Molweni (that’s hello in Xhosa!). After a sultry week in Durban, I arrived to much cooler and less humid temperatures in East London, one of many port cities along the Cape coast. Apparently, my timing was perfect because the area had been pounded by heavy rains the week before. When I stepped off the plane, I was enveloped by a turquoise sky, featherlike clouds and temperatures in the mid-70’s. A brief stop by the shore instantly reminded me of Santa Monica, where I was born (except there is no pier). There is a laid back vibe about this beachfront community. A drive through the town was reminiscent of Brentwood (in West Los Angeles) with groves of trees lining the streets, gated homes and upwardly mobile parents arriving in luxury vehicles to pick up their kids from school. But it was only a glimpse of life that would starkly contrast with what I would later see after traversing through rolling hills and farmland on the two hour journey to Queenstown, a quaint colonial-style outpost in the heart of rural Eastern Cape. The province's geography is as rich as its history, which claims Nelson Mandela and other key South African political leaders as its native sons. I was here to visit a program run by Africare, another Washington-based NGO that has established a comprehensive program in the region to assist those living with HIV/AIDS.
Eastern Cape
Molweni (that’s hello in Xhosa!). After a sultry week in Durban, I arrived to much cooler and less humid temperatures in East London, one of many port cities along the Cape coast. Apparently, my timing was perfect because the area had been pounded by heavy rains the week before. When I stepped off the plane, I was enveloped by a turquoise sky, featherlike clouds and temperatures in the mid-70’s. A brief stop by the shore instantly reminded me of Santa Monica, where I was born (except there is no pier). There is a laid back vibe about this beachfront community. A drive through the town was reminiscent of Brentwood (in West Los Angeles) with groves of trees lining the streets, gated homes and upwardly mobile parents arriving in luxury vehicles to pick up their kids from school. But it was only a glimpse of life that would starkly contrast with what I would later see after traversing through rolling hills and farmland on the two hour journey to Queenstown, a quaint colonial-style outpost in the heart of rural Eastern Cape. The province's geography is as rich as its history, which claims Nelson Mandela and other key South African political leaders as its native sons. I was here to visit a program run by Africare, another Washington-based NGO that has established a comprehensive program in the region to assist those living with HIV/AIDS.
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