South Africa trip
For the trip I had to learn how to to sing the South African national anthem - this anthem is unique as it contains 5 different languages: Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English.
My trip to South Africa was an unforgettable experience. The differences between my daily life in London and South Africa were quite apparent: Cape Town was similar to London in terms of urban development, but places like Mamelodi were impoverished, and it was hard to witness unsatisfactory living conditions, such as the schools and houses which were overcrowded. This experience made me feel lucky and privileged compared to the children in Mamelodi.
In Mamelodi, I couldn't help but notice the high poverty rates. The houses were all constructed from scraps and mud, and there was rubbish everywhere I looked. Despite the poor living conditions, the residents were happy to see us and greeted us by playing music, as music connects people. We managed to raise over thirty-one thousand pounds for the Morning Stars in Mamelodi, and it was heartwarming to see their reactions.
Despite this, my trip's most memorable moment was the breathtaking view from the top of Table Mountain. It was extraordinary looking at the picturesque scene and feeling the wind in my hair. The mountains in the distance looked like ghosts, faded and floating. During the trip, my most exciting moment was going on the exhilarating safari. It was incredible seeing all of the exotic animals in the wild. We saw rhinos, lions, elephants, guinea fowl, exotic birds, gazelles and a rumour of a leopard sighting, although I did not see one. Our guide also informed us about each animal. For example, all of the rhinos in the park were hornless due to excessive poaching. People are so desperate that they need to resort to killing these animals that could become extinct. Due to the dehorning programme, however, the rhinos are still alive and are thriving.
Over the whole trip, we performed in many concerts and even my first public concert. The music cheered people up and overcame the nerves that I had. Overall, the one big lesson that I took away from this trip was that you can find happiness and positive developments even within challenging situations.
Below I have included some of the best photos I took on the trip for you to enjoy.
