Durban — The Don Africana Central Reference Services Library in Durban bid farewell to a group of nine students from different parts of the US who were here on the Fulbright Hayes Zulu Group Project programme.
The students arrived two months ago to learn about the country, its culture, the languages and the people who live in it.
They went to Gauteng, Richards Bay and Durban, exploring and learning about the different cultures, and all agreed that the spirit of ubuntu was the most important thing they learned about during their stay here.
During their individual presentations, they all expressed how amazed they were by the spirit of ubuntu among South Africans.
They all agreed that it stood out for them to have strangers willing to go the extra mile in order to make them comfortable.
Kylah Hughley, 22, who is from Hawaii and is studying at Howard University, said she came here to further her language skills, but learned more and wanted to come back again.
“I want to come back maybe next year for a longer placement.
“I’m interested in how education can help empower girls in this country because women here face so many challenges that are seemingly different from other places,” she said.
She said they were taught about ubuntu in the US in their isiZulu classes, but experiencing it was different and an experience that she would hold dear to her heart.
Kenton Butcher, 35, who was the most emotional about leaving, said he would never forget South Africa. Butcher is doing South African literature at the University of Pennsylvania and knowing how the culture works was important to him.
“I’m taking the warmth that I have received here, the kindness, taking care of people and the love I learned from here is something that I am taking home. I think the US has a lot to learn from this country, especially from the Zulu culture. I think that is the most important thing for me,” he said.
They got a chance to learn about the country’s history and traditional ceremonies.
They also mentioned that taxi drivers in this country drive however they want to, which was something they were not used to.
Sibongile Doncane, who is the chief librarian, in closing said it was beautiful to see other people interested in our culture while some in this country felt embarrassed about it.
She said it was beautiful to see people taking the initiative to learn about this diverse country.
Daily News