Firstly, like
everything else in this country, the color association is an important part of
any description, also of a township. Langa is a black township. Most of the people come from the Xhosa tribe,
originating from Eastern Cape, a province east of Cape Town. Consequently, the township was given a Xhosa
name. In Xhosa Langa means “Sun”.
The township is like a
town itself, with a clinic, police station, small shops, schools, petrol
station etc. With regards to the living standards there are both high – middle
– and low class areas, the former two being called the “ Beverly Hills” areas J – from a
township point of view. However, the majority of the people live in
underprivileged, deprived low class areas, in informal houses – consisting of
shacks, containers and very basic, bad constructed one bedroom houses. Not
being bigger than a few square meters these “houses” normally accommodate a
whole family PLthe space for each person is basically none! In addition, there
is no running water or toilets inside. Shared toilets are placed here and
there, fresh water for washing and drinking is collected from a common water
collecting centers.
Moreover, the
unemployment is extremely high. Some try to make their living by selling drinks
and snacks. Others are working as maids and domestic workers. For these people
it´s a daily struggle to get food on the table. Other dreadful issues faced on
a daily basis are the horrible, disgusting reality of domestic violence,
crimes, drug abuse and rapes.
All of our
participants in Play on Wheels live in this environment.
However, despite the problems
people are experiencing you are usually met with smiling faces and a friendly
attitude. Music is playing from the shacks and children enjoy themselves with self- made instruments. A joke is never far away.
Maybe that is why they choose to name their
township “Sun”.
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