Powerful Women

This morning early we had a tour of the South African Parliament buildings.  The scheduled 1 hour tour took more than 2 hours mostly because the new Executive Director of Tremendous Hearts, Melanie Verwoerd, added to what the tour guide said.  She was a member of Parliament for 7 years and is the grand-daughter in law of the man who was the chief implementer of Apartheid.  The most inspiring story was about all the first time Nelson Mandela walked into the House of Parliament.  She had just been elected in the election that swept Mandela into the Presidency.  She told of everyone singing together the ANC anthem, very slowly and in beautiful harmony as though to wash away of the evil that had been done in the name of Apartheid.  Mandela got up and immediately reprimanded the Parliament saying that there will be no more "African time"-everything will start at the designated time.  As Melanie spoke about her experiences writing the new Constitution, making new laws for the new country, where all voices would be heard, there was a real sense that the making of a new history is still going on.  Before there had been no women in Parliament and in the recent election,  47% of both houses are women.  South Africa is 6th in the world for the most women in Parliament after the Scandinavian countries and Rwanda.  We took our group photo in front of the larger bust of Mandela.

We have met so many powerful women doing amazing work---call it "Women's Work."  I used to hear that term used as an insult to women, but here, the women are working in so many different ways to to improve the lives of children, through better nutrition, through better education and tutoring and helping those who are the weakest in society.  Here, I'm seeing what dedicated empowered women can do and I am very impressed.  

We had the afternoon off and I went to the Two Oceans Aquarium down by the Wharf.  It was fun to look at penguins, sharks and invertebrates.  And then another over the top gourmet dinner.  I am increasingly becoming uncomforable with the luxury accomodations and top restaurant meals when I am here to learn about the children in the black townships.