School Year Blog: Crashing the ultimate fashion show, a South African prom
Seniors pose at the COSAT prom
A few weeks ago, I told my girlfriend that I was doing a story about the senior prom at the high school I’ve been profiling here in Cape Town. I started to explain the significance of the night – how it’s a rite of passage for many South Africans – but she cut me off.
“We’re going to prom together?” she asked excitedly. “Yay!”
The next thing I knew, I was digging out my suit (the only one I had lugged to Africa) and getting my hair cut. Caroline, my girlfriend, was trying on dresses and making a hair appointment. Neither of us had gone to our own senior proms, so we decided this was it.
Who cares if we were both 30-something Americans, and neither of us was even close to being in high school? It was time to look sharp.
We had heard that the prom was a big deal in South Africa’s low-income, black townships. But I don’t think anything could have prepared us for the fashion show we witnessed. Simply put, the kids at the Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT) went all out – and I was glad we weren’t under-dressed.
Here are some pics from the night. Enjoy!
This story is part of a year-long series, School Year: Learning, Poverty, and Success in a South African Township.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!