Department of Psychology Department of Psychology 
My South African Experience
By: Alejandra Mijares
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Alejandra (Alex) Mijares (right) with kitty and trainer |
Alex distributing clothes to African Girl |
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It has only been ten years since apartheid ended, but its effects are still being felt by South Africans as evidenced by racism, unemployment, and HIV/AIDS. During my time in Africa, I stayed in Stellenbosch, a town located in the Western Cape , in the wine country. Here each race still has its own community: only Whites live in the downtown area, only Coloreds (a mixed race) live in Ida's Valley and Clottesville; and only Black people live in the Jamestown and Kayamandi Townships . Even though all races in this country have been affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, one can't deny that the Black community has been hit the hardest.
While in Africa, I participated in the training of counselors and nurses in collaboration with SDSU Psychology Professor, Dr. John Martin, and researchers from the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town for prevention of HIV mother-to-child transmission. I visited a hospital in Paarl on a Friday, the only day of the week that they treat adult HIV/AIDS patients. When it comes to the important issues of privacy and disclosure, it's glaringly obvious that here, for low-income Black people there is none. If you attend the hospital on Friday, you know that the people around you in the waiting room are likely to be HIV+. It was here that I got my first glimpse of the true suffering of HIV/AIDS patients as I sat in on doctor/patient consultations and heard many heart-breaking stories. One story that haunts me still is that of a 21year old woman, with AIDS and the opportunistic disease of meningitis that had damaged her peripheral nerves (I can still hear her screams when someone barely touched her). Even sadder than the effects of disease was that she had to go through it alone. Her only family member was an alcoholic mother, who didn't seem to care or take the time to visit. Her story illustrates the critical need for empowerment of women by women, which is one of the goals of the training we were conducting. This experience left me incredibly grateful to have a family who loves and supports me every step of the way.
As part of my community involvement, I was assisted by the Stellenbosch Lion's Club in distributing clothes to children in need. I can recall the faces of two little sisters—whose mother had passed away two years before and were left with a neglectful and abusive father. Each sister was given two bags of clothes and their faces illuminated, especially when they saw the new clean underwear they were receiving. Seeing those faces light up is one of the best feelings I have ever had. During a visit to Kayamandi (a very poor ‘shanty town' on the outskirts of Stellenbosch) , we stopped in front of a school to buy lunch; my friend's way of showing me what the diet of these hungry kids consisted of. Lunch was purchased from a small shack that sold two chicken feet for two rand (about 30 cents); one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen or smelled.
On a more positive note, I must add that I was overwhelmed by South African hospitality. Every time I would meet a friend of a friend, I made a new friend. I was invited to lunch and supper often. I was spoiled by lovely home-cooked meals that left me wondering if I was going to walk or “roll out of South Africa ”. The important work to be done in HIV/AIDS research, the need to empower women and the life-long friendships I have made, give me more than enough reasons to look forward to returning to South Africa and the people that hold a special place in my heart.
