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Hearing Peace

Fascination Hillbrow

The scents of spices from Nigeria’s kitchen rise to my nose. One street over, Ethiopians prepare their food in small cookshops. And another corner down, dishes from Zimbabwe are being cooked. The variety of scents surrounds me.

Hillbrow: 75.000 people on 1,08 square kilometres

Mixed with languages from Ethiopia, Central Africa, Zambia and from almost all countries of Southern and Central Africa. Pervaded by the tireless honking of cars in the lively district of Hillbrow. Not a trace of order. Only chaos – for me still a constructive chaos that leaves plenty of room for creativity. This is Hillbrow, the most densely populated district in South Africa: Johannesburg. 75,000 people on 1.08 square kilometres. No, not an orderly district. More like an urban jungle that holds its secrets and its fascination. Provided you are prepared to love this district and its people.

It’s about survival

Hillbrow is alive, vibrant, diverse in every respect. At first glance, one might be enraptured by African diversity in the big city. But as soon as you delve deeper into this life, you realise that many people are not here by choice. Hillbrow was the first port of call for most migrants from all sub-Saharan countries after the end of apartheid. They hoped for a better life, a free life. But that was not what they got in South Africa. And so, to this day, most of them are concerned with survival. In such a situation, violence, prostitution, abuse, homelessness, drug trafficking and crime in grow every form.

No one can hope for state support here. That is why the Lutheran Community Outreach Foundation (LCOF) has become an important contact point for so many. It is a place of hope and future prospects. And a place where anyone can come without fear.

The LCOF – a place of hope

Here, mainly men can be trained as bricklayers or electricians to have a chance on the labour market. Most of the women are trained as tailors or cooks. A large garden has been built on the roof where vegetables are grown, the sale of which contributes to the livelihood. Children and young people receive qualified tutoring and have a place in the youth centre where they can simply be children. Those who want to can learn to play a musical instrument professionally or take part in acting lessons – some well-known South African actors and actresses received their basic training at the LCOF. Those who have problems of various kinds can receive free counselling. Drug addicts receive professional care until a place is found for them in a rehab clinic.

The LCOF: a reflection of diversity in action

The Outreach Foundation is more than a place of help. It wants to contribute to a district development in which there is room for cultural diversity. That is why people from different African countries work there. This is, as it were, a symbol of the fact that diversity is possible with simultaneous appreciation and recognition of my counterpart. It wants to be a reflection of lived diversity.

The Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Lower Saxony has supported the Foundation since its beginning in 1996 until today. For six years I was allowed to lead and coordinate this work. Even today, I miss the volume, the chaos, the smells and the deafening music of this part of town – that is probably also the reason why I needed hearing aids when I returned to Germany. I gladly put up with them, because Hillbrow taught me one thing and left a deep mark on me: Diversity is possible and necessary in order to be able to shape a life with all its diversity.

Thomas Wojciechowski