Sorry for the double post yesterday!

My host family was incredible. Their home is situated on one of the main roads in Guguletu and was incredibly modern and I feel so fortunate to have been able to stay with these amazing people. The accommodations were so comfortable and I think for the first time in this country, I was warm and dry at night. My family had running hot water; this is actually a luxury for many in this community. Our breakfasts they provided us were brought out in courses, they drew the bath water for us, made our beds, and constantly made certain that we were comfortable. Staying with this family, Hilary and I felt just as content as if we were staying with our own parents. Mama was always holding our hands and grabbing our arms, always showing affection. Dada was a very intelligent man who was always talking your ear off or providing it to listen. Noku, our 21 year old sister was constantly providing us with insight about how people our age live in South Africa. This experience was more than I could have asked for. I can’t gush enough about how lucky I was to have lived so lavishly in such a loving household.

Some of the homes that we visited were literally shacks. Many of them were built of railroad car parts, posters, random pieces of plastic and other mismatched building materials. In severe weather, it is inevitable that these homes would be destroyed. Also, some of these places didn’t even have doors. To think, living in a shelter where anyone could walk in and out. And someone calls this place “home.”