On the first day of our school-sponsored program here in Cape Town, each of the eleven teams is assigned to go out into the city and photography unmet needs that we find.
We all lather on the sunscreen, find our hats, sunglasses, and sandals, and head out to find what Cape Town is missing. All of us a little more tan and sunburnt than when we left, report our findings to each other over dinner. There are aspects of South Africa that qualify it as a “developing country”; however, Cape Town is missing many of those aspects. In other words, most of the obvious needs in the city have already been met. Consequently, most of us share photographs of areas desperate for shade and begging for more ice cream and lemonade stands. I am guessing that the photographs from other countries such as Ghana that were also visited by classmates might have a slightly different tone. Nonetheless, I am excited to be here, to explore this country, and to learn how business is done within its borders.