Microbiology Delegation to South Africa Journal
October 16-25, 2005
Ronald M. Atlas, Delegation Leader
Ms. Linda van Doesburgh, National Guide

Sunday October 16, 2005

It was late afternoon and the boarding area at John F Kennedy airport in New York for South African Airways flight to Johannesburg was crowded. Members of the delegation, who were easily recognized by their hanging nametags, began to introduce themselves. It was immediately apparent that the group is friendly, diverse and vibrant. Everyone was looking forward to having a great experience. We began to talk about who we are and what we expected. Friendships were already being made. No one was too sure about what we really would experience. But we were all looking forward to the trip with high expectations as we boarded the plane for the long flight to South Africa.

During the flight some were able to sleep. Others read. Some just sat there. It was a long flight. As we stopped in Dakar, Senegal to refuel, the airline did not allow us off the plane. Conversations continued as members gathered in the aisles. We shared our past experiences and aspirations for the trip. Only Ron had been to South Africa before. The rest could only imagine what it would be like. The political, as well as the technical situations, were of great interest since South Africa, through free elections, became a democratic republic in 1994.

After another 8 hours we arrived in Johannesburg and made our way through customs. It was already Monday evening - a day had passed during the flight. Everyone had their luggage, which was a relief. We are met by Linda, whose easy going manner was immediately apparent and whose smile bolstered our sprits. Fatigue is not a factor. We were excited as we drove along the highway in our “Atlas” bus to Sandton, a suburb of Johannesburg.

As we drove to the hotel, Linda and our local guide, Refilwe Mathe, began to introduce us to South Africa and our week long program. Linda was effervescent. Rilfilwe was soft spoken. Together they instantly made us feel welcome.

When we reached the hotel we are all happy to find that the Southern Sun Grayston is a modern and wonderful facility with very pleasant rooms. It has a comfortable sitting area in the lobby and adjacent bar, where we were able to gather and share experiences. Dinner was a wonderful buffet. For those who wondered what the food would be like there was great relief and joy. Most of the delegation retired after dinner as it has been a long day and our program started early the next day.


Tuesday October 18, 2005

After a sumptuous breakfast buffet we gathered for our orientation to South Africa and People to People Ambassador Programs. We introduced ourselves and Keira Powers from the People to People Ambassador Programs office in South Africa then presented our orientation. We were told about the program that was started by President Eisenhower in 1956 to build bridges among people of the world, its purposes and the aspirations for our visit. We learned about South Africa - its regions and its peoples. We also realized that this will be a very intense week and that the days will be long and rewarding.

Some facts from the orientation seemed to have a special impact. Apartheid is part of the history, but so was the conflict between the Dutch and the English. Blacks and colored are different. Native is an offensive terms. There is a 40% unemployment rate. There are townships where specific races were restricted during the Apartheid era - these still persist and house large numbers of individuals. Johannesburg was a center for gold discovery. There are distinct climates in Johannesburg/Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. There are 11 official languages. It has only been 11 years since Nelson Mandela became president. This is a rainbow nation.

As we sought to absorb all the information, we realized that we were going to have diverse experiences. We were going to see things. We were going to broaden our professional knowledge of microbiology. But, mostly, we are going to meet people. After all we are People to People Ambassadors.

We are told of an immediate change in the program - instead of beginning with a cultural tour of Soweto, we will begin our professional program today with meetings on the public understanding of biotechnology, a visit to a conference that happens to be going on at the convention center in Sandton on biotechnology business opportunities and a speech by South Africa’s science and technology minister, Mosibundi Mangena. While some are disappointed that they will not be able to see Soweto, all welcome the opportunity to begin the professional program. The guests of the delegation however were fortunate enough to see Soweto, one of Nelson Mandela homes and the Apartheid Museum. We recognized that we can’t do everything and that we will need to come back to South Africa. By the end of the week many would already be talking of plans to do so.