A Visit to Mbopha High School: South Africa

 

            Today, we are going to take a literary field trip to rural Africa.  More specifically, a flight, half way across the globe, to the Province of Kwa Zulu Natal, in the very north-east corner of South Africa. Think of Survivor (in Kenya) or Discovery Channel and Animal Planet documentaries with lions chewing on exotic deer, cheetahs lounging in flat trees, elephants bathing in muddy rivers, and giraffe crossing dirt roads.  We are going to follow one of those dirt roads up into the mountains, where we will find a small collection of mud huts with thatched roofs.  This rural village is named Hlabisa.  The people of Hlabisa are Zulu; just one of 11 South African tribes.  Even though everyone in Hlabisa speaks Zulu, they are now teaching the youth English at the schools.  So we can just ask any school-aged child how to get to our destination:  Mbopha High School.

 

            It turns out that Mbopha High School is just off the main (and only) dirt road in Hlabisa.  The school is made out of hand-made bricks and has metal roofs.  There is no electricity (so no computers or vending machines!) and the toilets are distant from the school (they are more like our “Porta-Potties”, basically a hole in the ground!)  The school has no library, no gym, no “official” sports’ fields, and no cafeteria.  Students must bring their own lunch, which is usually bread, butter, and fruit.  Mbopha High School Students are supposed to wear a school uniform, but many students come from poor families and cannot afford to buy the uniform. Some students sew their own uniform from scratch and make their own shoes. 

 

            Hlabisa does not have any school bus services, so all students have to walk to school, sometimes up to 3 miles a day (back and forth) rain or shine.  And they must share text books, because there are not enough books to go around.   In addition to the standard school subjects, English, math, and basic science, Zulu students have to learn Zulu, Afrikaans (another popular South African language in the area), and Life Skills.  Life Skills teaches Zulu adolescents about primary health care, sexual education, a little bit of agriculture and animal husbandry (the main occupation in these parts.)  South African schools do not offer Driver’s Education, so most Zulu teens never learn to drive, unless they can afford to learn when they are adults.  Just like all high school students, following the 12^th year of studies, Zulus must take the Matric Exam, which is equivalent to our SAT’s. 

 

            Depending on the results of the Matric Exam, most Zulu teens strive to get scholarships into a university or a Teknikon.  Teknikons are special vocational schools that teach specific trades in skilled labor such as carpentry, electronics, engineering, computers, plumbing, etc.  It is still rare in these parts that girls go to university, unless it is to study to be a school teacher, administrative assistant, or nurse—but that appears to be changing slowly.  

 

            So what could an American adolescent possibly have in common with a Zulu teen?  Actually, a lot!  Just like most young people, Zulu teens love sports; the boys favor soccer and volleyball, while the girls like to play netball (which is similar to our basketball.)  When they can afford it, Zulus will choose KFC, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola over their traditional foods of pap (a corn-meal type paste) and chakalaka (a spicy cabbage dish.)  American music, especially hip-hop, house, R & B, and rap, have been a huge success in this little village.  Every Zulu teen knows Snoop Dogg and Eminem, and they love to dance.  And just like American teens, despite their poverty, Zulu teens are very fashion-conscious and dress similar to American teens, even if it means sewing their own outfits.  Zulu teens prefer American movies and television shows, when available.

 

            Zulu teens and American youth share similar challenges in peer pressure, drug/alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, gangs, college entrance stress, conflict
with authority figures, general teenage angst, sex and the risks involved, dating,
self-esteem issues, crime, and identity formation.  However, Hlabisa Zulu youth have a few unique stressful conditions, aside from poor water systems and poor general living conditions.  One out of two people in Hlabisa is HIV+ and many Zulu teens have lost a parent and/or relatives to AIDS-related diseases.  This means almost 1/3 of Zulu teens are orphans.  A lot of Zulu teens have to abandon school prematurely in order to find work, on a farm or a local shop, to support their younger orphaned siblings and sick or aging relatives.  Most Zulu teens are raised by their grand-mothers, while any remaining parents or adult relatives seek work in the cities.  There are no orphanages, shelters, or youth centers out here.  Usually, neighboring families will help orphaned children.

 

            Zulus adolescents also have to participate in traditional rituals such as the Virginity Testing Ceremony (for girls) and the Circumcision Ritual (for boys.)  In Zulu culture, the ability for a Zulu girl to remain a virgin until marriage is highly praised.  In order to prove one’s virginity, a girl must participate in the Virginity Testing Ceremony, where she will be “tested” by local elderly women in front of everyone!  This annual ceremony is conducted in front of the Zulu King, all his staff, and local community members.  Once a girl is declared a virgin, she is celebrated in her village.  This improves her chances of finding a husband.  Zulu girls may marry as young as 15 years old!

 

            Boys used to have to go “out in the bush” and learn to survive for weeks on their own.  Upon return, the local Sangoma, or Traditional Healer, circumcises them–without painkillers, OUCH!  This ritual celebrates the transition of a boy into a man.  However, over the past few years, this ritual has become less and less popular, but some Hlabisa boys still have to participate. 

 

            Now, due to more exposure to American and European media, western culture is having a visible influence on Zulu youth.  And of course, Zulu parents do not always approve of their children’s “American” ways.  Despite the obvious differences in cultures, living and schooling conditions, Zulu teens and American adolescents would have a lot to talk about, starting with why parents always say “No!”