Today, we headed to Soweto. It the largest collection of townships in South Africa. (It stands for South West Townships.) Soweto was created in the 1930s when black people were forced to move from their homes into all black areas. Soweto is very important to South Africa’s history. Some of the events that led to the end of apartheid took place here.

We started at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church. This church was not only a place to pray, but also became a place where people worked to resist apartheid. The church was a place where people would meet to talk about polticial ideas and ways to end apartheid.

We also visited the Hector Pietersen Memorial. Hector was a 13-year old South African student who was shot during the Soweto Uprising. On the 16th of June 1976, high school students protested laws that forced them to learn in Afrikaans. For many students, this was unjust because they could not speak or read this language. These were meant to be peaceful protests, but they quickly turned very deadly. Because of these events, the world began to pay attention to what was going on in South Africa. This led to people around the world asking the South African government to end apartheid.

Vilakazi Street in Soweto is the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize winners have lived. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both had homes on this street. We visited Nelson Mandela’s tiny home. He lived in a 4 room house until he was arrested and sent to jail for 27 years. It was strange to think that this small house was once the home to South Africa’s future president.

For me, it was very surprising to learn about the young students who fought for their right to a fair education. It made me think about my own time in school.

Part I: June 16th with Cromwell Majavo	Part II: Regina Mundi Church

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