Cape Town, South Africa B'10

Photo taken by Shivahn Fitzell, Cape Town B'08

At A Glance

Term – B 2010

Project Opportunities – IQP

Housing – Casual "backpacker" inn

Director – Professor Jiusto

Preparation – 1/2 unit in A10 & informal spring/summer activities

Application Deadline – October 1, 2009 (before 1:00 pm)

LOCATION

Cape Town is located at the southern tip of South Africa and is one of the world's most beautiful cities. Situated between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Table Mountain range runs through the city and down the Cape of Good Hope. It is both a very cosmopolitan city with visitors and residents from around the globe, and a city dealing with problems of poverty and rapid urban growth that many developing nations face. South Africa is a culturally diverse country still very much creating a new future for itself in the aftermath of apartheid, the system of racial discrimination that dominated social and economic life in the country until the 1990s. Cape Town offers music, art and theatre, and is home to many important historical and cultural sites. We arrive just as the wonderfully temperate summer is beginning, and travel to some of the loveliest and most interesting landscape in Southern Africa. Students can visit the African bush to see wild animals, hike along stunning terrain, go surfing, enjoy great food, meet interesting people, and work on projects in informal "squatter camp" communities that welcome WPI students to learn about their culture and contribute toward improvements in their community.

PROJECTS

Cape Town projects focus on sustainable development in these informal settlements where many people live in shacks and without adequate provision of basic services. In 2008, we conducted an exciting set of integrated projects focused on helping one informal settlement realize the goal of transforming their squatter camp into a socially and ecologically sustainable "ecovillage." The six 2008 project themes – buildings, water and sanitation, energy, communications, economic development and urban planning and mapping – aimed at understanding the community as it exists today and generating options for the future that benefit from synergies across domains. Students engaged with other teams on a regular basis to share insights and plan integrated solutions. For example, each team provided ideas for job creation in their respective areas, while the economic development team planned and began implementing new micro-industries and training programs (e.g., a sandbag sewing operation to support a unique, sustainable building technology). The building team included in their building designs systems researched and proposed by the energy and water and sanitation teams; the urban planning team proposed a road development strategy that could grow over time with little disruption to families, and the communications team organized co-researchers from Monwabisi Park to serve as guides, interpreters, surveyors, and to start "Endlovini TV," a video-based, community media service.

The 2008 students created a 200 page report (www.wpi-capetown.org) that included a chapter for each team and an "integrated plan" setting forth the core redevelopment strategy: to "grow" change in small, incremental steps that maximize public and private benefits, maintain and strengthen local social networks and decision-making, create jobs, training and leadership development opportunities, and build the foundation for a healthier community going forward. This is a project center for intrepid, hardworking students eager to help "make a difference" in South Africa.

ESTIMATED EXPENSES

Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses*	Amount	NOTE: In calculating the extra expense to participate in an off-campus project experience compare this figure to expenses incurred while living on campus: groceries or meal plan, entertainment expenses, transportation, etc.
Travel to site (RT airfare)	$ 1,500
Local transportation (e.g. taxis)	$ 100
Dining and groceries	$ 800
Weekend tourist activities & incidentals	$ 700
Estimated total out-of-pocket expenses	$ 3,100
Expenses included on your WPI bill*	Amount
Housing and program expenses	$ 1,600
Estimated Total expenses	$ 4,700	*Tuition and WPI on-campus housing not included*
* Subject to change due to fluctuations in exchange rate

Cape Town, South Africa B'10

At A Glance

LOCATION

PROJECTS

ESTIMATED EXPENSES

Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses*

Amount

Expenses included on your WPI bill*

Amount

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