An interview with two teaching volunteers

Posted on 18 February 2011

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the Calabash Trust programmes accredited by Fair Trade in Tourism SA is their Volunteer programme which places suitably skilled people (usually from abroad) in school support systems and health facilities.

On leaving Motherwell we head for Addo – not to visit the elephants for which the park is renowned worldwide, but to visit a school in a rural township that borders the Elephant Park and Nature Reserve.

Calabash is involved in with two schools here. Today we went to A.V Bukani Primary for me to meet and interview two volunteers – both retired teachers from the UK.

When we arrive we first meet the principal, Thambo Zilindile who shows us around. He tells us about one American family that has come out for a number of years in succession and helped to create a library and a teachers’ resource centre. We go into the container that is currently being filled with the books bought with donations raised by the Kugler family. The container is hot but an aircon has been installed to prevent the books from spoiling. It’s wonderful to see the many shelves of beautiful, brand new books for these Grade R – 4 learners. A simple system is being put in place to allow the children to check books in and out. In the teachers’ resource centre more shiny new learning resource books are piled up. Once a week teachers are trained in how to use these wonderful books in the class, as many of them don’t really know where to begin.

We also visit the school’s IT centre and a lesson is underway. I actually get goosebumps, despite the nearly 40 degrees C temperature outside, to see these children, whose parents are by and large illiterate farm workers, sitting in front of computers working on educational software. One girl is doing maths. On the screen she needs to add 5 sheep to 3 sheep. She gets the answer correct, grins and clicks the mouse for the next problem.

Each class I enter, I am amazed at how well behaved and also how interested these children are in the lessons. They are bright eyed, hands flying up to be the first to answer the teacher’s questions. No-one is talking out of turn. They have beautiful manners. The whole school has an air of being well maintained and the children look clean and neat.

During break I got to chat to the two volunteers, Jane Lavery, a retired English teacher, and Diana Stern who has many years of experience as a special needs teacher.

Jane is at school for a whole term, while Diana is due to leave at the end of this week after spending a month at the school.

What made you want to volunteer abroad, and why did you choose SA?

Diana: I always wanted to do some volunteer work. I chose SA for personal reasons – my daughter is based in Mozambique and I decided to be “˜near’ her. I chose People and Places / Calabash as I appreciated their ethical stance.

Jane: I really wanted to come to Africa. I was also drawn to People and Places because of their ethical outlook.

Did you actively choose such a rural setting?

Diana: I wanted something short term, and the idea of being part of a rural community was appealing.

Jane: I just went where I was sent really”¦

Both your host families were chosen because they speak some English. Do you feel as if you’ve been accepted by the community in general?

Jane: We are always greeted wherever we go. We are easily recognized and I feel very welcome here.

Diana: I was once a little lost and someone came up to me and pointed me in the right direction despite the fact that neither of us spoke each others’ language.

What is it like living in a rural African community?

Diana: I love the open door policy here. People come in and out all the time. That’s very different from England, and also from the way people in South African suburbs live, with all the security and alarm systems.

Have you been a victim of crime here? And do you ever feel threatened or afraid, being woman alone?

Jane: I feel completely safe. But I have travelled alone before – I taught English in China previously.

Diana: I admit I felt a little anxious at first but my host family made me feel so welcome that soon passed. They have been very well primed by Calabash – when I first arrived I was given clean towels every day, and cooked breakfast every morning, and I had to explain neither was necessary at all!

Jane, with Diana leaving, do you think you’ll be lonely for the rest of the term?

Jane: As I said before, I’m used to travelling alone. I’m Catholic and I’ve connected with some of the nuns at the local church and I had dinner with another lady recently, so I am making inroads into the community on a more one-on-one level.

Diana: We also get to spend weekends at a guest house in Summerstrand (PE) to give the families a break and to have a change of scenery, to swim and to shop!

Do you feel that the work you’ve done here, the programmes you’ve initiated with special needs children for example, will continue when you’ve left?

Diana: Little bit will continue. I think that we’ve been able to get special needs children recognized, as well as those who’ve had gaps in their learning and are struggling to keep up.

Jane: I think the main legacy of the volunteers is going to be the library and teachers’ resource centre.

To see specials at these places and similar, go to Abang Africa
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