The impact of the program…in their words…

The Global Buddies participants are changed by their experiences together. It’s more than seeing some of the beautiful and historical sites in Cape Town, enjoying fun trips and going to restaurants, or even making new friendships. After their time together, the Global Buddies see themselves and the world around them differently. South African Global Buddies improve their English, start seeing a future that includes education and university, and learn about recycling and fundraising from their American friends. The Los Angeles Buddies learn about South Africa, see ways that joy exists outside of material things, and go home with a different perspective of the abundance in their lives.

Dharan Khumar, 8, was clearly affected when his mother told him about a 4-year-old boy she saw dying in one of the Cape Town townships. Dharan understood that this boy’s weight was about half of the weight of his brother of the same age who was healthy and happy back in L.A. Dharan was also affected by the huge difference between how much he has, and how little the families in Mfuleni have. Dharan, whose parents own a huge house in L.A. and many cars said that when he goes back to Los Angeles he wanted to waste less, and use things for longer. He talked about buying clothes in bigger sizes so that he could wear them for longer.

Above is an audio slideshow of the 2008 Global Buddies trip. The Global Buddies, including Dharan’s mother Sharmini, talk about their time together in Cape Town. Some South Africans who have seen this slideshow expressed how even though their kids live so close to the townships, their children have no idea about the reality of life for those living in poverty in South Africa. One mother talked about how she’s tried for years to drill a sense of appreciation into her children for what they have, but their understanding didn’t come close to what the U.S. Global Buddies immediately understood by interacting with each other and experiencing each other’s worlds.

Starting in 2009, Global Buddies will build in a way for non-township/non-Mfuleni families in South Africa to also participate in Global Buddies so that the learning and exchange can happen both between families of different backgrounds in South Africa and between them and families in the U.S.