Bonner scholars visit South Africa

This past summer, four TCNJ students chose to expand their summer vacation horizons, and traveled to South Africa as part of a study abroad program sponsored by the Bonner Scholars Program. The students, all Bonner Scholars here at TCNJ, were selected for this cultural immersion based on essays they wrote explaining why they should be chosen to go on the trip.

The students chosen were Allison O’Neill, senior English and elementary education major; Fred Derilus, junior biomedical engineering major; Tariq Shabazz, sophomore finance major from; and Jonathan Waltz, sophomore open options science major. They, along with Bonner Scholars from several other colleges, spent two week in South Africa back in June.

What the students found there was both eye-opening and inspiring. The Bonner Scholars encountered poor and impoverished neighborhoods in their travels, but also found inspiration and hope in the compassion and humanity exhibited by the residents of those neighborhoods, who did not let the squalid conditions of their surrounding influence their outlook on life.

The group first visited Johannesburg for a week, and then spent the rest of the trip in Cape Town. In Johannesburg, they stayed in a hotel in the Rivonia section, which is surrounded by luxury hotels, resorts, and cars. The Bonner Scholars soon learned the standard of living changes drastically from one section of Africa to another. Just 15 minutes away from their hotel, the group encountered a town without running water, electricity, or plumbing. Although the conditions were startling, the community had a sense of camaraderie and togetherness.

“I believe we witnessed what is so commonly referred to in South Africa as Ubuntu—the philosophy of community helping one another to achieve, so together we all will achieve. Their spirits were high and were not necessarily burdened by their surroundings,” commented Derilus.

One of the most memorable moments for the Bonner Scholars was visiting the SKY Foundation in Kliptown, Soweto. In this particular section of South Africa, rape is a constant problem. The group took a tour with children from the impoverished neighborhood, and then watched the children perform skits about rape. The students and children then had dinner together. What was most touching for the Bonner Scholars was the way the inhabitants of the town treated them like family, rather than strangers.

The experience left a lasting impression on all the Bonner Scholars. “At the end of the day, we all sang the song ‘Lean on Me.’ I was holding a 3-year-old boy in my arms, and, while singing the song, I began to tear up. In response, he gently wiped my tears away and gave me a kiss on the cheek. To this day, I remember the eyes of that little boy and remember the compassion he exhibited through such a small act,” recounted O’Neill.

With the inspiration and experience gained from the trip, the Bonner Scholars at TCNJ plan to educate the campus community about the inequalities around the world that often go unnoticed in the busy life of college students. The power of knowledge and hope for the future will be the gift the Bonner Scholars give back to the hospitable and optimistic citizens of South Africa.

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