The Cross culture project aims to facilitate an investigation for cross-cultrual experiences of refugee students in South Africa. In the long term the project is also aiming at facilitating learning and understanding of different cultures.

We hope to achieve this aim by:

1. Establishing a cross cultural exchange program or visit

2. Producing cross cultural literature

3. Organising cross cultural events such as festivals, seminars, discussions and creative art works

Key words: cross cultural education, multicultural education.

What is the overall research  we will be addressing in this research?

• How do refugee students deal with cross cultural experience in their student life meanwhile in South Africa?
• What is the refugee student cross cultural experience?

In this regard the founder of Umphakatsi, Sarah Motha travelled to Germany for a three week visit on the 1st of May 2007. What follows below is an experience foretelling about her visit. Her host was a long time friend. What they both spent the days doing was first to go shopping for some food which suits Sarah's vegetarian appetite as well as the host taste diet of meat and other normal grocery items. Sarah did not know that all that will turn out to be told as a joke to the host friends and family. At least this is how Sarah felt when the host was sharing every bits about his experience of staying with Sarah.This is one but very important experience of living in a different country and culture.  Worse to Sarah is that at a dinner table wherein his host had taken to meet some family members, in all the two hours spent, the conversation which the host led was about from how Sarah sleeps in the bed, how she applies her make up, and to the fact that she sleeps with her hat on - never mind the fact that this is a different weather for Sarah and therefore might be too cold for her, though to the local people is warm. All these details were shared to the public including to some of the host friends in the bar where he often goes for a drink after work on previous day. Of course at the dinner table, there was now more to say as each day is different and therefore Sarah does different things. So the book was full with lots of stories about Sarah, and the body language including some gestures portrayed a negative attitude about her as she sat silently watching. The language is foreign, she can follow some few lines like when he tells about her watching BoB Marley's DVD on laptop etc, said it all. we will end this experience or case here.

The point we want to make is that cross cultural learing and understanding is important as it might assist in elucidating some of the patterns, attitudes and behaviour. Perhaps, what Sarah experienced with her host is normal, cultural practice of some German communities in expressing or sharing their impressions with friends or families when interacting or encountering with other cultures. This is subject for more discussion. If you have any comments or additions, do not hesitate to email us at info@umphakatsi.org or call us on 0027 (0) 84 765 5930.