‘Life-changing’ experience for Cappies’ Dawn
Dawn Dikgale describes her time in the States as one of the best experiences of her life but says she missed her mother's cooking the most.
POLOKWANE- As part of the US Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Programme, Dawn Dikgale recently spent 10 months in Colorado, United States.
The Gr 11 Capricorn High School learner was accepted into the programme that she said, “would change my life forever”.
She spent 10 months in the US attending school, staying with an American family, participating in activities, and sharing her South African culture.
The criteria to be part of this programme included being between the ages of 15-17 years, achieving an average grade of 70% in those three years and being a South African resident.
She said although this was one of the best experiences of her life, she did experience somewhat of a culture shock, not only being in a foreign country living with strangers but also being placed in a community that was predominantly white.
“It took a lot of adjusting being the only black child at school, and seeing only one other black person at the local mall. It was the opposite of what I am used to. Fortunately, I was placed with a good host family. There were some challenges like home sickness and differences with the people in the community I was in, but they were very supportive. They allowed me to immerse myself in the culture and get involved in activities my school here does not offer,” she said.
One thing she missed most about home was her mother’s cooking.
“Once, I bought maize meal online, but it just was not the same. I also missed being able to listen to amapiano (a music genre) with her friends.”
She returned to South Africa last month and says she is still finding her feet.
The only downside to this experience, she says, is having to repeat Gr 11, which she felt was the better option because of the difference in syllabus between the two countries.
“I chose to finish Gr 11 because when we left, it was in the middle of the school year and going to Gr 12, would have been a struggle. I would have too much catching up to do within a short space of time,” she said.
