District Six

We went on a field trip to the District Six Museum today.  Here is a little more information on District Six:

District Six was named the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town in 1867. Originally established as a mixed community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, labourers and immigrants, District Six was a vibrant centre with close links to the city and the port. By the beginning of the twentieth century, however, the history of removals and marginalisation had begun.

The first to be 'resettled' were black South Africans, forcibly displaced from the District in 1901. As the more prosperous moved away to the suburbs, the area became the neglected ward of Cape Town.

In 1966, it was declared a white area under the Group areas Act of 1950, and by 1982, the life of the community was over. 60 000 people were forcibly removed to barren outlying areas aptly known as the Cape Flats, and their houses in District Six were flattened by bulldozers.  The remains were dumped into the sea.  However, one of the workers saved the street signs, and they are on display in the musuem.

The District Six Museum, established in December 1994, works with the memories of these experiences and with the history of forced removals.

Mu favorite part of the museum was the poetry on the floor (imagine that!).

I also need to tell you about my volunteer placement yesterday.  I was at Etefani with the life/job skills group.  I led them in a couple of creativity/improv games, which they really seemed to enjoy - they helped to break up the day a bit.  I also got to sit in on their lesson on HIV and AIDS.  I was glad that the CCS director had instructed us in our first week here on all the aspects of the infection.