HERITAGE Day is aimed at observing and celebrating the diverse heritage and culture of South Africa.

In the same spirit of Heritage Month, South Coast Herald cadet journalist Ntandoyenkosi Dlamini asked Andrew Vogelaar (27) from Uvongo, KwaZulu-Natal about his upbringing, traditions and heritage.

Andrew is what the ‘cool kids’ call ‘woke’ – which is a colloquial term used for people who are socially aware.

He was born and raised not too far from the Zimbabwean border in Waterpoort, Limpopo.

Andrew is of English and Dutch descent, but growing up in the farm surrounded by people from all walks of made him ‘woke’ in the sense that he grew up speaking Tshivenda, and a bit of Sesotho with the farm workers’ children.

This made him aware of the challenges and struggles other people face.

Here are a few things you need to know about Andrew:

What does Heritage Day mean to you?

It means appreciating where I come from, celebrating a better future; a future that is better than the past.

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How will you and your family/friends be spending Heritage Day?

We will probably be braaiing as typical Afrikaans people do, and get together around the fire and have some biltong.

What memories/nostalgia and notions of home do you still have?

I was born four years before the end of Apartheid, where some of the community members were still using the derogatory ‘K’ word, but my grandfather was against that.

He taught me how not discriminate against people by acknowledging the fact that there’s more to an individual than the colour of their skin or the body that they are in.

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What family traditions do you still value and adhere to in your everyday life?

My grandfather enforced the importance of respect. He urged us to listen to everyone, even the ‘dull and dumb’,  because everybody has a story tell, and that if you show respect to other people; that’s the only way you will get respect in return.

What is a traditional dish you would all share as a family? 

Malva pudding that just melts in your mouth, we have our own family recipe and that’s what makes it extra-special. Not forgetting my grandmother’s milk tart- a taste of heaven.

What is the best advice or saying anyone of your family has ever given you and will you pass it on to your kids one day?

That’s quite because I have it tattooed on my leg. It was a poem by my grandfather, and it read, ”Be your best, your very best and your best will better grow. But if you slight your daily task, you let the better go.”

My grandfather told me to wear that forever and I did just that by wearing it in my heart and leg.

What of your specific culture is misunderstood and what would you like for other cultures to understand better?

When people talk about Caucasian people, they often generalise, especially when it comes to unfair treatment, or suppression. Not every white-skinned person looks down on people from other ethnic groups.

Some of us love getting to know other South Africans because that’s where you get incredible life stories, lessons and wisdom.

What goodwill message do you have for your fellow South Africans?

Accept where you come from. Don’t hold grudges or burn bridges. Look forward to a bright future.

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