Today, my heart was touched by the sense of community in the township of Alexandra. Alexandra is called ‘Alex’ by the locals. It is the oldest township in Johannesburg. Alex is located just 15 minutes away from Sandton, which is one of the wealthiest parts of the city. The difference between the wealth of Sandton and the poverty of Alexandra is shocking. In Alex, some people live in shacks made of tin.

We toured Alex with Galit and Will. Galit is Israeli and Will is an American. Both of them are working in Johannesburg to help people in need. Our hosts told us about the living conditions and the problems that the people in Alex face. We also learned about Ubuntu. Ubuntu is the African spirit of brotherhood and community. Ubuntu means that Africans have respect and concern for family and their neighbors.

A fun thing we learned in Alex, from the local children, is a version of ‘thumbs up’: ‘Sharp!’ It is like saying ‘Great!’ Everywhere we went, people greeted us with ‘Sharp!’ To do this you touch thumbs when saying ‘Sharp!’

Then, we had lunch at Joe’s Butchery. Here, we had yummy grilled chicken and beef ribs. We also tried chakalaka. This is a spicy salsa made from tomatoes and mixed vegetables. Instead of eating with forks and knives, we used pap and our hands. Pap is served with almost every meal. To eat pap you mold a small amount of it in your hand, then you use it to scoop up the food on your plate. I scooped up a delicious helping of chakalaka and enjoyed a tasty bite!

I enjoyed our time in Alex. Getting to spend time with local people is a great way to learn about different cultures.

What do you like about your community?

Part I: About South Africa's townships	Part II: Local foods - Pap and Chakalaka

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