Something different

Driving into the small town of Ashton late on Friday evening I was flooded with emotions. Emotions of sadness , disappointment and anger. Looking around it was clear that we were no longer in the southern suburbs. Tarnished roads, run down shops, and a community diseased with poverty and depression were but some of the features that made up this fairly unknown town.  What on earth was I doing in this town you may ask? I was there for a rugby camp. The purpose of this camp was to unite us together as a team, discuss our strategy for the season ahead and to experience and appreciate the harsh realities of the living conditions that millions of people in this country are forced to endure. The things I experienced and the lessons I learnt in these two days stretched way beyond anything I could ever learn between the four white lines of a rugby field. The weekend was rich in value ,a real eye opener and a shocking insight into the poor living conditions of millions of people in our beloved country.

During our briefing on the Friday night of our camp we were informed that, on the Saturday Morning we would be making our way down to the local junior school where we would be hosting a coaching clinic for the young kids of Ashton. Many of my fellow team-mates rolled their eyes and sighed in disapproval. Why should they give up their sleep to help people less privileged than them? After all we were on a rugby camp. All of us came from extremely privileged backgrounds. We went to top schools, we have loving families, and we have a roof over our heads and food on the table every night. Name a privilege and we probably have it. While a lot of the guys really weren’t keen to give back and get involved in the Ashton community, majority of us were eager to make a small difference and perhaps play a small part in uplifting the lives of young children in Ashton. I often feel that people like us tend to live in our own world as we turn a blind eye to towns like Ashton. We know that there our people in our country who are hungry. We know there are people in our country who are homeless. We know people in our country are victims of crime, drug abuse and violence. We know this, but are we, in our perfect little worlds doing about this?

Saturday morning had finally arrived and it was time for us to make our way to the rugby field of the junior school where we would host the coaching clinic. The field alone was in terrible condition, grass was scarce, the playing field resembled a gravel road. If I had to practice in such conditions my mood would be somewhat sombre and I’d have little motivation to perform well , let alone enjoy my sport. This was not the case with the 50 odd youngsters that came out for the clinic. They were smiling. They were enthusiastic. They were keen to learn. They were happy. I was astonished. If I lived my life the way many of these kids unfortunately live theirs the last thing I’d be doing on my Saturday morning would be, smiling. Coaching them was an absolute pleasure, the look on their faces when they achieved, the laughs we shared and ultimately the memories we made with them are all things I will never forget.

The aim of the clinic was to pass on the limited knowledge we had about rugby on to a group of young kids eager to learn. Without even knowing it, I was in fact the one doing the learning. These kids were the greatest teachers I’d ever had.  I learned to acknowledge just how privileged I am. I learnt to appreciate the small things in life that are so often taken for granted. I learnt to be gracious. I learnt to be humble. I learnt that no matter how tough life gets or how many obstacles you are forced to deal with, there is always a reason to smile. Did I play a part in the smile forming on that kids face? It’s possible.  Yes, life can be rough, and at times it may feel like your purpose on this earth is undefined and pointless. When you feel like this: give back. Give back to the community. Go and see how majority of this country lives and most importantly, do something about it for God’s sake. As the privileged minority in this country we will often comment on the poor conditions that we know exist in our country but we are too lazy and simply do not care enough to do anything about it. We will all watch Derek Watts on a Sunday evening as Carte Blanche reveals the shocking conditions of a poor community. For a moment we all sympathize with these poor people, some of us even cry. We will be touched by what we have just seen, we will feel bad and complain for an hour about how terrible this is and how something needs to be done to rectify the problem. An hour and a half later the channel will change and you will be more interested in a Keeping up with the Kardashians episode. What have you done to make a difference? Nothing.

It frustrates me that as South Africans we do not do enough for our community. Truth be told, we live in a 3^rd world country.  Majority of people in this country do not have access to the resources we have access to. Essentially we are living in two different worlds. We live in one where a warm shower, a basic education and an occupation is the norm. They (and a say ‘they’ with all due respect) live in one which is infested with poverty, hopelessness and despair. A warm shower, a basic education and an occupation is a privilege enjoyed by few in the Ashton community. This weekend gave me an opportunity to witness and appreciate the way so many people in South Africa live. It gave me an opportunity to appreciate my own life. Most importantly it gave me an opportunity to give back; to help; to uplift and make a difference in a society that is desperately seeking help and direction. This is our country, this is your country. Feed our children. Clothe our fellow brothers and sisters. Make a difference. Give back, it is the most rewarding thing you will ever do.