South Africa - free time Struggle Highlights

The World Cup brought South Africa to the forefront of the world's attention, providing a great chance to remember the foreseen, history of the country's fight against apartheid.

The football may now be over, but if you head to South Africa one chance you should not pass up is the chance to visit some of the main points of interest in the struggle for freedom.

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Apart from the iconic Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years, there are a amount of other places in South Africa where the struggle is remembered and brought vividly to life.

Red Location Museum
Red Location first came into existence as a shanty town back in 1877. Black citizen were relocated here by force at the starting of the 19th century, and it became one of key areas for anti-apartheid activists in the country. Now its name is synonymous with the anti-apartheid movement.

Situated right in the middle of New Brighton township on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, the Red Location Museum is one of the best museums dedicated to the fight against apartheid. Lots of activists and political leaders from South Africa were born in the township, and many events while the struggle to end apartheid also took place here.

The award-winning architecture ensures a spectacular setting for the museum, but it is the exhibits inside that will precisely amaze. The museum takes a unique advent to highlight the contribution of the citizen of the area in the apartheid struggle, and it makes for a intelligent afternoon.

The free time Route
The KwaZulu-Natal free time Route is a journey that takes you straight through some of the most important areas of South Africa in the history of the fight against apartheid. The main locations on the route are the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

In Durban you can visit the Luthuli Museum and Cato Manor, the hamlet where Mahatma Gandhi was based for a time. There are also lots of museums to visit, along with the homes of famous activists, and Anc hideouts. The KwaMuhle Museum is also of singular interest.

In Pietermaritzburg you can visit the Old Prison, see the statue of Ghandi, visit the Mandela Capture Site and take a trip to the Sobantu township. Here you can visit real communities of South Africa, eat the local food of the township and talk to local citizen who lived straight through the bad dream of apartheid. There is no best way to palpate the real history of South Africa.

Liliesleaf Farm
Liliesleaf Farm has gone down in legend in the country as the private location where high-ranking members of the Anc planned their attempts to overthrow the government. This hideout even housed Nelson Mandela for a while. Following a police raid in 1963, many senior members of the Anc were arrested, important to the Rivonia Treason Trials. It is well worth a visit to see one of the most important locations in the anti-apartheid movement.

A dissimilar View of South Africa
South Africa may be visited more for its astonishing wildlife and foreseen, natural scenery, but if you want to palpate the new history of the country straight through the eyes of the citizen who lived straight through the horrors of apartheid, the above locations provide you with a unique chance to do so.

South Africa - free time Struggle Highlights

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Contrasting Education Between the Western World and Africa

The Circumstances of the previous 60 years

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Through the last 60 years, the learning situation within the developing world and African nations has quite improved a lot. Soon after World War 2, a number of the western nations also came under the communist guideline which made schooling absolutely mandatory for all. Additionally they created quality training intended for science and technology plus several other areas. This made it easier for the states to enjoy a solid educational profile. While other countries that weren't using the communist way of living were really set on their teaching and learning profile. A large number of countries such as United States, United Kingdom and Germany possess strong community academic institutions, that serve everyone. Of course they also have expensive private schools too.

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1980 was considered a pivotal period for the African regions

During the 1980's most of the African states were involved in financial crisis this drove us to witness a radical tumble in the literacy rates. The reality is the adult literacy rates in a good deal of the African countries was abysmally low at 40% and 50% and above while most women were even illiterate. With this sort of awful statistics, the long term advancement of the African continent was at risk.

A further crisis that has been and continues to be encountering Africa in the education situation often is the poor quality of education and learning. In far more than 19 sub Saharan countries, the ratio of educator to learners is really great, course instructors are beneath qualified as well as don't hold the proper academic tools to help make the youngsters study. African states invest as low as 6% of the GDP on education and so this is restricting the education pursuits. The basic primary schooling is a large complication. In addition the space between the city levels of education and the non-urban levels of education are large.

The scenario in the developed regions of the West

The developed countries in the western world have a very good sound teacher student ratio which enables the students to acquire the attention and also the education that is needed. Primary education is common and just about any child could have access to education within the public school system. The Western world even offers quite a few tertiary educational instructions that are incredibly substantial too. In reality people from all around the globe head over to the West to enroll in graduate and postgraduate degrees. Although a lot of of the developed regions have got a lesser amount of than ten percent of their people in tertiary education centres, virtually all of them have greater the contribution level at the primary education classes. In the African continent each primary level and tertiary and higher-level education rates tend to be very very low.

Numerous African countries like Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have launched campaigns for education with the assist of UNDP and it's organizations. On top of that much better relationships have to be fostered amongst the community, teachers together with the parents of the children to help them to continue studying.

Contrasting Education Between the Western World and Africa

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Eating Out in Auckland

One thing is sure: you won't go hungry in Auckland - there are ample choices within easy reach of any hotel! The formal restaurants here are world-class, serving fare that is as good - if not best - than in any place else on earth. They're the perfect places for a spot of indulgence, but you'll also find a huge and stylish selection of less formal restaurants, wine bars, bistros, gastro-bars and ethnic eateries and cafes. And, Auckland, 'cafe' means cool: these places are regularly (but not always) licensed, with an eclectic menu, trendy décor and casual, friendly atmosphere.

Without development absolute recommendations, we're here to point you in the right direction for some great dining experiences in the 'City of Sails'... Bon appétit!

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Absolute indulgence

Where do we start? The French Café, The Grove, Euro, dine by Peter Gordon, Vinnie's, Te Whau (on Waiheke Island - voted one of the world's finest winery restaurants), White, Antoine's, Bracu (outside Auckland in the Bombay Hills), number Five, the machine Room (on Northcote Point, over the harbour bridge), Mollie's (private dining suites).

Smart casual

A exiguous less formal but still offering superb fare are Cibo, SidArt, Prohibition, Sails, Prego, Eight Point Two (across the bridge in Birkenhead), Wine Chambers, The Mudbrick Vineyard and Stonyridge Vineyard (both on Waiheke Island) and, in Mount Eden, Meredith's, Molten, Bowman's and Cac.

Wine and dine

For a restaurant or wine bar, try Pure, O'Connell street Bistro, The Occidental Belgian Beer Café, Mondial, Prime, Bluestone Room, Ponsonby Road Bistro, The Mulberry, Pastis (authentic French), Soul, De Post (Belgian; Mt Eden).

Cafe culture

For the coolest cafes head to Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Parnell, Grey Lynn, Mt Eden, Devonport, Takapuna, Kingsland, 'K' (Karangahape) Road, or plainly roam through the central city - especially in the vicinity of High Street, Chancery and Vulcan Lane. There are perfect cafes a exiguous additional out of town, too - in fact, it's hard to think of in any place in Auckland where you won't find somewhere serving perfect food, from breakfast onwards, at surprisingly uncostly prices. Some of the coolest of the current café selection are Gala, Dida's, The Fridge, The Teed street Larder (Newmarket), Ben, Allelulya (K Road), Landreth, Agnes Curran and the very typically 'Kiwi' Queenie's Lunchroom in Freeman's Bay. And that's just the tip of the iceberg...

Sumptuous seafood

Seafood is superb and succulently fresh in Auckland, and there are abundance of restaurants specialising in it. Among the favourites are Harbourside, Kermadec, Sails, Hammerheads, Mikano, Squid Row (pub-style) and Soul.

Survey the scenery

For great views and great dining, try Vertigo at the Mecure Hotel, Orbit, Sails, any of the Waiheke Island vineyard restaurants, Hammerheads, Hq, Euro, Mikano.

Look before you leap

Want to see what's on offer before you commit? Great places to check out the restaurant scene on foot are Ponsonby Road, O'Connell street and High street in the Cbd, Parnell Road, the Viaduct Basin and Takapuna; all four offer abundance of eateries of all types.

High time for tea?

New Zealanders love a good cup of tea, and a kind spread of food to accompany it! For a original high tea, head to the Cornwall Park Restaurant. The surroundings, by One Tree Hill, are beautiful; Aucklanders have been enjoying them for a hundred years. Luxury high tea is also ready at historic Cotter House in Remuera; bookings essential, and make sure you go armed with an appetite! For a contemporary take on an old favourite, try high tea at Orbit in Sky City, with views of the entire Auckland region from the moderately revolving restaurant floor (Saturdays and Sundays only), or Low Tea at Prohibition in Ponsonby (Friday and Saturday afternoons). And if you beyond doubt can't wait till after lunch, the exiguous Cake Kitchen in upper Queen street is laden with freshly baked temptations.

Eat by the beach

All Auckland's beachside suburbs offer cafes and restaurants serving breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. Head along Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay, St Heliers or 'Kohi' (Kohimaramara), or over the harbour bridge to suburbs like Devonport and Takapuna. However, you won't find in any place quite like the Piha Café, in any place else in the world. It's a long trip, but uniquely Auckland sense (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).

Out of the Ordinary

For dining with a difference, try somewhere like Prohibition in Ponsonby, Allelulya (café) on K-Road, Deus Ex Machina (Wellesley street in the Cbd), the beyond doubt French and amazing Le Garde-Manger (Upper Queen Street, Cbd), Queenie's Lunchroom in Freeman's Bay, or the above-mentioned Piha Café.

Ethnic

Ethnic food fans won't go hungry in Auckland. There's an great selection of cafes and restaurants serving food from around the world, along with African, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indian, Middle-Eastern and more. And there's bound to be a takeaway outlet, somewhere near your Auckland hotel.

Local tip: Want something cheap, typically Kiwi, filling and delicious? Try fish and chips - they're ready all over the city, and taste best eaten right from their wrapping paper, outdoors, by the harbour or beach.

Eating Out in Auckland

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Circumstances Beyond Our Control

"Though my father and my mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me" (Psalm 27:10).

The first indelible memory I have is the day of my 5th birthday. My mother had come to take me "home." I was passing out birthday cake to my little friends at the orphanage, and I was weeping. Even at that young age I knew I was safe there. It was a Catholic orphanage, and they must have done a wonderful job, because I did not want to leave them. To this very much later date, I wince when I hear criticism of the church, and especially of nuns, for they saved my life. Although I am not a Catholic now, I have the highest respect for those who offer their lives to noble causes.

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When our oldest son committed suicide I decided I would like to know who my real father was (my mother was long dead, a possible suicide). The man who was my biological father had forsaken my unmarried and dysfunctional mother. Perhaps there would be a clue to my son's despondency to the point of self-destruction if I could understand the dynamics of this unusual couple. I joined a group that searches for relatives. As I listened month after month to stories of fruitless calls and trips, and the thousands of dollars and many years wasted, I knew then that I didn't need to know who my father was, for I knew who my Father was, is, and always will be, and that was all I needed to know.

Psalm 27 has been very dear to me over the years. Another verse that helped was Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew (chose) you, before you were born I set you apart ..." Just think of the sorrows and indecisions that could be surmounted if we all believed we are chosen! That means that our Father thinks we are special, and it's all right for us to act like we are special, if God gets the glory and thanksgiving.

I think the faith that God knows best and has ordained to us the external circumstances of our life helps us deal with the unexpected and shocking in life. No one is excused from the fire that molds character. The child does not know what is ahead but all the opportunities and duties which result from these circumstances are made for us, not by us. They give us a mission from God Himself, if we can but view it thus.

Circumstances Beyond Our Control

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Sports in South Africa - From Swimming to Rugby

The New South Africa

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Did you know- The new South Africa - post Apartheid-- made its Olympic debut in the Olympiad in Barcelona'92.From the 1900s to 1960,they had participated representing the white-ruled South Africa. During that time, ironically, there were many Olympic champions from South Africa: Esther Brand (athletics/ women's high jump), William Smith (boxing), Joan Harrison (swimming/ women's 100m backstroke), Geral Dreyer (boxing), Reggie Walker (track & field/ 100m), George Hunter (boxing), Rudolph Lewis (cycling), Charles Winslow (tennis), and Kenneth McArthur (men's marathon).

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Olympic Movement

Did you know- SA sent athletes to the 1960 Rome Olympics, but this appearance was its last until 1992. Why? Because of the nation's policy of apartheid, from the 1960s to 1991, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), under the pressure from Africa, Guyana, and India, ousted the white-ruled South Africa from the Olympic Movement. In that time, SA was condemned by the United Nations and other major international organizations, including the International Olympic Committee. As a result, the South African athletes could not compete in the Games and a host of World Championships, from soccer, athletics, swimming and basketball to archery, fencing and gymnastics.

National Idols

Did you know- South Africa's swimmer Penny Heyns was unknown until 1996 when she won two golds in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. In that Olympiad, she, a white girl, became the first non-European swimmer to win the women's 100-meter breaststroke since 1972. On the other hand, Miss Heyns received a heroine's welcome when she won the Olympic titles. Like Charlize Theron ( world-famous actress) and Nadine Gordimer (1991 Nobel Prize), she is an idol in the African nation.

African Games & Olympics

Did you know- At the Pan African Games, between September 13 and September 23, 1995, in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, the Olympic team of South Africa finished first in the medal count, with an African record of 154 medals ( 64 gold, 51 silver, 39 bronze), outpacing Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria. Following on from its success at the African Games, the South African team competed in the 26th Olympiad in America, between July 19 and August 4, 1996. At the Atlanta Summer Olympics,the African team placed 27th in the tally of gold medals ( two in women's swimming and one in men's marathon).

1948 Olympics

Did you know- At the London Olympics in 1948, South Africa took 18th place in unofficial team standings, outpacing Norway, Austria and India.

Rugby

Did you know- The South African rugby team is listed among the world's best teams.

Sports in South Africa - From Swimming to Rugby

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The Story of Africa - What Does Africa Mean to You?

I was out having dinner last night when we got onto the topic of Kenya and a recent pamphlet that had been sent around seeking to raise money to build a school in Busia, Western Kenya. One of the men sitting at the table who had read this pamphlet asked a very interesting question. He said "I don't mean this to belittle, but the children in the pictures look very happy?"

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Firstly, I am not saying this in anyway to criticise this person. I commend him for his honesty and I am pleased that he said what he did because it raises a very profound point, something which I will call - the story of Africa.

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For most people, especially those who have never visited the continent, the word Africa is associated with various negative images. Famine, poverty, war, genocide. Whenever a country in Africa makes the news it is invariably because something bad has happened. The pictures we see are of starving African children, or young men wielding guns and machetes or a mother in tears because she has just lost another child. Thus, Africa is a place of suffering and sadness. It's story is not a positive one.

However, if and when you travel to a country in Africa I would predict that you encounter a very different story. The main reason why I started KenyaWorks and why I believe so strongly in it is because I believe so strongly in so many of the people that I met in Kenya. Take the orphanage in Busia as an example. So many of the children there have had awful lives. Many have been abused, have lost parents and sibling to AIDS and other illnesses and have generally had to struggle to get by. Yet, I have never been to a place where I have seen more happiness, laughter and love.

Similarly during my time in Nakuru I met so many young men and women who were struggling on a daily basis to survive. Yet, they were always laughing and joking with me and were a pleasure to be around. There is a real energy among young people in Kenya to change their lives and make their country better and this drive is infectious.

Now, I don't want this to turn out as a cliched story about "how all Africans don't have money but they are happy" because that's cheap. I merely want to make the point that the story of Africa in many people's minds is incorrect. It is not their fault and I certainly do not blame them. In fact I'm sure I felt this way before I first visited Kenya when I was 18. But Africa is a continent of great potential where people are actively, on a daily basis, pursuing ways to make their lives and the lives of their community better.

The world understood this after WWII and the 'end of Empire.' During this period there was great hope that Africa could in a sense save us. The world saw so much potential in the continent. Philosophically, politically, economically, culturally there was an excitement about what it was going to bring. Over the last 60 years, however, this hope and excitement has gradually faded. Africans have come to be seen as victims. Passive recipients waiting for the next disaster to strike.

This view needs to change and will change. Now more than ever across the continent Africans are coming together to influence their realities and determine their futures and hopefully, gradually, change our story of Africa.

The Story of Africa - What Does Africa Mean to You?

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Facts About Lewis and Clark

One of the most famous duos in early America was the exploration team of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Their expedition from 1803 to 1806 was the first trip made to the Pacific Ocean and back, over land.

In the map of their western expedition was provided the first truly accurate description of the Columbia and Missouri river sources, and the Rocky Mountains. In 1803, the signing of the Louisiana Purchase generated a great interest in expanding the country toward the west coast. The United States wasn't sure what it was purchasing, and even France admitted that they weren't sure exactly how much land they were selling. Shortly after the purchase, Thomas Jefferson, then President, asked Congress for 00 to fund an expedition westward.

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Jefferson had learned of France's plans to explore the Pacific Northwest, and he dearly wanted to reach the west coast of America first. There were several influential groups in the European world who wanted to stake claim to the western areas. The American northwest expedition was sent to study the tribes of Indians there, and to learn of the geology and the botany of the area. They also wanted to study the possible interference by French Canadian and British trappers who had already established settlements in the area.

President Jefferson selected half of what would be one of the more famous duos in exploration to lead his mission westward. Captain Meriwether Lewis then brought aboard William Clark. Their mission, as penned by Jefferson, was to explore the Missouri river and its tributaries, along and to the Pacific Ocean. Clark was actually only a Second Lieutenant at the time, due to paper snafus, but Lewis always referred to him as "Captain".

Lewis and Clark left Pittsburgh with soldiers and other young men, who were chosen to join them on this most important expedition. Lewis actually declared that the mouth of the river DuBois was the beginning of the expedition, but they had already spent two and a half months descending the Ohio River, so that can be considered the actual departure point for the expedition.

In late summer of 1804, the expedition (called the "Corps of Discovery" by Thomas Jefferson) suffered its only death. Sergeant Charles Floyd died that day, from what they assume to be acute appendicitis. He was buried near present-day Sioux City, Iowa. In the last week of August, Lewis and Clark also arrived at the edge of the Great Plains, which abounded with beavers, bison, deer and elk. This was also the land of the Sioux Indian. They would reach the Great Ocean within months.

Facts About Lewis and Clark

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