July 4 in South Africa

Freedom Celebration in Cape Town

It was such fun to be part of more than 200 Americans in Cape Town who met at the residence of the US consular Officer, Dr. Alberta Mayberry for our July 4 celebration. Yes there were more than 22 applep pies in the bake off. In that yellow tin are my otameal cookies that went in a flash.

What I loved most about the event was meeting fellow Americans, almost all of whom are helping South Africans in need, in one capacity or another. Aomg us were a group of students from Coldorado Springs who were at the event with the students from the University of the Western Cape with whom they are working on entreprenurial issues. True to American hospitality, Dr. Mayberry invited children from three groups to attend: the children and staff of the South African Children's HOme in Cape Town, those from the Siyaphambili Orphan Village from Langa and those from Priscilla's Helping Hand from Wellington. Those kids ran around with their painted faces and jumped for joy in the jumping castle on the lovely grounds, framed on one side by Table Mountain and the other, the sweeping Victoria and Albert Waterfront. I will especially remember thebrief chat I had with a student f rom the Cameroon who wanted some advice on how to sell her paintings, based on what we had done to sell Evangeline Bags. I left stuffed with good food, apple pie and the joy of meeting other pilgrims on the philanthropic way.

Thank you to the US Consulate and the American Society for South Africa. And to all, let us always celebrate and teasure our freedom.