Journey Back to South Africa Blog | KCA

Thoughts from Ashunta...

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:32:00 -0400

My journey to South Africa with KCA was truly a wonderful experience. I learned so much from the townships, Blue Roof Clinic and the people of South Africa. Some people were facing obstacles I could never imagine. No matter how difficult they had wide open hearts and warm smiles for us all. The word faith comes to mind because growing up in a “ghetto” in New York City I have never seen a bond so...

Ubuntu, Sanyog, We are all the Same...from Sonya

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:56:00 -0400

Before I stepped onto South African soil for the first time, I mistakenly thought I would be entering unaccustomed earth: a culture, people, and priorities distant to the world I called home in northern India and the United States. Little did I realize that the native spiritual philosophies of ubuntu (an African ethic meaning “shared humanity”) and sanyog (a Hindi concept translated as “oneness”)...

The Paradox of South Africa...from Aaron

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:12:00 -0400

All good adventures begin with some definitive moment that sets all the events to follow into motion. Entering the Text Alive contest definitely was the beginning. Following through with the essays and the video was the continuation, but there was a moment the morning I woke up in New York City in which I believed I didn’t deserve to be one of the five. I chose to rise to the occasion though, to,...

Getting Rich in South Africa.....from Talaina

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:43:00 -0400

June 30th 2010 WEALTH… When I entered this contest, I knew the odds against my winning were tremendous. (Who actually WINS these things?!) However, given the cause, the $5 texting donation was easy. Now, as I reflect, it was the BEST investment I could have ever made because it was the seed money to fund the riches I acquired in South Africa… From the village in Soweto, I gained the strength of...

Seeing is different than being told....from Rachel

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:11:00 -0400

“Seeing is different than being told” - proverb from Kenya This past week, our trip to South Africa exposed us to a world that we had previously only been “told” about. We had read though the KCA website and watched the documentaries, “Alicia in Africa” and “Rough Aunties” (the latter following the work of the heroic staff at Operation Bobbi Bear). Some of us had even studied in school about...

Thoughts from Back Home...from Kristen

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:18:00 -0400

(written on Friday, June 18th 2010) The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others - Ghandi I can honestly say that this trip included some of the best days of my life, and I’ve lived a small but significant 20 years. I am on my flight back to San Francisco getting ready to reconnect with my world and all I can think about is how badly I don’t want to forget a...

Blue Roof Pride....from Alicia

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:32:00 -0400

(written on June 14th, 2010) Today is one of the most exciting days of the journey for me! I’ve been looking forward to this part of the trip with great anticipation. About 4 years ago in 2006, the last time I came to Africa, I’d helped to purchase a building called “The Blue Roof” that used to be an old night club/sports bar in an area called Wentworth, Durban, where the prevalence of HIV...

The Journey Through Images.

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:06:00 -0400

SimpleViewer requires JavaScript and the Flash Player. Get Flash.. Photo Credit: Brian Braff

Social Justice, Spirituality, & the Subversive...from Sonya

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:37:00 -0400

History says, Don’t Hope On this side of the grave, But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave Of justice can rise up And hope ad history rhyme. ~Seamus Heaney On this momentous day, June 16, 2010, Operation Bobbi Bear revealed to me that efforts focusing on HIV/AIDS, child protection, and global health in general are just as spiritual as they are scientific, and...

Tag Team...From Alicia

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:06:00 -0400

All through the night, after leaving Soweto we could barely sleep—talking and wondering what was happening at that very moment in the places we’d just left. We woke up early in the morning with so many things to do! I had to pack and prepare for the flight to Durban and had an extremely important meeting with the MMC CIR Mr. Monareng, also known as, Mr. Tekere to the community. The goal of the...

Welcome to Durban...from Aaron

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:20:00 -0400

Nestled in the hills of Durban are colorful homes with steep driveways and gravel paths. The wind blew briskly today, it was cold unlike previous days. Clouds hung overhead, overcast enough to make the pink, blue, and orange houses seem to glow amongst the green-yellow-brown growth surrounding them. It was tranquil there in those hills, silent and peaceful. At least it was on the surface. In...

On the Indian Ocean...from Rachel

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:55:00 -0400

It’s after midnight here in Durban, South Africa. I’m here literally laying on my back on the beach outside my hotel next to a bonfire surrounded by new friends. (Yes, I’m on my blackberry!) The Indian ocean is a few feet away from us, the sound of the waves crashing is almost hypnotizing. Its wintertime here in Durban, and some of us are out here in t-shirts. Life ain’t so bad… And after the...

Wait til You See Their Smiles...from Talaina

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 04:41:00 -0400

“…When your head is in a certain place Nobody around to make you safe Stand strong and you will grow… Wait ‘til they see your smile…” -Alicia Keys, “Wait ‘Til You See My Smile” Imagine having a room the size of your utility closet…and calling it “home” for a family of five; Imagine having to carry buckets to the center of the village to fill them with water from the lone faucet...

Day Two: WE MUST BUILD THE VILLAGE!!!! ...from Alicia Keys

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 04:11:00 -0400

As I sit down to write this—I don’t even know how to, really… Where to begin? What to say? How to project all that we have seen, felt and experienced? Today we saw the work, support and necessity that Ikageng Ministries and Mama Carol do, provide and are. It is so extensively wide and deep. Yet the NEED runs even wider and deeper….We started the day at 9am in a township in Soweto called...

Our First Day in Africa...from Kristen

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:38:00 -0400

You would not believe the day we had today. We literally walked off the plane into this proud, alive, spirited nation that has been cheering on their country nonstop since we got here for the world cup. This morning the pride was displayed through loud blow horns ringing through the airports and the streets and through playing soccer through the airport baggage claim areas with supporters from...

In an African State of Mind...from Alicia Keys

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:54:00 -0400

Today was the beginning of our pilgrimage. I call it that because to me it has such purpose. The work I do with KCA is by far home to some of the most meaningful moments of my LIFE! The excitement is wafting through the air like cooked food in Johannesburg and the surrounding area. As we made our way to the Apartheid museum in Soweto, everyone is BUZZING! Traffic was bumper to bumper and every...

The winners in New York, before they leave to Africa!

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:39:00 -0400

The winners in New York, before they leave to Africa!

Come with us back to Africa

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:18:00 -0400

Our winners arrive in New York City tomorrow, our office is buzzing with energy and we’re so close to being on a plane to South Africa! Over the past 3 months since our Text ALIVE for 5 Contest ended we’ve been getting our 5 winners - Talaina, Rachel, Sonya, Kristen and Aaron ready for our trip with Alicia to South Africa and now the time is finally here. Alicia will be speaking at a...