Meetings & Meat (eating)

E1even.

Khayelitsha

Located outside of Cape Town in the Cape Flats, it is home to an estimated 2 million people. "Khayelitsha" is Xhosa for "New Home" due to it's roots within the forced removal act. Having toured other townships I found that this walking tour revealed strengths within the community that lacked in places such as previously mentioned, Imizamo Yethu. For instance, there with space in between the regular triangle roofed houses, there are less amounts of loose trash and kids in the streets and they have taken a claim to the tourist industry.

Kopanong Bed and Breakfast is a budding business that began with Thope Lekau, nicknamed Mama Thope, and encourages women to be entrepreneurs. These efforts have lead to great success for the community and has brought about much national attention to the area. We were lucky enough to have a lunch with Mama Thope as she detailed the path she carved out for herself, township and fellow female. To learn more about her accomplishments and acts of advocacy for women entrepreneurship visit: http://www.kopanong-township.co.za/

Gathering around Mama Thope.

Mzoli's Meat

In the midst of a summer's day the people of Gugulethu can be found enjoying lively music, entertaining company and tasty meat fresh off of the grill at Mzoli's Meat. You first begin by selecting your meat and then it is grilled and brought to the patio section which is a concrete picnic area more or less with a dj. Granted I am a vegetarian but still could appreciate the sense of fun and community that occurred in this place.