Language learning in Pimville

Pimville Zone 5

Pimville, which is a renamed part of Klipspruit, was established as Soweto’s first township in 1934. It boasts Soweto’s first church and high school, and was among the first areas in Soweto where land ownership by black people was possible. This gives Pimville its middle class character, though it has roots as a shantytown. It is a lovely place to spend some time learning Zulu - which is what a group of six MCCers (including myself) and two visitors did for 3-4 days this week. The event was organized by Phaphama.

Learners and Helpers

PHAPHAMA IS A ZULU WORD THAT MEANS "AWAKEN YOURSELF". As per their website ... It was chosen because this is what we do - we help ourselves and our clients to become conscious (awake) in ways that result in behavioural change that positively transform our human relationships.
 

Our mission is to awaken ourselves and others to our capacity to lead productive, responsible, ethical and happy lives by empowering us to relate to others, build community and achieve our goals. Our vision is to be a significant contributor to the building of sustainable peace and development. We are motivated by our belief in the power of affirmation, communication, co-operation and community building to transform ourselves and our situations in ways that uphold the good in all of us.  For more details go to http://www.phaphama.org/index.php?sid=25&l=eng

 

         

Phaphama Initiatives provides opportunities for people from South Africa and abroad to experience our country and get to know our people through a genuine community-based tourism initiative called TALK Tourism.
 

TALK stands for Transfer of African Language Knowledge, and began as a project helping people learn South African indigenous languages. Its method is to pair a student with a mother-tongue speaker, and the two are encouraged to participate in everyday activities together. This is a great way to learn not just a language but a culture.




Sanibonani!     Kunjani?       Ngikhona!

Ngisebenzela iorganization ebizwa nge MCC.  Sisiza abantu abiswele.  Sisiza ngemfundo, ngempilo, ngokudla, nokwakha ukuthula.    (See comments below for explanation)

South West Townships

Orlando Towers, Soweto

Soweto is a very diverse and dynamic city.
From mansion to matchbox houses, from migrant labour hostels to squatter camps in many ways it represents the heartbeat of South Africa. With a rich political history it was key to challenging the apartheid government of the past. Today it is a vibrant reflection of the hope of a nation and its future.









Built in 1951 the Orlando Towers formerly functioned as cooling towers for the Orlando Power station. The station was decommissioned in 1998. Since 2007 they have become known as a 'vertical adventure facility with an incredible view of the city and offering bungee and rap jumping. They are painted with the largest murals in South Africa.

Soccer City

     

Of FIFA World Cup fame Soccer City as it is known to many is located on the eastern borders of Soweto. It is a state of the art soccer stadium and can seat up to 94,736 people. No spectator is seated more than 100 metres (330 ft) from the field, and there are no restricted views in the stadium. It was designed to look like an African calabash pot. IN 2013 it hosted the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.