiously at us, and with big smiles, they lifted the boom so we could enter. 

We parked on the street and got out to visit one of the small Rasta daycares. 

Beautiful Bob Marley painting on the side of a Rasta house 

The daycare was humble but pretty. Large stone stepping blocks took us downwards towards the outside play area and entrance. Kids were swinging on handmade jungle gym sets and the local circular prayer house was set off to the side. 

Inside the small room hung colorful posters and signs that dictated the rules of the centre. Toys were shoved messily into corners and I could see that sadly a lot of them were broken or missing pieces. 

The head mistresses of the daycare also sported long dreadlocks, although theirs were covered in cloth head wrappings. They were super friendly and animated. While Dayne caught up with them, I made a new friend who was playing cops and robbers all by himself. He was a little unsure of me at first (must have been the red hair...) but once the camera came out, he lit up. It was so cute. The second Dids held it up, he puffed out his chest, grinned wildly and shouted, 'CHEESE!'. 

After leaving the daycare, Dayne pointed out a local clubhouse that is used on the weekends for music shows and dancing. She told us she takes her volunteers out here as a weekend excursion. Apparently the live music is unreal:

The clubhouse -- the place to be on Friday & Saturday nights 

We ventured back over to the entrance gate, where we were warmly greeted by the guys who had originally let us in. I found out right away that you don't shake hands or hug to say "hello". In the Rasta community, you fist bump! Nice!

One of them (the guy in the black pants) Dayne knew quite well as he is a Rasta community leader and has been helping her plan some local projects, such as the eco-trail. He was super outgoing and excited to teach me a bit about their culture. He even treated us to a 3 minute-long rap, personally written by him that preached the values and beliefs of Rastafarianism.

The whole time we talked, he radiated relaxation, carefree-ness, and positivity. He blessed us as we left and said we were welcome back at any time. What an epic guy!

Notice the triangular hand symbol I'm sporting -- it is a Rasta tradition that is supposed to convey friendship and the Holy Trinity

After checking out their little food stall, the dude in the red, yellow, and green hat hit asked us if we were interested in buying weed. I'm sure it would have been gooooood stuff coming from these guys, but we politely declined lol!

From there our tour ventured to the Sinethemba centre where Dayne and her volunteers run several of their community outreach programs. As we arrived, a group of street kids were playing ultimate frisbee in the yard while another had begun untangling a brand new volleyball net that Dayne had bought for the kids. 

Inside was a large hall that Dayne uses to facilitate educational programs. We found her group of volunteers in the backyard. They were standing in a circle learning from the locals how to dance. It was pretty funny to see all these white kids trying to move like a local! Because I'm sorry, but black South Africans have rhythm and movement in their blood -- and that just cannot be taught. 

Dayne says she normally manages an intake of 6 to 8 volunteers. But at the moment she is watching over 15!

One of the most popular projects Dayne runs is the local Swap Shop. Kids from the township bring in scrap recyclables (plastic, aluminum, paper, etc) and depending on the overall weight of their contribution, they are given an alloted amount of Swap Shop Tokens. 

The tokens are then used to "purchase " toiletries, used clothing, toys, shoes, and the like from the Swap Shop. It's a brilliant system that allows keeps the community clean, but also teaches the kids the value of recycling while giving them items that better their quality of life. 

The shop itself is based out of an old painted train container. About 95% of the items inside come from volunteer donations. As sad as it is, Dayne said it is difficult to rally the town of Knysna behind the cause. With so many people and organizations in SA demanding donations of money, clothing, and food, a lot of people are reluctant to help. 

If you have any old clothes or toys that you would like to donate to Dayne's Swap Shop, please make the effort to contact her. Donations would mean the world to both her and the kids her Swap Shop helps out: info@edgeofafrica.com.    

The Swap Shop!

We piled into car and took off to one of our last stops: a vibrant community centre that works with both children and women. On the women's side, it facilitates workshops on domestic abuse, sexual health, and motherhood. For the kids, it acts as a local library and support centre. 

The colorful library 

The most amazing project of all is its "Hero Book" initiative. The program takes place over the course of 6 weeks and is for children of all ages. Besides playing games, learning English, and having fun doing arts and crafts, the heart of the project is the Hero Book that each child contributes a page to every Friday morning. 

Each week has a different page theme. They include: What is a Hero?, A Hero In My Life, What I Hate or Love About My Community, and My Shining Moment. 

We looked at the Hero Book of an 8 year old. On the page that talked about her community, she had written, "I hate my community because people stab and fight each other. Why don't they think about the children?". That's an eight year old saying that. 

On the page where they fill in their family tree, Dayne told us that they have to tell kids to include dead family members as well, as many of them have lost parents and extended family due to violence, murder, and suicide. The kids draw circles around family that are not with them anymore. She said she has seen some Hero Books that have trees where only one or two people are not drawn in circles. Heartbreaking stuff. 

Two sweethearts. The boy on the right was all too eager to speak with us and tell us all about the Hero Book process :) 

The most intense day of the Hero Book program is when the kids must fill in the page for "My Monster". This is when very painful memories and experiences can surface. A lot of the children are victims of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. Recently, one girl drew a picture of her father raping her. It had been happening for over five years. The volunteers of the centre passed along the information to the police but once the father got wind of his arrest, apparently he fled the area and has not been seen since. Let's hope he never comes back to hurt that little girl ever again. 

The walls are painted in cheerful colors. Everything seems very organized and full of energy. 

The walls were decorated with large paintings that kids had drawn to depict what HIV/AIDS means to them. Some were figures of people full of holes and engulfed in flames, while others included flowers growing as hair and rays of sunshine beaming out of the figure's chest. It was amazing art work. I wanted to take a few photos of the drawings, but Dayne said they were all under copyright as they are displayed in art galleries around the country.  

All I have to say is that the centre was a pretty amazing place. I had to leave after a while because I was getting quite emotional. Part of me would love to return to do Hero Booking with a class, but another part of me wonders if I could handle the emotional journey it would take me (and the kids) on. 

This section is used to teach the kids about gardening. The building in the back is the women's centre.

Even though it stands as a beautiful building that services the community, it is still surrounded by a huge fence with barbed wire. 

My afternoon in Khayalethu was both uplifting and devastating. It was great to see a township that was so vibrant and bursting with life, yet at the same time I was privy to the underbelly, where children struggle and disease ravages a community. 

Please take a few minutes to check out Dayne's organization. You'll be happy you did: www.edgeofafrica.com 

Townships are so funny. People will be living in a shack, but have a satellite pinned to their roof. Or, in this case, Vodacom (local telephone company) sets up shop in a container. 

People use heavy stones to weigh down the roofs of their homes 

Bye, bye, Khayalethu! It was great meeting you....