Excerpts from the South African Journal, 1982
Theresa Ripley
July 10 & 11 (Saturday & Sunday)
A marathon plan trip from Eugene to San Francisco to New York and the 17 hours with a stop at Isle de la Sol to Johannsburg on South African Airway. Most outstanding aspect of trip was closeness of seats and lack of sleeping. Arrived at 5:30 p.m. and was surprised to find no customs inspection. Was met by Jim, a colored (by South African definition), who gave me a big bear hug. Jim was our contact host for Johannesburg. Rode in his small Renault to Victoria Hotel. The city was dead. Our room was clearly 2 star but looked good after 3 days of travel.
July 12–Monday
Had lunch with Jim at The Curry Tavern—spicy, spicy curry cooled with papaya. The temperature was cool and windy but it was sunny. Supper at Holiday Inn, no waitresses or waiters smiled and service is not good.
July 13–Tuesday
Went to Univ of Witwatersrand to discuss August 9 and 10 conference. U. of Wits is anti government. Jim picked us up and we stopped at Rau University, an Afrikaans speaking university. Beautiful, stunning architecture and there was an exhibit on instruction 1982 with sophisticated technology equipment. Jack talked to many of the exhibitors which left Jim and I talking and MANY people staring. Not common for a black man and white woman to be talking at Rau University.
Jim then drove us on to Soweto, a city of one million urban blacks. It is rows and rows of approximately 500 square feet houses. Each houses 2 families of up to 10 people–no plumbing or electricity. Went to high school that had 963 students and 29 teachers. We met the principal who had on a suit and sweater and greeted us as “the important people from America.” I quipped back, “well, at least people” and he laughed. He gave us a tour of the meager resources–all doors had hand painted signs of what they were–clerk/typist, principal, etc. There was one room for all of the 29 teachers to do preparation. We then stopped in one classroom, math, and all the students stood up to greet us. All students had uniforms on–girls had on dresses and boys same colored shirts. The principal invited us for tea and after some hurry and scurry the home econ girls arranged a white cloth tea table with tea and good cookies. Jim told us this was “red carpet” treatment.
At our Soweto tea we discussed our conference and discovered we had already been successful just because the conference was taking place. The principal gave us advice and told us to do our best–“Africans are people,” he said, “like anyone else.” On the way back to the hotel we stopped and Jim got permission for the Soweto teachers to attend the conference. Apparently this required special permission. He was delighted!! And needed to make all the necessary last minute arrangements.
We took a walk after we returned and discovered the rail station was segregated. At 7 p.m. met Sue Jerry (Jack’s friend whom he met in London several years ago...she is a white, English-speaking South African) and she took us to The Bistro. Sue told us there were no segregated rails (she was wrong).
July 14–Wednesday
To the train station by 7:30, over a half hour early for the Pretoria train in the cold station. Train was clearly segregated and we had a 1½ hour ride to Pretoria. Took taxi to HSPI (personnel research institute) and arrived at 10:00 to make presentation. Turned out only to be 3 people. They told us about 4 main research projects of the institute: Sports, Guidance (the DeLange report), Intergroup Relations, and Manpower. They then took us to see Discover system (a US developed guidance system.)
Went to lunch Playboy Club (bunny insignia) with black, male waiters. Jack told them to call us by our first names and acknowledged easier to talk. DeLange report recommends 2 counselors in each school–one for remedial and one for careers. Ended pleasantly and Josephine took us to rug shops and to National Theatre. Pretoria is clean, new, and pretty. Jack bought a beautiful Xhosa rug which is being shipped to the States.
July 15–Thursday
Jim picked us up at 8:30. Out to Soweto Teacher’s College and set up and ready to start at 10:00. Did our introduction slide show and my Illinois slides went over well. People kept coming all the time and ended up with 88 folks. Asked them their problems in guidance and got in small groups and then wrote them on board. Took break and then did 7 components of career guidance and ended with slides of Oregon. Had lunch and talked with some of the participants. They were much better educated and dressed and spoke better than I expected.
In p.m. an educator from the U.S. south spoke on gifted children–unbelievable Southern belle who was going to help these black folks. She didn’t want to meet us anymore than we wanted to meet her. It was clear her trip was government sponsored. We had an interview with black radio which was going to be translated into the 8 African languages.
This is the first year that Soweto guidance teachers have been organized in an association. Jim is trying to arrange an international trip for them but the complication is getting passports. They are registered in Joburg but must get a passport from their homelands and thus give up Soweto registration. Catch 22.
July 16–Friday
Almost slept through to 5:00 and napping until 7:00–adjustment is coming. Jim picked us up at 8 a.m. and on to 2nd day of Soweto Conference. Most participants were there by time we came. Started at 9 a.m. and did 1 ½ hour talk and demonstration on helping skills, then decision-making, then job satisfaction/dissatisfaction. Broke for tea at 12:10 and back at 12:30. Then did short presentation on Women in America and then asked them to formulate questions for us. Main concern was school at University of Oregon (that is, there own schooling!). One participant asked how guidance could change countries. Jack commented that guidance in the US is based on value of individual differences.
Then Jim asked group to evaluate us–what was relevant and irrelevant. They very dutifully wrote as we waited outside in the sun. We then went back in for our official welcome from the Albino woman who called us Terrific and Jerrific. She ended her compliments by having the group sing “He’s a jolly good fellow.” The group presented a roaster to a guy who just got married and sang a beautiful chant and danced.
We said our goodbyes and sat outside waiting for Jim while one counselor from Alexandria high school described his concerns to me. The students in his school are older than he, unruly, and had killed others during the 1976 riots. They use corporal punishment and what should he do. We told him he had given us more education than we had imparted. Jim then took us to his home for tea and we read the evaluations which were favorable.
