A broader perspective
By Kara
More than anything, though, this trip has made me think about the value of perspective. The companies we visited are choosing to address the challenges people in South Africa face regarding factors such as access to electricity, health, and education.
The Social Impact Field Seminar has been a lot of fun, and a great way to learn more about careers that I could actually see myself in that would allow me to make a tangible difference. It is invaluable to get the chance to connect and converse with these many different professionals in and around Johannesburg. Discussing the context of the issues they are targeting helped us gain greater insight into how they approach finding solutions. It gave me a lot of confidence in knowing that my MBA would afford me the skills to find answers to real problems that people are facing. Additionally, I loved getting to meet and learn about the country from locals, try new foods, and get to see the city’s sites. Those I found most impactful were visiting The Union Buildings, The Apartheid Museum, Soweto and the Mandela House, and the trip to Pilanesberg. Aside from all of the educational aspects of the program, I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to see African wildlife in their natural habitats, something I have dreamed about doing since I was a little kid.
More than anything, though, this trip has made me think about the value of perspective. The companies we visited are choosing to address the challenges people in South Africa face regarding factors such as access to electricity, health, and education. These companies are doing incredible work to minimize inequality, creating less of a divide for those who the country refers to as PDIs (previously disadvantaged individuals). However, what was most glaring about the city in present day was the discussion regarding crime. My impression of Johannesburg was that the people we interacted with worked there, but many of them would never dare spend too much time downtown. I feel, though, that despite these comments about avoiding the area, I didn’t learn much about what was actually happening downtown, or what people were doing to address these issues revolving around crime. Without this context, I couldn’t help but wonder if this hyper-focus on the dangerous aspects of the city was mostly a result of the country’s history of social exclusion. There is an obvious need for greater education and intervention in order to continue to move forward.
Though this concept was not discussed in depth, I do feel that many of the companies we visited are working to address the underlying issues to this evident problem. Whether it be the extraordinarily high unemployment rate, the stigmatization of individuals with TB or HIV, the lack of reading resources and learning support for marginalized communities, or the need for diversification in the workplace to minimize social exclusion amongst many South Africans. I definitely went into this experience expecting to see the scars of apartheid, potentially in the form of blatant racism or discrimination. However, what I saw instead was a very segmented city, in terms of race and class. I believe that if progress is to continue to be made, there is a need for deeper discussion and difficult problem-solving. I acknowledge that this is easier said than done, given the immense pain in the country’s history. However, I hope to see opportunity in this space continue to grow, with these Social Impact organizations leading the way towards greater progress.