Helen Rossel, a Grade 10 learner from Germany recently joined Capricorn High School (Cappies) for a period of three months while on a mission to learn about South Africa’s cultural and ethnic diversity.
The 15-year-old is on an exchange programme in the city and has already learnt a few Pedi words such as ‘dumelang’. Helen has thus far visited the African National Congress (ANC) veteran Ike Maphoto to gather information about the apartheid regime. She is hosted by the Maphoto family from Bendor and indicated that the warm welcome to the city, great people, warm weather and delicious meals, such as pap and steak, would make her prolong her stay.
She explained that what attracted her most was the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity and that was why she chose to undertake the exchange programme in Limpopo.
“People at school and in the city are wonderful and the host family treats me like their own daughter. I have found a ‘twin sister’ because my host Bonolo is a day older than me so we get along very well and I am planning to take her to Germany,” Helen explained, adding that she was surprised when Ike Maphoto started telling stories about Germany, “He is a great old man, full of wisdom and facts.”
She arrived in the province at the end of September and intends to learn as much as possible in order to share that with her family and friends in Germany. Bonolo said this was the second learner from Germany that her family hosted. She said the first encounter did not go well because she was still unfamiliar with many things but that it had been a learning curve for her family. Bonolo emphasised that she decided to be part of the exchange programmes to take away the myth that whites and blacks will never unite and stay under one roof. She described Helen as a down to earth kind of a person who is passionate about learning and concluded by saying she was delighted to meet her ‘twin sister’.
Story and photo: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
