Sadness in Soweto

Quite a few travelers in our group opted to lounge around the beautiful Fairlawns Boutique Hotel on Monday rather than participate in a planned tour of Soweto. It was a dark, cold and rainy day; perfectly suited for viewing the depressed southwestern townships of Joburg.

AmaWaterways has a special connection to Kliptown, the oldest residential district of Soweto. And from the looks of it, the poorest. Ama has been contributing to the efforts of a goodwill organization, Kliptown Youth Program (KYP), which provides help to young people byway of extra-curricular activities centered around skill development.

It was a heartfelt presentation and tour of the KYP community, leaving many visitors with a conflicted emotional burden. Helplessness, sorrow and gratitude were all relevant feelings as we witnessed primitive living conditions, situations and potential solutions.