"Sitting at a Chair and Table was Wishful Thinking"

Growing up during the Apartheid in Africa, Sophie and her family were never allowed to sit on chairs or eat at tables. She was never allowed to play with the White kids on the farm where her parents and family worked and lived.

Sophie explained, “sitting at a chair or table was wishful thinking. I wished I was White, because they had everything and we had nothing.”

Sophie's very strong feelings about the Creche kids learning to eat at table and to be able to sit on a chair, stem from the harsh conditions many Africans endured during the Apartheid. She wants them to know they are no different from others, and that they deserve to eat and sit at a table, like everyone else.

Transcript:

This is the big class. This is the significance of asking for money for the tables and the chairs. The chairs... there are only 9 chairs, and we have have 18 kids in this class. There are four (kids) who are not here today.)

We put those (kids), today at the tables. Tomorrow we change, and the other ones (kids) will take turns at the table. This is not how they are suppose to eat on the floor. They must sit on the table and eat on the table so if the government officials comes, they find them at the table. I can tell them we don’t have the tables, all they can say is, make sure they get the tables and chairs.

So that is my reason for asking for tables and chairs. As you can see, we don’t have one round bowls, this is soft porridge, also this kind of plates, makes plastic very soft, the children can get burned from them.

That is why I want to buy plates with a thicker material, so the kids don’t get burned. The teachers stand around to make sure everything is ok.

That is my reason for talking about tables and chairs. This may look very small items, but they very very important.

This was done to us when we were going up, by the then government. We are trying to get the children out of this kind of thinking, that they are different. Therefore, they must be on the floor. I hope I didn’t say anything to offend you. Thank you very much.